What anime is new, good, and available for streaming in the US?
February 20, 2017 8:54 AM Subscribe
Hey all, this is another "give me your quality TV post" spurred on the the recent Metatalktail Hour. I have started getting back into anime after some time away and I am interested in some recommendations. With some caveats and guidelines of course...
What I like:
Complex in reasonable ways
Slice of life/cooking
Not particularly gory
LGBT themes that aren't fanservice
Genre-wise I am pretty much cool with anything I haven't mentioned explicitly above.
Excellent music and/or animation
What I don't like:
Excessive misogyny/cruelty (physical and emotional)
Panty shots
Loli/shota or other sexualization of minors
Harems
Convoluted plots that are the result of trying to mash a multi decade manga series into one season of TV
Dragonball Z/Bleach/Naruto
Recently I watched and adored Yuri! On Ice, which reminded me of how much I really liked anime a while back - Escaflowne, Cowboy Bebop, Azumanga Daioh. I was also into Neon Genesis Evangelion at the time but I don't know if it has held up. Hare+Guu is another thing I watched and didn't hate because it was low stakes weirdness.
I have recently enjoyed Poco's Udon World, Yakitate!! Japan, Wakako-zake and Mob Psycho 100. I was simultaneously interested in and repulsed by Shokugeki no Souma. I did not like Attack on Titan (the art! Also it felt like there was a lot of filler) and I am having a difficult time getting into Flip Flappers, though I have only watched the first three episodes.
So. If I, a mid-30s person in the US with Netflix, Amazon Prime and Crunchyroll, would like to sit back and relax to some excellent anime that won't make me too upset given that I am trying not to rage at what is happening in the real world 24/7, what should I put on next?
What I like:
Complex in reasonable ways
Slice of life/cooking
Not particularly gory
LGBT themes that aren't fanservice
Genre-wise I am pretty much cool with anything I haven't mentioned explicitly above.
Excellent music and/or animation
What I don't like:
Excessive misogyny/cruelty (physical and emotional)
Panty shots
Loli/shota or other sexualization of minors
Harems
Convoluted plots that are the result of trying to mash a multi decade manga series into one season of TV
Dragonball Z/Bleach/Naruto
Recently I watched and adored Yuri! On Ice, which reminded me of how much I really liked anime a while back - Escaflowne, Cowboy Bebop, Azumanga Daioh. I was also into Neon Genesis Evangelion at the time but I don't know if it has held up. Hare+Guu is another thing I watched and didn't hate because it was low stakes weirdness.
I have recently enjoyed Poco's Udon World, Yakitate!! Japan, Wakako-zake and Mob Psycho 100. I was simultaneously interested in and repulsed by Shokugeki no Souma. I did not like Attack on Titan (the art! Also it felt like there was a lot of filler) and I am having a difficult time getting into Flip Flappers, though I have only watched the first three episodes.
So. If I, a mid-30s person in the US with Netflix, Amazon Prime and Crunchyroll, would like to sit back and relax to some excellent anime that won't make me too upset given that I am trying not to rage at what is happening in the real world 24/7, what should I put on next?
The Devil is a Part Timer! is now streaming on Hulu, probably on some of the others.
I found it cute and funny, and nicely self contained. Light-hearted action comedy where the devil is a really nice twenty-something guy who's just trying to make his way in modern Tokyo (as a stepping stone to taking over the world).
posted by SaltySalticid at 9:35 AM on February 20, 2017 [1 favorite]
I found it cute and funny, and nicely self contained. Light-hearted action comedy where the devil is a really nice twenty-something guy who's just trying to make his way in modern Tokyo (as a stepping stone to taking over the world).
posted by SaltySalticid at 9:35 AM on February 20, 2017 [1 favorite]
Your list of what you like in anime is basically identical to mine. If you've reviewed previous questions, I'm assuming you saw mine from a few months ago. Working from that list, I've been watching:
Non Non Biyori
Flying Witch (slice of life and cooking)
Minami Kamakura High School Girls Cycling Club
Is the Order a Rabbit?
Konosuba
Interviews with Monster Girls
Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid
Nyanbo! (which is as close as we'll ever get to a Yotsuba anime, sadly)
Usagi Drop (although I'm told the ending to manga is... strange)
I just started watching:
Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls In a Dungeon
Gourmet Girl Graffitti (cooking)
So far, I think Non Non Biyori might be one of the best anime I've ever seen. The art and the writing are top notch. I really enjoyed the slow pace of Flying Witch. Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid has some yuri elements, and Interviews with Monster Girls can be seen as sort of an allegory for how people who are differently abled can be accepted into society. All of these are available on Crunchyroll, FYI.
While I know Reddit has a deservedly poor reputation around here, I've found a lot of recommendations from the Anime subreddit, and from looking at what people are liking and recommending on MyAnimeList.
posted by ralan at 9:38 AM on February 20, 2017
Non Non Biyori
Flying Witch (slice of life and cooking)
Minami Kamakura High School Girls Cycling Club
Is the Order a Rabbit?
Konosuba
Interviews with Monster Girls
Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid
Nyanbo! (which is as close as we'll ever get to a Yotsuba anime, sadly)
Usagi Drop (although I'm told the ending to manga is... strange)
I just started watching:
Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls In a Dungeon
Gourmet Girl Graffitti (cooking)
So far, I think Non Non Biyori might be one of the best anime I've ever seen. The art and the writing are top notch. I really enjoyed the slow pace of Flying Witch. Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid has some yuri elements, and Interviews with Monster Girls can be seen as sort of an allegory for how people who are differently abled can be accepted into society. All of these are available on Crunchyroll, FYI.
While I know Reddit has a deservedly poor reputation around here, I've found a lot of recommendations from the Anime subreddit, and from looking at what people are liking and recommending on MyAnimeList.
posted by ralan at 9:38 AM on February 20, 2017
If you enjoyed Mob Psycho 100, you should try the other show based on work from the same manga artist, One-Punch Man
posted by Aznable at 9:50 AM on February 20, 2017
posted by Aznable at 9:50 AM on February 20, 2017
Psycho-Pass is new-ish, and season one is really good (season two has a different writer and is much gorier). I think it's available for streaming on CrunchyRoll (I'm not in the US, so it's a bit hard to tell from their site). Also, you mentioned Cowboy Bebop so I have to recommend Samurai Champloo, which isn't new at all but which also seems to be available on CrunchyRoll.
A good resource for anime recs is Anime Feminist.
posted by neushoorn at 10:03 AM on February 20, 2017 [1 favorite]
A good resource for anime recs is Anime Feminist.
posted by neushoorn at 10:03 AM on February 20, 2017 [1 favorite]
You seem to dislike much the same things I do in anime, including being repulsed by Shokugeki no Souma.
Current season anime I am enjoying:
3-gatsu no Lion
Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu
ACCA: 13-ku Kansatsu-ka
Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid (although this one seems to be dipping a toe into loli territory with the latest episode, not sure how far they'll go that way)
From previous seasons:
Fune wo Amu (The Great Passage)
Sweetness and Lightning
Shirobako
Concrete Revolutio (both seasons 1 & 2)
Gatchaman Crowds (both seasons 1 & 2)
Kekkai Sensen (Blood Blockade Battlefront)
Gargantia on the Verdurous Planet
Death Parade
Ping Pong
Mawaru Penguindrum
From the New World
No. 6
You might want to check out Yuri Kuma Arashi - I dropped it at the time because I didn't have much time to watch stuff, but it has some beautiful and interesting imagery and yes, yuri.
posted by needled at 10:36 AM on February 20, 2017
Current season anime I am enjoying:
3-gatsu no Lion
Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu
ACCA: 13-ku Kansatsu-ka
Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid (although this one seems to be dipping a toe into loli territory with the latest episode, not sure how far they'll go that way)
From previous seasons:
Fune wo Amu (The Great Passage)
Sweetness and Lightning
Shirobako
Concrete Revolutio (both seasons 1 & 2)
Gatchaman Crowds (both seasons 1 & 2)
Kekkai Sensen (Blood Blockade Battlefront)
Gargantia on the Verdurous Planet
Death Parade
Ping Pong
Mawaru Penguindrum
From the New World
No. 6
You might want to check out Yuri Kuma Arashi - I dropped it at the time because I didn't have much time to watch stuff, but it has some beautiful and interesting imagery and yes, yuri.
posted by needled at 10:36 AM on February 20, 2017
Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun is a slice of life anime about a manga artist and a girl who has a crush on him but never manages to confess.
nthing this times 1000. It definitely has the same feel to me as Yuri! On Ice. Also an alternative description is "Male manga author who is not feminine at all draws best selling romance manga. Clueless about girls IRL." because while the girl-has-a-crush-on-him is part of the story, that's it's not what makes it a fun anime.
That's like describing Yuri on Ice as "Bored Russian Ice skater takes promising Japanese skater under his wing." (no offense meant to clarinet)
posted by INFJ at 10:54 AM on February 20, 2017
nthing this times 1000. It definitely has the same feel to me as Yuri! On Ice. Also an alternative description is "Male manga author who is not feminine at all draws best selling romance manga. Clueless about girls IRL." because while the girl-has-a-crush-on-him is part of the story, that's it's not what makes it a fun anime.
That's like describing Yuri on Ice as "Bored Russian Ice skater takes promising Japanese skater under his wing." (no offense meant to clarinet)
posted by INFJ at 10:54 AM on February 20, 2017
Natsume's book of friends is about a teenage high school boy who has the ability to see yokai (spirits), and its so sweet and lovely. Best anime I've watched in years.
posted by smoke at 12:06 PM on February 20, 2017
posted by smoke at 12:06 PM on February 20, 2017
Here's two suggestions:
Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu
Princess Jellyfish
posted by tofu_crouton at 1:26 PM on February 20, 2017
Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu
Princess Jellyfish
posted by tofu_crouton at 1:26 PM on February 20, 2017
Assassination classroom is one of the best anime I've seen in years. scifi/slice of life / school.
available on hulu.
posted by evilmonk at 4:09 PM on February 20, 2017
available on hulu.
posted by evilmonk at 4:09 PM on February 20, 2017
Also, you mentioned Cowboy Bebop so I have to recommend Samurai Champloo...
I would also like to recommend another series made by the same director who made Cowboy Bebop and Samurai Champloo, the shows I enjoyed a lot. The director's name is Shinichiro Watanabe, and the series is Space Dandy, a 26 episodes long sci-fi/comedic anthology about the adventures of an eponymous Space Dandy guy in space.
posted by ringu0 at 4:44 PM on February 20, 2017
I would also like to recommend another series made by the same director who made Cowboy Bebop and Samurai Champloo, the shows I enjoyed a lot. The director's name is Shinichiro Watanabe, and the series is Space Dandy, a 26 episodes long sci-fi/comedic anthology about the adventures of an eponymous Space Dandy guy in space.
posted by ringu0 at 4:44 PM on February 20, 2017
It is not as far as I know presently available anywhere legitimately, though it's findable, but one way or another, find Doukyuusei. Find Doukyuusei. I may have literally just been subjected to it, and I am now in something like physical pain from how perfect Doukyuusei is. If you're craving another love story, this is the one you want. I am going to die now, but I am going to die happy.
(Outside of that realm, I second Nozaki-kun, and will add, though I've only just started it myself, that Samurai Flamenco looks very promising.)
posted by Sequence at 7:03 PM on February 20, 2017
(Outside of that realm, I second Nozaki-kun, and will add, though I've only just started it myself, that Samurai Flamenco looks very promising.)
posted by Sequence at 7:03 PM on February 20, 2017
I always recommend Natsume Yuujinchou for slice-of-life and for everything.
though I've only just started it myself, that Samurai Flamenco looks very promising
I LOVE Samurai Flamenco, but it sort of hits some of your DNWs as the series progresses. It's one of those series that is best watched without spoilers, so I don't want to go into details.
posted by betweenthebars at 12:37 AM on February 21, 2017
though I've only just started it myself, that Samurai Flamenco looks very promising
I LOVE Samurai Flamenco, but it sort of hits some of your DNWs as the series progresses. It's one of those series that is best watched without spoilers, so I don't want to go into details.
posted by betweenthebars at 12:37 AM on February 21, 2017
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posted by daikaisho at 8:55 AM on February 20, 2017