#22 Bakemonogatari!

        If you've been paying attention to any currently airing anime then you might have seen something about Kizumonogatari Part 3 or Owarimonogatari. If you have, then you probably know that they're a part of the Monogatari universe. I'm going to say right now that the universe is a little confusing when it comes to figuring out which order to watch the different shows in. Luckily there are some lists out there to help you. (which are listed at the bottom) This post however, is going to focus on Bakemonogatari, which is the first season in the Monogatari series and came out in 2009. (in airing order)

        Bakemonogatari follows a high school boy named Araragi, and his interactions with the supernatural world. He finds himself in dangerous situations when he tries to help others who are experiencing supernatural problems. Bakemonogatari would fall under the genres of supernatural, comedy, mystery and romance. (Although, it's not romantic in the way you might think.) If you want to read the official description click here!

       Bakemonogatari's art style is unprecedented when it comes to the background art and character movements. Studio Shaft is now known for this style and it's sometimes referred to as the shaft head tilt.


      One of the interesting aspects of Bakemonogatari are the differences between the originally aired version, and the Blue-Ray version. If you've watched Bakemonogatari, and you're not sure which version you watched, it's pretty simple to figure out. If the background looked like the picture to the right, then it was the Blu-Ray version. If you want to see a few more examples, you can click here. If you want to watch a side by side comparison of the TV version V.S the Blue-Ray version, click here. (just so you know, it does include spoilers)


        A few more really great things that make Bakemonogatari unique are the eye fixation, head tilts, body pans, screen flashes, weird color templates, abandoned locations and real footage and or pictures. (If you want to read more about them click here.) Bakemonogatari also has an amazing music score. We get some elevator music like "Date" and some synthesizer songs like "Uzu". We also get some cool percussive music like "Rainy Devil". Most of the tracks include either piano, Xylophone, or marimba as the base with multiple other instruments and electronic mixing. We sometimes get to hear some vocals. There's also a song that's reminiscent of Ghost In The Shell's  "Making of Cyborg" called "Kekkai". If you want to listen to the entire Bakemonogatari soundtrack click here. 

        Bakemonogatari is such a unique anime, visually and story wise. It's story doesn't have a particular end other than helping each person with their problems, but it's definitely entertaining and worth a watch. (Bakemonogatari is also the anime used in one of my favorite AMV's and it's amazing, you should go check it out here.) Just a side note Bakemonogatari does include some violent and unexpected gore, as you can see in this iconic scene. 

If you want to watch Bakemonogatari it's on crunchy roll, hulu, and amazon prime.

(If you're wondering what order to watch the Monogatari series in, here are a couple of choices (here) and (here))
















I do not own any of the pictures, gifs, or videos used in this post or any other post on AnimationNomination they are protected under the fair use policy

#21 A Centaur's Life!

     A Centaur's Life could fall under a few different genres, school life being the most prominent. It could also fall under comedy, slice of life, and monster girls. It focuses on our main character Himeno, or Hime, who's a centaur. We get to meet characters of different races and see how their society functions 'without prejudice.'

     A Centaur's Life has some subtle political undertones that we get to see in the first episode. The politics mostly focus on how the government pushes the equality between races and avoid 'hate crimes.' I'm glad that it's only addressed every once and awhile, otherwise it might alter the fun slice of life feel the show has going for it. (At the same time though, the undertones keep it from being just another monster girl school life anime.) If you want to check out some of the other undertones and or themes that both the manga and anime include, click here. (It's actually pretty cool to look at)

(just a side note I've also seen it translated to Centaur's Worries so if you're looking for that you're in the right place)


     One of the cool things about this show is how they address evolution and why their world ended up the way it is. Just like I said in the Made in Abyss post, I love learning about new worlds that stories introduce. It's awesome when the writers and animators take the time to explain the world the story takes place in. Although, I think A Centaur's Life takes place on an earth that's just evolved differently. (If you're confused this is all explained in the first episode.)

     Another great thing about this anime is that it shows you how the characters, who are different races, live depending on their differing sizes and limitations. For example, there are specific desks and cars made for centaurs. And there's a robot walking device made for mermaids. Usually in a monster girl anime or any anime that includes fantastical characters, it's never addressed how the society has to change in order to accommodate things like extra limbs or tails.

      One of the only problems I have with A Centaur's Life is the mermaids structure. As you can see, the tail starts much lower on the legs than a normal mermaid. I personally think it's disturbing to have a weird slit between the legs and then a tail. All of the other races look the way you would expect them to, except the mermaids. (Coincidence? I think not) 

     Another really great facet about the show is that the mermaids internal structure gets explained. There are a few other times where the structures of the different races are explained and we get to really understand the races themselves, instead of just accepting the characters as being fantastical. For example, in one of the episodes Hime explains why centaurs have to stay at a certain weight. (You're going to have to watch it to find out why)

     

     A Centaur's Life also includes a gay couple, which is fantastic! Especially since they're given actual personalities and aren't just there for extra fluff. When you think about it, on the surface A Centaur's Life looks like any other monster girl, school life anime but when you start watching it you begin to see all these little details that make it so much more interesting.

     If you want to watch A Centaur's Life click here.

     I've actually written a review about this one on anime planet if you want to check it out! (Click here.)

I do not own any of the pictures, gifs, or videos used in this post or any other post on AnimationNomination they are protected under the fair use policy 

#20 Made in Abyss!

When you look into and Abyss, the Abyss also looks into you - Friedrich Nietzsche

     The most important thing to know about the world that this takes place in, is that there's a gigantic hole that goes deep into the earth that everyone refers to as The Abyss. Inside of The Abyss are artifacts of old civilizations, along with incredible and dangerous creatures. The Abyss is split into different levels depending on the depth, dangers, and different flora and fauna found there.




     Decending into The Abyss is dangerous due to the creatures and environment, but ascending is even more of a challenge due to the 'Curse of the Abyss'. When a cave raider ascends they are struck with terrible and fatal effects. The first of which is light dizziness and nausea, which doesn't sound too terrible. But when ascending from, say, the 4th level, the effects are intense Full-body pain, dizziness from pain and varying amounts of internal and external bleeding across the body. (If you want to read more about the Curse of the Abyss click here. )

    One of the main characters of Made in Abyss is Riko, who is a 12 year old girl. She was orphaned after her mother, who was a renowned cave raider, died on one of her expeditions. 

     Riko is a cave raider in training, and during one of her raids she meets Reg, our second main character. He's a robot in the shape of a human boy. He has no memories of who or what he is. Riko take's him back to the orphanage and explains to him that she thinks her mother is alive and waiting for her in the abyss. This is essentially when their adventure begins.

     (The scenery of Made In Abyss is extremely complex and detailed, and I can't wait for season 2 so we can see more. It kind of reminds me of the Studio Ghibli movie Naucicaä of the Valley of the Wind. (which is fantastic and you should totally go watch it)

     The character art style is more childlike, they look more like video came characters or some form of chibi art style. However, don't be fooled by how cute and childish the characters look because there are abrupt and gory scenes. While they're not as extreme as Tokyo Ghoul, they're definitely not subtle.

     Personally, I love it when we get to learn more about the world that a story takes place in and it's history and Made in Abyss definitely delivers. We also get to learn about the creatures that live in the abyss and why, even though it's claimed so many lives, the characters are still fascinated by it.

If you want to read the Made in Abyss Wiki click here. If you want to read the official description click here. If you want to watch it you could go to gogoanime or kissanime.

I do not own any of the pictures, gifs, or videos used in this post or any other post on AnimationNomination they are protected under the fair use policy

#19 Hozuki's Coolheadedness!

Hell. A common theme in anime, but I'll bet that the other anime didn't have a rabbit torturing the deceased.

          Hozuki's Coolheadedness focuses on the different parts of hell and how they, the hell minions, deal with the people that end up there. Since this hell can be a little confusing you might want to click here to learn more. (this link does include some extra information)

          Hozuki, our main character, is the chief of staff for King Enma, and he typically has on a poker face. He's a pretty serious character but he does like to make puns every once and awhile and, since this show includes parody, he's usually the one referencing other anime. 
          Much like Gintama, Hozuki's Coolheadedness has its own story with a sprinkling of references to other shows. Although, as the show goes on we see less and less of other shows and it begins to focus more on its own characters.

          Offsetting Hozuki's serious and cold attitude is King Enma, who is sort of like a fluffy teddy bear. He's kind and happy-go-lucky and is much warmer than Hozuki. He is tough on the deceased but can be lenient towards his staff.

          A few other characters in Hozuki's Coolheadedness are the working demons and animals that help run hell. For example, in animal cruelty hell the deceased are attacked and mauled by animals for having hurt animals while they were alive. Some of these animals may seem soft and cute, but they take their jobs seriously and definitely make the deceased pay.

          Each of the episodes is split into two segments consisting of 10 minutes each. Since the segments are so short there really isn't an underlying plot, and the episodes could technically be watched out of order.    

  
          Speaking of episodes, one of my favorites is episode 5 of season 1 "The Instrumental Duo of the Mighty Rivals / Mental Sports Day". I found it hilarious but I'm not going to tell you about it because you have to see it for your self. 

          Right now there are 2 seasons out with a third season coming out October 7th 2018. I know I'm excited for it!

          Another awesome thing about Hozuki's Coolheadedness is its opening themes. In season ones opening there's a weird mistake or easter egg concerning one of the characters in the lineup at the end (if you know what I'm talking about leave a comment!) Season 2 has an awesome ending song and animation sequence. 

          (Unfortunately the season one opening animation does not exist on youtube but click here if you want to just listen to the song. And I can't find a link to the season 2 ending song so it looks like you'll just have to watch the show!)

          If you have seen the show comment with your favorite character! Mine's definitely Shiro! 

(If you want to read the official description click here)

I do not own any of the pictures, gifs, or videos used in this post or any other post on AnimationNomination they are protected under the fair use policy 

Anime Planet!

          Hey hey hey! You guys have probably noticed that I link to Anime Planet A LOT. That's because it's a great website. If you've only just followed the links I add and haven't taken a look around, I highly suggest you do! (maybe right now) Anime Planet is a great place to keep track of what you've watched, want to watch, are watching, are stalled on, have dropped, and won't watch. It also allows you to make personalized lists like "Best Sports Anime" or "Shows that make me cry my eyes out". You know... whatever.

          Anyway, Anime Planet also allows you to keep track of your manga, and characters. For example, here is a link to the most hated characters. (Number one is definitely correct.)

          It also helps you keep track of what episode you're on, or how many times you've watched an anime.
It also keeps track of how many anime you have in each of the previously listed categories. Here's a screenshot of mine.

          As you can see I've still got a lot to watch and there's no way I'd be able to remember them all without having that list.

          Anime Planet recently added Challenges. (right now there are only three challenges available) Click here to check them out.

          You can also make recommendations for people based on other shows. Kind of like how Netflix has a category called "Recommended for you". Here's a screenshot of some of the recommendations I've written.

(I don't have very many yet but I'm working on it)

          You can also write reviews and score an anime based on the categories of story, animation, sound, characters, and how the anime was overall. I'm not going to link you to mine since, once again, I don't have that many. But if you type an anime into the search bar it'll most likely have at least 1 review.

          Have I mentioned that it seems like they have EVERY anime in their database? Well it's true (even some we can't watch in certain countries. )

          Anime Planet is also a great place to go if you want to keep an eye on what's coming out soon. I definitely recommend checking out the Anime Season Charts under the anime tab at the top.

(sorry if the pictures don't seem super clear I'm just taking screenshots)

          And Finally If you want to see what I'm up to on there click here and it will take you to my profile!

#18 Voltron: Legendary Defender!

Just another Mecha show? No way!

     Voltron takes place in a universe that includes our Milky Way and much more. It's a remake of the 1984, Voltron Defender of the Universe. (If you're more interested in that one click here!)

     Voltron: Legendary Defender, focuses on five Paladins, a Princess, an advisor, and an evil Emperor. Each Paladin pilots a colored lion, which is shown to the right. (for more on Princess Allura, Advisor Coran, and Emperor Zarkon check out the full description link) 

     From left to right the pilots are Lance in the blue lion, Keith in the red lion, Shiro in the black lion, Pidge in the green lion and Hunk in the yellow lion. When the lions combine they form Voltron, which looks like a giant robot, and become the defenders of the universe!

     Each lion has different abilities, strengths and weaknesses that relate to their Paladins. When they combine to form Voltron they're the only being in the            universe that is strong enough to overthrow Emperor Zarkon, who has conquered most of the universe and destroyed anything in his way. 

     (If you want to read a full description click here!)

     Voltron is a good show to watch if you like Space Dandy, or Gurren Lagann. It's funny, action packed, and available on Netflix, so it's easy to watch. Right now Netflix has 4 seasons of Voltron available to watch and season 5 comes out on March 2nd 2018. If you're a sci-fi lover, space enthusiast, or even a mecha fan, I highly suggest that you check Voltron: Legendary Defender out!


I do not own any of the pictures, gifs, or videos used in this post or any other post on AnimationNomination they are protected under the fair use policy 

#17 Restaurant to Another World!

     If you love food then you should definitely watch this show! We've all seen animated food before but Restaurant to Another World takes it to a whole different level and will leave you hungry for more.

     The restaurant in question seems ordinary during the week, but on Saturday it connects to a different world. In the other world, multiple doors appear at random locations, inviting the inhabitants to see what's on the other side. We, as viewers, get to meet all different kinds of creatures and people. Each character develops a love for a certain dish which we get to see in each episode. We also get to learn more about the restaurant owner and the world it connects to.
     The high quality of the food is what really makes this anime a gem. I'm use to seeing animated food as simple and uninteresting, but the food in this anime is highly detailed and really holds your attention. From the gloss on a tomato skin to the crispy texture of fried shrimp, it truly is amazing to look at.

     If you want to read the official description click here. And here's a link to the first episode!

I do not own any of the pictures, gifs, or videos used in this post or any other post on AnimationNomination they are protected under the fair use policy