#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 

#13 Beautiful Bones: Sakurako's Investigation!

          "Even in death the bones remain. Bones symbolize life, and embody death."

          If you love the crime tv show Bones then this is the anime for you! Just like Temperance Brennan, (from Bones) Sakurako isn't the best with people, and throws herself into her work. (Which can involve assisting the police when they find unidentified corpses.)


          The main character in the anime is actually a high school boy named Shotaro, who happens to stumble upon Sakurako and ends up becoming her assistant. They work together to resolve unidentified remains and she teaches him more about bones and death itself.

           Sakurako is an osteologist and likes to spend her time reassembling the bones of animals. While this pastime may seem macabre she does it because she really finds bones to be beautiful. (which is totally understandable)

          Beautiful Bones also includes a lot of good quotes and ideas like "Real death gives people pause." They make you think about how we see the dead, and how we view death in general. How we don't really want to think about our bodies once we're dead even though our bones can still tell our stories. 
          Although this anime does revolve around death, I wouldn't say that its dark or depressing overall it's mostly positive.

          Beautiful Bones includes a reverie for the dead and the willingness to solve how they died. Nothing gets over looked in this animation including scientific facts and figures. Beautiful Bones is not a fast paced anime nor does it have much action, but it holds unique ideals that I haven't seen in other shows.

If you want to read more about Beautiful Bones 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