It’s a strange time for the world right now, as many of us are self-quarantining, or otherwise avoiding large groups of people so that we can slow the spread of the virus. While many of us are on the “corona holiday” (as a laid-back Italian friend of mine has named the current era), celebrating introversion in a way many of us were born to do, I thought it’d be nice to recommend some anime that will make you smile.
Smile Down the Runway
A show I’m enjoying a ton, it follows a smart-but-inexperienced fashion designer named Ikuto and his height-challenged friend Chiyuki, who at 158 cm (5’1) is far too short to make it to the famous Paris Fashion Week as a runway model, which is her dream. It’s great, watching the characters grow and achieve their goals in each episode. Read my post on the Smile Down the Runway here.
Carole & Tuesday
I published a post giving J-List’s top 12 anime of 2019, and a reader took me to task for not including Carole & Tuesday, which I’d missed at the time. I decided to watch the show and was utterly floored at what I found. Directed by Shichiro Watanabe (Cowboy Bebop, Samurai Champloo), it’s the story of orphan Carole and rich runaway Tuesday, who become friends and form a legendary music duo on a future terraformed Mars. Beyond the amazing characters and music, the aesthetics of the world they inhabit is unlike anything I can think of in anime.
Azumanga Daioh
The first modern slice-of-life developed from a 4-koma manga, Azumanga Daioh is a classic anime that will make you smile any time you need it.
Non Non Biyori is an anime that will always make me smile. pic.twitter.com/9bGoa0faNZ
— Peter Payne (@JListPeter) March 18, 2020
Non Non Biyori
Another great show that won me over big time is Non Non Biyori, the story of a girl who moves from bustling Tokyo to an extremely rural town in Japan, and makes friends with the children she meets there. There’s no drama and no viruses to cause us stress…just adorable characters and smiles all around.
Laid-Back Camp
If you’re a fan of the “cute girls doing cute things” genre and like the outdoors, why not watch (or re-watch) Yuru Camp, a fun slice-of-life anime about five girls learning the joys of camping in the winter. It’s filled with such beautiful scenery and stress-free cuteness you’ll enjoy every minute.
K-On!
Another feel-good show you might re-watch during this strange crisis is K-On!, about five girls who form a high school band. It’s an anime that will make you smile, with the possible exception of the “crying porn” scene in episode 20, when the girls suddenly realize there won’t be playing together at next year’s culture festival because they’re all graduating.
Kobayashi-san Chi no Dragon Maid
Arguably the single best anime by Kyoto Animation, nothing will brighten your mood like Kobayashi-san and her trusty dragon maid, and all the other crazy characters you’ll meet in the show.
Recovery of an MMO Junkie
Alternatively titled Net-juu no Susume, or Recommendation of the Wonderful Virtual Life, this is the story of 30-year-old Moriko Morioka, who quits her professional job and becomes a NEET playing online games and rarely leaving her house. As the story unfolds, she’s given the chance to open up and return to society, and potentially find love.
My Roommate is a Cat
An anime that will warm your heart even though there are some “feels” to get through, My Roommate Sits In My Lap, Sometimes on my Head (to translate its Japanese title) is the story of a young man named Mikazuki whose parents are killed while on vacation. Distraught, he pulls back from society, with his only friend a stray cat named Haru. Each episode is divided into two halves: one told from the point of view of the humans, the other from the cat, and it’s great to see the story unfold, as Mikazuki and Haru are both healed. Read my post on the show here.
Kiss x Sis
My personal go-to for times when I want to enjoy a well-crafted ecchi anime that stops short of going all the way, Kiss x Sis is the story of Keita and his two (not related by blood) older sisters, Ako and Riko. They’re both in love with him and are always looking for an opportunity to claim Keita for themselves, despite his protests. The situations the three find themselves in is always entertaining!
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