For some reason, watching anime, reading manga, listening to K-pop, or simply playing games was considered to be weird, cringe, and childish. Back in the olden days, people who were into Japanese culture had to hide it.
But for the past decades, this culture has become more and more popular. Thanks to globalization that began in the 1990s, anime series and culture have expanded beyond Japan to become popular all over the world.
Surprisingly, one of the reasons for the emergence of this culture in Japan is considered by experts to be Americanization. The total penetration of American culture and way of life in the Land of the Rising Sun has had an unexpected consequence. Though, a lot of Americans also worship Japanese culture.
In this article, we will discuss the most popular and amazing series everyone should watch. But we also need to remember about education. Accomplishing an endless number of assignments like writing essays can be torture.
In case you also struggle with this task, you can turn to EssayPro for help. A team of qualified specialists will gladly help you with this task. So now, let’s dive deeper into the anime world.
The Variety of Anime
Anime series are a large stratum of Japanese culture. While ordinary movies and TV series are usually based on comics, books, games, etc., in Japan, anime is the primary genre that influences the rest. More than 400 Japanese studios are producing series. Anime films are aimed at different audiences.
Each character has a birth date and blood type, different hair, and different shape and color of the eyes. All these aspects have their own meaning. For example, children and teenagers are usually depicted with large, open eyes. The villains, on the other hand, always have narrow, squinting eyes.
Here is a list of common genres:
- Action
- Comedy/Slice-of-Life
- Drama/Tragedy
- Psychological
- History
- Mecha/Military
- Supernatural/Magic
- Romance
And this is not the end of the genres. But now we want to introduce you to the must-watch anime series.
Demon Slayer
Kimetsu no Yaiba (the original title) was released by Ufotable Studios in spring 2019. As of now, only 2 seasons have been released. This masterpiece is based on a manga by Koyoharu Gotouge. Among other cool movies, Demon Slayer earned a lot of awards at the 2022 Crunchyroll Anime Awards.
The events of Kimetsu no Yaiba are set in an alternative Japan of the early twentieth century. Since then, there have been rumors that the woods are inhabited by humanoid demons that feed on humans and walk around at night, looking for a new victim. So the main plot will be based on an endless fight between demons and demon slayers.
But besides this, Kimetsu no Yaiba shows us a wide range of issues in one way or another.
One of the most important ones is the relationship between family members. Another one is the struggle between good and evil. Here, humans and demons have their own different worldviews. This makes you take into account both points of view, rather than judging only demons for killing people.
Haikyuu!!
Haikyuu!! – A volleyball series released by Production I.G. in 2014. It’s also based on a manga. Now, four seasons have been released, and there is some news about the fifth one, but there is no official date. Some people might wonder, “Why should I watch sports series at all if they show the same thing over and over again?”.
Well, the answer is simple: one likes to watch people overcome difficulties. In this case, sports show that the effort spent on training pays off in the end. It is important for a person to believe that their efforts will not be in vain. Watching a sports anime motivates the viewer. “Since my favorite characters can do this – then why can’t I?”
If at least one person, after watching Haikyuu!!! or any other sports anime is motivated to take up a sport, the anime will serve its purpose. Because this one will teach you to never give up, believe in yourself, accept defeat, but learn from it and become stronger in order to win. High-quality animation, great music, vivid characters, dynamic plot, and inimitable motivating atmosphere – that’s what you get from watching Haikyuu!!!
Dr.Stone
Dr.Stone was released by TMS Entertainment in the summer of 2019. It consists of two seasons (twenty-four episodes each), based on a manga by Riichiro Inagaki. The Japanese are wise people. They have understood that in addition to their entertainment function, anime and manga, designed for a wide audience, can also be educational.
This anime is the brightest example as it tells us a story about students who survived after a sudden blinding flash destroyed humanity, turning all people to stone. Now they need to start civilization from scratch. Luckily, the main character is a genius, and thanks to his knowledge and hard work, humanity has all chances to come back to normal.
Dr.Stone is an extremely light and entertaining series that you will want to watch without paying attention to its shortcomings. But its most important virtue is not the easy perception but the good purpose of popularizing science.
Princess Mononoke
For students who don’t have much time and want to watch full-length anime, the must-watch one will be Princess Mononoke by Hayao Miyazaki. He is literally a living legend. Nowadays, everyone is rewatching his masterpieces millions of times.
If you have never seen his works, your first impression might be that his works are oriented toward kids. Yet, if you can read between the lines and notice even the smallest details, you will understand the deep meaning of each anime.
Miyazaki’s works are always filled with hidden meanings and relevant issues at the time of the release of the anime, so it is not surprising that Princess Mononoke is no exception. It is well known that Hayao Miyazaki is an active environmentalist, and in his works, he very often refers to the problems of pollution and environmental destruction.
In Princess Mononoke, the problem of the tense relationship between the interests of nature and the developing society became one of the central issues. Miyazaki reminds the viewer that nature is not to be trifled with.
As soon as people start to consider themselves the masters of the world and change it at their own discretion, nature harshly reminds them of the opposite.
The music deserves special attention. The accompaniment for Princess Mononoke, as well as for most of Miyazaki’s works, was composed by Joe Hisaishi.
The majestic and very melodic compositions combined with the highest-quality visuals will take you to the fairy tale with its truly breathtaking world. Besides, all the melodies will give you goosebumps.
Summing Up
Everyone is used to thinking that anime is just movies for kids. Well, you will never know the truth until you give it a shot. Of course, anime series are primarily designed to entertain and relax, but would they be so popular without the idea behind them?
The struggle for justice, courage, and bravery, friendship, and rivalry, pure and unconditional love – all these things you can find in anime. Though they are basic topics, they will remind you of the true value of the most important things in your life.
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