So you've been locked in the Weeaboo War for what's felt like years now. You've felt like you've seen everything from Assassination Classroom to Zoids, but maybe there's a void in your sugoi brain that's been itching to get filled. Could it be a series you've neglected to see but know you need it to be whole?
Here's a list of eleven anime series you can sink your teeth into that you could add onto your list like badges, donning them with pride every convention you so choose to present yourself in. Maybe you've seen these masterpieces, maybe you haven't. In any case, they're must-watches before you exclaim, "I've seen everything Japan has to offer!"
Ping Pong The Animation![]()
Genre: Sport/Drama
Number of episodes: 11
An anime about ping-pong? Sure. It's the classic underdog story, as told through the perspective of a seemingly apathetic boy who finds a spiritual connection to the sport. Can something as simple as table tennis define futures? The divine animation in this one that matches no other styles is worth the watch alone.
Princess Tutu
Genre: Fantasy/Music
Number of episodes: 38
Okay, picture this: a young girl named Duck, who attends a ballet school, is total garbage at ballet. Little does anyone know that she is a literal duck who was transformed into a human to play the main character in a fairy tale in which she saves the lives of many through her dancing as the magical girl, Princess Tutu. The SOUNDTRACK, fam.
Polar Bear's Café ![]()
Genre: Comedy/Slice of Life
Number of episodes: 52
It's hard to explain this one with a straight face. See the polar bear? He's the owner of a café. The penguin on the left is a daily regular, and the panda on the right lives down the road from the café and works as a part-time panda at the local zoo.
Literally, I'm not clever enough to make this up.
Nichijou
Genre: Comedy/Slice of Life
Number of episodes: 27
Your run-of-the-mill slice-of-life high school anime with a delightful style and brilliant twists. This is what really got me to love high school anime, and you'll be reeling by the end of the first episode: guaranteed.
Death Parade
Genre: Suspense/Tragedy
Number of episodes: 12
If you could only watch one anime from this list, watch this one. This series follows a bar known as the Queen Decim, where two people who died at the exact same time are sent to play a bar game that will determine who will get reincarnated...and who will be sent into endless void. It shows different types of relationships, depression, and love in all of its forms.
There is also a movie made to pitch the series before its release called Death Billiards, which will give you really good insight on what the rest of the series will be like.
Mononoke
Genre: Horror/Historical
Number of episodes: 12
In the very old days of Japan, there was a man who passed himself off as a merchant that would pass through seemingly normal areas across the countryside...only to really serve as an exorcist to banish the mononoke, or cursed spirits. This one is more eye-candy than anything else, matching the art-styles of ancient Japan and its vivid blend of color and culture.
Princess Jellyfish
Genre: Romance/Comedy
Number of episodes: 11
A socially awkward girl by the name of Tsukimi feels a spiritual connection to jellyfish, finding artistic inspiration in them with everything she does. She lives with a squad of isolated otakus, but this introverted lifestyle takes a dramatic turn when she befriends the most talented crossdresser whose reputation proceeds him. It's simply charming and so heartfelt. So, SO heartfelt.
Baccano!
Genre: Action/Suspense
Number of Episodes: 12
From the brilliant, BRILLIANT man that brought us DuRaRaRa! comes this thrill ride of mob crime, explosions, murder, magic, mystery, romance, comedy, and everything in between, topped with a stellar English dub and possibly one of the best opening sequences in anime history.
I'm naming my next cat Jacuzzi Splott.
Detroit Metal City
Genre: Comedy/Music
Number of episodes: 11
The easiest one to explain, but the hardest one to truly soak in. The lead singer of the death metal band known as Detroit Metal City wants to lowkey be an adult alternative pop star, even when his reputation involves cursing out crowds and boasting about murdering his parents. I...can't say much else. Seeing is believing, as they say.
Gregory Horror Show
Genre: Suspense/Horror
Number of episodes: 50
One of the less-than-conventional anime out there, this series' episodes are less than five minutes long, with each addition building onto the lore of a mysterious hotel where sanity is dashed and confidence is tested. When a man arrives at this hotel after a grueling business trip, he quickly realizes that this CGI-induced nightmare may be impossible to escape...without a price.
Your Lie in April
Genre: Romance/Drama
Number of episodes: 22
The best way I can describe this anime is that it's nearly perfect. Perfect animation, an incredible soundtrack, and a beautifully tragic tale of a boy whose traumatic home-life prevented him from playing the piano, a talent he kindled at a young age. When a violin prodigy of a girl slams into his life, what comes is an explosion of color, depth, and passion.
"I HAVE SEEN EVERYTHING JAPAN HAS TO OFFER, CLEARLY."
Maybe not, but maybe now you can see a fraction of the best of it.
