The 8 Great Anime
to Watch this Season
By Matthew Arcilla
It’s been said that in any given season there are anywhere between two to three dozen new series of anime. That’s a lot of anime, and between the less than critical weeaboos and the mindless devotion of military grade otaku, it’s hard to figure out what to watch.
That’s why I waited until a month or so into the season to watch as much anime as a I could to help pare down your choices. Regardless of your taste and preferences, you’ll find something to love among these eight great summer anime.
Vatican Miracle Examiner (Vatican Kiseki Chousakan)
From the department of so stupid it comes full circle to being great again is this anime that reminds us that Japanese people don’t know what Christianity really is. In it, a pair of scholars who work for a mysterious branch of the Vatican that investigate so-called miracles and the conspiracies behind them. It’s like Dan Brown meets Scooby Doo except the writers aren’t being tongue in cheek.
Fastest Finger First (Nana Maru San Batsu)
A nerdy young first year gets dragged into the Quiz Study Group by his pretty classmate. A passion for knowledge and trivia helps you enjoy this anime, but its charm and enthusiasm is undeniable. Nana Maru San Batsu takes book smarts into the world of sports excitement and is propelled by its utterly over the top sensationalization of the stakes and drama of quizzes.
Clean Freak! Aoyama-kun (Keppeki Danshi! Aoyama-kun)
This hilarious sports comedy about a handsome young germaphobe who also happens to be the hottest soccer star in his high school. Aoyama is the titular clean freak who manages to attract devotion and loyalty despite his strange ways and his enigmatic demeanor. Great animation and some enthusiastic voice performances make this one a keeper.
Katsugeki/Touken Ranbu
An anime based on a browser-based card game might seem like insipid fare, but Touken Ranbu, or “Wild Dance of Swords” features ensemble cast of historical swords turned into beautiful young men summoned to stop evil travelers from altering the course of history. Amazing character designs and a great use of the Bakumatsu period of Japan make this one shine.
