Anime to Check Out if You Want An Alternative to Valentine’s Day
While there are tons of couples trying to outshine each other in demonstrating their love for one another in the vicious game that is Valentine’s Day, it does not need to be a sad occasion for all the singles out there. Instead of having a relationship with that giant tub of ice cream and/or that box of chocolates you bought for yourself (nothing wrong with a little pick-me-up, and you should definitely treat yourself!), instead, take a look at some of these recommended shows to catch up on or start.
Fire Force
The last thing someone would want is flames near the Valentine’s Day traditions of roses, chocolates, and a sappy card. However, it should be no problem since you will forget about all those other things when you start watching this series. Funimation pulled out all the stops in bringing to life an alternate world in which fighting fires goes deeper to uncover the new problem of spontaneous human combustion. The “Infernal” monsters are stopped by Shinra Kusakabe and the rest of the Special Fire Force Company 8 in one of the hottest anime of the year. If you have not warmed up to this anime yet, now is the perfect time to do so.
(Source: Funimation)
The Devil is a Part-Timer!
If action is not for you, don’t worry. There’s something out there for everyone. Want to treat yourself to some comedic moments? The Devil is a Part-timer! Focuses on Satan and his right-hand man Alsiel fleeing to Earth under new aliases, Sadao Maou and Ashiya Shirou. However, things do not go according to plan. Tokyo is an expensive city to live in! With the shenanigans that these two get into, it makes a fun watch. Watch this if you like demons, devils, and fast food (I know I will watch this with a heaping serving of fries from Five Guys, next time).
(Source: White Fox)
Weathering with You
Yes, the goal of most singles might be to avoid watching something sappy, unrelatable or just corny, but there are probably others out there that love the romance genre, which is why at least one anime heavy on the whole falling-in-love concept should be mentioned.
The title connotes the feels but there’s a twist this time. Hodoka starts his senior year of high school but does not seem to be thriving. To add on to his strife, the weather has been gloomy and rainy- more so than typically. After meeting Hina, the adventures they embark on changing them both in ways they could not have imagined.
It helps that this movie has been out for a few weeks, so the movie theaters might be less packed, depending on where you go and the time. Catch this flick by Makoto Shinkai, the bringer of Your Name before it leaves cinema centers, propelling you into a waiting-for-streaming-sites limbo.
(Source: CoMix Wave Films)
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Honorary "blasts from the pasts" for those that want to binge
Inuyasha
Wow, this brings me back. Any excuse to bring up Inuyasha, I will take that opportunity. The parallels of Kagome and Kikyo are exactly why Inuyasha was not totally to blame when he found himself in one of the most complicated love triangles of all time, not to mention Kagome’s other suitors that pursued her throughout the show. Besides that, the character development of Inuyasha and Kagome really took on a life of its own, plus the action was riveting- just a really good blend of it all. If you have not checked it out now is a perfect excuse to do so.
(Source: Viz Media)
Your Lies in April
If classical music is your thing, you will especially enjoyYour Lie in April. Not only does it explore the friendship of Kousei Arima and Kaori Miyazono, but it inspires us to reflect, heal from trauma, accept and move on aspects of ourselves that may be hard to come to terms with. Now I know what others mean when they say that music is the universal language. Sometimes it takes a jam session to appreciate someone else’s existence. After all, there are multiple layers to each individual that can only be explored through a mutual interest. Finally, it is a classic tale reminding us of life’s realities. Really a must-see if you have not already.
(Source: A-1 Pictures)
Free!
A sports anime! I believe that even though not everyone is as active as they should be, sometimes it is nice to watch a sports anime. That way watching others be active might inspire you to jump in via real-world activity (or is that just me?) Regardless, even if swimming is not your cup of tea, I know many fans would watch this just for the shirtless boys. There is some depth to this anime, though. Haruka Nanase's metamorphosis from a hardcore swimmer oblivious to others into a hardcore swimmer that is willing to reconcile with his childhood friend, Ikuya Kirishima will melt your heart and give you the competition adrenaline you crave.
(Source: Kyoto Animation)
I promise the weekend will be over before you know it and you can return to work on Monday satisfied that you were productive. Happy watching.
If there are any shows/movies that were not mentioned, feel free to comment. One can never have too many anime to watch.