What’s this page for?
Just about every day, we’re thinking about some kind of anime. The anime that make it into this section are the ones that are typically in those thoughts. Think of this as a recommended anime watch list. Enjoy!
Grave of the Fireflies
This is a good one to start off this section. Grave of the Fireflies is right now our top pick for best anime movie of all time. It’s the story of Seita and Setsuko as they try to survive in Japan during World War II. Bring a box of tissues if you decide to watch this one, you’ll need them.
Seita and Setsuko’s struggle to survive is based off of a short story written by Akiyuki Nosaka. He used his real life experiences of surviving the firebombings of Japan for this story. Because of that, this anime movie offers a sense of realism that is hard to match. You really come away feeling like the characters were actual people.
Like I said before, bring a box of tissues into this one. You’ll have a hard time holding back your emotions.
Haikyu!!
Sports anime aren’t really our thing here at Anime on the Brain. Our focus is more on Shonen anime that focus on fantasy, action and all of that. Haikyu!! was able to wrestle our attention away and we just couldn’t stop watching!
The story follows the Karasuno High School volleyball team as it struggles to get back to national prominence. With an influx of young talent, including Hinata and Kageyama, they just might do that.
This anime is exciting, funny and will get you wanting to play volleyball. If you’re not a fan of sports anime, give this one a try and see how you like it. You might be surprised.
My Hero Academia
It would be hard to exclude this one off of this page. Some of you might groan and say that it’s too popular and mainstream, but there’s a reason for that. My Hero Academia gives us a story of a boy trying to become a hero like his idol. He starts as the underdog and slowly claws his way up into being the shining light of the next generation.
Izuku Midoriya, the boy I just mentioned, and the rest of his classmates at U.A. High School are constantly finding themselves in situations that test their resolve to become heroes. There’s hardly a dull moment in this anime and it’ll grab your attention from the start.
Rurouni Kenshin
I’m a little bit biased about this anime. Rurouni Kenshin is my personal favorite. It’s the story of Kenshin Himura, the legendary swordsman with red hair and a cross shaped scar. His exploits during the Meji Restoration have led to an aura that he’s unbeatable.
Fast forward 10 years from the end of the Meji Restoration, Kenshin wanders around Japan seeking to help those in need. He’s sworn off killing others and uses a reverse-blade sword to make sure he doesn’t kill again. This anime focuses on Kenshin’s exploits as he’s continually challenged by both ghosts of his past and new enemies who would seek to gain fame off his legend.
Samurai X: Trust and Betrayal
I couldn’t put Rurouni Kenshin on this page and not mention this OVA. Samurai X: Trust and Betrayal is the story of Kenshin Himura prior to the events of the anime. I’d personally recommend watching the anime first before moving on to this OVA. You’ll understand it a little bit more.
The story of Samurai X starts with Seijuro Hiko saving a young Shinta from a group of bandits. Seeing promise in the boy, Hiko renames him Kenshin and takes the boy on as a pupil. From there we watch as Kenshin decides to join the revolution and earns his cross shaped scar.
This one is worth watching if only for the soundtrack.
Puella Magi Madoka Magica
This will be one of the few magical girl anime that are in this section. The story follows Madoka Kaname as she decides whether or not she wants to become a magical girl. It’s not as easy of a decision as you’d expect it to be. There are consequences for making the decision to join the fight against witches.
This series does an excellent job of telling a story. It has pretty good visuals and excellent music for both the OP and the ending credits. One thing is for sure, this isn’t Sailor Moon. Even if you’re not a fan of the magical girl anime genre I recommend at least giving this one a try!
Check back later as we add more recommendations!