Anime Roundup: New Favorites Edition

If you've been following along with these Anime Roundup posts, then you know that my list of top favorites includes K-On!, Aggretsuko, Madoka Magica, Akame ga Kill!, Re: Creators, and others. Well, now they may have some new company...

Fullmetal Alchemist and Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood

When I first really started getting into anime over two years ago, I was somewhat daunted and intimidated by the fact that the Fullmetal Alchemist franchise had TWO long-running series based on the original manga, one called "Fullmetal Alchemist" and the other called "Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood." I was like, which one to watch? Where do I start? So confusing! But since then, I have become a grizzled anime veteran who has navigated his way through dozens of series including multiple incarnations of the "Fate" franchise, so two iterations is nothing to me now. The explanation of why there are two different series can be found all over the Internet, but here's the short version: the original 2003 series was made while the manga was still going on, so about halfway through its run it started to make up its own storyline, Game of Thrones-style. The 2009 "Brotherhood" series was made after the manga was complete, so it's a more "faithful" adaptation. I guess that explanation wasn't very short at all. Anyway, while you can watch either of them in any order, I decided to watch them more-or-less concurrently, and let me tell you, it's kind of a trip. They both start off basically the same (although Brotherhood condenses the beginning of the story into fewer episodes) but then eventually they seem like parallel universes or alternate timelines where you have the same characters (and the same voice actors!) doing vastly different things. I prefer - and would recommend, if you're only going to watch one - Brotherhood, as it's faster paced and more expansive in its world-building, but the original has its moments and wraps up certain threads in a more satisfying fashion. Both are now among my top favorites.

Food Wars!

I had gotten a sample of this one at my bass player's house, so I was pretty stoked when I heard it was coming to Netflix. And then once I started watching it, it quickly developed into one of my all-time favorites. I mean, most anime have depictions of food that make me hungry (I'm looking at you, ramen shop from Naruto), but this is almost too much. Every dish on this show looks and sounds delicious - maybe with the exception of the stuff that Soma and his dad try to make disgusting on purpose - and they seem like things that can actually be made in real life (in fact, my bass player made an omelet recipe based on one from the show). And it's not only the food that makes me enjoy this show so much - the dialogue is witty, the characters are interesting, and the plot moves along at a nice, brisk pace. I devoured the entire 24-episode first season in record time and found myself wanting more. Much, much more. I then discovered that there are, in fact, four additional seasons, which prompts me to ask: why do you not have them, Netflix? WHY?? Anyway...

Dropkick on My Devil!

Slice-of-life meets supernatural in this fun comedy about a witch who summons a demon but doesn't have the spell to send her back, so they end up as roommates who alternate between unsuccessful attempts by the demon to kill the witch - the only way she can return to Hell - and cooking hot pot dinners for themselves and their friends (I swear, I just love the premises that manga and anime creators come up with). Everything about this show is delightfully over-the-top, from the hilarious theme song (which, naturally, is kawaii-metal) to all the super-meta references (their own maga/anime exists as a real in-universe thing within the show) and fourth-wall breakages.

Made in Abyss

Despite its kawaii-ish appearance, this is definitely not a show for young children, as it's a beautiful yet slow-paced, harrowing depiction of what could actually happen if a couple of barely trained kids went down into a certain death trap filled with vicious monsters and other life-threatening hazards. In other words, the consequences - injury, fatigue, etc. - are about as realistic as you can imagine given that one of the kids is a cyborg who can fire a killer death ray from his right hand (note: this does not solve as many problems as you might expect). Not to give too much more away, but if you make it all the way to the end of the first season (there's a sequel movie yet to be released in the U.S. that continues the story), be prepared for some major feels.

A Whisker Away

This one is a feature-length rom-dram that was originally meant for a theatrical release in Japan, but due to the pandemic it was sold to Netflix instead. Which I guess was a silver-lining result for all of us around the world who love rom-dram, anime, and/or cats. Anyway, it's a cute and touching story about a girl who accepts the ability to turn into a cat from a mysterious mask-seller in order to get closer to her crush. What could possibly go wrong? (Lots, naturally.) I recommend this one because behind the fable-like magical realism premise there's actually a lot of emotional depth that I think would resonate well with audiences of all ages, so round up the family (even if all it consists of are cats) for a weekend movie night and enjoy.