Hi everyone, welcome to the second installation of “Anime-Planet Recommends…”! Last week, you gave great feedback about the format and things you’d like to see differently, so this week I’m trying out a slightly more streamlined format that focuses both on newer as well as older recommendations, and an easier to follow flow.
Also, this week’s edition won’t have top loved/hated character info as the ratings were pretty consistent for the past 7 days. If you’d like, feel free to browse the last week’s top hated and top loved lists. Don’t worry, Sasuke’s Corner will return sometime soon, better than ever! ;)
Let’s start things off with some Spring-related recommendations added to Anime-Planet this past week!
If you liked Yowapeda, Ace of the Diamond or Kuroko’s Basketball you might enjoy Haikyu!!
For the Yowamushi Pedal pairing, Bradalee notes:
“Haikyuu!! and Yowamushi Pedal are two sports anime that manage to strike a perfect blend when it comes to representing their sport, providing likable characters, excitement and humour. They each manage to give the supporting cast as much meaningful screen time as the main protagonists, which is a major plus in team based sports shows where a show cannot just meander along focusing on one or two people for the duration of its run. The comedy in each is usually perfectly timed, and so excellently written that you get more laugh out loud moments than you would imagine.
They each absolutely nail the excitement factor, and have the viewer pumped for more by the time the credits roll, especially when it comes to the intense matches/races where episodes fly by.
Really if you enjoyed one then you should give the other a shot, because I think you’d end up finding a show that you can really sink your teeth into.”
On the Ace of the Diamond front, whimsical writes:
“Both anime focus on a player straight out of junior high that have immense potential, and how their high school team helps them get closer to their dreams.”
And several users note that Kuroko’s Basketball and Haikyu have much in common:
“Haikyuu and Kuroko's Basketball share a strong Production IG flavour, with stylish, energetic sports action sequences and tense interpersonal drama off the sports courts. Another thing they share is that they prefer to lean towards the gimmicky, fantastical side of the sports genre but pull it off without seeming cheap or stupid. If you like one, you're bound to find satisfaction in the other.”
Bradalee writes:
“Both shows take a bunch of school kids and throw them into a school with the task of killing each other until they meet some arbitrary goal and they can be declared the ‘winner’. The main difference to me is that Akuma no Riddle is much more of a straight up action series, with some yuri thrown in for good measure, whereas Danganronpa had more mystery elements to it.”
Finally, ecchi fans might appreciate this season’s Dai-Shogun - Great Revolution.
Funkgun suggests you might enjoy the series if you liked Godannar, a series that proves that even giant robots can have ridiculously oversized breasts.
“There is a "Pair" of reasons I am giving this recommendation. Being a mecha/comedy is not the primary set. Sure both titles have piloted mecha with animation that is super glossy, but there is another reason…
That second reason is one that involves the words bouncy, stacked, racked... I could go on. *Ahem* Anyhow, if you enjoy mecha with a side of boobs, either of these titles will be a good fit as a follow up.”
And now, some recent recommendations for older or lesser known titles!
If you’ve seen Mushishi, or are enjoying this season’s continuation, Mushishi Zoku Shou, you might enjoy one of the more thought-provoking titles of the early 2000s: Haibane Renmei.
VivisQueen writes:
“You need patience, a calm mind, and a tissue box to watch Haibane Renmei, just like you do with Mushishi. Haibane Renmei is a slow-paced show that takes a slice-of-life approach in trying to capture simplistic lives but each episode is worth every minute. Like Mushishi, Haibane Renmei adds spice by providing prominent supernatural elements that throw the characters' lives into confusion. I would say Mushishi deals far more with external struggles whilst Haibane Renmei is about the internal conflicts of its characters, but the latter provides just as much insight into human strengths and weaknesses.”
On a personal note, Haibane Renmei is, in my opinion, one of the most intelligent series I’ve had a chance to watch. And while it wasn’t a pair recommended this week, one of my own recommendations with Haibane is the very popular, very acclaimed Angel Beats. While they don’t share the same sort of pacing or mood, they have extremely similar themes (and I’m shocked that more people haven’t recommended the pair - if you agree, upvote the rec on Anime-Planet! ^_^)
Next, if you’re one of the many people who’ve seen Miyazaki’s Nausicaa, you might like Nadia: Secret of Blue Water.
Ravenx writes:
“Both Nausicaa and Nadia share elements of adventure, mystery, flight, nature, and a strong female lead. Hideaki Anno worked under Hayao Miyazaki during the production of Nausicaa, where his talents were first recognized. It is for these reasons that I believe both series share common themes and have a very strong female character up front. If you're into adventure, prominence of nature, flight, lots of humor with hints of romance, you have to check out Nadia: Secret Of Blue Water!“
Fans of older shoujo titles might enjoy Lady Georgie or Candy Candy.
trottolina writes:
“Both anime tell the story of an orphan girl in the late 19th century / early 20th century. Both girls grow up and travel to Europe, and experience first love as well as wider adventures. If you like the romance, adventure and epic scale of one anime, you'll enjoy the other :)”
If you liked the flashy, high-octane Redline, you might enjoy a classic that’s often compared wtih Akira - Venus Wars.
globalwild writes:
“Redline and The Venus Wars are both wonderfully animated though the heavily saturated art style of Redline makes it uniquely stand out. Both movies have a dark-haired, leather jacket wearing, young male racer as the lead. In The Venus Wars you have Hiro and his monobike, and in Redline it's JP and his Trans-Am. While Redline is able to focus on racing and its corrupt underworld, The Venus Wars shifts away from the sport and shows how the racers and crew cope with the hardships of war. There is more focus on coming-of-age with Hiro as he is portrayed as younger than JP. In many ways, it feels like the punk monobike racers in The Venus Wars could have ended caught up in a similar lifestyle portrayed in Redline if their world wasn't abruptly turned upside-down by war.”
Finally, those who enjoyed Yumekui Merry might enjoy Pandora Hearts, or vice versa.
AngelBeatsYui writes:
“First of all these are both very good animes and very similar in many ways...such as characters I always thought Alice was a bit like Merry in personality, maybe Yumeji = Oz? Well anyway both are fantasy animes and the story is around the idea of demons in the human world (in a way), even though Pandora Hearts is set in a more old-fashion setting compared to Yumekui Merry, if you liked one you should like the other!”
Make sure to add your own recommendations on Anime-Planet each week, so your suggestions and comments can be in the running to be featured in this column!
Popular anime this past week
In lieu of a characters section, here’s a top 10 list of the most popular anime this past week on Anime-Planet, tallied based on how many users updated anime in their personal anime lists.
1. No Game No Life
2. Fairy Tail 2
3. Black Bullet
4. The Irregular at Magic High School
5. One Piece
6. Naruto Shippuden
7. Nisekoi
8. Mekaku City Actors
9. Brynhildr in the Darkness
10. Hunter x Hunter (2011)
Until next week!
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