Cross Game

Cross Game is a series I recently finished and really enjoyed.

Anime:
Genres: Comedy, Drama, Romance, School Life, Shounen, Slice-of-life, Sports.
My Rating: 9
Episodes: 50
Episode Length: 23 minutes
Aired: 2009
Rating: T (Teen)

Manga:
Mangaka: Adachi Mitsuru
Released: 2005
Ended: 2010
Chapters: 170
Volumes: 17

Description: Kou Kitamura is the son of the owner of Kitamura Sports. Next door is a batting center owned by the Tsukishima family where Wakaba Tsukishima and Aoba Tsukishima live. Thanks to the businesses similarities and close proximity of location, the Kitamura and Tsukishima household have become close to one another for many years. As Kou and Wakaba reach the summer of their 5th grade year, they being progress in their relationship, while also budding a romance for baseball.

Notes:
– I have only watched the anime. I don’t plan on reading the manga anytime soon.
– While this series is considered a Shounen, I felt like this show was really a blend of what Shounen and Shoujo series entails. Anyone can watch this show.
– I kept the description short because the entire show is based on a spoiler that occurs in the first episode.
– I really do recommend this anime. No one ever talks about this show, and it is so underrated. I’ll probably make a separate post to express why I love this show and why it deserves more attention.

Sources: Pic 1, Pic 2.

Boku no Hero Academia

So this anime was on my “To Watch,” list for a long time before a friend personally recommended it.

Anime:
Genres: Action, Adventure, Comedy, School Life, Shounen, Supernatural.
My Rating: 9
Episode Length: 24 minutes
Episodes: 51*
Aired: 2016 – ONGOING
Rating: T

Manga:
Mangaka:Horikoshi Kouhei
Released: 2014
Ended: ONGOING
Chapters: 188
Volumes: 19

Description: In a world where everyone has a quirk or superpower, Izuku Midoriya is quirkless. Generations before, most people were quirkless until babies starting being born with these unique abilities. Along with quirks came various villains and superheros. All Might, the number one hero in the world, is a huge role-model to most modern day people including quirkless Midoriya. While Midoriya may be quirkless, that doesn’t mean he is going to give up his dream of being a superhero and when Midoriya meets All Might, he might not have to.

Notes:
– * The third season is currently airing, so the number of episodes will vary.
– Boku no Hero Academia can also be referenced as BNHA.
– I included the school life genre for BNHA since the characters are also students attending school, however, this series isn’t very school orientated.
– The age rating for this show ranged from anywhere around 12 – 15 internationally, so I left it as T (Teen).
– I have not read all of the manga, but I am in the process of reading it. I have fully watched season one and two, and I’m somewhat through season 3.
– I left the description a bit bland because there’s a lot to this show that can’t really be described in only a few lines. I’d honestly recommended watching the first episode of season one to gauge out the show.
– I honestly did not expect this show to be as good as it is even with how popular it got. It definitely helped me get back into watching anime. The first episode is a good episode to see whether you’ll like the show or not, but I will admit that I didn’t get really hyped up about the show until towards the end of season one. Season one is well paced and sets things up well for the next seasons.

Source: Pic 1, Pic 2.

Kuzu no Honkai

Kuzu no Honkai portrays love differently than most other animes.

 

Anime:
Genres: Drama, Romance, School Life, Slice of Life.
My Rating: 6
Episodes: 12
Episode Length: 22 minutes
Aired: Jan 2017 – March 2017
Rating: R

Manga:
Mangaka: Mengo Yokoyari
Released: 2012
Ended: 2017
Chapters: 53
Volumes: 8

Description: Hanabi Yasuraoka has been in love with her childhood friend Narumi Kanai since she was a little kid. When she finds out that Kanai is going to be her homeroom teacher in high school, she couldn’t be more elated. However, her feelings of joy quickly change when she notices her friend falling in love with the music teacher Akane Minagawa. While Hanabi watches Kanai from afar, another student named Mugi Awaya also struggles with his unrequired love for Minagawa. Hanabi and Mugi both decide that they should use each other to help with their painful unrequired love, but their fake relationship slowly becomes more and more complicated…

Notes:
– I’ve only watched the anime (although I have read bits of the manga).
– Kuzu no Honkai, summed up simply, is about different characters learning what love is.
– Definitely do not watch if you aren’t comfortable with sexual content. This is not an anime you’d watch as a mood lifter. This anime is very realistic and very dark in that aspect. That being said, I wouldn’t say this is depressing, it’s just very human.
– Also, I did lightly edit this. I’ll probably add and edit stuff on here in the future.

Source: Pic 1, Pic 2.

Samishii Hito

Manga
Genres: Drama, Shoujo.
My Rating: 8
Mangaka: Saitou Ken
Released: 2013
Ended: 2014
Chapters: 4*
Volumes: 1
Rating: Y

Description: Despite begin fired for something she didn’t do, Kinoshita Rinko finds herself unable to cry. On her way home, Rinko encounters a beautiful woman crying and decides to consolidate her. Capturing the woman’s attention, Rinko is offered a job as a caretaker for the woman’s younger brother. Little does Rinko know that this job will save both her and the younger brother.

Notes:
– *There is a total of four chapters, but only one chapter has been translated as far as I know. I have read all four chapters, so when I talk about the manga I am referring to the whole thing.
– I found this manga through the mangaka Saitou Ken. Saitou Ken has other cute shoujo works, so I recommend giving them a look.
– This manga has very little romance. It’s pretty much nonexistence (but still there).
– I might change the description later on (because it sounds very vague).

Kamisama Hajimemashita

Despite my initial dislike of Kamisama Hajimemashita, overtime, I’ve grown to like it much more.

Anime:
Genres: Drama, Fantasy, Romance, School Life, Shoujo.
My Rating: 7
Episodes: 13
Episode Length: 24 minutes
Aired: Oct 2012 – Dec 2012
Rating: PG13

Manga
Mangaka: Suzuki, Julietta
Released: 2008
Ended: 2016
Chapters: 154*
Volumes: 25

Description: Being poor and racked up with debts, Nanami Momozono is a cheerful high school girl. One day, when Nanami comes home from school, it turns out her father had spent all their remaining money on gambling and that they were broke. While her father ran away leaving her behind, Nanami ends up running away from the debt collectors to find herself at a park. At that park, Nanami meets someone named Mikage, who send her to his shrine to live. There, Nanami’s remaining normal life turns into a hectic adventure with spirits, gods, and a fox familiar named Tomoe.

Notes:
– *Although the manga has ended, not everything has been scanned into English (or other languages) yet.
– I have only read the manga.
– The anime has a second season and an OVA.
– As I mentioned above, Kamisama was manga that I really didn’t like. I found Nanami overly cliché, and I didn’t really like her relationship with Tomoe at first. It took me about 60 – 80 chapters to finally warm up and enjoy the characters and story. I’ll admit that even now I find myself unable to stand reading Kamisama from time to time, but it has definitely improved from the beginning. I would definitely recommend giving it a shot.

Source: Pic 1, Pic 2.

Full Moon wo Sagashite

This is one of my all time favorite shoujo animes ever.

Anime:
Genres: Comedy, Drama, Fantasy, Music, Romance, Shoujo, Supernatural, Tragedy.
My Rating: 8
Episodes: 52
Episode Length: 24 minutes
Aired: April 2002 – March 2003
Rating: PG13

Manga:
Mangaka: Tanemura Arina
Released: 2001
Ended: 2004
Chapters: 35
Volumes: 7

Description: When 12-year-old Mitsuki Kouyama is diagnosed with throat cancer, her dream to become a singer seems impossible. However, when a shinigami duo called “Negi Ramen,” tell Mitsuki that she has a year left to live, Mitsuki decides to make her dream come true before it’s too late. With the help of her two shinigamis – Meroko Yui and Takuto Kira – Mitsuki begins her new adventure.

Notes:
– I haven’t completed the manga. There are differences in the manga and anime.
– This anime is definitely emotional, adorable, and tragic. Even years after watching this anime, I still have certain scenes and lines memorized in my head. Despite what it may seem like, I would definitely recommend giving this anime a try to anyone.
– The ending was very open-ended, but after watching 52 episodes of feels, the ending seemed reasonable. (At least to me after 5+ years)

Sources: Pic 1, Pic 2.

Warau Kanoko-sama

The story about a cynical middle school girl who learns to make true friends.

Manga:
Genres: Drama, School Life, Shoujo, Slice of Life.
My Rating: 7
Mangaka: Tsujita Ririko
Released: 2008
Ended: 2011
Chapters: 14
Volumes: 3

Description: After being forced to move and transfer over ninety times, Kanoko considers herself an “observer.” While she considers observing her classmates a hobby, things change when she finds herself involved with some of her classmates.

Notes:
– There is a sequel to this: Koi Dano Ai Dano
– This manga was OK overall. When it ended, I was bit frustrated because I didn’t know there was a sequel, but thanks to the sequel, the series has an OK ending.
– You could try to skip this part of the series and go straight to KDAD. But there would be many confusing chapters and scenes.
– I personally enjoyed KDAD more than this part.

Source: Pic 1.

Koi Dano Ai Dano

This is a manga about an anti-social girl’s high school adventures and romance.

Manga:
Genres: Drama, Romance, School Life, Shoujo, Slice of Life.
My Rating: 7
Mangaka: Tsujita Ririko
Released: 2009
Ended: 2016
Chapters: 39
Volumes: 11

Description: After constantly having to transfer and move through her middle school life, Kanoko can finally live a stable high school life with her friend Tsubaki. At least, that’s what she thought before becoming the Newspaper Club’s strategist! (The sequel to Warau Kanoko-sama)

Notes:
– Koi Dano Ai Dano = KDAD
– Besides being the sequel to Warau Kanoko-sama, this manga has a spin-off called Koi Nashi Ai Nashi.
– I enjoyed this manga more as a “side-manga.” It’s perfect to read right after Warau Kanoko-sama, but the romance aspect that was left unanswered in Warau, is only answered at the very end of KDAD.

Sources: Pic 1, Pic 2.

Nanatsu no Taizai

Nanatsu no Taizai or The Seven Deadly Sins is an anime with a strange charm and silly characters.

Both:
Genres: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Ecchi, Fantasy, Shounen.
My Rating: 9

Anime:
Episodes: 24
Episode Length: 24 minutes
Aired: Oct 2014 – March 2015
Rated: R

Manga:
Mangaka: Suzuki Nakaba
Released: 2012
Ended: ONGOING
Chapters: 170*
Volumes: 21*

Description: In an incident many years ago, seven powerful soldiers – named the Seven Deadly Sins – were said to have killed thousands of Holy knights in trying to overthrow the Kingdom. Rumors of these soldiers claimed that they were ruthlessly strong and dangerous. Then years after the incident, a young girl named Elizabeth Liones stumbles upon bar owner named Meliodas. While Elizabeth seeks the help of the Seven Deadly Sins, the mysterious Meliodas helps her on her journey. With the two off on their journey, what secrets and battles will they face?

Notes:
– Nanatsu no Taizai = The Seven Deadly Sins
– I have not read the manga.
– * On official online manga sites (possibly non-illegal), and from some fan-base sites, these are the numbers I’m seeing. Please feel free to correct me if I am wrong.
– There is a second season.
– After putting in a lot of consideration, I felt that this anime should be rated an 9. There were definitely some issues with the ways things played out, but when I look back at this anime months later, those issues seem very vague and minuscule.
– My favorite part about this anime was the action along with character development. It was certainly heartwarming, funny, and thrilling all at the same time.
– This anime constantly reminded me of the (pre-2014) Fairy Tail. Although the concepts of each series is different, the energy and character relationships felt very similar.
– There was a crossover done between Fairy Tail and Nanatsu no Taizai

Sources: Pic 1, Pic 2.many

Orange (Takano Ichigo)

A story about friendship and romance that’s timeless and can last through parallel universes.

Anime
Genres: Drama, Psychological, Romance, School Life, Sci-fi*, Slice of Life, Shoujo, Tragedy.
My Rating: 8
Episodes: 13
Episode Length: 23 minutes
Aired: July 2016 – Sept 2016
Rating: PG13

Manga:
Mangaka: Takano Ichcigo
Released: 2012
Ended: 2015
Chapters: 22
Volumes: 5

Description: Naho Takamiya receives letters from her future-self ten years away. The first letter describes events that take place on the first day of school, which includes the transfer of Kakeru Naruse. While Naho and her friends befriend Kakeru, Naho learns that the purpose of her future-self’s letters is to save Kakeru’s life. Now, Naho must struggle to change the future for the better in order to save Kakeru before it’s too late.

Notes:
– * The parallel world aspect of this manga is the only thing that makes it sci-fi-ish. It’s like time travel mixed in with parallel universes.
– I’ve read the entire manga, and I have not yet watched the anime.
– The whole sci-fi element in this manga, makes it very different from most shoujo mangas.
– I have to admit that I’ve had very mixed feelings about the ships in this manga. Mainly because I’ve never been a big fan of (the concept of) changing the future/past.

Source: Pic 1, Pic 2.