By JESSICA DOYEL, Staff Writer
The school season is here and it’s heating up fast! For most people, that means homework; lots of homework. If you’re already struggling through a minefield of school emails, articles to cite, and math to glare at, then the stress is more than likely settling in for the year. Hey, what better way to de-stress than to binge some anime? Whether you’re alone, with friends, or just crying over a 10-page paper that’s due 11:59 on Saturday night, here’s a list of 10 inspiring animes to keep you sane during your endeavors.
1. Ouran High School Host Club
A classic romantic comedy that follows Haruhi Fujioka, a girl who gets into a rich, preppy high school entirely on scholarship money. On her first day, Haruhi accidentally destroys an incredibly valuable vase, which inadvertently leads her on a long, wacky, misunderstanding-filled adventure! This anime doesn’t take itself too seriously, of course; prepare for a lot of 4th-wall breakage.
2. Assassination Classroom
A hugely overpowered monster destroys 70% of the moon, and the earth is next! The catch? He can’t be killed, and he wants to be the teacher of Class 3-E, a reject class in a very successful highschool. Double catch? The students are tasked by the government to kill him! Don’t get any ideas, though – this is a very heartwarming anime with tons of comedy thrown in.
3. The Ancient Magus’ Bride
This one is a bit off the beaten track, but beautiful nonetheless. Hatori Chise, a teenage orphan, leaves a life of misfortune when she’s adopted by a powerful mage (or magus, if you will) known as Elias Ainsworth. Perfect for lovers of magic, fantasy, and supernatural creatures!
4. My Hero Acadamia
Imagine Earth as we know it, but everyone has superpowers! Oh dear, yes, it’s a mess. This anime follows the misadventures of Izuku Midoriya, one of the only people in the world who doesn’t have superpowers. Despite his misfortune, Izuku is determined to be a great hero, and it’s inspiring to watch him fight for the top! (So long as you’re not squeamish about seeing someone break their legs, that is. Or all the bones in their body. It happens.)
5. Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure
A well known anime that follows the Joestar family on a long, twisting quest full of powerful supernatural enemies! With 5 seasons already published, a lot of Joestars have had their time to shine, as well as a huge cast of unique and dangerous enemies! Lovers of comedy and beefy men will adore this anime, along with the heartwarming (and heart-throb) characters it introduces.
6. Mob Psycho
This anime follows Shigeo Kageyama, an average, emotionless, rather bland boy nicknamed Mob (literally Mobu, or “background character”) by his highschool peers. At first glance, this anime may seem like nothing special, but if the beautiful art doesn’t catch your eye, how’s this: Mob is secretly one of the most powerful psychics in the world. He bottles his emotions to keep himself “normal”, but each episode draws him closer and closer to snapping. Definitely an explosive watch!
7. Love Live! School Idol Project
Lovers of K-Pop will get a kick out of this one! When Otonokizaka Academy is threatening to close due to a lack of students, bubbly, optimistic Honoka Kōsaka is on the case. How will she save it? Well, she creates a pop-star singing group, of course! You’ll have to watch to see if they actually save the school, but one thing’s for sure: their music won’t stop there.
7. Durarara! (DRRR!)
Durarara primarily follows Mikado Ryūgamine, a young man excited to go to highschool in the big city. In a world full of mysteries, magic, and crime of all calibers, this anime weaves a beautiful narrative that follows many of the city’s most interesting residents. However, a warning is necessary: this story digs its hands into the nastiest side of life with no fear, so it’s not for the faint of heart.
8. Another
Lovers of horror, this anime is for you. Yomiyama North Middle School, 1972: a student named Misaki dies under mysterious circumstances. However, everyone in the school continues to behave as if she’s still alive… and incredibly strange, gruesome deaths start to follow her. A few decades later, a boy named Kōichi Sakakibara transfers to Yomiyama and meets the mysterious Mei Misaki. Together, they work to unravel the mysteries behind years of terrifying deaths.
9. Danganronpa
Less horror, more thriller: this show revolves around the highschool known as Hope’s Peak Academy; a school that selects the best students every year and pits them in a life-or-death struggle against one another! The goal for such students: kill another student without being caught, or it’s their head on the chopping block instead! With iconic character designs and even a few video games based on the series, this anime is the definition of a classic.
10. Gin no Saji (Silver Spoon)
Tired of all the urban highschool settings? Try this one: Silver Spoon centers around a boy named Yuugo Hachiken, who fails the entrance exam to a popular highschool and is forced to move to an agriculture school in the country. Despite a very rocky start, over the course of the series, Yuugo learns to appreciate the natural world… and more importantly, the people around him. With such a heartwarming theme, this anime takes the #10 spot with honor.
