This largely overlooked Spring 2020 anime follows fictionalized versions of Meiji-era poet Takuboku Ishikawa and his long-suffering linguist friend Kyousuke Kindaichi as they solve mysteries together and get along like two toxic boyfriends who have nobody else to bother but each other. The jazzy OP is a certified slapper and the pastel animation is consistently charming, but what about the story itself? Let’s see if this literature-infused mystery show deserves more attention than it got.
Tower of God represents a shift in the anime landscape – it’s the first big-budget, heavily-promoted anime to adapt a Korean manhua, in this case, a webcomic from the popular site WEBTOON. We’ve had foreign co-productions before (such as Radiant from France) and China has its own small animation scene, but Tower of God wants to prove to the world that anime isn’t just “Japanese cartoons” anymore. So, did this show achieve the lofty goals it set out for itself? Let’s find out!
Most of the time, you can get a pretty good idea of the plot and scope of an anime from watching just the first few episodes. If a show sets itself up to be a high school rom-com or a simplistic action thrill ride or a perpetual tournament arc, it’ll probably stay that way. But these anime defy expectations by expanding their worlds, delving into deeper themes, and sometimes even changing genres along the way. Here are five anime that get way more complex later on!
Have you ever sat down to watch a pleasant anime about wholesome family antics or cute girls doing cute things or the like... and then suddenly, it dawns on you that this show has a tragic undercurrent with a very real possibility of destroying you emotionally? We’re not talking about bait-and-switch shows like Puella Magi Madoka Magica or Made in Abyss that use cute art styles to hide their gruesome true natures, but normally lighthearted anime that sprinkle in bits of sadness without warning. Here are 5 adorable anime that you’ll never expect will break your heart!
The Spring 2020 slice-of-life comedy/occasional heartbreaking drama Kakushigoto is all about miscommunication and keeping secrets. It’s right there in the OP’s lyrics: “The only thing we awkwardly have in common is that we can’t be honest with each other.” Hence, this show is packed with scenes where the characters think they’re discussing the same topic, but actually have entirely different subjects in mind (such as when Kakushi talks about how cute his daughter Hime is to her teacher, who thinks he’s trying to flirt with her). Let’s talk about the art of the anti-conversation in Kakushigoto!
As much as we all like to joke about “Truck-kun” sending every isekai protagonist on their magical reincarnation journey with one convenient crash, the reality of the situation is that an innocent person tragically died at a young age. While they’re busy having the time of their life as an overpowered protagonist in a fantasy world, their friends and family are left to mourn their death without so much as a goodbye. Most isekai anime just flat out ignore this aspect or say that the protagonist was a shut-in nerd with no friends, but we’re here today to discuss one of the few shows that actually do address the world left behind – Spring 2020’s My Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom. Let’s get started!
