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An Ode to My Favorite Anime

After careful analysis, I've determined that my own damage manifests as a deep appreciation for shows that are either brilliantly weird or quietly brutal. Behold, the evidence.

Ping Pong the Animation is the ultimate proof that you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, especially if the cover looks like it was drawn by a caffeinated toddler. I love it precisely because it spits in the face of conventional beauty to deliver something raw, ugly, and profoundly human. It’s a sports anime that understands winning is overrated and happiness is weird, and I’m a complete sucker for that message. The fact that it makes me care more about a weirdo's personal breakthrough than any championship trophy is a testament to its genius.

Dennou Coil starts as a cute, tech-fueled kids' romp and slowly morphs into an existential thriller about digital ghosts and the nature of consciousness. I love it for tricking you into thinking it's a children's cartoon before casually dismantling your emotional stability. It’s the most cleverly disguised gut-punch in anime, and I respect the long con.

Frieren: Beyond Journey's End is my favorite kind of fantasy: one where the epic quest is over, and we're left with the crushing, beautiful weight of eternity. I adore this show for its commitment to being profoundly, painfully slow. It’s a series where the biggest climax is a character finally understanding a subtle emotion they witnessed 80 years ago. It’s a melancholic masterpiece for anyone who enjoys staring at a wall and contemplating their own mortality, but with a cute elf and stunning landscapes.

Koi Kaze is the nuclear option of my favorites list. I don't "enjoy" it; I respect its brutal, uncompromising commitment to being one of the most uncomfortable viewing experiences imaginable. It’s not a romance, it’s a psychological case study that refuses to judge its flawed characters, forcing you to sit in your own discomfort for 13 episodes. I love it in the same way I love a well-made horror movie—it’s a well crafted vehicle for feelings I never want to experience again.

So there you have it. My taste: a collection of animated therapy sessions disguised as entertainment. One is a visual panic attack about ping pong, one is a tech-noir trauma, one is an existential elegy, and one is a moral hazard. I wouldn't have it any other way.


An Autopsy of My Manga Taste

Judging a person by their favorite manga is a fool's errand, but since you're still here, let's dissect this particular corpse.

Vinland Saga is here to satisfy my deep, intellectual need to watch a protagonist evolve from a screeching vengeance gremlin into a pacifist who gets punched in the face a lot. I love nothing more than a meticulously researched historical epic that eventually argues the most powerful move is to simply walk away. It’s basically a self-improvement manga with more axes and existential dread.

Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou is my designated "anti-anxiety" medication in manga form. Nothing happens. A robot runs a café in a post-apocalyptic world that's somehow the most peaceful place imaginable. It’s 142 chapters of beautiful art and serene vibes, and I love it precisely because it has less plot than a pet rock. It’s the literary equivalent of a deep breath.

My Broken Mariko is on this list to prove I have a soul, and that it is permanently cracked. This single-volume gut-punch exists to remind me that joy is a fleeting illusion and some stories are just devastating, beautifully illustrated cries into the void. I love it, and I will never, ever read it again. It's a masterpiece that I keep on the list as a warning to others.

Crayon Shin-chan is the eternal, chaotic truth of my sense of humor. This is not high art; it's the story of a five-year-old sociopath who terrorizes his parents and society with an arsenal of fart jokes and inappropriate dances. It's my comfort food. It grounds this entire list in the sacred truth that sometimes, you just need to see a kid wiggle his butt.

Yotsuba&! is the other side of the childhood coin. While Shin-chan is a demon, Yotsuba is a pure, chaotic-good alien experiencing the world for the first time. I keep it here to balance out the existential dread from Vinland Saga and Mariko. It's unadulterated, joyful curiosity, and it’s basically a regulatory requirement for having a functioning heart.

Futari no Renai Shoka is my token for "obscure, melancholic romance that sounds pretentious." A reclusive bookworm and an energetic girl connect over rare books. It's sweet, quiet, and terminally underrated. I love it, and I include it so people know my taste isn't only built on Vikings and psychotic children.

Strawberry Shake Sweet is my palate cleanser. I love it for its perfect Yuri wish-fulfillment. It bypasses all the angst and shame, giving me a heroine who sees a pretty girl and instantly decides her entire idol career is a fair trade. It’s a story about priorities, and its priority is 100% the romance.


A Guide to My Favorite Characters

Having a "favorites" list is a form of self-incrimination. It reveals far too much about one's damaged psyche. So, in the interest of full transparency, here's the deeply flawed, yet inexplicably beloved, roster of characters I've chosen to define my taste.

I keep Kinomoto Sakura around as a form of spiritual detox. After marathoning shows where everyone is traumatized, her relentless, galaxy-brain optimism is a necessary palate cleanser. It's frankly suspicious how someone can be that pure, but I'm a willing accomplice to her crimes against cynicism.

Thorfinn is my benchmark for character development. I suffered through his angsty, one-note revenge phase specifically so I could enjoy his later career as a pacifist who wins arguments by not stabbing people. It’s the long-term payoff that makes the early cringe worth it.

Kyon is my spirit animal, and that's a problem. He embodies the exhausted sigh of every person forced to deal with other people's nonsense. His internal monologue is what we're all thinking while watching 90% of anime plots unfold. I favorited him out of a sense of solidarity for all the underpaid straight-men in fiction.

I have a soft spot for Koizumi Risa because her entire existence is a glorious, over-the-top melodrama. She's a walking, screaming, comically-tall shoujo trope, and she owns it with zero shame. In a world of quiet, moe blobs, her chaotic energy is a gift.

Hoshino Yutaka (Peco) is a masterpiece of character writing, which is a fancy way of saying he's a glorious, talent-squandering mess. His journey from arrogant prodigy to humbled wreck to a man finding his own flawed path back is the most realistic take on "genius" I've seen. I love him for his failures, not in spite of them.

Alicia Florence is my visual representation of inner peace. In the cacophony of anime, she is a single, sustained, perfect chord. Is she a bit of a flawless, untouchable archetype? Absolutely. Do I care? Not at all. Sometimes you just need to watch a perfect, graceful woman serve tea and exude tranquility. It's a mood.

And Deedlit. She's a testament to my unironic love for 90s fantasy tropes. The proud, powerful elf with a heart of gold (hidden under several layers of tsundere bluster) is a classic for a reason. She’s a comforting reminder of a time when fantasy was straightforward and elves were just better than everyone else, and they knew it.

There you go. It's a collection of beautiful disasters, serene mentors, and chaotic goofballs that I unapologetically adore. They're flawed, they're tropetastic, and they're perfect.