When people think of anime, a lot of people probably think of mainstream shows like Demon Slayer, Jujitsu Kaisen, Naruto, One Piece, Dragonball Z, etc. While I admit these shows are great, I’ve come to enjoy these fewer mainstream animes that are just as enticing.
Granted these days instead of action, I’ve been watching a whole lot (and when I say a whole lot I mean A LOT) of romantic animes, but that’s an issue I must address for myself. I’m sure many people don’t want to watch hundreds of episodes and sometimes want a feel-good show they can watch in one sitting.
For those that are looking for that particular anime, here are some of my recommendations:
My Dress Up Darling
Wakan Gojo wants to become like his grandfather and make Hina dolls. After a traumatic incident growing up, he finds himself ashamed of wanting to make Hina dolls and hides this secret. A fateful encounter after school with one of the most popular girls, Marin Kitagawa, changes his life. He finds out she’s an avid cosplayer and through his interactions and adventures with Kitagawa, Gojo starts to step out of his comfort zone and embraces his love for crafting.
It’s an anime that viewers can enjoy and see Gojo and Kitagawa’s relationship slowly start to grow. Because of its popularity in 2022, season 2 should be coming out soon.
More than a Married couple, but Not Lovers
Jiro Yakuin and Akari Watanabe just got into their worst nightmares! To graduate, their school has implemented a couples training program, which requires students to interact as if they were married. Jiro, an introverted being who enjoys video games, gets paired up with Akari, an outgoing gyaru. The problem? Jiro has a crush on Shiori, a childhood friend he liked all this time, and Akari has a crush on the most popular guy in school, Tenjin. Learning that if they accumulate enough points and place in the top 10, they can voluntarily switch partners. Both agree to put their differences aside and work together. The question is, will it last?
It’s interesting considering two characters who are vastly different from one another end up building a relationship that no one can expect. While season 1 is already completed, season 2 will be coming out soon. A nice anime to watch if you want to enjoy some cute interactions between an awkward guy and an outgoing girl.
Please don’t bully me Nagatoro
Naoto Hachioji is an introverted second-year student who prefers to avoid social interactions and draws manga in his spare time. After Hayashi Nagatoro inadvertently discovers his manga drawings in the library, she teases him calling him “Senpai” and makes him cry. She eventually starts to hang out in the Art Club with Hachioji constantly bullying him for his timid nature and otaku interest, sometimes even in a sexual fashion, calling him lewd. As she continues to push him to be more assertive, Hachioji begins to develop a crush on Nagatoro and starts to involve himself more in Nagatoro’s life. Nagatoro likewise finds spending more time with Hachioji and is very defensive with him when it comes to other girls.
While this anime in the very beginning has a sadistic nature, a lot of viewers may not like Nagatoro in the beginning. As the anime goes on, viewers start to see each character’s growth and how much they mean to each other. While it takes a bit of time to grow attached to both characters, I can promise you, once you become invested, you want to know what will happen next.
