Descriptions and summaries are copy-pasted directly from Crunchyroll (paraphrased from Wikipedia when not available). THIS IS A JOKE. Reviews are entirely the author’s opinion, not to be taken seriously, and they do not reflect on the source material or the newspaper as a whole.

Demon Slayer (Kimetsu no Yaiba, 鬼滅の刃): 63+

It is the Taisho Period in Japan. Tanjiro, a kindhearted boy who sells charcoal for a living, finds his family slaughtered by a demon. To make matters worse, his younger sister Nezuko, the sole survivor, has been transformed into a demon herself.

Though devastated by this grim reality, Tanjiro resolves to become a “demon slayer” so that he can turn his sister back into a human, and kill the demon that massacred his family.

A fantastic show all around, but my favorite part is the colorful—both literally and figuratively—cast of characters that we meet throughout the story. With distinct aesthetics, stories, relationships, quirks, and flaws, it’s easy to get attached (this may or may not be a mistake, because the author is certainly unafraid of character death). In typical shounen fashion, there’s a balance between epic battles and heartfelt emotion, and the anime certainly highlights both, putting their massive budget to good use. The soundtrack is also absolutely fantastic, and the Season 1 opening will probably go down in anime history. It’s certainly a long watch, but definitely worth the time spent.

I would recommend this for people who:

1. Like shounen anime in general. This one ticks practically all the boxes, from storyline to protagonist type.
2. Want a large fanbase—Kimetsu no Yaiba is easily one of the most popular anime in America right now.
3. Enjoy shows that draw heavily off of traditional Japanese culture.
4. Live for interesting character relationships (especially between siblings). From Tanjiro and Nezuko, to Sanemi and Genya, to Shinobu and Kanae, there’s lots of good stuff.

I would not recommend this for people who:

1. Are impatient or want a quick watch. Not only is the series long, the first episode moves rather slowly and is heavy on the emotional impact.
2. Are sensitive to gore or violence.
3. Don’t like character death. (To avoid spoilers, all I’ll say is that it happens. A lot.)
4. Like romance anime. Barely even has the token love interest that seems to be a requirement of every shounen anime.

Spy x Family: 37+

World peace is at stake and secret agent Twilight must undergo his most difficult mission yet—pretend to be a family man. Posing as a loving husband and father, he’ll infiltrate an elite school to get close to a high-profile politician. He has the perfect cover, except his wife’s a deadly assassin and neither knows each other’s identity. But someone does, his adopted daughter who’s a telepath!

It’s cute, it’s flashy, it’s fun—what’s not to love? The show carefully balances the line between the darker reality of war and the comedic misadventures the characters get into and lands on an overwhelmingly wholesome vibe. This is the found family trope turned up to eleven, and it’s done excellently. Well-paced character development and plot, striking character design and art style. I’ve got a tiny, minor (read: massive) complaint about Nightfall’s character and all that lost potential, but it barely detracts from the overall charm. A million times recommended!

I would recommend this for people who:

1. Are looking for a lighthearted watch—nothing serious stays serious for long.
2. Love Anya’s iconic lines (“waku waku!” and “peanuts daisuke!” come to mind). Yes, she really is that cute all the time.
3. Like action scenes. The animation and choreography are *chefs kiss*.
4. Want to see romance done right. It’s a bit unconventional but still very much hits all the classic tropes.

I would not recommend this for people who:

1. Want political intrigue. Politics here are basically excuses for the characters to get up to more shenanigans.
2. Don’t like children. Anya and her friends feature prominently, and you’re not getting rid of them.
3. Are uncomfortable with heavy topics. The overall tone is very sweet, but the show does have its darker moments.
4. …Yeah I don’t have a fourth point. Go watch Spy x Family! Now!!

Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End (Sousou no Frieren, 葬送のフリーレン): 28+

After the party of heroes defeated the Demon King, they restored peace to the land and returned to lives of solitude. Generations pass, and the elven mage Frieren comes face to face with humanity’s mortality. She takes on a new apprentice and promises to fulfill old friends’ dying wishes. Can an elven mind make peace with the nature of life and death? Frieren embarks on her quest to find out.

I watched the entire thing within two days, I think. Got intrigued from a YouTube clip, watched the first episode, and was absolutely taken. The premise? Fascinating. The art? Gorgeous. The character design? Delicious. Plot? Delightful. The core of the show is a very genuine, heartfelt message about the nature of life and the relationships we form with people along that journey, and the worldbuilding adds in some fictional history, characters with fun personalities, and sparkling magic systems and fights. The show is almost simple in the way it conveys the story, but all the more powerful for it—kind of like the titular character herself. It definitely deserves all the hype it’s been getting, and possibly more.

I would recommend this for people who:

1. Are Studio Ghibli fans. This has the same vibes, both visually and emotionally.
2. Love circular plotlines—everything circles back, in one way or another, and it’s beautiful to see it play out.
3. Get invested in minor characters. There’s a lot of them, and they’re all delightfully strange.
4. Are here for the action scenes. They’re bold, distinct, beautiful to watch, and most of all absolutely badass. And they’re pretty frequent too!

I would not recommend this for people who:

1. Are afraid of sincerity. The story grabs you by the shoulders and shakes you until you face its message head-on.
2. Don’t like fantasy. 
3. Are sensitive to grief. This is an integral part of the story, and if that might hit too close to home then best not to watch it.
4. Don’t like subtext or subtle plotlines-—a lot of the story is conveyed through visual cues and implication.

Oshi no Ko (推しの子): 24+

Amamiya Gorou is tasked with helping deliver the children of Hoshino Ai, a famous pop idol whom he admires, without the knowledge of the general public. However, on the night of Ai’s delivery, Gorou is murdered by an obsessive fan of Ai’s and is reincarnated as Hoshino Aqua, Ai’s son, retaining his memories of his previous life. His twin, Ruby, is the reincarnation of one of Gorou’s patients who was a fan of Ai’s. Four years later, Ai is murdered by the same fan who had killed Gorou. The fan later commits suicide, but Aqua deduces that the murderer may have had his and Ruby’s father as an accomplice and resolves to infiltrate the entertainment industry to find and kill him.

Obligatory disclaimer that the manga just ended and I’m still not feeling normal about it. The first thing that stood out to me was that this show is different, and it’s bold about it. This holds true for the second season as well, and the manga once I caved and read it—everything the characters did seemed to surprise me, and the plot twists often got physical reactions of shock. It’s a brutal commentary about our world of celebrities and parasocial relationships, a sparkly drama about idols and actors, a chilling mystery about a case gone cold, and sprinkled with supernatural flavor. Plus, it’s incredibly pretty. And the music goes so incredibly hard. I would frame the openings and endings if I could. You should definitely watch it, preferably yesterday!

I would recommend this for people who:

1. Like music, especially Jpop and similar genres. (Fellow YOASOBI fans, my beloved!) Since it’s, you know, partially an idol drama, the music is relevant past the openings and endings.
2. Are ready for an emotional rollercoaster. These characters get put through the wringer on the highest setting.
3. Love their messed up characters. You’re spoiled for choice in this show, because they’re all quite unhinged in their own way.
4. Live for strange (but wholesome) relationships. Reincarnation + trauma will do that.

I would not recommend this for people who:

1. Are not fans of Jpop, Kpop, or that general vibe, as the show features those aesthetics heavily.
2. Are looking for a lighthearted watch. While it has its wholesome moments, the show is overall quite dark (murder, harassment, suicide, and sexual assault feature prominently, to name a few topics).
3. Want a supernatural show—most of the focus is on the present, even if the supernatural is always close by.
4. Like quick plot lines. Some of the stuff brought up in the first episode has barely been answered in the manga, so it may be a bit of a wait.

Apothecary Diaries (Kusuriya no Hitorigoto, 薬屋のひとりごと): 24+

Maomao lived a peaceful life with her apothecary father. Until one day, she’s sold as a lowly servant to the emperor’s palace. But she wasn’t meant for a compliant life among royalty. So when imperial heirs fall ill, she decides to step in and find a cure! This catches the eye of Jinshi, a handsome palace official who promotes her. Now, she’s making a name for herself solving medical mysteries!

The summary makes her sound much peppier than she is—Maomao is a delightfully sarcastic character, starkly realistic in her expectations, and keeps herself collected and stoic in all situations. She has a particular fondness for poisons and toxins, especially when she can taste rare kinds. By contrast, she rather dislikes people, although throughout the series she grows to begrudgingly care for Jinshi. He’s brilliant, pretty, social and rich, and I find myself continuously impressed with the author and scriptwriters that I find their dynamic more cute than it is concerning. The anime begins mostly episodic and case-based, but it quickly becomes clear that everything connects to a greater mystery—it’s great writing, great art, and an exceptionally fun watch.

I would recommend this for people who:

1. Are looking for an anime that’s “not like the other girls.”
2. Like lots of foreshadowing and connected plotlines. This is a good show to rewatch simply because it’s a vastly different experience in hindsight.
3. Love convoluted but still wholesome family dynamics—I can’t say too much without getting into spoilers.
4. Are a little nervous about heavy topics. While the story certainly covers some dark themes, it does so with a light tone and a happy ending, and shies away from graphic images.

I would not recommend this for people who:

1. Value historical accuracy.
2. Like action scenes. Most of the fun here is from the characters out-scheming each other.
3. Are watching with young children. A lot of the subtext that is so intrinsic to the story is easy for them to miss (the manga also gets a little uh… suggestive, later on).
4. Are watching just for the romance. While Jinshi and Maomao’s relationship is certainly important, it’s not what drives the story.