Three New Anime That Tumblrites Should Look Into

I have to admit, I’m not one for anime these days. Back in my youth, I ate up every anime that crossed my path. Nowadays, my tastes have shifted to live action television and films, largely thanks to Tumblr, which enabled my budding addiction. But this summer, I’ve found myself lacking in anything to watch, so I’ve decided to jump back into the anime fray with three upcoming series that have appealed to my Tumblrian sensibilities. All of them look like they’re going to be amazing and they all definitely have obvious appeal to Tumblrites. So if you’re looking for something to watch now that your favorite shows and movies are over with, please consider the following:

If You’re Waiting For Your Next “Teenagers Fight To The Death” Fix, Check Out:

Danganronpa Kibou no Gakuen to Zetsubou no Koukousei The Animation

Animated by: Lerche

Genre: Horror, Mystery, Black Comedy

Premiere: July 4th, 2013

Known as Dangan Ronpa (and a variety of other silly nicknames), this anime is based off of a 2010 PSP video game/visual novel that has thus far remained untranslated. However, due to a detailed “Lets Play” on the Something Awful forums, the game experienced an overwhelming surge in internet popularity. It’s likely you’ve seen something about it on your dash, and if you haven’t, you clearly don’t follow the right people. Dangan Ronpa is a darkly comedic mystery tale about a group of talented high school kids who become trapped in what was supposed to be their new high school. There they are held captive by a creepy “despair”-loving teddy bear who claims that the only way they can leave is to commit the perfect murder. If a student is outed as the culprit, they’re executed. If they get away with it, they get to leave and everyone else is executed in their place.

Dangan Ronpa has often been described as a mix between Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney and Battle Royale. Its subject matter makes for a dark and disturbing whodunnit, but the over-the-top characters and scenarios give it a wackiness that takes the edge off. The anime is sure to be a retelling of the game story, with the bonus of full animation and voice acting. They’ve translated the distinct art style as best they can and casted all the original voice actors, meaning that watching the anime will be almost as authentic as playing the game. So whether you’re a new fan or a DR veteran, Dangan Ronpa the Animation is a must-see.

Besides. You’re going to see a lot more Dangan Ronpa on your dash now that it’s getting a mainstream adaptation. You might as well just give in to despair.

If You’re a Big Follower of Tumblr Memes, Check Out:

Free!

Animated by: Kyoto Animation + Animation DO

Genre: Sports

Premiere: July 3rd, 2013

You’ve probably heard of Free!, though you may know it better as “Swimming Anime”, the Tumblr meme sensation.  A month or two ago, I reported on how Free!, previously only a 30-second commercial, had been announced as a real anime after the internet showed obsessive love for the idea. Well as it turns out, it was KyoAni’s plan to make it an anime all along. Still, it’s exciting to see how the meme status of the anime will affect it, if it does at all. Will the five sexy swimmers have any similarities to their archetype-based internet personas? Will the show be a generic sports drama? A slashfest? Some kind of meta commentary on one or both? None of those things?

Who knows. I think the appeal of Free! lies in its potential. We know it’s about the drama and relationships between five male high school swimmers, but as Tumblr has established, there are a lot of directions they could take that. Despite the fact that it’s been in production this whole time, Free! kind of feels like a bridge between fan and creator. It’ll be interesting to see how it turns out. With KyoAni at the helm and a talented cast of voice actors on board, I certainly expect a high quality show.

So if you’ve been obsessing over “Swimming Anime”, or if you’re just looking for some solid animation about good looking anime dudes with washboard abs, check out Free!

If You’re A Fan of Supernatural or Good Omens, Check Out:

Makai Ouji: Devils and Realist

Animated by: Dogakobo

Genre: Fantasy, Supernatural

Premiere: July 7th, 2013

I’ve only just started reading the manga, but what I’ve read so far of Makai Ouji is intriguing.  It tells the tale of Lord William Twining, a science-loving Victorian snob who comes home from boarding school to a newly bankrupt estate and ends up accidentally summoning a demon. Said demon, Dantalion, recognizes William as the Elector, a descendant of Solomon whose purpose is to elect a Steward to look after Hell while Lucifer hibernates. Comedy and intrigue ensue as the highly scientific William is dragged by Dantalion into the madcap world of angel and demon politics.

The cast is full on interesting, colorful characters, and Christian lore is weaved heavily into the story a la Supernatural, with some interesting liberties taken. The internal struggle of what William is witnessing and what science has taught him is both amusing and thought provoking, and a few of the demons are based on real historical figures. William’s relationship with Dantalion (who is somewhat reminiscent of Anthony J. Crowley) definitely has some slashability, but is interesting any way you look at it . Makai Ouji is thus far not as violent as similar fare like Kuroshitsuji, but definitely has the potential to get pretty dark and complex.

So, whether you’re into supernatural Christian-based mythological fantasy, or you’re just craving an anime with a fancy Victorian setting, Makai Ouji is definitely worth looking into.

If you’re bored and sad without your Supernatural and your Hannibal and your Hunger Games or whatever it is you geek about on Tumblr, why don’t you give these anime a shot? If you’re an anime fan, it’ll be business as usual. And if you’re new to the idea, it’ll be something different. Either way, with these anime coming out in July, your Summer is sure to be slightly more entertaining.

 Please note that we  do not officially endorse the downloading and/or streaming of pirated anime at The Geekiary. As far as the law is concerned, we’re going to wait for legal streams and/or dubs because we’re good, lawful people. Does that sound convincing enough?

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Author: Steamgirl

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