Top 5 Anime Series to Binge-watch In Quarantine!

Has this quarantine been way longer than you expected? Are you bored out of your mind and have no idea of what to do to pass this extra time? Are you tired of finishing up a series in one day? Then gather around kids, Papa Ryuu will help you ease up your boredom!

Accurate representation of how I have been spending my time this quarantine

Since most of the series nowadays have like 12-13 episodes a day, it takes 4-6 hours at most to complete it, and what comes next is the feeling of regret since you just hungrily finished up quite a good series way too quickly.

The solution to that is quite simple; take up a series that has more episodes but also not that much. I’m talking about shows that lie in the range of 40-100 episodes (2-3 seasons or in some cases, just one).

Sup minna! It’s Ryuuji Tatsuya and today I’m here with my selections of anime which are long enough for you to last at least 3-4 days. I have also made sure to include names which are not so main stream, so that you can go about flexing your unique anime list to your other otaku friends (And rule upon them). So take out your pocket diaries and jot down; here comes my Selection of Anime Series that you should watch in this Quarantine!

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Nana

Genre: SoL, RomCom, Music

Every decade has some anime which are known to all, but isn’t watched by all. ‘Nana’ is one of those few gems residing in many top lists of MAL, but still isn’t a title that would make people say, “Oh yes, of course! Who hasn’t watched that?” The story revolves around two girls, Nana Komatsu and Nana Osaki, on their way to start a new life in Tokyo. While Komatsu is a peppy 20 year old girl who has a habit of falling in love easily, Osaki on the other hand is the lead vocalist in a punk band and decides to achieve her dream of being a rockstar in Tokyo. Coincidentally, they both become roommates and stay in the room 707 (Mother of coincidence, Nana means 7 in Japanese). What’s so bewitching about this anime is that it deals with many real life issues and still manages to showcase the beautiful bond of friendship between these two Namesakes as the story progresses. For an anime based around music, the soundtracks, OPs and EDs were all melodious and heart-warming (And also one of the biggest reasons why I decided to watch it on the first place). Even though the old style of animation and slow pace of story can be a problem for some, I assure you that the series on a whole is totally worth the wait. Nana consists of 47 episodes, and it is sure to keep both your mind and heart occupied through the entirety of the series.

Mushi-Shi

Genre: Adventure, Supernatural, SoL, Historical

While I was on a hunt for underrated anime to watch, I came across this one title that had ratings as high as 9 in almost all the main platforms, but still wasn’t heard by 90% of people I know. It wasn’t every day you come across a series that isn’t heard by all but loved by everyone who watched it, and that’s why I gave it a shot; but what I got was far more impactful than I anticipated. Mushi-Shi is an episode based anime where the main character (And maybe the only steady character) Ginko, is a paranormal investigator. He moves around from village to village in search of anomalies caused by certain paranormal creatures called ‘Mushi’, and tries to solve it through the knowledge he possesses of them and also through his ability to see them. However, it’s not like Ginko is able to solve all the problems he comes across. Sometimes he solves them, while there are also some cases where he can’t do anything, and also some where he doesn’t even have to do anything. Episodic anime aren’t something new in the industry, but I hardly remember any being as engraving and beautiful as Mushi-Shi. For an anime made in the mid 2000’s, the animation is too beautiful to believe so, the soundtracks have a hint of traditional Japan in it, and the characters (No matter how less the screen time) manage to stay in my heart. It’s not easy to describe the beauty of this amazing series in just words; it has 52 episodes and 53 different stories to tell, go check it out.

SKET Dance

Genre: Comedy, SoL

You know what makes me angry? The fact that a series as amazing as this doesn’t get the validation it deserves. I remember back when SKET Dance was airing, literally everyone was singing its praises and bragging about how they were following up with the episodes as they come out. But now, eight years after it finished airing, no one even remembers the brilliance that SKET Dance possessed. The anime is basically about three friends; Bossun, Himeko and Switch (All nicknames obviously), and the club they made together “SKET Brigade”. Even though they use that club to laze around and do stupid stuff after school, the club in itself is designed to help anyone in need, and this trio of an Otaku Computer genius, a former delinquent and the leader who can bring forth the power of extreme concentration by wearing his goggles, are together the most formidable group anyone could think of. Truth to be told, at first I thought that this anime is about some weird kind of sport that the anime producers came up with, where maybe the main characters are supposed to dance while wearing skates (Still doesn’t sound as outrageous as Keijo), but the first episode easily shattered my perception. It was NOT that at all, in fact, this series didn’t have a main story whatsoever! But who said that’s a bad thing? SKET Dance managed to find the fun in literally everything. The CV, the story and the character animation came together to deliver a punch that can make anybody, and everybody have a good laugh. One of the longest anime I have watched with a whopping 77 episodes! Do give it a try and brace yourself for a wave of crazy antics ready to tickle your funny bone.

Chihayafuru

Genre: Sports, RomCom

Ever thought that a game where cards and Japanese poems come together can be fun? Well, think again, because it is loads of fun! Chihayafuru is a sports anime about Competitive Karuta, a game based around the Classic Anthology of 100 Japanese Poetry. In this game, memorization is the key since the players are given a set of cards that consist the second line of poems in that 100 poetry set; and when the reader reads out the first line of that poem, the players are expected to touch the corresponding card faster than their opponent. Sounds complicated? It is! But the anime manages to jam in those complicated rules so easily that almost anyone who watches the series can cope up with the rules. The anime however is about Chihaya, an airheaded but energetic girl who discovered the world of Karuta through one shy and quiet boy in class, Arata. As the story progresses, we get to see another character, Taichi, join these two and together these three friends start to fall in love with this unique game that has started to lost its charm around all the other flashy games. The reason I love this anime is because unlike other sports anime, this one in particular manages to dig deeper into the life of every single character that is mentioned there, and takes its time to give more meaning to every single match by giving us background details, hardships and goals of every opponent that are faced by our protagonists. Along with that, the love triangle weaved by the story as the two male falls in love with the sole female in the trio, makes me as a shoujo fan scream in joy. With over 3 seasons and 74 episodes, ‘Chihayafuru’ is a must watch if you enjoy sports anime with action packed matches, character development and a sizzling hot love triangle!

The Monogatari series

Genre: Supernatural, Action, Romance, Ecchi

You have probably heard about this franchise many times, and there is a pretty good chance that you might already be a fan of the anime just like I am. But at the same time, there is also a possibility that you belong to that fraction of audience who tried the first few episodes of Bakemonogatari and then dropped it since it was difficult to follow. Don’t worry; it’s not a personal attack, but more like reminiscence since I belonged to that fraction myself. If it wasn’t for my best friend literally forcing me to sit through the first season no matter what, I probably would’ve carried on with that perception (Also note that fact that I was the one who converted him into an Otaku, so it kind of made me proud when he forced me to watch it). The show is basically about Araragi, who after following a series of events turned into a vampire, and now being the “Mr. Self-Sacrificing Good Guy” he is, he ventures out to solve any supernatural oddity he comes across; no matter what the price. Sounds kind of a cliché, doesn’t it? Well, thanks to the animation and amazing talent of the VAs, this series turns out way better than you could anticipate. Apart from the first season, every season in its way is a separate arc that focusses on any one oddity, so the main female lead in that arc becomes the one who is going through the supernatural phenomenon. All these arcs when combined, contributes to one linear storyline as a whole with Araragi and his main love interest, Senjougahara, being at the centre of it. The captivating use of soundtracks, pleasing character design, perfect blend of ecchi and romance, and above all, the unique animation and visuals of Shaft (Which even though made me confused at the first attempt, went on to become one of my most favourite form of animation); all these aspects come together to breathe life into the world of The Monogatari series, a masterpiece that is too good to be ignored. With 14 seasons, 100 episodes and 1 movie, use this quarantine as an excuse to binge watch this uniquely lovable series.

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And with that, this list of mine comes to an end. If you haven’t watched any of it then it might take you at least two to three weeks to binge watch them all (Ah, don’t take it as a challenge, 2-3 weeks if you watch each anime sensibly and invest time to be devoted to them all separately…….. instead of just gobbling up everything you see and not getting anywhere).

Have fun watching~ 

Do you have any other series that has a lot of episodes to offer but isn’t known to the common folks that much? Then be sure to leave it in the comments section below! I hope you enjoyed this post, and I will make sure to see you soon with another list of mine. Till then, take care of yourself. Stay home, stay safe, and as always; thanks for reading!