A Big Ol’ Pile of Anime Recommendations (2018)

It’s been another big year for anime-watching on my part, with more access than ever before to both the currently-airing series themselves and the hot goss on which of them are worth checking out. And so once again I’ve gathered mini-reviews of my favourite series into one handy-dandy post! This is a mix of series that came out this year, series from days of yore I decided to rediscover, and series that were locked away on Amazon until recently that I’ve only just had the chance to check out (R.I.P., Anime Strike or whatever that was). This list contains coming-of-age stories, steampunk shenanigans, magical mayhem, a friendly skeleton, and a lot of queer themes and female protagonists. If that sounds like your jam, do take a look–I’m happy to share my thoughts, and maybe you’ll find something that sounds fun!

A Place Further Than the Universe #13: The Girls Are Alright

Guess who’s about to get all sappy about animated girls in Antarctica? It’s me! But it is the last time, so I may as well go all out.

A Place Further Than the Universe #11 and #12: The Ends of the Earth

I think it’s pretty safe to say that the theme of this fortnight’s writeup is “catharsis”. Emotional buildup is no good for anyone, whether it lasts over days, months, or years, and sometimes you just have to let it all out. But Universe emphasises that you don’t have to do this alone.

I’m still sniffling as I type this up. Bear with me.

A Place Further Than the Universe #9 and #10: Friends and Loved Ones

We still don’t know who Shirase’s dad is. A Place Further Than the Universe seems infinitely less bothered with such banal biological technicalities than it is with setting Gin up as Shirase’s other parent. At this point, I think I’m going to shrug off my curiosity in favour of a metaphorical/mythological explanation that Takako made her daughter with her one true love, which is, of course, the concept of Adventure itself. Takako seems to radiate so much whimsy and power that it could be possible, and this explanation lets us dive in and focus on the relationships that the series clearly thinks are much more important. Because it’s all about relationships again this time around: the heartache and awkwardness of past ones, and the beautiful strangeness of trying to take new ones into the future.

A Place Further Than the Universe #7 and #8: Chasing the Stars

When you awaken in the morning’s hush
I am the swift uplifting rush
Of quiet birds in circled flight.
I am the soft stars that shine at night.
Do not stand at my grave and cry;
I am not there. I did not die. 

I’m opening with a poetry quote. You know this show is starting to mess me up (in the best way).

A Place Further Than the Universe #5 and #6: It’s Complicated

Not so long ago, the dream to travel to Antarctica was an abstract thing… but now that dream is becoming reality, with all the bizarre, wonderful, stressful experiences that come with it. In episodes five and six the gang get caught up in the mundane but dizzying whirl of packing, plane flights, hotels, new places, bureaucratic travel dramas, and, most importantly for this post, saying goodbye to the old friends they’re leaving behind and learning to live with the new friends they’re taking with them.

A Place Further Than the Universe #3 and #4: Breaking the Ice

When you’re young (and hey, when you’re not-so-young, too), the greatest highs and lows come from platonic relationships rather than romantic. It’s always a sweet surprise to find a series that gives legitimate weight to friendship, and embraces the potential within for drama and hijinks in equal measure. It’s wonderful to see A Place Further Than the Universe taking this route, showing that making new friends can produce as much euphoria as falling in love for the first time, and that losing friends can cause as much heartache as any bad breakup. So this time, let’s talk about friendship, and all its ups and downs, and how it’s functioning as the emotional backbone of the show—and not just in the cute new friendship that’s formed between our main cast, either.

A Place Further Than the Universe #1 and #2: Destination Unknown

Many say that the best time to travel is when you’re young. If you still live with your parents, you don’t have to pay for boring cash-sucking things like rent or groceries, and can save up for holidays more effectively. If you’re not locked into a full-time career yet, you have the time, especially if you take a gap year or jet off in the regular breaks between semesters. Some schools even offer exchange programs or class trips that can take you overseas within the curriculum! They’re a great opportunity. And you wouldn’t want to miss such a great opportunity, right? Not when youth is precious and the crushing monotony and relative lack of freedom of adulthood is looming??