Well, so I guess the title might be a bit deceiving. For a lot of people, anime is an aspect of their escapism, a way to forget the problems of the real world in favor of plunging headfirst into something funny and entertaining. For me, fiction is a way to help myself navigate very real feelings in a way that’s relatively safe. Still, with what’s going on out in the real world lately, sometimes I’m just in the mood for some goofy bullsh**t or some material that doesn’t mean to chip away at my fragile emotional state, and anime definitely has that covered too. Here are a few of my suggestions for shows that are just entertaining and don’t necessarily require anything additional from the viewer.
Do you like action anime? Then you might enjoy Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure
I’m not sure that there’s an anime fan alive right now who hasn’t at least heard about Jojo in passing, although if they haven’t watched any of it they might not realize why it’s become so popular. In short, it’s testosterone-fueled hyper-violent homoeroticism that operates on its own very specific brand of logic. Great swaths of the time the series takes itself exceedingly seriously, managing its soap-operatic twists and turns with the reverence one might use with Shakespeare, while in the same breath pitting its characters against friends and foes with names like “Robert E. O. Speedwagon” and “Wham.” Oh, and one can’t ignore the fact that DIO, the series’ iconic antagonist, is literally an immortal vampire because of… reasons. This series is dumb, brutal, and wildly entertaining.
You can watch Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure on Crunchyroll and VRV
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Golden Kamuy – The violence is a little more real, and many of the characters are murderous in very sick ways, but at its core this is another highly entertaining series about an ensemble cast of goofy dudes (and a little girl) getting into trouble that’s often far removed from anything scientifically plausible. – Find it on Crunchyroll and Funimation
Do you enjoy space-faring adventure? Then you might enjoy Bodacious Space Pirates
The space opera genre is often filled with political intrigue and social turmoil. This series, which stars a plucky teenage girl pirate captain, eschews most of that in favor of interweaving (government-approved) space piracy with the real-life concerns of being a high school student. Don’t let the title fool you either – what sounds like yet another anime series about women with big… well, you know, is actually about young women blazing their own trail through space. The relationship between Captain Marika – our intrepid protagonist – and her mother, a former space pirate, is great!
You can watch Bodacious Space Pirates on Crunchyroll, HIDIVE, and VRV.
Do you enjoy sports anime? Then you might enjoy One Outs
Sports anime is a tough category, since most sports-focused series are also about deep feelings and emotional situations, and we’re not here to deal with that right now. That’s where One Outs comes in, existing at the oddball intersection of Baseball and high-stakes gambling. The main character, Toua Tokuchi, is more gambler than baseball player, using his pitching talent to take advantage of other less talented gamblers. When he’s scouted by an actual baseball team, he enters into a very strange contract – for every “out” that he pitches, he earns five million yen, but for every run he gives up, he loses fifty million. This series has an atmosphere that’s more similar to Mahjong Legend Akagi than to any actual sports anime I can think of, which is why it’s definitely worth seeking out.
Unfortunately the series isn’t streaming anywhere, but you can find it around if you’re sufficiently motivated.
Do you enjoy short-form comedy? Then you might enjoy Inferno Cop
Inferno Cop is probably one of my favorite series to troll people with. It’s almost indescribable, being a series with 3 minute episodes about a skeletal police officer with a flaming head who literally travels to Hell and back. It’s one of Studio Trigger’s early efforts, whose influence can be seen directly in the much-less-successful (in my opinion) Ninja Slayer, both being barely-animated in a way that only adds to the visual comedy. Inferno Cop feels like a situation where one person started a story, then handed it off to the next person, who then handed it off to the next… resulting in something completely over-the-top and ridiculous. Seriously, if you enjoy quick-shot absurdism and don’t mind a little vulgarity, then check out Inferno Cop ASAP.
You can watch Inferno Cop on Crunchyroll and VRV
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Gakuen Handsome – BL comes with its share of tropes, and this goofy series about a school full of “handsome” young men (with chins that could literally cut you) revels in them. If you enjoy BL or otome games, or are just familiar with their tropes, you will likely get a big kick out of this goofball series. – Find it on Crunchyroll
Do you enjoy horror? Then you might enjoy Yamishibai
I find anime-style horror to be pretty hit-or-miss (I’m just very picky about certain genres, and the fears I have are more based around real things rather than ghosts and ghouls). Yamishibai trades the long-game of cultivating atmosphere with short episodes that revolve around ghostly Japanese urban legends and traditional ghosts. If you don’t enjoy one story, then the next one might be just your taste. The animation style (which attempts to partially mimic the kami-shibai paper puppet shadow theater from which the show gets its title) often adds to the creepy atmosphere.
You can watch Yamishibai on Crunchyroll, HIDIVE, and VRV
Do you enjoy slice-of-life? Then you might enjoy Tari Tari
I always think of this series as the best “B-grade” anime that I’ve somehow ended up watching several times over the years. It follows a group of five students (three girls and two boys) who form a school choir (to compete with the school choir that already exists… for reasons) and end up helping one-another navigate various personal situations. Their school is on the cusp of being closed, and they decide to put on a performance to try to save it. The series has some catchy music and is unexpectedly funny, which helps to offset how corny a lot of it is. While a lot of slice-of-life seems more focused on a complete lack of anything happening, this series manages to keep things moving and provide a heartwarming (yet somewhat abrupt) conclusion.
You can watch Tari Tari on Crunchyroll, HIDIVE, and VRV
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Hyouka – This series is often touted as a mystery anthology, but while the characters do get involved in solving (or attempting to solve) various low-impact mysteries related to their school, the show is really more about the characters and their experiences discovering the history of their literature club and preparing for their school cultural festival. There’s some mild content related to bullying, but for the most part this is a beautiful, fascinating slice-of-life series that follows several characters throughout their school year. – Find it on Funimation
Laid-Back Camp – Food, friends, and the outdoors – what more could you want? This series lives up to its name by cultivating a relaxing atmosphere. It showcases the beautiful natural world surrounding Mount Fuji, and the characters cook and eat delicious food. – Find it on Crunchyroll
Do you enjoy supernatural stuff? Then you might enjoy Natsume’s Book of Friends
Granted, this might be slightly “heavy” for this list, but ultimately I think of this series as one in which kind people are good to one-another, to the benefit of all, so perhaps those overriding feel-good vibes might help offset the minor amount of melancholy feels there are throughout the several seasons of this show.
Natsume Takashi is a teenage boy who can see spirits, much like his grandmother could before him. This has caused him lots of problems; as an orphan who was passed around between many family members, he’s attempted to hid this talent that has made other people uneasy. Now living with childless distant relations, he finally starts to have some stability in his life. He embarks on a quest to follow in his grandmother’s footsteps, giving back the powers she earned from various spirits by force. This series has a great cast of characters (including a smart-ass talking cat) and ultimately succeeds because of its overwhelming air of kindness.
You can watch Natsume’s Book of Friends on Crunchyroll and VRV
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How to Keep a Mummy – This silly, heartwarming series follows a teenage boy whose globe-trotting father sends him a spooky sarcophagus containing what looks to be a little mini-mummy (or a sentient marshmallow). Soon his friends are taking care of their own little supernatural pets in this testament to the benefits of friendship. – Find it on Crunchyroll
Flying Witch – A young witch in training travels to the country to finish out her mundane education while living with her cousins. The epitome of iyashikei (“healing”) anime, this series features light comedy, mild magical hijinks, and a super-catchy theme song, along with many cute characters. – Find it on Crunchyroll, Hulu, HIDIVE and VRV
Do you enjoy romance? Then you might enjoy My Love Story!!
Anime romance tends to be full of (high school level) emotional turmoil, so it’s refreshing when I find one that’s more focused on fluffiness and comedy. Takeo is a high school student with imposing looks that give off the wrong impression to most people he meets. He’s really just a big cinnamon roll who’d like a girlfriend, but he assumes he has no chance with anyone. He then meets Yamato and rescues her from a pervert on the train. They continue to have interactions after that, until suddenly they’re dating. The conflict in this series is extremely low (mostly based around whether or not the two leads will be able to hold hands or eventually even work up the courage to kiss), so it might not be for folks looking for serious romance. But you’re not reading this because you’re looking for something serious, right? If you like fluff and cuteness, this romantic comedy is unmatched.
You can watch My Love Story!! on Crunchyroll, HIDIVE, Hulu, and VRV
Tsuredure Children – If just one couple isn’t enough for you, how about several? This series follows several teenage couples as they navigate relationships for the first time, some more successfully than others. Some of them are complete disasters, but in most cases there are plenty of laughs to be had on the journey. – Find it on Crunchyroll, Funimation and VRV
Do you enjoy comedy? Then you might enjoy Nichijou
This category is especially ripe for times like these, but even with so many good series to choose from, my top selection is easy. Nichijou is perennially my favorite comedy anime, incorporating absurdist humor with incredibly-animated slapstick and surprisingly heartfelt character interactions into a package that’s completely unmatched in quality. This series has it all – sentient robots, talking cats, goofy cosplay, camping hijinks… it’s difficult to explain to those who haven’t experienced it, but those already in the know definitely understand. This series even manages to be funny without much dialog, when the situation calls for silence. Seriously, if you enjoy anime-style comedy, this series rarely disappoints (although the second half definitely pays off more than the first).
You can watch Nichijou on Funimation
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My Neighbor Seki-kun – Speaking of series with minimal dialog, this comedy about a boy who messes around during class and the girl who watches him do it is full of mostly visual humor, supplemented by the female observer’s internal monologue. The punch line is almost always the same, but it’s the journey to get there that makes this series such a pleasure. – Find it on Crunchyroll, HIDIVE and VRV
Haven’t You Heard? I’m Sakamoto – Sakamoto is the coolest kid in class, who manages to wheedle his way out of almost any tough situation. One might speculate about what’s up with this guy, but he’s so mysterious that all anyone can do is wonder about how he acquired his almost supernatural skills at getting out of trouble. The comedic situations in this series are over-the-top and incredibly ridiculous, just the way I like them. – Find it on Crunchyroll, Hulu, HIDIVE and VRV
Amagi Brilliant Park – Have you ever wondered about the secret lives of amusement park mascots? They might just be creatures from a fantasy world, shilling to make sure that they can survive in ours. This goofy series posits just such a thing, pitting a high school student against an apathetic public in a quest to make sure a failing amusement park survives. Kyoto Animation’s artistic hand makes this series what it is, when it might otherwise just be too goofy. – Find it on Crunchyroll, Hulu, HIDIVE and VRV
Astro Fighter Sunred – What happens when super sentai heroes retire? Perhaps some of them become useless layabouts like the titular character in this series. Sunred leeches off his girlfriend and plays pachinko all day, but when a local branch of an evil organization pops up in his town he uses his brute force and thuggish manner to put them in their place. This series is unfortunately not streaming anywhere, but it’s definitely worth searching out if you’re willing.
These series are some of my favorite “no (or very little) heavy thinking required” shows, but I bet readers out there have all sorts of great suggestions to add to the list. If you’ve seen any of these series, let me know what you think. If you have something good to add to the list, feel free to let me know in the comments!