With the weather outside getting colder, the team at Crunchyroll has made a list (and checked it twice) for keep warm with this Christmas. So grab some hot cocoa, a blanket and let this wonderful selection of anime get you in the spirit!
Laid-Back Camp (Episode 12 “Mount Fuji and the Laid-Back Camp Girls” is one of our faves!)
The scenery in this wholesome tale about two outdoorsy girls is breathtaking and it’s almost enough to make you fall in love with camping. The story begins when Rin decides to cycle to the base of Mount Fuji. On the way there, she comes across Nadeshiko who is always falling asleep. She’s lost and soon the girls end up sharing ramen by the campfire where they plan another camping trip. There isn’t a snowflake in sight, but you can almost smell Christmas with acres of pine trees stretching into the distance.
A Place Further Than the Universe (Episode 10 “Partial Friendship” is one of our faves!)
Scenery that we have never seen. Sounds that we have never heard. Scents that we have never smelled. Food that we have never tasted. And the surge of emotion that we have never experienced. This is the expedition of recollecting the pieces torn apart and sensation left alone. When we reach that place, what will we think? Howling, 40-degree angle. Raging, 50-degree angle. Shouting, 60-degree angle. A wilderness beyond the heavy sea. The furthest south, far from civilization. At the top of the Earth. We will find lights through the girls’ eyes to live tomorrow.
KONOSUBA (Episode 8 “Sightseeing in This Pitiful City” is one of our faves!)
After a traffic accident, Kazuma Sato’s disappointingly brief life was supposed to be over, but he wakes up to see a beautiful girl before him. She claims to be a goddess, Aqua, and asks if he would like to go to another world and bring only one thing with him. Kazuma decides to bring the goddess herself, and they are transported to a fantasy world filled with adventure, ruled by a demon king. Now Kazuma only wants to live in peace, but Aqua wants to solve many of this world’s problems, and the demon king will only turn a blind eye for so long…
Gintama (Episodes 37, 200, and 201 — “People Who Say that Santa Doesn’t Really Exist Actually Want to Believe in Him / Prayer Won’t Make Your Worldly Desires Go Away! Control Yourself”, “Santa Claus Red is Blood Red“, and “Everybody’s a Santa” — are some of our faves!)
In a world where aliens have invaded Edo Period Japan, skyscrapers, trains and motorbikes have replaced the simple life of Earth inhabitants. One man however, still carries the soul of a samurai, Gintoki Sakata, otherwise known as Yorozuya Gin-san. As reckless as he is, Gintoki carries his own resolve and is ready to take on any challenge with his fellow companions.
My Little Monster (Episode 10 “Christmas” is one of our faves!)
Impassive girl meets trouble maker in a brand new love story! After Mizutani Shizuku, a girl whose sole interest is studying, is asked to deliver some handouts to Yoshida Haru, a boy who hasn’t come to school after spilling blood on the first day, she finds herself the target of his affection. This is a story about a boy and a girl who struggle with love and friendship. Opening yourself up to other people forces you to be honest with yourself.
I Can’t Understand What My Husband is Saying (Episode 12 “Baby Skip Beat” is one of our faves!)
Kaoru is an OL you can find anywhere, serious and works diligently, but her husband is a super otaku and more-or-less a NEET. She is caught up in one of her husband’s whims one day or the subject of his concerns another, but the two are so close that it’s embarrassing to even watch them!
School Babysitters
The heartwarming tale of Ryuichi and his baby brother Kotaro who lost their parents in a plane crash. They are taken in by a scary woman with a huge cloud of grey curls who lost her son and daughter-in-law in the same crash. She will give them a home on the condition that Ryuichi babysits the big-eyed kids at the creche in the school that she runs. “Every man must work for his daily bread,” she shrieks and so he does. It’s funny, cute and moving.
Tsurune
When Narumiya Minato joins Prefectural Kazemai High School, he was quickly invited to join the archery club by the club’s advisor, Tommy-sensei. His childhood friends Takehaya Seiya and Yamanouchi Ryohei swiftly agree to join, but Minato is hesitant at first. Because Minato is the rare student with experience in archery, Tommy-sensei orders him to give a demonstration, which Minato does… except his arrow doesn’t hit the target. It is revealed that Minato has developed a terrible dysfunction regarding archery.
Bananya
A family-friendly show about the secret life of kittens who live in bananas that grow at the foot of a mountain shaped like a cat. As stories go, it’s pretty out there, but it’s fun, stupidly cute and is sure to be a hit this Christmas if you have little ones.
Cardcaptor Sakura
This is a classic anime for all ages about a popular, sporty 10-year-old girl named Sakura who finds a mysterious book containing a set of cards. When a gust of wind scatters said cards across the globe, a beast called Kerochan tells her that they are the work of a sorcerer called Clow and have powers that pose a grave danger. It is then up to Sakura to prevent the cards from causing chaos with the help of her best friend Tomoyo.
