Walking to school is such drudgery. However, if you are Chio, then walking to school is a daily adventure. You see Chio is a normal student who stays up too late playing video games and is always running late to school. To combate her potential tardiness, Chio takes a different path to school every day. Now you might be wondering what adventures she finds on her path to school and here is a sample: motorcycle gang leaders, kabaddi players, kids with balloons, and simple things like construction. But, with the help of her friends Yuki and Manana, Chio will do anything possible to avoid being tardy.
Chio's School Road - This was a rather frustrating watch. 90% of it is genuinely funny, clever little skits involving the ridiculous people Chio and her best friend run into on their walk to school in the morning. The other 10%, however, is a mix of uncomfortable lingering camera shots of the girls in their underwear, a predatory lesbian, and a tendency to treat nonconsensual groping as harmless mischief. If it just reined in the sleazy nonsense, it could have been a completely solid comedy about two friends with a hilariously relatable dynamic. 7/10
Way of the Househusband S2 - It's interesting to watch this series now after watching the currently-airing Play It Cool, Guys by the same director, because they do share some similarities in style. This is obviously a little more straightforward about being a comedy, as there's nothing particularly chill about any of these domesticated ex-gangsters, but both series make a lot of use of manga-style sound effects and asides written on-screen alongside rather minimal animation. I enjoy both shows, so I guess it's a perfectly valid artistic decision, despite how controversial it is. 7/10
Gintama' Ep.1-25 - If you're counting the way Crunchyroll lists the episodes, these were episodes 202-226. This group of episodes was mostly one-off comedic episodes, with the exception of two short comedy arcs - the very funny Time Skip arc, where Shinpachi is the only one unchanged after the show's hiatus, and the moderately funny Glasses arc, where Sarutobi loses her glasses and gets into trouble with the assassins - and the 5-episode-long serious arc Kabukicho Four Devas. I really enjoyed this arc, where Gintoki and the odd-jobs crew take part in a yakuza-style gang war for the fate of Kabukicho. It had a number of compelling characters with interesting motivations, and a couple really satisfying scenes that gave more depth to Gintoki's connection to Otose.
First anime of the year I finished was Chio’s School Road
This was actually a rewatch because I watched it back in quarantine
I give it an 8/10
I deduct points because 1. I hate that Andou, a grown ass man had a crush on Chio a high schooler and 2. The lesbian character who was reduced to a stereotype of wanting to molest girls
So you just finished something heavy or maybe you finally finished an epically long show (looking at you, One Piece) and now you need a silly little respite for some casual viewing. Here are a few short series/movies to check out for a quick laugh.
The Devil is a Part-Timer (series) - this is not your average isekai. Usually, we see someone from modern times getting sent back to like feudal era (or something fantasy-eque but primitive nonetheless) who sees meteoric success because of their expansive knowledge compared to those around them. Yea no, imagine Satan himself blasting into the modern era with no street smarts, no self-awareness and none of his fiendish powers. How does he get by? If you want a touch of action with your funny, this is a great choice.
Sub/Dub | Tubi, Funimation, Hulu, Crunchyroll
The Vampire Dies in No Time (series) - I love a good subversive comedy (as seen above) and this also challenges the notion of strong vampires and.. even what vampires can be. Ronaldo, white haired vampire hunter pictured above, had no idea the peril he'd encounter when he snuck into the great Draluc's castle. It was the kind of peril that lingers since, ultimately, Draluc ends up becoming his unwelcome house guest along with his faithful companion, John. Expect maybe a tiny bit of fan service but not in ways you'd expect.
Sub/Dub | Funimation
Wave Listen to Me (series) - what if your shitty ex could give you more than just a broken heart? Like maybe a total career change? Minare, woman after my own heart, gets plastered one night and ends up on the radio airing out her own dirty laundry. Turns into quite the side gig with her penchant for self-deprecating Gilmore Girls tempo delivery. The overarching message of the show has depth and the character feels real despite always being wrapped in a few layers of fiction. All in all, relatable.
Sub/Dub | Funimation
Chio's School Road (series) - Chio is just a gamer girl with an eccentrically rich inner life stemming from some severe awkwardness that endears her to me immediately. The show follows her everyday commute to school that is made complicated time and time again, usually by her own hand.
Sub/Dub | Funimation, Crunchyroll
Hinamatsuri (series) - imagine a magical girl who isn’t quite so… magical. She’s got the powers but she has a complete lack of self awareness and social graces. That is our MC Hina which is to low-level yakuza thug Nitta’s distinct displeasure when she appears in his apartment one day. The series follows their best attempt at a functional father-daughter relationship as Nitta tries to turn Hina into a normal kid with some wholesome and endearing subplots involving rough around the edges, Anzu.
Sub/Dub | Funimation, Crunchyroll
Life Lessons with Uramichii-San (series) - maybe this is the kind of show you only find funny once you have lower back pain but there's something about the bitter, worn down Uramichii contrasting the bright and hopeful children he entertains that just speaks to me. Imagine finding out that the Sesame Street cast is comprised of a bunch of depressed, chain smoking loners who are hanging on by a silly string thread (oh and they also have troubling sleep paralysis demons). Millennials, rise up, this one is for us.
Sub/Dub | Funimation, Crunchyroll
Love After World Domination (series) - love hurts but sometimes it's a good hurt like when you're forced to fight your significant other to keep up appearances so you can avoid scandalizing your relationship. Oh, just Reaper Princess and Red Gelato? This Romeo + Juliet story follows a villain and a hero as they awkwardly navigate their first romantic relationship, privately. Fan service in this show (as seen above) is going to be more in abundance and, at times, used as a comedic device so be warned.
Sub/Dub | Crunchyroll
Monthly Girls Nozaki-kun (series) - There's something about characters who show a complete lack of awareness that kills me. The story centers on a girl confessing to her classmate not realizing he's actually one of her favorite shojo romance's mangaka (who is supposed to be a girl). If you're confused, so is Chiyo when she somehow secures an invite to her crush's house. It's cute and awkward and the crazy characters that seem to surround Nozaki ultimately inspire his manga.
Sub/Dub | HiDive
Grand Blue Dreaming (series) - Rife with so much debauchery there's a disclaimer at the beginning, this show follows college freshman Iori as he moves to a seaside town with his uncle who owns a dive shop. Iori has moments of wholesome reflection while trying to appreciate his coming of age which is constantly underpinned by the mischief and trouble one can only expect when navigating adulthood, independence and romance for the first time. The show has a good sprinkle of life lessons from unexpected places, but, considering the source, take it with a grain of salt as there are several questionable elements that I'm choosing to gloss over here. Expect gratuitous fan service though. And some generally problematic tropes sprinkled in with those hijinks. Is it obvious I’m second guessing this recommendation?
You would not believe the insane amount of effort I went through to do this thing. Made from the results of this poll. All series here 100% guaranteed to stay wholesome/consistent through their runs. If you're looking for something sweet, a good story or a combo of both, you will find it here!
All series listed here are from the 2000s-2020s.
ACCA: 13 Territory Inspection Dept.
Accomplishments of the Duke's Daughter
Airmaster
Alice and Zoroku
The Apothecary Diaries
Arte
Barakamon
Binbou Shimai Monogatari
Blue Period
Bocchi the Rock!
Bokura wa Mahou Shounen
A Bouquet For An Ugly Girl
Boys Run The Riot
Chibisan Date
Chio's School Road
Chi's Sweet Home
Children of the Sea
Coffee and Cat
Dad, tthe Beard Gorilla and Me
Dance Dance Danseur
Delicious in Dungeon
The Demon Girl Next Door
Dinosaur Santuary
Don't Hurt Me, My Healer!
Dungeon no Osana najimi
Emma: A Victorian Romance
Engaged to the Unidentified
Fastest Finger First
Forest of Piano
A Galaxy Next Door
Gekikou Kamen
Genshiken
Getsuyoubi no Tawawa
Gingitsune
Girlish Number
Girls Und Panzer
Gohan no Otomo
Gochika
Go With The Wind, North-By-Northwest
Granny Girl Hinako-chan
Heaven's Design Team
Heterogenia Linguistics
High Score Girl
Himouto! Umaru-chan
Hinamatsuri
Hito Hitori Futari
Hoshikuzu Telepath
Hozuki's Coolheadedness
Hyakunichikan!!
Hyouga Mono
Ichigeki Sacchu!! Hoihoi-san
If My Favorite Idol Made It tto the Budokan, I Would Die
Insomniacs After School
Interviews With Monster Girls
In This Coner of the World
Is Kichijou the Only Place to Live?
I Want Your Mother to Be With Me!
The Kawai Complex to Manor and Hostel Behavior
Keep Your Hands of Eizouken!!
Kokou no Hito
Kotaro Lives Alone
Kowloon Generic Romancey
Kuro (Somato)
Kutsuzure Sensen
The Last Uniform
Love Me For Who I Am
Love Roma
Magical Meow Meow Taruto
The Magical Revolution of the RReincarnated Princess
Manga ni Tsukurikata
Maomarimo
March Comes In Like A Lion
March Story
Memories of Emanon
Mimia Hime
Minami-ke
Miss Koizumi Loves Ramen Noodles
Mokke
Momokuri
Mushishi
My Brother's Husband
My Girl (Sumomo Yumeka)
My Neighbor Seki
Natsuiro Kiseki
Nicoichi
Nobunage no Chef
Noramimi
O/A
Odd Taci
Oh, My Sweet Alien
One Punch Man
Otome Youkai Zakuro
Our Dreams at Dusk
Pan de Peace!
Panty and Stocking with Garterbelt (Literally the only ecchi magical girl parody I'll allow on the list)
Today's AniAnimals are the cat that Chio named 'George', and the bird he was hunting in "Chio's School Road".
今日のアニアニマルズは『ちおちゃんの通学路』で ちおちゃん が「ジョージ」と名付けた猫 と 猫が狩っていた鳥です。
Mushishi: Fantasy - wierd, extremely wierd stories - great characters - beautiful artwork - bizzare fantasy creatures called Mushi - unique, thoughtful stories every episode
FLCL: Mecha.. i guess - highscool life - funny - extremely wierd scenarios...like a girl getting a headach..then a flower sprouting from her forehead...then another girl who's an alien and space force police something tries to pull out that flower... it comes out as a guitar... and then that alien girl fights a giant alien-robot-mecha thing......Yeah that kinda stuff - fun characters - friendship - wholesome moments and equally wierd,wth moments