Winter 2016 Anime Preview: What the Heck Is “Rakugo”?
The winter anime season is cracking along, and with a few episodes of new shows under our belts, it’s time to carry on with the keepers and drop the duds back into the 2D oblivion from whence they came. In addition to some strong carryovers from fall, such as Haikyu!! and Osomatsu-san, winter sees some highly anticipated continuations (Akagami no Shirayukihime, GATE,Durarara!!) as well as the usual slew of new stuff. This season is shaping up to be a bit of an odd one, with two runaway favorites dominating the conversation while the rest of the season floats somewhere between “not bad” and “please don’t make we watch another five minutes of this.”
As usual, we’ve picked the best of the new anime for your viewing pleasure, from a not-to-be-missed fantasy thriller to a peculiar comedy featuring Japanese candy. Simulcasts are just a click away, so snuggle up in that down comforter and check out our five top picks for winter!
ERASED / Boku Dake ga Inai Machi / ERASED
Twenty-nine-year-old Satoru Fujinuma dreams of being a manga artist, but, after repeated rejections, scrapes by as a pizza delivery driver in Tokyo. Increasingly, his mundane life has been interrupted by a strange supernatural phenomenon in which he suddenly finds himself sent back a few minutes in time in order to prevent some death or disaster around him. When someone close to him is killed, Fujinuma is once again thrust into the past — but this time, not by minutes, but decades. Fujinuma awakens eighteen years in the past as an elementary schooler, just weeks before a childhood classmate, Kayo Hinazuki Hinazuki Kayo (voiced by Aoi Yuki), was kidnapped and killed. Now Fujinuma (Shinnosuke Mitsushima as an adult, Tao Tsuchiya as a child) must not only save Hinazuki, but discover how the murder in his past is connected to the terrible events of his present.
This seinen thriller, based on a highly regarded manga by Kei Sanabe, was widely anticipated going into winter season, and after three episodes I can certainly see why. The introspective Fujinuma leads a fascinating cast of fully realized characters brought to life by strong voice talent (Shinnosuke Mitsushima and Tao Tsuchiya play especially well off of each other as the adult and child Fujinuma). Excellent direction and pacing from Noitaminaveteran Tomohiko Ito (Silver Spoon, Sword Art Online), along with polished art and expressive animation, make this show a pleasure to watch. Best of all,BokuMachi’s gripping plot and tense atmosphere leave viewers craving the next episode every week — this is the kind of show that makes you want to marathon the whole thing in one go. I’m not sure if I can write more about this one without spoilers, so suffice it to say that BokuMachi is very good indeed so far. If you watch one show this season, make it this one.
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