GANGSTA.

Genre: action, drama, crime

Original run: July 1, 2015 — September 27, 2015

Summary: Two handymen, Nicolas Brown and Worick Arcangelo, complete jobs and tasks the local mafia and cops ask them to do, whether it be murder or smaller things like delivering medicine. The anime is set in the dreary town of Ergastulum, which holds something dark and dangerous within it.

Review: GANGSTA. will keep you on the edge of your seat as tension and suspense are intensified with fast-paced animation. There is not one minute wasted — every moment is used to intensify the plot and action. This show also exceeds any other action anime with its diverse characters and complex plot lines. The viewer can immediately see the depth of the show through the thought put into each character’s personality, abilities, disabilities and interactions with other characters. GANSTA. is of the most intricate and intense animes this year.

One-Punch Man

Genre: action, comedy, superhero

Original run: Oct. 5, 2015 — ongoing

Summary: The anime follows Saitama, a hero who can easily defeat enemies in one punch but, contrastingly, isn’t motivated to do anything productive. We see him defeat enemies alongside his disciple Genos.

Review: A hero who is able to defeat pretty much every enemy with one punch may sound boring, but don’t worry because it’s made up by the comedy of the show. Also, Genos’ super driven personality gives contrast to Saitama’s laziness. Not to mention, the animation really shines when it comes to the action scenes. Watching the show is just something relieving to do in your downtime.

Haikyū!!

Genre: sports (volleyball), comedy

Original run: April 6, 2014 — Sep, 21, 2014 (Haikyū!!) Oct. 3, 2015 (Haikyū!! 2)

Summary: Shōyō Hinata follows his dreams of playing volleyball to Karasuno High where he meets the person who gave him a devastating defeat in junior high: Tobio Kageyama. Hinata works to get better in volleyball so he can spike in games despite his short stature.

Review: Haikyu!! is not something you want to start watching if you’re busy because once you’ve watched one episode, you’re going to be watching the next episode, then you’ve suddenly watched the entire first season, and when you’re done, it’s the next day and you still have stuff to do. The first few episodes are slow, as they’re just introducing characters and background, but once it picks up, there’s no going back. It’s definitely the most realistic sports anime out there, and it doesn’t need crazy stunts or powers to get the viewer interested. Finally, you’ll fall in love with most all of the characters, even from the other teams, because Haikyu!! takes time to show the depth of each character.

Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun

Genre: comedy, romance

Original run: July 2014 — Sep. 2014

Summary: Chiyo Sakura finally has the guts to confess to Umetarō Nozaki, and when she does, he mistakes her for a fan. Later, she realizes he is the author and artist behind a popular shojo (love genre) manga. Throughout the show, Nozaki and others find inspiration for this manga in different scenarios.

Review: It’s almost a stretch to put this anime into the love genre as every time you think two people will become a couple, the romance is denied because everyone is so oblivious to it. It fits well into the comedy category, however — Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun is hilarity rolled up into 12 episodes because the scenarios are just so odd. You won’t ever be stressed about plot or be worried about characters. It’s just a relaxing show to watch when you need some time off.

Your Lie in April

Genre: romance, drama, music

Original run: Oct. 2014 — March 2015

Summary: Kosei Arima is a very well known piano prodigy in the music world; however, after his mother died, he stopped playing because he could no longer hear the sound of the piano correctly. Later, he meets free-spirited violinist Kaori Miyazono who tries to get him to play piano again.

Review: This show is definitely the show for you if you want something deep and coming of age. However, if you’re not wanting to get into something emotionally investing, you should put this off for a bit. You should still watch it, simply because it is so beautiful in many senses — the piano and violin in Your Lie In April are elegant and emotional, and the animation is so detailed and brings the anime to life. It’s a different kind of romance, for sure — it’s not that unique, but it’s certainly not sickeningly cliché.