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Brain’s Base is an anime studio that most of the time appears to fly below the radar. Founded in 1996 by Ozawa Juukou, previously of TMS Entertainment, the studio is neither as traditionally vital because the likes of Toei Animation nor as new and flashy because the likes of MAPPA. It additionally lacks a particular and distinctive visible model that another studios, comparable to Kyoto Animation or Trigger, carry to the desk.
Nonetheless, viewers could also be shocked on the breadth of Brain’s Base’s work. Although the studio is most well-known for helming the basic fan favorites Baccano! and Durarara!!, it has additionally created anime-original works, in addition to anime variations for supernatural dramas, fantasy adventures, romantic comedies, and quirky slice-of-life tales, all with a laudable quantity of emotional vary. Here are the perfect of them.
Kamichu! (2005)
The yr is 1983, and within the metropolis of Onomichi in Hiroshima prefecture, Hitotsubashi Yurie is a shy however common center college scholar dwelling out her life. She does all the conventional issues — going to high school, hanging out along with her buddies and nursing an intense crush on the boy she likes — till one evening, she discovers that she has been reworked right into a Shinto god, or kami. Her household and friends settle for this sudden flip of occasions, largely with little shock or fanfare, and Yurie should now study the methods of gods and spirits, all whereas persevering with to navigate her teenagehood.
An easygoing iyashikei-style and anime-original manufacturing, the 16-episode Kamichu! is a beautiful but extremely underrated present that can attraction to those that take pleasure in low-stakes supernatural content material and stress-free coming-of-age titles. It’s a really family-friendly collection that entails each mild comedy and refined drama, and whereas some would possibly discover it a bit of too slow-paced or boring for his or her tastes, it’s a must-watch for audiences with a penchant for tranquil, rural backdrops — particularly as Kamichu! incorporates plenty of beautifully-rendered real-life areas into its story.
Natsume’s Book of Friends/Natsume Yuujinchou (2008-2012)
Since childhood, Natsume Takashi has been cursed with the power to see youkai spirits, simply as his late grandmother Reiko as soon as did. This resulted in lots of terribly lonely years, as kids and adults alike noticed him as both a compulsive liar or simply plain creepy. One day, Natsume discovers a guide as soon as owned by his grandmother — the Book of Friends — that accommodates the names of all of the spirits she owned and will due to this fact management. Now, Natsume is consistently harassed by spirits who want to reclaim their names or just take the guide for themselves — together with the highly effective Madara, or Nyanko-sensei, who turns into Natsume’s self-appointed bodyguard.
Natsume’s Book of Friends — additionally well-known by its Japanese title, Natsume Yuujinchou — presently has six seasons to its title, though solely the primary 4 had been produced by Brain’s Base. These 52 episodes make for an especially emotionally poignant expertise; whether or not completely happy or unhappy, wonderous or quietly tragic, there’s a serious sense of nostalgia that permeates every one because the collection offers understatedly with themes comparable to grief, loss and loneliness but additionally hope, friendship and located household. Ultimately, Natsume is a hard-hitting but uplifting present full with lush visuals and a hauntingly pretty soundtrack, and a masterpiece to not be missed by any fan of the supernatural or Japanese mythology.
Princess Jellyfish/Kuragehime (2010)
Kurashita Tsukimi is a shy, anxious younger lady dwelling in an residence constructing in Tokyo with 4 different feminine tenants. All socially awkward otaku NEETs with completely different obsessions, the one hard-and-fast rule of their house is that no males are allowed. Tsukimi has a lifelong love of jellyfish, whose lace-like tendrils are reminiscent to her of princess clothes. One night, when making an attempt to save lots of a poorly looked-after jellyfish from a retailer, she inadvertently befriends the fashionable Koibuchi Kuranosuke — solely later to comprehend that Kuranosuke is a younger man who cross-dresses, primarily as a method of feeling nearer to his deceased mom and rebelling towards his politician father and older brother.
Based on a josei manga of the identical title, Princess Jellyfish, or Kuragehime, is a one-of-a-kind romantic comedy and slice-of-life collection that manages to handle particular points and themes comparable to cross-dressing, gender identification and sweetness with aplomb. While solely 11 episodes lengthy and in some respects an incomplete story, Princess Jellyfish’s narrative is nonetheless earnestly heartfelt, in addition to each humorous and candy to observe unfold. It additionally appears to be like stunningly vibrant, with colours and character designs that basically pop, serving to to consistently remind the viewers that every forged member is worthy of a re-evaluation — irrespective of how they might view themselves or what personas they select to current to the surface world.
My Little Monster/Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun (2012)
Mizutani Shizuku is an academically-minded highschool scholar whose sole pursuits lie in learning and planning for her future. However, when she is requested to ship some class supplies to Yoshida Haru, a classmate whose seat is immediately beside hers however who seldom comes to high school, Haru greets her like a detailed pal and insists on accompanying her nearly in all places like a bit of child. Despite being famend as a violent troublemaker, Haru shortly proclaims that he’s in love with the outwardly chilly, no-nonsense Shizuku. Together, the 2 beforehand unsociable high-schoolers acquire new buddies and experiences in each love and life.
Another shortie however a goodie, the 13-episode My Little Monster (Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun, actually The Monster Sitting Beside Me) is a romantic comedy that initially look might sound largely like a wacky highschool present however has much more occurring beneath the floor. Even the facet characters have a considerable quantity of depth and realism to them, making all the forged not solely likable but additionally relatable regardless of the generally unbelievable shenanigans they get caught up in. Moreover, whereas the same old love triangles and teenage angst abound, the story is extra lighthearted than not, avoiding overuse of melodrama and turning My Little Monster into an addictively enjoyable watch.
To Your Eternity/Fumetsu no Anata e (2021)
One day, a mysterious otherworldly presence recognized solely because the Beholder creates a white orb that takes the type of a rock, adopted by a white wolf that occurs to make contact with the rock as he dies. Now a dwell, sentient being, the immortal meets a lone boy who errors the wolf for his beloved pet. Once the boy himself dies, the immortal takes on his kind and travels on alone, ultimately assembly new folks and studying about humanity from them, one among whom names him Fushi. Whenever they die, these with whom he connects grow to be a part of Fushi’s very essence as he grows extra accustomed to society — and all the tough realities and feelings that include it.
While the second season of To Your Eternity (Fumetsu no Anana e) is due for launch this upcoming fall anime season below the studio Drive, its first season, made up of 20 episodes, was produced by Brain’s Base. If the pacing is typically questionable, notably in its latter half, the primary episode alone of To Your Eternity is a type of uncommon gems that touches the guts but wants little or no dialogue to take action. While many anime have an overreliance on speech, typically utilizing it as if afraid of the void created by silence, To Your Eternity often goes within the different course, within the course of creating an impactful journey that speaks far louder than phrases ever might.
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