I thought I would start up this blog talking about some hidden gems I found on Crunchyroll, the platform to watch anime. There is a lot of anime these days, and it could be difficult to navigate through. But sometimes, you can bump into true treasure! So, here are some hidden gems I found on Crunchyroll in 2024!
1. デキル猫は今日も憂鬱 (The Masterful Cat is Depressed Again Today)
We start off with one of my favourite anime (and manga) of all time! This anime became pretty popular when it launched its first season. As of now, there is only one season, with season 2 not being officially announced, but we sure hope there will be a second season, since the manga has 10 volumes (as of today) and is still running.
For now, you can watch this cute 13-episode anime on Crunchyroll! The story follows Fukuzawa Saku, an office employee who lives by herself and is a pretty messy woman; garbage bags everywhere, dishes on the counter, and Saku has a tendency of drinking a lot... in short, she doesn't really take care of herself. And then, one snowy day, she finds a kitty, alone and cold under a bench in a park. She decides to bring it back to her place... little does she know that this kitty will grow up to be a masterful cat who will eventually take care of her.
This is truly a wholesome anime that definitely deserves a watch! Yukichi (the cat) really does remind me of my own black cat, Moon. If only he could do the dishes and clean for me...
2. うさぎドロップ (Usagi Drop)
I watched this anime very recently, and I thought it deserved to be in this list. Usagi Drop is the unusual story of Daikichi, a 30 year-old working man who suddenly decides to take care of his recently passed grandfather's 6 year-old daughter... yes, you read that right! 30 year-old Daikichi becomes the caretaker of his 6 year-old aunt... a very unusual circumstance.
Daikichi decides to take Rin, the 6 year-old, after she is deemed an embarrassment to the family due to her mother having been the maid of Daikichi's grandfather, her father. Having been abandonned by her mother and after the passing of her father, Daikichi's grandfather, she finds solace with Daikichi with whom she goes through the ups and downs of childhood, from graduating from the nursery to losing her first teeth. This anime is sure to melt your heart!
3. Buddy Daddies
We jump into yet another family anime! This time, we visit a very different and eccentric family. Buddy Daddies centers around Kurusu Kazuki and Suwa Rei, two assassins who live under the same roof. One day, as they get an order to eliminate a certain target, they find themselves having to pick up Miri, a young girl who turns out to be the daughter of Kazuki and Rei's target. Having to deal with their secret identities and having to care for a young child at the same time, they nevertheless decide to raise Miri together, and become a family.
This anime has a very funny and absurd storyline, but it also is very heartwarming. It has only one season with 12 episodes, but just the weird and funny storyline is worth the watch!
4. 新しい上司はど天然 (My New Boss is Goofy)
I stumbled upon this anime and I thought the title was funny, so I decided to watch it. It is also a wholesome story, very cozy, funny, and heartwarming.
Momose Kentaro takes the decision to change his job after suffering his boss's power abuse for years, and starts working a sales position at an advertising agency. Feeling anxious, Kentaro starts to suffer from stomach cramps, a physical response to the trauma he suffered at the hands of his old boss. His new boss, Shirosaki, suddenly leaves Kentaro alone, without saying anything, and Kentaro starts to worry that his new boss will be as cold as his old one.
As he panics, Shirosaki returns with what he thought were stomach cramp medicine, but Kentaro suddenly laughes when he notices that his new boss just bought medicine for menstrual cramps instead. Realizing why his new boss left him all of a sudden, Kentaro starts to relax seeing that Shirosaki simply wanted to help him.
I found this anime very realistic as it depicts the story of someone living through trauma at the hands of a boss, as we follow his resolution of changing job and finally finding a healthy workplace with an empathic boss and caring colleagues. Worth the time!
5. ワンダーエッグ•プライオリティ (Wonder Egg Priority)
I haven't heard a lot of people talking about this anime to be honest. I remember I wanted to watch it after seeing someone watching it on the bus. I got curious about it.
Wonder Egg Priority is about a high schooler called Ohto Ai who barely attends school following the suicide of her best friend. One night, while walking, she hears a voice that guides her to an arcade where she bumps into a gachapon that dispends 'wonder eggs'. That night, Ai is sucked into a dreamworld. The Wonder Egg cracks open to reveal a girl that Ai must protect from an horde of monsters. The voice tells her that saving people from this dreamworld may bring her best friend back, and Ai takes it upon herself to visit this world and protect its inhabitants, in the hope to save her friend.
I was surprised that I liked this anime so much, because I am more of a slice of life type. I just love comfy and cozy anime, with super nice scenery, and a calm atmosphere. But I really enjoyed this one!
6. ジョゼと虎と魚たち (Josee, The Tiger and The Fish)
Here's a bonus! I would be sad to not include this one in the list as well! It is not a series but a movie, and although I could save it for another time if I decide to write about anime movie gems that I find, I just need to include it right now before I forget.
This movie was really touching. It tells the tale of Suzukawa Tsuneo, who is a university student studying marine biology and who works at a dive shop in Osaka. One night, he saves a girl who is unable to stop her wheelchair while going down a slope. When she and her grandmother Chizu invite Tsuneo in their home, Tsuneo becomes a caretaker to Josee, upon Chizu's request. At first, Josee does not like the idea, but when Chizu dies unexpectedly, Josee needs Tsuneo more than ever.
Their building relationship lives through ups and downs, and this is exactly why I loved this anime so much. Not only does it depict a disabled person, but we can also see the relationship between Tsuneo and Josee slowly blooming.
Talking about disabled character, A Sign of Affection was also a very good anime. The main character, Yuki, is deaf, and she falls in love with a guy who travels the world. I did not include it on the list per se, because I didn't want to make the list too long, but I think this anime is also worth the watch. So, I will mention it in brief here!
That's it for the list! Although, there are many more anime that I found that I genuinely liked, I thought these would be invisible to most people. Of course, I will continue finding hidden gems and I will continue to write about them! I also take requests, if you think I should watch an anime and write about it!
おつかれさま！
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