Best Anime of November 2018 You Should Watch
Zombieland Saga
In the fall rush of anime, it’s easy to miss a few shows that start to stand out, and Zombieland Saga is one of those sleeper hits that crept up. It’s one oddball show that focuses on six young girls who, in a twist of fate, are turned into zombies. However, this doesn’t stop them from achieving their dream of being teen idols and injecting some much-needed life into their prefecture in Japan.
Zombieland Saga is a parody of both the idol genre and the horror genre, and it even packages in some social commentary on the state of the idol industry in Japan. If you couldn’t guess from the description, the anime is incredibly goofy and off the wall, not taking the serious route of your typical zombie story. Even past the typical idol music, Zombieland Saga loops in a lot of musical styles, like death metal and rapping, to make a wholly unique experience.
With some great comedy, quality animation, and solid performances all around, Zombieland Saga has all the makings, at least so far, of a sleeper hit anime.
You can watch Zombieland Saga on Crunchyroll with new episodes simulcasting on Thursdays.
Best Anime of November 2018 You Should Watch
Skull-Face Bookseller Honda-san
Another surprise hit from the fall season Skull-Face Bookseller Honda-San, also known as Gaikotsu Shotenin Honda-san, sports a simple but absurd premise. Honda is a skeleton who works in a bookstore and constantly has to deal with a variety of strange and wacky customers coming in, often with equally strange requests.
Honda-San sports an intentionally minimalistic visual design to help bolster the comedy, and it almost looks like a comic in motion. This is strengthened by the performance of the main character, as well as some hilarious side characters. The series sports a shorter runtime, about 15 minutes per episode, but each one plays out like a small vignette about Honda-San and his coworker’s lives at the bookstore.
In addition to some spot-on comedy, there are tons of manga and anime references thrown in, and there’s even quite a bit to learn about the manga industry and how a bookstore if run in the day-to-day operation. Honda-San is one of those rare shows that come along where every element seems to work in harmony, and it’s one anime that’s easy to pass up in the busy fall season, but you really shouldn’t let it.
You can catch the show on Crunchyroll with new episodes simulcasting on Sundays.
Best Anime of November 2018 You Should Watch
That Time I Got Reincarnated As a Slime
The Isekai genre has been inundated with countless different manga and anime over the last few years, and at this point, it’s almost necessary for anything in the genre to do something unique to stand out. That’s exactly where That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime comes in. As you might expect from the title, the show focuses on 37-year-old Satoru Mikami. One day Mikami is killed by a robber, and he’s suddenly reincarnated in a fantasy world as a slime monster named Rimuru Tempest, where a new adventure begins.
Reincarnated As a Slime is a charming show that puts a lot of heart and care into its characters. The unique setup doubles down by letting the main character do pretty much anything a slime enemy would do, and the show is rife with fantasy inspirations and references.
The best thing about the show is its relatable protagonist, completely breaking away from the Isekai trope of an unstoppable, powerful protagonist. Despite being a slime, Rimuru is incredibly likable and it’s his character that carries the show through each episode, especially in terms of how he interacts with the rest of the world. Top-notch animation only helps this show stand out even more.
If you find yourself weary of the Isekai genre as of late, That Time I Got Reincarnated As a Slime might be just the show to reinvigorate your interest.
You can watch it on Crunchyroll with new episodes simulcasting on Monday.
Best Anime of November 2018 You Should Watch
Mirai
Mamoru Hosoda is a name well-known in the world of anime; the director behind critically acclaimed films like Summer Wars, The Boy and His Beast, and Wolf Children. Hosoda’s latest film is hitting theaters at the end of this month, with Mirai.
The movie focuses on a 4-year-old boy named Kun, who feels forgotten by his family with the arrival of his baby sister. Kun stumbles upon a magical garden where he meets his future sister, Mirai, as a teenage girl who has traveled back in time to meet him. Together the pair embarks on a series of adventures, which end up helping Kun cope with his new reality of living with a baby sibling.
Mirai’s whimsical setup promises yet another emotion-filled Hosoda film, and his trademark animation style is once again used to bring the film’s world to life. Hosoda has a stellar lineup of work so far, and every indication points to Mirai being one of his best films yet.
Mirai hits select theaters on November 29, but will also have showtimes on December 5 & 8. You can purchase tickets now and find showtimes via the film’s official page on GKids.
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