Hi everyone! I hope you guys have been doing well, and staying safe and healthy during this pandemic. In case you’re still bored at home and trying to stay sane, well, do I have a solution for you! I have compiled a list of my favorite anime that I would like to share with you guys! For each anime recommendation, I will divide them into sections titled “Synopsis,” “Why You Should Watch It,” and “Why It’s My Favorite” to make it easier to digest and keep things organized.

Just an FYI, the sources for the images I combined together for the overall featured image for this blog post are linked below:

• Tohru Honda: Anime Planet
• Izuku Midoriya: Boku No Hero Academia Fandom
• Kenshin Himura: Ruruoni Kenshin Fandom
• Yusuke Uremeshi: Yu Yu Hakusho Fandom
• Edward and Alfonse Elric: Guardian Tree
• Lelouch vi Britannia: Quora

Fruits Basket (2019)

Image from The Nerd Daily

Synopsis

A high school first-year named Tohru Honda is sleeping in a tent out in the woods. One day, she passes by a house and sees a display of mini Zodiac animal statues. When the owner (Shigure Sohma) and his relative (Yuki Sohma) find out later on that she is camping out on their property, they take her in to live with them. Little does she know that by sharing the same roof as them, she would learn more about their mysterious family and discover their ancient family secret.

Image from Pinterest

This GIF is from the 2001 version of this anime.

Why You Should Watch It

Illustrated and written by Natsuki Takaya, this story is moving, heart-wrenching, and inspirational. Each of the characters have their own backstory, challenges, and development to face and overcome. The art is beautiful and the cinematic detail incorporated into the anime is meticulously well-done. If you read the manga, you will notice many hints and breadcrumbs dropped throughout the anime that foreshadow future events. The amount of detail, planning, and thought put into this work is incredible, and makes for an enjoyable and eye-opening experience.

Why It’s My Favorite

I really like Kyo Sohma because although he’s most often a hot-head, deep down he is just this kind, caring, broken, confused, misunderstood, and hurting teenager. His backstory is complicated and twisted, and is slowly revealed over the course of the story.

Moreover, the main character Tohru Honda is a unique girl who is (mostly) always positive and uplifting to those around her. Meanwhile though, she also struggles with her own inner demons, mental traumas, and personal doubts. Her mother, Kyoko, is another character who I loved and connected with. When the series finally revealed her backstory, I found myself ugly crying.

I’m not sure if you will exactly prefer these three specific characters like I did, but the cast in this anime is vast so I doubt you will not find at least one person whose story resonates with you. It also doesn’t hurt that the music that accompanies certain scenes are rich and powerful. The opening and ending songs with their interesting and creative montages are nicely executed as well!

Image is from Chapter 92 of the Fruits Basket manga

Note: There are two versions of this anime (2001 vs. 2019). I like both versions for different reasons; however, watch the 2019 one for a more accurate and more faithful animation of the original manga. In addition, Natsuki Takaya has more control over the direction and telling of her story in this 2019 version, rather than the limited one she had had for the 2001 version, which had an ending that disrespected her overall work.

If you would like to know more about this anime, or to see a detailed analysis of each episode before or after you watch it, head over to my good friend’s blog: Christine’s Cinema Corner. Just click on this link (<– right here) and you will be taken directly there to her Fruits Basket 2019 analysis. In addition to analyzing anime, Christine also breaks down movies! 

My Hero Academia/Boku No Hero Academia

Image from IGN

Synopsis

A middle school boy named Izuku Midoriya is the only one in his class without any superpowers. Despite that hindrance and living in a society where about 80% of the population have superpowers, this aspiring young boy wants to enroll in the most prestigious superhero school in all of Japan: UA Academy. Will he be able to make it into the school without a superpower? Watch the first episode (or two) to find out! 🙂

Why You Should Watch It

If you have not already done so, please check out my 14 Reasons Why Fans Love My Hero Academia (MHA) / Boku No Hero Academia (BnHA) blog series. There, I give specific examples from the anime and analyze why MHA/BnHA is such a great story. HOWEVER, the posts are riddled with spoilers, so if you want avoid those, go watch the anime first before you return to check out those blog posts.

Come back to read this blog and see if you agree with my points. We can then discuss the story with each other like true fans! I mean this blog is called Talk with Donuts and I would love the opportunity to talk more about this particular series and fangirl/fanboy over it with more people! However, my ultimate reason for watching this anime has been the inspiration and powerful messages that this anime gives to its viewers. I mean, just look at (only) one of my (many) favorite scenes of this anime below!

Image from Amino

Why It’s My Favorite

Where do I even begin? The story, the characters, the music–they’re ALL spectacular!!!

The way Kohei Horikoshi, the mangaka, tells this story is definitely unique and gripping. I like the idea of characters going to a superhero school and the society having superhero work as a career choice.

The characters are also diverse and well-rounded. Each equipped with their own specialty and personality, the cast, especially the students of Class 1A, are all adorable, lovable, and hard to despise (yes, even Minoru Mineta hehehe). I love that many of the girls are also developed, centered, and incorporated throughout the story’s plot like the boys are. Female characters such as Momo Yaoyorozu, Ochaco Uraraka, and Tsuyu Asui are very useful and have incredibly helpful superpowers that assist the main characters in their endeavors.

And lastly the music. My goodness, a soundtrack that not only powerfully translates the dire situations in the story, but also channels the tone and emotions of the plot and character development. Not only does the soundtrack carry the message of Kohei’s work, it also serves as a great jam if you want to gym or if you want to feel determination in your day as you tackle things off your to-do-list (ahem, chores).

Oh, and how can I forget Katsuki Bakugou? This character–to me, at least–is unlike any other. Check out my blog post about him to see why he’s such an interesting fan favorite.

Ruruoni Kenshin

Image from CBR

Synopsis

A swordsman with a mysterious and bloody past wanders around Japan until he comes to a small village where he finds a young female instructor trying to clear her father’s name. Set in the tenth year of the Meiji Era, this swordsman named Kenshin Himura carries a reverse blade sword as a way to repent for the murders he committed during the war he had fought a decade before. However, past enemies and occasional trouble test his resolve to never kill again. With his former title as the Battousai, or Manslayer, will he be able to ever truly escape from his haunting past?

Why You Should Watch It

There are three seasons to the anime; however, I would advise not to even bother with the third season because they are all fillers. Anyway, you should watch it because the art is beautiful and the story is intense. If you like stories that involve strategy and historical elements, then you would particularly enjoy this anime.

Image from Amino

My good friend Christine also has dedicated a blog post (<– click here) to this anime. In fact, she watches it on an annual basis during the summer as well; hence, if someone like her with a movie critic background enjoys such a work, I am sure you will, too.

Why It’s My Favorite

My personal reason for enjoying this particular anime so much is because I am in love with one particular character: ninja and leader of the Oniwaban group, Aoshi Shinomori. Yes, he has an evil streak; however, watching him change over the course of the story is interesting and logical. Mangaka Nobuhiro Watsuki did a fantastic job developing his characters and story line.

Of course, there are noticeable differences between the anime and manga, but for the most part, the overall plot and character goals remain similar. Another reason why I would recommend this anime is because of the villain who is introduced in the second season. I have never seen such a well-developed villain with motivations that I can understand and empathize with. Definitely not created just to be a villain, this particular bad guy serves as a great contrast to our lovable main character, Kenshin. This villain is also understandably and extremely strong, too.

And yes, again, the music is a great plus! I love one particular ending song: “Heart of the Sword.” Click on the link below for a taste of some heavenly goodness ^-^

This video is from YouTube

Yu Yu Hakusho

Image from JustWatch

Synopsis

A fourteen-year-old delinquent named Yusuke Uremeshi ditches class because he’s not accepted there. As he is walking around the city playing hooky, he encounters a little boy playing ball by himself near a busy street. Yelling at the kid for endangering himself and causing the boy to cry, Yusuke cheers the kid up and then walks off. He later returns to find (much to his annoyance) that the child is still continuing to endanger himself. The ball goes into the streets and the child chases after it. Alarmed, Yusuke jumps in front of an incoming car to protect the child and dies. He wakes up in the Spirit World and encounters a beautiful grim reaper ready to give him a chance to return to life if he can fulfill a mission.

Why You Should Watch It

If you like bad boys and especially bad boys with a heart, you’re going to love this anime. Despite all that alpha maleness, testosterone, hard-headedness, aggressiveness, and brashness, Yusuke is just a misunderstood boy with an extremely kind, gentle, and caring soul.

Literally.

You’ll find out what I mean as you watch the series.

His interactions with the other supporting characters are hilarious and dynamic. You’ll not only fall in love with him, but with his sensei, his foil, his best friend, and his spirit animal, too.

Why It’s My Favorite

I watch the English dubbed version of this anime. Oh yes, I can hear you already groaning and rolling your eyes, but I swear the dubbed version of this anime is par none, is excellent, and is incomparable to any other English dubbed anime (I’ll even vouch for it until the end of time!). Justin Cook, the voice actor for Yusuke Uremeshi (as well as Haru Sohma in Fruits Basket and Eijirou Kirishima in MHA/BnHA), broke out with this role. An incredible feat given that this was his first ever voice acting role as well!

Anyway, there is a specific scene that is very emotional and touching, enough so that it nearly always brings me to tears. I watch this anime every three years for that specific scene. The buildup and payoff for that scene is immensely well done and you need to meet and grow with the characters to really appreciate that scene. My point is Justin Cook understood the special meaning behind this particular scene and his voice acting for it gave it the deliverance and impact it deserved.

Video from YouTube

Moreover, the music and the opening title add to the anime and its overarching message. The idea of friendship and working together is exceptional and brilliantly executed in this particular series. I prefer the way this message of friendship is done than when compared to other Shounen series such as Fairy Tail or Bleach. 

Additionally, I love the other characters in the anime as well. The chemistry formed among Yusuke, Kuwabara, Hiei, and Kurama is unique, comical, and magnificent. And Yusuke’s romantic side plot with Keiko is not overbearing; it gives a satisfying, and sufficient addition and depth to Yusuke’s tough-guy character. His relationship with his master, Genkai, as well as her history with Toguro is heart-wrenching and different from other character relationships both within this anime and when compared to others. Toguro as both an antagonist and a foil to Yusuke’s character is carefully crafted, too.

You won’t be disappointed with this anime. I’m shocked that it hasn’t received quite as much popularity as the other Shounen anime at its time; most likely eclipsed by Dragon Ball Z, resulting in its under-appreciation and it being underrated. 

Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood (2009)

Image from Grit Daily News

Synopsis

Two young boys who are both alchemists working for the government have a dark past. They are on a mission to find the Philosopher’s Stone to bring back one brother’s hand and leg and the other brother’s body back. The reason for their lost body parts is due to them trying to use alchemy to bring back their late mother who they loved dearly.

Unfortunately, one hard rule of alchemy is to never bring back the dead; for in the law of alchemy, to gain one thing, one must be willing to lose another. Thus, in their failed attempt to bring back their mother, the brothers lost their limbs or entire body. And if they do not find the Philosopher’s Stone soon, they will lose more than just their limbs/body–especially the younger brother whose physical body is becoming weaker and more malnourished in another world.

Will the brothers be able to bring back their limbs/body as they search for the Stone within the government? Or will their endeavors lead them to unravel secrets they should never have dared to discover?

Note: Like Fruits Basket, this anime has two versions. One is the Full Metal Alchemist, the other is Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood. The one I am recommending is the Brotherhood version. It is more faithful to the original manga while the first version of the anime surpassed the release of the manga, so its plot, therefore its ending, is vastly different from the vision of its creator.

Why You Should Watch It

Why should you watch this anime? Well, because it was created by a female mangaka featuring a male-dominated cast! The characters are both inspiring and well-developed, and have interesting, distinct, and funny personalities. Moreover, everything is done for a reason, making the plot tight; all the details introduced in the earlier parts of the story hint at future developments and important events. How often do you get all that with a female creator?! Symbolism and multiple references to religion are also widely used and seamlessly woven into the plot, making it a beautiful work of art–not just an anime to be watched and forgotten. Moreover, if you like strategic fights and characters who are all smart, contribute to the goals of the main characters, and who have their own personal struggles and strengths, this is a great story to definitely check out this summer!

Again, my friend Christine has another post dedicated to this anime, so you can click on this link (<–) here to be persuaded into watching it! 🙂

Why It’s My Favorite

I am in love with a character named Roy Mustang who is a major badass. And yes, I watched the English dubbed version of this anime too, and I have to say his voice actor is whooooaaa.

Haha.

In all seriousness though, Mustang serves as a great supporting character to Edward and Alfonse, the story’s two main characters. His power is fire alchemy (snapping his fingers together to make things burn) which is super helpful in balancing the gap in strength between the villains and good guys, evening the playing field just a bit more. 

Furthermore, I am really terrified of one of the villains in this anime, specifically Fuhrer Bradley aka Wrath. This man is terrifying.

Every.

Single.

Time he is in a scene. I have never seen a villain like him. Cut-throat, cunning, smart, talented, calm, and very much in control of his situation, there’s never been a character like him. I do not want to spoil, but there is a certain scene that had me curling into a fetal position. If you want to know which scene it is, watch the anime first, and then we can discuss because this anime deserves to not be spoiled. At all.

Oh, and his final battle scene. God, that was intense.

Code Geass

Image from The Jakarta Post

Synopsis

In an alternative universe where a nation called Britannia controls a major portion of the world, specifically Japan, which is now called Area 11, a boy named Lelouch accidentally comes into contact with a special girl named C.C. This girl grants him the power to command others to do as he pleases, but only one command per person. With this power, Lelouch seeks to confront his father again and make him pay for the brutal murder of Lelouch’s mother and his abandonment of both Lelouch and his blind sister as children. With just this power alone, will Lelouch be able to take on one of the most powerful men in the world?

Why You Should Watch It

If you like anime where there are robots battling and ingenious strategies being employed, this anime is for you. If you like to think critically as you enjoy a story, this anime is also for you. The art is a bit…interesting given that most of the characters’ bodies are really slender and thin, and their eyes look kind of…like they have a sinister gleam in them. However, I think that is the signature style of the artists who were in charge of the animation. 

Image from YouTube

Lelouch is an extremely talented, cunning, and intelligent character. He is able to overcome many of the obstacles thrown his way with his brilliance. So if you want your intellect to be challenged as you immerse yourself into his story, watch this anime! His former best friend serves as his foil and boyyy, is their back-and-forth to achieve their own individual dreams really nail-bitingly intense. You will be left with many cliff-hanger episodes, moments where your jaw is dropped open, and times where you’ll find yourself sitting on the edge of your seat. 

Why It’s My Favorite

Season 2 is hands down my favorite. There are so many moments where I literally screamed with glee, clapped my hands like a proud mama, and had my fists up and pumping like I was at a rock concert. Again, the music enhances the emotions, and the opening and ending songs fit the overall mood and tone of the story. It is definitely a dark, gritty anime where your morals will be questioned and your world view will be challenged. Lelouch is definitely an original character fit for this story. With (only) 63 episodes, you’ll most likely burn through it as fast as I did. I watched 13 episodes in one day for Season 2, so if you’re pulled into this anime world as much as I was, please let me know!

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That’s it for my 2020 Summer/Quarantine Anime Must-Watch List! Do you guys have any anime you would like to recommend back to me or would like to discuss in detail? Let me know your anime recommendations or thoughts about this post in the comments below! I would love to hear what are your favorite anime and discuss anything related with you.

As always, thank you for reading my blog post. If you are interested in more content from me, please check out the tabs up above or any related posts in the area below. You can contact me on different platforms which you can find in the “Contacts” tab. And if you never want to miss a post from me, please subscribe 🙂 Stay safe during this pandemic, keep fighting for equality and justice for all people, and happy reading!