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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Kent State chapter.

Spring Break!

I had nothing to do over this spring break. What better way to spend it than to binge-watch anime!? So that is what I decided to do.

I have been watching anime since I was in middle school. At first, I was hesitant because of the stigma around anime, but I am glad that I ignored that stigma. 

Anime has taught me many important lessons that I am glad to have learned. I also have witnessed many pure moments through anime that made me feel child-like happiness. 

Each of these stories has drawn me in with little to no effort. They made an impact and made me keep watching through it all.

My Binge

These upcoming animes are some animes that I have watched and I do recommend. Some of these animes I rewatched as well throughout spring break. If you have an interest in anime and do not know where to start, I recommend these!

Each of these animes has its own genre and is distinctly different in its own way! Check out these descriptions and see which one may suit you:

1. Kaze No stigma

This anime was one of the first animes I ever watched. Honestly, I am happy it was. This anime had such a balance of comedy, action and a little bit of romance. If you like a little bit of everything, this anime is for you!

This anime takes place in modern Japan with fire magic family the Kannagis protecting the people from spirits and demons called “yoma.” Returning family Kazuma Yagami is a powerful wind magic user who is framed for murder with Ayano Kannagi trying to bring him to justice.

From there, the plot continues on into such action and heartwarming laughter. Once I started rewatching this anime, I could not put it down. The one thing that stood out during my sitting was the theme song. It is so catchy yet so powerful.

The romance kept drawing me in as well. I absolutely rooted for the two main protagonists to be with each other. Ugh. I love it.

Unfortunately, there is only one season because the writer passed away with the rights to the story, so all we can do is soak in the story and the love for this anime instead. I highly recommend this to anyone who wants to dive into anime!

2. Death Parade

One word: wow. This anime was not what I expected it to be. When I say this, I mean it in the best way possible. I truly wish there was a second season because I wish the story went on.

The setting of this story takes place in a purgatory-like place where there are arbiters analyzing two people who died. The two main protagonists are arbiter Decim and assistant Chiyuki. 

Honestly, I do not want to give anything away. This anime bounces around countless times and I do not want to slip anything!

I will say that I did cry during this anime. It had many scenes that really tug at the heartstrings. This anime makes you realize how precious life is. Not to mention the theme song is a banger. I definitely recommend this anime to anyone who wants a story with such a neat theme!

3. Blood-C

Okay, this anime may be more on the extreme side. It is a very gory anime with explicit scenes of blood and body parts being mangled. Viewer discretion is advised when watching this anime, but I may say Hulu did blur out the gore parts!

The setting of the anime takes place in a ghost town on the shore of Lake Suwa in Nagano Prefecture. The main protagonist Saya Kisaragi is a clumsy bubbly schoolgirl by day but by night, she is a demon killer with her entrusted sword. 

Saya soon realizes a lot in her own life that things may not be what it seems. This horror anime has many twists and turns to keep you guessing.

This was my first gory horror anime (other than the horror anime “Another”) and honestly, if you were to watch this anime, you only would watch it for the gore. That was my intention when I first started watching.

The story on the other hand could’ve been a lot better in my opinion. I wish they took more time to go more in-depth with the story. However, I will say that this anime goes off of the main idea in the 2005 thriller “Blood +” So there might be more explanation there.

Overall, I did like the badass persona of Saya when she did hunt those demons. Go into this anime with a strong stomach and know that there is definitely more to the story than it seems.

4. say “I love you”

If you need a reason to cry over pure love between two individuals, this is the anime for you. This was my third time watching it through and I cried almost every episode. I am not joking, but I love it.

This slice of life anime takes place in a high school setting with the main female protagonist Mei Tachibana being very quiet. She has the idea of how every person who tries to be your friend is just using you. 

This idea only lasts for a short while up until the main male protagonist Yamato Kurosawa is kicked square in the jaw with Mei’s roundhouse kick. This exact moment changed everything for both of their futures.

Say “I Love You” is an anime that is full of innocence and pure love between two people who want to truly understand not only each other but themselves as well. You will fall in love with each character and what their own story means.

Trust me, after watching this three times, I can definitely say this anime is worth the watch.

5. Diabolik Lovers

All I have to say is: men. If you ever had a fantasy about six attractive men who have different personalities and all have the hots for you, this is the show for you. Did I mention that they are all attractive vampires? Yeah. I know.

This anime first starts out with the main female protagonist Yui Komori entering an enormous gothic billion-dollar mansion. Her father sent her there while he went on a “business trip.” This is when the spiciness of the show comes into play. IMMEDIATELY after she enters. 

We are then introduced to each member of the Sakamaki family, the family of male vampires. Let’s just say they all have their way with Yui.

The entire time I had to keep my hand over my mouth because I had no words. It was completely insane in my mind. The spiciness was real.

The story was a pretty solid concept; however, I wish the writers went more in-depth with the plotline. Other than that, this definitely did what it was meant to do: drool over these men.

Be Open-Minded

I understand that anime is not for everyone but I do believe that once a person starts watching it, they will immediately fall in love with the characters and the storyline. 

The main advice I can give you is to be open-minded! Following a genre you may like with anime will definitely make you more comfortable with the idea of anime. Then, take some time to explore other different genres that may interest you as well!

Anime is usually highly exaggerated with the animation being out of this world but that is part of the beauty of anime. Well, beauty may not be the best word, but I will say it is a work of art!

Enjoy watching! All anime I watched was on Hulu. You may also find them on Netflix or Crunchyroll as well!

I hope you now find anime more appealing with my recommendations!

Danielle Stehle (STAY-lee) is the Wellness Intern at Her Campus. She explores the different areas under the wellness vertical including physical health, mental health, and sex & relationships to create a fun & comfortable atmosphere for those who want to learn more. Currently, she is finishing her undergraduate degree in journalism at Kent State University with a minor in creative writing. She plans to travel to Europe to further her education by continuing through graduate school focusing on publishing. She wants to improve her writing in hopes to inform and inspire others. She works alongside the education abroad team at Kent State to create opportunities for students who want to have a taste of the world around them. Outside of Her Campus, she is always willing to find new parts of herself to embrace. She has fallen in love with Italy so you will always hear a "ding" from Duolingo. If she is not writing, you can find her head in a book, lifting serious weight at the gym, or sharing her feral self on her TikTok.