Well then, I suppose it is my turn to take over this little spot in The Vector! Instead of talking
about just anime, I’m hoping to cover some culture as well. Since this is in the first issue, I figured it
would be best to showcase more “school-related” anime.

1. Nichijou: My Ordinary Life
If you haven’t heard of this series yet, it’s a definite must if you love wacky characters doing wacky
things. The series was based on a 4coma manga (which consists of short comics instead of story arcs), so
the episodes themselves have their own crazy plot, just like ordinary life. The story focuses on three girls
and their daily school lives, but there are other lovable characters that experience their own wacky
adventures while at school. The animation for the show is different from the usual; it’s more exaggerated
to make the scenes more intense than the plot makes it out to be. Because each episode is independent,
it’s an easy show to enjoy casually. There’s even a male focused version called Danshi Koukousei no
Nichijou.

2. Level E
This series goes under the radar for most. I can’t understand why, as the author is none other than
Yoshihiro Togashi, the creator of freakin’ YU YU HAKUSHO (shame on you if you haven’t at least heard of
that series!). The stellar opening and ending was what ultimately lead me to watch the show, and I don’t
regret a second of it. The main focus of the show is mischievous antics of a rebellious alien, who decided
to wreak havoc with creative ideas to cure his boredom. All the characters have some sort of connection
with each other, which made me appreciate how well developed the story became despite how crazy it
got sometimes. Of course, if you’re a big fan of Togashi, you’re going to love this show.

3. Sakamichi no Apollon: Kids on the Slope
You’ve probably seen this series mentioned quite a bit alongside Nodame Cantabile, since they’re
both music related. Nodame focuses on the college life of an aspiring musician who must work with
another in order to achieve his dreams. Of course, there’s more to it than that, but let’s move on!
Sakamichi no Apollon is very jazz and blues centered. Blues is my favorite genre of music, so I instantly
fell in love with the series. Just as the genre has a sense of mellow tones, bursts of happiness, and an
overhanging feeling of hope, the series embodies almost all of it. The characters intertwined within the
story unravel the true aspects of themselves as they grow and mature. I might have a soft spot for this
anime, but surely it hits all the right places.

4. Genshiken : The Society for the Study of Modern Visual Culture
I felt some impulsive need to put Chihayafuru here as a suggestion, but I’m going to save that review
for another time! The reason I’m suggestion Genshiken is because I think most of us can relate to this
show in some way. The characters are all enrolled in college, trying to fit in and find their niche in school.Most of the show focuses on geek culture, which most anime try to touch upon but end up just making
fun of instead. This is more comedic in the sense that we can view the culture as being an oddity
compared to others, an experience which we all can relate to.
If you’ve heard most of these titles before (which I have a feeling you probably did), I’ll do my
best to introduce some interesting titles you might have overlooked!

Next time: A Look Into Doujin (Indie) Japanese Gaming