Note: So this I actually started writing about a year or two ago so I apologize if this post reads kind of inconsistently. It's near the end of summer (which I have a hard time admitting) but better late than never, right???? Enjoy!
It's summer!! And I'm especially excited for this year's summer because I'll be doing a LOT of traveling (this was in 2017...rip posting about them...maybe I'll post them in the future). Also, I'll be heading off the college this fall (2017) so a lot of new beginnings are in store for me. But graduating high school has made me think about a lot of things so that's why I've become pretty nostalgic (even more than I already am lol) and decided to go back to my roots.
So here are some anime are just really pleasant to watch and remind me of summer! Of course, if you are looking for some anime to binge watch over the summer break, these are especially good (and I'll probably end up re-watching some of these on my trip lol)!
Just a note, I've organized these anime by genre because why not? Gotta get my organization skills up for college. xD
Also, I'm not really giving a summary for these anime because other sites already got that (and I'm lazy lol) so I've linked those. I've just described what I like about each anime and why I have distinct memories/feelings of summer for each one.
School Life
I remember watching this over and over when I was younger. I just thought it was so ridiculous and funny and had a really interesting plot line. The story actually starts off in the summer so it gives me a summer vibe even though, you know, it takes place in a school (but a very cool school!) I am disappointed that it doesn't have a second season but hey, at least the manga is complete (and scanlated!) And yes, the main characters are in elementary school (around 11-12 years old I think) but I think it's still watchable for older viewers. A very lighthearted watch; it doesn't get too serious or dark (although the manga provides more of that.) Oh yeah and I forgot to mention the academy style and the fact that all the students have special abilities is very reminiscent of Hogwarts (although Harry Potter is a bit more grungier than Gakuen Alice.)
Slice of Life
Okay so I've only watched this show once around two years ago BUT it left a really good impression on me so I decided to include it here. If you like well done slice-of-life and female friendships, then I strongly suggest watching this show. It has somewhat of an episodic feel, as each girl has an episode that focuses on them and their story. As for why this has a summer, nostalgic feel to me: the main character is forced to stay and work at her grandma's inn in the countryside, and although she technically moves there, to me it feels like a summer retreat almost lol. It's also exciting because she's from the city so she has to adapt to the environment and lifestyle there. It has a hint of romance which is a nice touch. :) If you want to know more about the show, you can read my
review here!
This is a pretty chill and lowkey series often compared to Mushishi. It has 5 seasons (and ongoing) so you're in for a long journey. This series is meant to be episodic but still has an overarching goal that the main character wants to achieve (learning more about his past and grandmother.) Overall, I think it's a lighthearted and enjoyable watch. Because of its episodic nature, you can easily put it on hold and pick it up again after a while. After coming back from a long day of work or school, I especially enjoyed and looked forward to watching this show. It was a really nice wind down.
Sports
Honestly any sports anime is good to watch over the summer lol. And if you've seen my other posts...you would know I love sports anime. xD
I distinctly remember watching this over the summer, specifically the summer before I entered 6th grade. It was because of this anime, I kid you not, that I was suddenly compelled to pick up tennis. I know, how did a Dragonball Z infused tennis anime inspire me to pick up tennis? I would just be totally disappointed at how actual tennis works. But now I'm here, 7 years later, finishing up my 4th year on my school's tennis team and essentially making it as the 3rd place Doubles team in States. Life comes at you fast. Anyway, despite how ridiculous the bending of physics is in this one, it gives me a lot of nostalgia and if I were to re-watch it, it would just be for the characters lol. I would just get too annoyed watching (and hearing) the tennis now that I know a lot more about it.
Okay so I know this series might seem a little intimidating seeing as it has SIX freaking seasons but trust me...even those six seasons and numbers of OVAs are still not enough (IMO). This is my all-time favorite baseball anime especially since it's so comprehensive; the story follows the life of a great baseball player from child to an adult starting a family. The matches, unlike IRL baseball (lol sorry baseball fans) are really interesting to watch, especially the big, important matches that are filled with a lot of tension. Trust me, if you watch Major, you'll fly through all the seasons and OVAs and movies and whatnot.
I actually watched this over a summer break (probably 6-7 years ago?) and it was the first baseball anime I've ever watched. Now if you don't really watch sports anime and you're not into sports, you're probably wondering, how the heck can you make baseball seem interesting? Well here you go. Along with Major, Big Windup! is another well-done baseball anime. This one is more feel-good than Major though, since BW! basically about a bunch of dumb high school boys that just want to play baseball and go to Koshien lol. I also have to give props to the people that voice-acted on the Funimation English dub of this because it's actually quite good, and it was the first version that I watched. I know, shocker, I'm actually recommending a dub version of an anime.
Actually in the middle of re-watching this! E21 just sticks out to me as a summer anime lol. It has tons of fun, adventure, and excitement that whenever summer comes around, I just think about re-watching if it's been a while since I've watched it. Although there are some annoying characters (like in every shounen anime), there are pretty memorable (and cute) characters but the most iconic being Hiruma. Oh my lord, Hiruma. That guy is great. There is also one story arc where the team goes to America (land of the "football") and they have a training camp there through the intense heat of the west (think Las Vegas).
One of my favorite anime of all time!!! I've given up on how many times I've watched this show. Anyway, what makes this show summer-y? Well, it gets pretty intense (for a board game lol). You can't help but get excited to see the main character's true potential. It also has a quirky plot line as well; an ancient Go master plays Go through a modern kid. Also, I'm pretty sure this show single-handedly saved Go from being an extinct game among kids. Warning, this show actually gets SUPER sad near the end so...yeah. Have fun! :D
So Capeta is another one of those anime where the story starts off when the main character is young and kind of starting out in his sport but then does a time-skip where he is older and, I think, in high school. I never thought that I would find go-cart racing to be really exciting but yeah, this anime got me really hyped lol. Like any other sports anime, Capeta has really dramatic moments but they really add to the suspense and emotions of the story. Watch to see the growth and talent of the main character as well some great rivals.
There are hardly any sports anime (that isn't revolved around how cute or how sexy the girl characters look) with female leads or about co-ed sports in general. This one is special in that features a, honestly, pretty boring-looking game called Karuta. But this show somehow makes you excited about it. The main tournament that the cast aims to go to is at Meiji Jingu during the summer and it's like the equivalent of what Koshien (Nationals) is to Japanese high school baseball players. That's why it has a summer-y feel to me because that's pretty much their goal in the end. To find out more about what I liked about Chihayafuru, you can my review of the anime AND manga
here!
...another baseball anime. I am not sorry. xD Well compared to the other baseball anime in this post, Cross Game is more slice-of-life than baseball, in my opinion. It does get baseball heavy at times but there is a lot more focus on character relationships and life outside of it. Also, my fave is Aoba, who is a fierce and strong girl that likes pitching. I loveee seeing girls in baseball so I was really excited to see her kick the other boys' butts at baseball. I also like the indie feel of the opening song.
This is another sports anime featuring a quite young cast (but they're also so adorable!) Most of them I believe are around 11-12 years old. While the soccer sometimes gets a little too intense for their age-group, I think the matches are pretty interesting. But what really drew me in to this anime were the different and interesting characters. I also like some of the character growths, especially Reika (literally goes from zero to hero!) This show also has a story arc where the main cast travels to a different country and that gives off a very summer-y vibe. Also I'm pretty sure this is the only anime that I've watched that features triplets lol.
This is a pretty well-known title BUT if you haven't gotten around to watching it yet, I highly recommend giving it a shot. I was not into boxing at all before I watched it (more like, I didn't know much about it rather than not liking it), but I came out knowing a lot more terminology and about the diets that boxers have to do before they're weighted (very yikes!) Despite the fact that the art style is a little dated, the boxing animation was still well-done, and you'll see an even bigger upgrade if you continue to watch the sequel, Hajime no Ippo: New Challenger. I also appreciated that the show not only focused on telling the story of Ippo, the main character, but also shed some light on the background and motivations of the boxers that he was facing (so you're more sympathetic towards them as well and don't really know which side is going to win/who to root for.)
An oldie but a goodie. I actually remember watching this anime in elementary school (and it was probably summertime). It has a lot of sports anime trope moments where you see the main character start from the bottom, but then show that they have talent, achieve success, hit a roadblock and go downhill, and then rise up again, etc. I'm not actually sure if this considered a sports anime but it has a lot of physical exertion so....I put it here lol. While this show has some irritating parts to it in the second season (annoying rivals), the feeling you get when you see the heroine succeed is absolutely amazing.
This is one of my most re-watched anime and I'm not sure why lol. I guess for the nostalgia since I did first watch this at a young age but quite honestly, it's pretty old so the animation and the soundtrack is a bit lacking. My favorite part though was when they gathered players from different schools at this one camp and I don't know...it just struck as really interesting to me. Whistle!! was one of my first sports anime so I think it did contribute to my interest in anime revolving around sports.
Fishing...summer...I think it fits! xD It's been a while since I've watched and thought about this show so I kind of forgot what the plot line even was, but I do remember the characters being quite lovable and it was just a chill show. I distinctly remember a duck named Tapioca, and it just struck me as the funniest thing ever. I love that duck, man. I'm not even sure if this is accurate, but Tsuritama feels like a more interesting fishing version of Free!! (sorry Free!! fans...)
Adventure
Enough said lol. Everyone knows these titles but I still like to put them here because they give me a lot of the feels. Also, they all have a good re-watch value. Especially Naruto. Naruto was the very first anime I watched and is, by far, my most beloved series. But One Piece and Bleach were also very fun to watch! I've haven't completed One Piece yet and am no where near catching up but by just watching the first couple of episodes, you can see why One Piece is up there in the most popular and beloved anime of all time. And who doesn't like ninjas, pirates, or shinigamis?
Nothing screams summer than being stranded on an inhabited planet, right? Yes, a PLANET. In the beginning, you're introduced to a kind of futuristic, tech-y school (which I totally loved omg I hope someone does a spin-off of it), but sooner or later the main cast is thrown into the wilderness. I liked watching them get accustomed to their surroundings and be super innovative and build their shelter, tools, and other items (which is highly unrealistic considering the items they have and the fact that they're like...in their mid-teens...Idk maybe kids become super powerful in the future lol.) I do have to say that this show does get drawn out longer than it needs to, but it still was a quite enjoyable watch. Also, I have a
review on this!
Another anime that features a strong female lead! If you like fantasy, interesting creatures, and politics, this show is for you! The story follows the heroine's growth from child (kind of like Major) to a young woman. There is some romance but not a lot, so I wouldn't watch this just for the romance. My favorite part of this show was the world-building. It made me super invested. This show may be listed as targeted for children but I definitely think there are themes there that can only be more deeply understood by an older audience. This is because the author, Uehashi Nahoko (my fave!) originally wrote the novels that this anime is based on as "children's" books but the later novels in the series get super dark (like superrrr dark, which I talk about a little bit more in my
review.)
It may be a little weird to some Westerners but I tend to think of summer as a really spooky season. I mean during the day you can go to the beach, travel, enjoy the weather, etc. but when night hits...I don't know, it's just something spooky about it. I think it might be due to the number of horror movies about some family going on a trip that turned wrong or something. So, Ghost Hunt totally fits lol! The anime isn't terribly scary, but it does have its creepy moments. Overall, pretty fun to watch! I do think it has too few episodes seeing how long the manga version went on and developed the story.
Honestly, the 2011 version is phenomenal but if you really want to watch both, I recommend watching the
old 1999 version and then watching the remake because if you watch the remake first, you'll only be disappointed by the old one. But I still like the old version since that's how I first got into HxH and just nostalgic feels towards it.
I've kind of made it a habit to include this in almost all my anime recommendations because why not?? Twelve Kingdoms is an awesome anime, and I think summer is just a really special season that allows you to get those creative juices flowing by diving into an interesting fantasy realm. I think I also first watched this anime in the summer, but I'm not sure. Either way, it's a really fun and fantastic anime that should have gotten more episodes and hype but didn't.
Movies
Everyone knows this movie. But I'm going to put it here anyway because 1) animation is stunning, 2) soundtrack is stunning, 3) this whole film is a perfect escape. It's slice-of-life but at the same time has a fantastical and supernatural element to it which is really nice and brings out your inner child. I wouldn't say it was the plot line that was the most memorable but this film will give you feels and stun you with the incredible animation.
It's not summer without a family film, right? And it's not summer without a feels film, right? Well this film has both! It's very good for watching with friends and family. :)
Misc.
I especially love stories where you get to see women being passionate and chasing their dreams and it's not all focused on getting a dude. This show is basically an adventure through the main character's acting career but boy, it is a show you don't want to miss. Also, the art style is very old-school shoujo because it's based on a '70s manga, but you'll get used to the art-style pretty quickly.
This is one of my favorite anime of all time, and the manga is one of favorites as well, and I just realllyyy hope it gets another season. This show is great if you're interested in space and what the life of an astronaut is like (and behind the scenes of how NASA and other space organizations prepare for launches, missions, etc.) I wouldn't say it's 100% accurate because, ya know, it's anime; it has to have some exaggerated drama in it, but the show has been given the
"cooperation and assistance of NASA" soo there is probably some accuracy there.
