I have not written a r/anime suggestion/recommendation post in quite a while. But that’s mostly because it’s been quite a few seasons since I’ve gotten really excited about source material I personally adore getting adapted into anime. Well, until now.
This season has been getting a lot of hype for being one of the most stacked seasons in recent memory. New season of Dr. Stone, Demon Slayer, Tonikaku Kawaii, Ousama Ranking, Magus Bride and popular shounen stuff getting adapted like Mashle, Oshi no Ko and etc. Wow, so many shows. So many.
**BUT** I am not here to promote shows that quite honestly do no need any promoting. I’m here to shine a spotlight on three upcoming anime adapted from underrated seinen manga which simply don’t seem to receive the hype they deserve. I’ve read and caught up with all 3 of the manga I’m about to recommend here and I want nothing more than them to get the popularity it deserves. So please, give at least one of them – if not all 3 of them a watch! Now first up:
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#Tengoku Daimakyou (Heavenly Delusion)
[Trailer](https://youtu.be/Sld5uW_BJU4)
[MAL Link](https://myanimelist.net/anime/53393/Tengoku_Daimakyou)
**Legal Streams**: Disney+
If you know me in Reddit, you know that I love Soremachi. Hell, I’d like to say I’m the biggest Soremachi fan outside Japan. I’ve written WT!, hosted a rewatch, made a fansite and everything. But I’m also foremost a big fan of Masakazu Ishiguro who wrote Soremachi and his current work, Tengoku Daimakyou which has an anime in a week’s time!
The trailer alone should sell you on the anime immediately, I’m so happy to see that the manga has been given so much love and it captures the essence of what made the manga so highly rated in Japan, winning a few awards when it got released. It’s got a great amount of people working on it animation wise and music wise, composed by the amazing Kensuke Ushio (Ping Pong Animation, Devilman Crybaby, Chainsawman, Boogiepop and etc). Yet, I see it 19th in members on MAL for the Spring 2023 season which is a bit disappointing.
This series is a sci-fi post apocalyptic anime that tells the story of two different worlds with two different sets of casts as they slowly uncover the mysteries that surround them and reach their own specific goals. The manga’s strength is in the amounts of foreshadowing that it uses when telling the story and it is just so compelling because of it. The characters in this series are honestly pretty likable and they all have their own fleshed out backgrounds which adds to the realism of the world. I don’t want to expand too much on the synopsis because the experience of going into this series blind is something I don’t want to rob you.
And finally, the manga is just really funny. Ishiguro-sensei wrote Soremachi before this and his brand of humour is still there, thankfully and he manages to create this dark and sinister sci-fi premise blend just perfectly with humour without feeling out of place. Trust me, if you do watch Tengoku – you’ll love how silly Maru and Kiruko are as long as with some of the cast members.
This is a manga that is released in the Afternoon magazine – same magazine that had Vinland Saga, Houseki no Kuni, Blade of Immortal, Wave Listen To Me, Blame!, Blue Period and so much more. Afternoon Magazine does not miss and genuinely knows a good story when they see one. Vinland Saga mangaka is a big fan of Tengoku and if that isn’t a reputable review, I don’t know what is.
Finally, I would say watch this if you are a fan of proper sci-fi post-apocalyptic series (many people have called this Akira-like and Ishiguro is a big fan of Akira) which genuinely builds a compelling work and fun cast of members. Don’t miss this, we don’t get things like this animated every day. It’s so good.
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#Skip to Loafer
[Trailer](https://youtu.be/GcfUnbrsCJk)
[MAL Link](https://myanimelist.net/anime/50416/Skip_to_Loafer?q=skip%20to%20&cat=anime)
**Legal Streams**: Crunchyroll
High school anime/manga is an overdone genre that quite honestly at times feel very samey. It’s always either about romance, comedy or some specific gimmick (cheerleading, board games, fitness, camping, etc). Of course not all them are bad, hell some of them are among my favourite anime (check my MAL). But most of them feel a bit samey after a while.
Enter Skip to Loafer. This manga follows Mitsumi as she moves from her rural hometown to Tokyo to study in high school and get into law school to then be a public servant. She’s smart but also charmingly a bit of a straight arrow type of personality and also a bit of a country bumpkin. But man, I promise you, she’ll be one of the most lovable character you’ll see this year.
I think my joy with this manga is seeing her grow as a person and how she deals with making new friends in the big ‘scary’ city with the other side characters in this manga. Oh man, the side characters. The side characters in this manga are really well done, as they all seem to have their own personalities that never centers around the MC but have their own little troubles and personality in their own little world. And it’s endlessly fascinating, without taking too much of a shine off Mitsumi.
The plot of the series does not take off immediately but it eventually expands a lot on some of the stuff high school students deal with like insecurities, friendships, futures and etc which almost never gets touched on in high school manga. It does it without feeling preachy and it’s also really really funny too. This manga has a focus on romance too (in a way) but it never feels tacked on and just flows along with the story of these high school students we are following.
Honestly, this manga feels like two of my favourite manga into one – Soremachi and Yugami-kun ni wa Tomodachi ga Inai and it’s just great. Anime-wise, I feel like if you enjoyed Barakamon or Gin no Saji/Silver Spoon – you’ll really love this series too as it shares some similarities on being a larger than life SOL series.
The trailer for the series looks stunning as well and I would expect nothing less from **PA Works**. I honestly love their work when they adapt existing source material and you can see the love they pour into it, doing justice to the manga. The art is pretty and the characters are sparkling so bright 🙂
Watch this if you like a SOL series that is light and comfy but also has a diverse cast of characters and taking on interesting high school issues that rarely gets expanded on. I love this manga.
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#A Galaxy Next Door
[Trailer](https://youtu.be/ZQG_2UrgzQ8)
[MAL Link](https://myanimelist.net/anime/51705/Otonari_ni_Ginga)
**Legal Streams**: Crunchyroll
This manga is honestly a lot better than people give it credit for and I like to say that it is a hidden gem. This is written by Gido Amagakure who wrote Sweetness and Lightning and yes it is also just as comfy. It tells the story of Ichirou Kuga who is a mangaka that is struggling to make ends meet to support his younger siblings who one day meets a mysterious lady who has agreed to be his manga assistant. And Kuga slowly realizes she’s not just your average assistant.
First things first, this manga has adult protagonists which yes, is already really refreshing in the first place. What I like a lot about this manga is that the relationship between Kuga and Shiori are just so cute, in a way that you can’t help but cheer them on together. Their chemistry is irresistible and I’m always beaming and grinning everytime I read their silly little conversations.
While this manga doesn’t tackle ‘serious issues’, it is still very touching at times and seeing Kuga genuinely struggle to support his younger siblings is heartbreaking at times. But this only makes the familial bond between him and his siblings shine throughout the manga ( a bit like how Sangatsu no Lion is) . There’s a realistic tone to the writing that I absolutely adore even with some of its fantastical nature. Amgakure-sensei knows how to write kids and it shines through here, you’ll find them wanting to adopt them the moment you see them on screen for the first time.
I will add that this manga has a slightly fantastical tone to it (which I won’t spoil) but it is a SOL romance through and through. Yet, it’s a SOL romance that has adults in it which again feels refreshing because it tackles a lot of other different things and responsibilities. It’s still endlessly cute and comfy but it’s a good different, I’d say.
Definitely read this if you want some comfy SOL that also has refreshing adult romance and stories in it.
*****
Thank you all for reading this post. It’s a bit of a long-winded one but I honestly love this 3 manga to death and it would mean the world to me, if these three get the recognition they deserve. Now, all we can do now is wait for the first few episodes of them to come out. Please do not miss it, I promise you – it’ll be worth your time.
Once again, thank you for reading and happy watching!
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