Top 5 April 2015 TV Anime
This list won't include any sequels or anime that have been airing from a previous season. It's got all new anime titles that were released in April 2015 only.
1. MY love STORY!! (Ore Monogatari!!)
Takeo Gouda is an intimidating high school guy; he's big, he's got a deep voice, and his face is just scary in general. His childhood friend and neighbour, Makoto Sunakawa, is terrible with the ladies, but girls love him regardless. He's had girls confess to him since elementary school and on! So it's no surprise that when Rinko Yamada, a girl Takeo likes, starts to hang out with them, Takeo assumes she has feelings for Makoto. Takeo decides that he will help Rinko out with getting into a relationship with Makoto, but does Rinko really have feelings for Makoto, or is it actually Takeo she likes?
WHY I LIKE IT
MY love STORY!! is an adorable shoujo that shows how love transcends beyond appearances. Since Takeo gets the wrong idea about Rinko, we get to watch his misunderstanding unfold as he slowly discovers the truth. The atmosphere put into this show is really perfect! It leaves us in suspense as we know the truth and wait for the protagonist to find out too, but it's not done in a way that's annoying. Instead, we get to see all the little blunders Takeo makes as he takes each step, like a baby learning to walk. Eventually, we get to see all of his feelings bloom once the relationship comes to life. It's a must-watch for any fans of the romance genre!
2. The Heroic Legend of Arslan (Arslan Senki)
In a medieval setting that takes place in a fantasy world, Arslan is a prince who will one day have to take over for his father, the king, and head into battle. He practices sword fighting, though he dislikes it and finds it to be difficult. His kingdom of Pars is often at war with Lusitania, their neighoring nation, and captures the Lusitanians from war to use as slaves among the Parsian crowd. One day, Arslan walks about the town and is taken hostage by a Lusitanian slave that escaped. During that adventure, Arslan learns about the Lusitanian religion, which fuels much of the fire for their constant antagonism.
WHY I LIKE IT
Arslan Senki has a lot of political structure built into its story. You can really tell that a lot of effort was put into writing it. Not only that, but it's fast-paced and keeps you on the edge of your seat to see what will happen next. It's great for satisfying your action cravings, but also intriguing when it comes to the aspect of religious conflict and general politics. It's just a good watch all-around, and if you're a fan of Fullmetal Alchemist, even the art style will appeal to you, as the anime is based on the manga adaption illustrated by Hiromu Arakawa. Hiromu Arakawa did not write the original work, though; it was a novel written by Yoshiki Tanaka, who also wrote Legend of the Galactic Heroes.
3. Food Wars! (Shokugeki no Souma)
This is a comedy about a middle school boy who puts all his efforts into keeping his beloved family restaurant intact, only to find that his father is giving it up for work elsewhere. Souma Yukihira is our protagonist who has a passion for food to the point of going straight to culinary school instead of high school. But he doesn't just go to any school; he goes to the very top culinary academy around, Toutsuki Culinary Academy, which has a strict entrance rate of under 10% accepted applicants. Souma aims to perfect his cooking skills, enter the elite school, and reach the top.
WHY I LIKE IT
Food Wars! is intense, and despite its comedic and ecchi nature, it can still keep you in suspense for a good portion of the show. I didn't think it was possible to make cooking so serious, but Food Wars! manages to accomplish that and does it fantastically! It's also very intriguing to watch if you have an interest in cooking. It can almost make you want to try making the crazy dishes and compete with the characters! But even with all that serious business, Food Wars! is still a comedy, and a funny one at that.
4. Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches (Yamada-kun to 7nin no Majo)
Ryuu Yamada is a problem child in his school, often skipping, coming in late, and getting poor grades. He takes school very lightly and disses the honor students, such as Urara Shiraishi. One day he falls down a flight of stairs over Urara and happens to kiss her as they collapse. Ryuu is knocked out and wakes up in the nurse's room, but when he wakes up, he's in Urara's body. The duo soon discover what caused the body-swap, and proceed to make it right again, although using it from time to time for various reasons. However, Toranosuke Miyamura discovers their secret and invites them to join the Supernatural Studies Club, from which they discover that they are not the only students able to swap bodies with a kiss.
WHY I LIKE IT
It's interesting to see Ryuu swap bodies with other people and discover just how hard it is to live in their shoes. It reminds me of Kokoro Connect, somewhat, but more comedic and less serious. There is still a serious side to it, though, and it's intriguing. The plot is spread out enough to keep the viewer wondering about Ryuu's school life as a "witch", as these body swappers are called, but it's fast-paced enough to keep it entertaining throughout the episode.
5. Plastic Memories
In the future, a corporation known as SAI Corp manufactures lifelike androids known as Giftias. Giftias can feel emotions and retain memories, but only for 9 years and 4 months. After that time is up, they must be shut down and taken in by the SAI Terminal Service for risk of malfunction. Since the user easily becomes attached to the Giftia in over 9 years, the process of retrieving a customer's Giftia requires the Terminal Service employee to follow the client's wishes and make the experience as easy as possible for them. It's also their duty to deactivate the Giftia in their presence, to ensure that the user's information is safe.
WHY I LIKE IT
Plastic Memories has a sad story to tell for each client who loses a Giftia. Although they may have some wonderful memories associated with the Giftia with whom they spent their time for over 9 years, the Giftia will always need to go at some point. I don't think Plastic Memories is terribly good at the sad story concept, but it is the last on this list of top anime from April for a reason. It can pull on your heartstrings a little.
And so, those are my top recommendations for the Spring 2015 anime season! Hope you enjoyed it!
