The AnimeLog official YouTube channel has launched six series streaming internationally, with more titles on the way. If you're not sure what to watch and what to skip, we've taken a look at each newly-added series so you don't have to.
SKIP: AWARE! Meisakukunn
In AWARE! Meisakukunn, Meisaku Matsuda, a transfer student at Ryugu Elementary School, aspires to become a "masterpiece student." However, the characters around him stand out much more: "Sweets,", a stupid guy cosplaying Momotaro; "Musubi," a riceball that hates being called riceball; "Nokio," a narcissistic robot Pinocchio, and "Bolt," a strange and loud turtle. With a school full of bizarre characters, will Meisaku be able to graduate as the main character?
AWARE! Meisakunn, on the first impression, seems decent at best, but won't make you roll on the floor with laughter. Its humor is blunt and abrupt, and unlike the characters, the animation doesn't stand out. The first episode is only five minutes, and each episode following is around the same length, so it's at least a short watch.
SKIP: The World of Golden Eggs
The World of Golden Eggs is a comedy CG show centering around characters that live in the town of Turkey's Hill, which mimics small-town America. The opening gives us a look at the various characters that populate its world, with the first episode on AnimeLog centering on a football team.
The CGI is very strange, resembling distorted Lego or Minecraft characters, making it potentially off-putting to those who care about how things look. Its humor probably translates better to western audiences than AWARE! Meisakunn, though it's very obviously a show from the mid-2000s.
It's decently funny, if somewhat surreal, and the first episode parodies American high schools. Each episode is supposed to be 15 minutes but AnimeLog has uploaded it in parts that clock in around six minutes. It's a short watch, but nothing to write home about.
WATCH: Fantastic Children
Fantastic Children starts off with a captivating hook -- describing a mysterious group of albino children that seem to be able to reincarnate, and have been seen throughout various points of history. Due to their strange recurrences, they're considered both angels and devils of death, regarded with a sense of fear because of this.
The first episode follows the group of children as they try to convince another albino child, Conrad, to join, but oddly, he refuses. Another child, Mel, later has a mental break and is captured by a group of strange men and a young man named Dumas. Then the viewer is transported to an island far away so that the anime can introduce a few other characters, including a young girl, Helga, who is shrouded in mystery, which is only added to when she's taken away. Right off the bat, the series is somber and enigmatic, asking many questions and giving few answers.
The plot seems complex and could be a promising psychological thriller. The backgrounds are also surprisingly detailed and very nice on the eyes. Right now, Fantastic Children is being streamed as an English dub only.
WATCH: Kon'nichiwa Anne Before Green Gables
Kon'nichiwa Anne Before Green Gables is the 26th series by World Masterpiece Theater, a project by Nippon Animation that produced anime based on classic books. This adaption is based on the book, Before Green Gables by Budge Wilson, which serves as a prequel to Lucy Maud Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables.
Anne Shirley, a little girl from Nova Scotia, is an orphan adopted by the poor Thomas family. Her life is very difficult as she has to do hard chores for her age; she is also chastised by her adoptive mother and bullied by her adoptive brothers for her red hair and freckles. However, Anne takes her hardships gently and kindly, which in return, rewards her. During the first episode, Anne wishes for a cat when her adoptive sister Eliza says that her deceased parents used to have one. Later, thanks to Anne's earnestness, she receives a cat from Mrs. Minton, a local rich old lady.
The first episode has a self-contained plot but shows a glimpse into Anne's daily life and possible conflicts. The series is very promising, especially if you're into classic literature and series with a nostalgic, Ghibli feel.
WATCH: New Jungle Emperor Leo
New Jungle Emperor Leo is the 1989 anime adaption of Osamu Tezuka's Kimba the White Lion. The first episode is instantly tragic: lioness Eliza is poached so that her mate, the legendary white lion Panja, can be captured. Taken across the seas to be sold, Eliza has a cub, who she names Leo in honor of Panja's passing wish. The lioness helps her child escape through the bars of their cage and urges him to escape.
It's obviously a very unrealistic premise, with a literal lion baby jumping into dangerous waters to escape captivity and somehow surviving, but the setting is established well and teases exciting future episodes with human interaction. Plus, it's by the "Father of Manga" himself, which makes it a worthy watch alone.
However, it's also important to note that the depiction of African tribesman is racist and outdated. AnimeLog, unfortunately, does have a disclaimer that warns of offensive cultural depictions in each episode's description.
Watch: Hungry Heart: Wild Striker
Hungry Heart: Wild Striker is another soccer anime by the creator of Captain Tsubasa. It follows the orange-haired Kyosuke Kano, whose brother is a famous soccer player for AC Milan. However, he holds an inferiority complex and hates it whenever people try to use him to get to know his brother. One day, when Kyosuke is out with his friends, a group of thieves try to steal a guitar from them and knock down a little boy holding a soccer ball. Angered by the thieves' disregard, Kyosuke shows off his own soccer skills by kicking the ball into a stop sign and stunning them.
The captain of the girls' soccer club at Kyosuke's school, Miki, witnesses the sight and is amazed by Kyosuke's power. She and the club's manager, Mori, try to convince the unwilling Kyosuke to become its coach. At first, he refuses, but after a flashback with his brother, picks up a soccer ball once again and gathers attention from those around him.
Hungry Heart Wild Striker has a somewhat generic start, but the protagonist has potential for growth, and the characters already have their own charm. It definitely, at least, seems like a worthwhile watch for fans of sports anime.
Hungry Heart Wild Striker is also available as a Brazilian dub.
