Anime has been going through a bit of a renaissance in 2021, with several series showing how animated and dramatic narratives are a match made in heaven. Funimation currently has some of the best drama anime available, so for fans looking for thrills and emotional excitement, here are the best ones to check out on the popular streaming platform.
Fruits Basket: The Final Season
Fruits Basket follows Tohru Honda, a teenage girl living a regular life until her mother suddenly passed away. With nowhere else to go, Tohru ends up living in a tent. However, when her classmate Yuki Soma and their cousin Shigure find the tent, Tohru is convinced to move in with the Soma family.
Once there, Tohru quickly learns the Soma family's secret when she witnesses Kyo Soma turn into a cat. It turns out that when members of the Soma family are weak, stressed, embarrassed, or hugged by the opposite gender, they turn into animals from the Chinese zodiac. However, this discovery causes Tohru to become entangled in a millennia-long conflict.
Based on Natsuki Takaya's legendary manga, this anime was produced by TMS Entertainment, and it captures all of the manga's wonderful personality and drama.
Sonny Boy
Written and directed by Shingo Natsume and animated by the famous Madhouse Studio, Sonny Boy is a sci-fi drama with a gripping and wonderfully unique premise. During summer vacation, a group of 36 boys and girls from Nagara High School wake up to find that both they and their school’s building have fallen into an extra-dimensional void.
Dubbing the location This World, the group quickly learns that the rules of normal reality don't apply here, and even the laws of physics are different. As if things can't get any worse, the students all start to develop weird supernatural powers. Realizing they need to find a way home, they try to learn the secrets of This World. However, interpersonal issues and conflicts soon cause the group to argue and fracture. A rollercoaster ride of a story that feels like a classic Twilight Zone episode, Sonny Boy is a must-watch anime for any fan of gripping sci-fi and intriguing mysteries.
MEGALOBOX 2: NOMAD
MEGALOBOX 2: NOMAD is an exciting blend of gritty sports drama and sci-fi. Produced by TMS Entertainment and directed by Yō Moriyama, the story follows Gearless Joe, a talented fighter who lives in a dystopian, alternative Japan where the rich and the poor are separated. To make ends meet, many turn to megaloboxing, a hyper-violent combat sport where people use robotic exoskeletons to make their strikes hit harder.
In the original Megalobox, Gearless Joe made his way up the ranks to become one of the top Megaloboxers in the world. However, Nomad is set seven years after Joe has fallen from grace. This fall has caused him to enroll in some underground fight clubs under the name Nomad, hoping he can win enough money to sate his drug addiction.
Moriarty the Patriot - Part 2
Production I.G's adaptation of Ryōsuke Takeuchi's manga, Moriarty the Patriot was one of 2020's breakout hits, quickly gaining a massive fanbase thanks to compelling characters and twists on classic Sherlock Holmes tropes. Part 2 continues right where the first part left off. In the late-19th Century, Britain's culture was dominated by a rigid class system that allowed the rich to live in luxury while the poor lived in misery.
William James Moriarty aims to put an end to this disparity. Despite coming from a wealthy family, he acts as a crime consultant who helps the poor and oppressed get their revenge on the rich, with his final goal being the complete obliteration of the class system. However, when one of his crimes brings an encounter with Sherlock Holmes, the legendary consulting detective, William becomes obsessed with the man. This obsession leads to Moriarty testing his abilities by attempting to evade and frame the famous sleuth.
The Heike Story
A Funimation exclusive anime, The Heike Story has a fascinating origin based on Hideo Furukawa's modern translation of the 12th Century historical epic, The Tale of the Heike. It tells the story of a young orphan named Biwa who gets adopted by the mighty Taira Clan, after the clan's leader witnesses her remarkable gift of supernatural sight. Alas, Biwa only sees a future of pain, suffering, and torment. According to her, this suffering will trigger the complete collapse and destruction of the Taira Clan.
Taira no Shigemori, the clan's heir, takes Biwa in, hoping he can use her power to prevent this future from coming true. However, Biwa soon reveals she isn't sure if she even wants to stop the clan's downfall -- or if she can. A unique retelling of a legendary historical text, The Heike Story is made all the more impressive by Science SARU's beautiful animation.
