Favorite Shows

Anybody who knows me at all will not be surprised by this placement. I simply adore The Amazing Digital Circus. The show follows a 25-year-old woman who becomes trapped in a 3d circus-themed game world with 5 other humans and is forced by its wacky cartoon ringmaster to go on adventures. The plot is super interesting, and the characters are wonderfully designed. They all feel like real people, especially Pomni, the main protagonist. The writing is phenomenal, especially as the series progresses. Episode 3 in particular made me bawl my eyes out during an especially emotional scene. The soundtrack is also quite endearing, with a few stand-out tracks. There are 4 episodes out now, with 5 more upcoming, and I cannot wait for them. A masterpiece of a show.

Very, very few shows have as much heart put into them as The Good Place. It's a hilarious show with some of the best characters on television, participating in one of the best, most creative plots on television. It's about a woman who dies and gets sent to The Good Place (basically Heaven) by mistake—already interesting and fun, but it gets much better as the series progresses. The show has some really great messages, and has one of the best endings of any show I've ever watched. Please do yourself a favor and watch it. Just make sure to stay away from those pesky internet spoilers!

Spy x Family is my favorite anime, just barely beating out Attack on Titan. It follows a spy, an assassin, and their adopted telepathic daughter, as they try to carry out their own goals while keeping their own identities a secret from the world and each other. Anya, the kid, is the only one who really knows what's going on. It's fun, light-hearted, and absolutely adorable. Seriously, Anya is the cutest character in any piece of media ever. She just lights up every scene she's in. The other characters are incredible, too—Loid, the spy, and Yor, the assassin, are so lovely, and I adore their interactions together. Pretty much every other character in this show is amazing, too. Plus, the writing is so, so funny. I laugh out loud constantly while watching. It's especially fun watching this show with a group of friends, so you can all enjoy its perfection together.

I'll say it upfront, Attack on Titan is not a happy show. It's set in a world where humans live within three massive walls, which keep out enormous man-eating "titans". If you're looking to smile and laugh, this isn't for you—but if you're looking for incredible worldbuilding, a complex and enticing plot, many incredible action scenes, and heart-wrenching tragic moments... this is the best show out there. I usually trend towards upbeat media, but AoT is just superb at everything it sets out to do. This is easily the piece of media I have shed the most tears to, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

If you haven't watched Gravity Falls because you're under the belief that it's just a kid's show... just do yourself a favor and watch both seasons, ideally without getting anything spoiled. It is an incredible show about two kids spending the summer at their great-uncle's place in the very paranormal town of Gravity Falls. It's funny, heartwarming, and dramatic, with a wonderful cast of lovable characters, with a really enticing plot. I watched it for the first time very recently with a group of friends, and I'm so glad that happened. Mabel is my favorite character, by the way :3

Resident Alien is a hilarious show with lovable characters, great writing, and a highly interesting plot. It's about an alien who crash-lands on Earth and needs to learn how to fit in to avoid being found out. Every character in this show is autistic, and I mean that in the best way possible. I just love everybody. And man, this show is funny. It feels like every few minutes there's a hilarious, extremely quotable line of dialogue. And hey, it's one of the few shows I'm into that my dad likes too!

Everybody's heard of Death Note. It's about a notebook that falls to Earth, and if you write down a person's name in it, they die. A high-school boy named Light finds and uses it, while a world-class detective known only as L tries to track down Light and prove his identity as the one causing these strange deaths. The interactions with Light and L, along with how each attempts to manipulate and out-wit the other, are genius. It's an exceptional drama. The show goes downhill a bit after episode 25, but it's still good—just not as superb as the first 25 episodes. This is a must-watch for any anime fan.

My Hero Academia is about a kid named Izuku who wants to grow up to be a superhero, but unlike most other people, he wasn't born with any kind of power. It's not the most unique of premises, but it's done incredibly well. The "quirks" in this show (what they call superpowers) are often super unique and interesting. The character designs are quite good, and there are so many great characters with their own motivations and backstories. This is the kind of show that takes a long time to progress and many parts could be considered filler, but personally that isn't a negative—I'm just happy to spend more time with these characters and stories I love. I'll also warn that there's a bit of sexualization of female bodies in this show, including of high-schoolers, which is a bit gross. There's one character, Mineta, who just drags down every scene he's in by his creepy, objectifying nature. But other than that this is a great show that I love :)

The Queen's Gambit is about an orphan girl who finds chess and falls in love with the game, while battling her substance addictions. The portrayal of chess is authentic and fascinating, and fortunately, a lot of screentime is dedicated to the game. The show is written with incredible skill, portraying both the chess and interpersonal relationships really touchingly well. Absolutely worth a watch for anybody.

Assassination Classroom is what introduced me to anime. It's about a tentacle monster who destroys 70% of the moon, and threatens to do the same to Earth. Nobody can figure out how to kill it, and so for the sake of keeping eyes on him, they accept his strange request to teach class 3-E at Kunugigaoka Junior High School. It's a wild plot that pays off so well. I love the characters, I love the story, and I especially love the monster's backstory—it's a while before it's revealed, but learning about his past and his motivations is well worth the wait. It's not a show for everyone—some people don't really vibe with the writing—but it's an anime I have a huge soft spot for.