BACK TO SCHOOL RECS
One Season:
13 episodes and 4 OVA’s
What:
ReLife is a comedy drama that centers around Arata Kaizaki, a failing adult, as he enters the ReLife program. This program gives him the temporary ability to look ten years younger and redo high school, hopefully changing his future and perspective on life as a whole.
Why:
ReLife is both hilarious and emotionally real at times. It deals with themes of failure, trauma, and the inability to reach your full potential in both adulthood, and as a decent person in general.
After taking the pill to change his appearance, Arata re-enters high school as a transfer student. With this new perspective, he sees not only how things have changed since he graduated, but how he has changed too. He’s always been personable, and he has far more life experience than his fellow students, which allows him to offer them a completely different perspective on their problems. Yet in his own life, he is stagnant and lost.
While the idea of going back to high school sucks for most people, even Arata, he has a chance to do some genuine good. If he’s really lucky, he may even get a job offer in the end…but that all depends on whether or not he can keep his secret safe. If he blows his cover, he’ll ruin everything he’s worked towards.
ReLife is a good watch for anyone who enjoys slice of life or high school drama. Watching Arata navigate his second chance is incredibly relatable for any young adult, especially one who’s struggled with what step to take next. He’s a reluctant hero, who’s drive to do good in adversity makes you root for him every step of the way.
ReLife
Available dubbed and subbed on Crunchyroll and VRV
Just Because
Available subbed on Amazon Prime Video &
subbed and dubbed on VRV and HiDive
One Season:
12 episodes
What:
Just Because is a drama that follows Eita Izumi, a high school student who moves back to his hometown for his senior year. He quickly discovers things are somehow both exactly the same, and yet incredibly different, from how he left them. The worst of it is that he still has a longstanding crush on Mio Natsume, who still has a crush on his best friend, Haruto Sōma.
As Eita reluctantly attempts to help the persistent photography student, Ena Komiya, with her photography contest, love triangles and college exams make coming back home much more complicated than he expected.
Why:
Just Because is a classic slice of life anime that deals with the everyday struggles of high school students. There's some romance, some comedy, and even some sports elements thrown in for a little razzle dazzle. There aren’t any crazy plot twists or supernatural happenings, but what kept me coming back every week was the strong characters and relationships.
Everything I felt, I felt hard. I think I went through the full spectrum of human emotion watching this. I found myself truly invested in this story and rooting for these kids along the way. At times the show can be frustrating. The main character is very aloof, often coming off as if he could care less about what's going on, which is untrue. Even still, I enjoyed him. He was a good contrast to many of the other, hyper characters with strong personalities.
While I will forever be butthurt about the ending, many people found the anime to be very realistic. Overall, Just Because really does remind you about the importance of strong friendships and how they can withstand the test of time if you give them a chance. It’s quite honest in the sense that not everyone gets what they want, but they all learn something valuable along the way.
One Season:
26 episodes
What:
This anime follows the story of Haruhi Fujioka, a girl attending a ritzy private school on a scholarship. In the first of what will turn out to be a series of wild antics, she breaks a ridiculously expensive vase in what she thinks is a random music room. Unable to pay for the vase, the occupants of that room decide she can pay back its value by working in their “host club”, entertaining the school’s female population. The only problem is, unlike the other members, Haruhi is not a boy. She merely looks like one…yet she does seem to have a real talent for entertaining high school girls.
Why:
Host Club is easily one of the funniest animes I’ve ever watched. At times it’s downright campy in its humor, but still incredibly entertaining. It features a range of over-the-top characters, but still manages to stay grounded with a few more serious elements and backstories. It's hard not to find yourself loving every character for one reason or another, though I do have my favorites (I'm a sucker for anyone dubbed by Greg Ayres). There’s romance, a touch of drama, and a ton of humor to round out this anime and make it a fun, easy watch.
If you've ever heard of Host Club, it's popularity basically speaks for itself. It's the kind of anime you can watch more than once and never get tired of it.
Ouran High School Host Club
Available subbed and dubbed on Netflix
Golden Time
Available subbed VRV and HiDive.
(It was recently announced that HIDIVE
will be releasing a dubbed version on DVD)
One Season:
24 episodes
What:
Golden Time follows Tada Banri, a college freshman trying to navigate school after a recent accident leaves him with no memories of his past. Along the way he discovers both friendship and love, while learning more about who he is, and who he was, in the process.
Why:
At first, Golden Time presents itself as your classic slice of life, romantic comedy. There’s nothing wrong with that, but it soon reveals itself to be much more. It is an emotional roller coaster that can be downright heartbreaking at times (I may or may not have cried). Despite that, it still manages to come off fun and make the viewer laugh. It has its own range of twists and surprises as you watch Banri learn more about his past.
What makes it interesting is, unlike most people, Banri isn’t fighting to go back to who he was before his accident. His story isn’t driven by a desire to be his old self again. Instead, he attempts to move forward and have experiences as a new Banri, even when his past forces its way to the forefront of his life. It’s interesting to see this storyline play out different from the norm. You find yourself torn between rooting for both the old and the new Banri.
The supporting cast rounds out this anime well. They have their own unique story lines that are hilarious and compelling in their own right. Golden Time puts a unique spin on college life and how hard it can be to find yourself as a young adult.