Favourite Drama Anime (30 Days of Anime – Years 1 to 5) – Day 18

30 Days of Anime Year 1 to 5 The Otaku Author Favourite Drama Anime

Don’t be so dramatic… Well, for this category, I’ll allow it since these are my Favourite Drama Anime from the last five years of the Otaku Author. It’s time to get serious, if only for a little while!

Favourite Drama Anime (30 Days of Anime – Years 1 to 5) – Day 18

Drama generally falls into a similar category as romance for me. I can appreciate a good drama, but I don’t want that to be all it is. I feel like it should be the sub-category just like how I enjoy a romantic subplot in a good fantasy or science fiction story rather than a purely romance or drama story. Basically, I like them but I want them paired with something more interesting. Anyhow, now that I’ve been overly dramatic about things, it’s time to dive in.

Year 1 – Fruits Basket (Season One)

First up is Fruits Basket which is a supernatural drama. That said, it’s the supernatural stuff that takes more of a backseat to the drama as we focus on the characters and how their lives have been impacted by the supernatural forces that turn them into animals. It might sound a little crazy, and I’m sure I’ve not done it justice there, but it’s actually a fantastic series with a wonderfully deep story that tugs at your heart over and over again. I hadn’t planned on watching it until someone on social media recommended it to me after I mentioned that I had an open slot for the season. Well, the entire series took up five seasons of my time, but it was worth every second.

Year 2 – Fruits Basket (Season Three)

After spending more than a year reviewing each episode and season of Fruits Basket, I reached the end and was left speechless. This series is outstanding. You sit through so much pain and suffering from each of the characters involved but in the end, it comes together. The misery makes you appreciate the ending that much more which I think tied up everything nicely. For a genre that I don’t seek out, Fruits Basket had a lasting impact on me. I’d like to think that it has made me think more about so many aspects of writing and storytelling. After all, if you want to improve, you have to study the best stories available and this is undoubtedly one of them.

Year 3 – My Dress-Up Darling (Season One)

I’m not sure whether I would class My Dress-Up Darling as a drama first or a romantic comedy first. Either way, I loved it. Marin Kitagawa is possibly one of the most inspirational anime characters that I’ve come across. She is accepting of just about anyone and anything, providing that they love whatever it is that they do. I loved how refreshing her approach to life was and how that helped to bring out the best in Wakana. We also got some great lines from his grandfather to help cement this series as one of my favourites. I’ve read all of the manga and am itching for the second season of the anime. I simply love it.

Year 4 – Domestic Girlfriend (Season One)

Domestic Girlfriend came into my life when I was suffering from a herniated disk in my spine. I couldn’t do much and sleeping was hard, so I doubled down on anime. This series will always be special to me because of how it made me feel despite the crippling pain. It was uplifting while also delivering some harsh truths about my writing, many of which I had been avoiding. Natsuo wanted to be a novelist but his motivation wasn’t clear until he was able to speak with his teacher who was also secretly his favourite novelist. A lot of what he said to Natsuo felt like it was being directly squarely at me. It made me realise that I need to do better for myself. I need to make my dreams happen and not keep making excuses. This was a far better story than I thought it was going to be.

Year 5 – Spy x Family (Season One – Part One)

I watched Spy x Family season one part one and part two back to back and could have selected either for this year’s representative, however, the first part was just marginally better. This was a fantastically insightful series that made some astute observations about what it’s like being a parent. It made me laugh over and over again with the way it used Anya to bridge the gaps between Loid and Yor as they both attempted to keep their true identities a secret from one another. This really was a lot of fun and I’m looking forward to diving into the second season. I also plan on picking up the manga soon too as I read the first volume and loved it.

Final Thoughts!

It doesn’t seem to matter what genre the 30 Days of Anime challenge throws at me, I appear to be able to pull up a list of amazing shows that either make me want to rewatch them or revisit them entirely to do a more focused look at them. I came into this challenge thinking it would be a nice way to highlight some shows and maybe get fresh eyes on posts from the earlier years of the Otaku Author, but I never expected to enjoy the process this much. Sometimes, it’s good to look back and appreciate everything that you’ve done.

The next post in the 30 Days of Anime challenge should be an interesting one as I’ll name the anime from each of the last five years with the Most Shocking Ending. I’ve also taken some liberties with my interpretation of that title too, to make things a little more interesting! Thanks for visiting.

Other Posts in the Series

30 Days of Anime (Years 1 to 5)

DayChallenge
1My First Anime
2Most Nostalgic Anime
3Most Emotional Anime
4Favourite Hot Springs Episode
5Favourite Action Anime
6Favourite Anime Villain
7Favourite Fantasy Anime
8Favourite Horror Anime
9Favourite Sports Anime
10Most Rewatched Anime
11Favourite Anime Couple
12Favourite Anime Protagonist
13Favourite Supernatural Anime
14Favourite Romance Anime
15Most Episodes of an Anime
16Favourite Science Fiction Anime
17Favourite Isekai Anime
18Favourite Drama Anime
19Most Shocking Anime Ending
20Favourite Ecchi Anime
21Favourite Mystery Anime
22Weirdest Anime
23Most Chilled Anime
24Favourite Comedy Anime
25Favourite Harem Anime
26Favourite Anime Fight
27Favourite Male Anime Character
28Favourite Female Anime Character
29Favourite Rewatched Anime
30Favourite New Anime

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6 Comments

    • Well, I’ve only seen the new version so can’t compare, but it is definitely worth watching.

    • Yeah, for a genre I don’t really follow, these were all great shows. That’s the reason I push myself to do stuff outside my comfort zone. I would miss so much!

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