5 Animes To Watch While Quarantined

As the coronavirus pandemic continues to plague us and more and more countries go into lockdown, it might be worth escaping to a completely different, animated world where life is a little more interesting and a lot less depressing. 

The stories within the anime world are largely easy to follow while also incredibly fulfilling and vivid. The worlds are rich in color, sometimes fantastical, sometimes rooted in reality - but almost always heartfelt, funny and super immersive. 

Many have hundreds of episodes, while some may offer two to three seasons of 20 odd episodes, usually lasting for 20 minutes or so. This format lends itself to be absorbed and enjoyed quickly and thoroughly, and you’d be surprised at how much it distracts and amuses you in such little time.

Before you know it, you’re absolutely hooked, flying through episode after episode. And despite the notion that anime is just cartoons, the stories we are told within its animated walls have a tendency to bring up real existential conversations that matter to us all. 

As such, why not use quarantined life to your advantage by starting an anime that might just make you wonder where it’s been all your life. Here are our top 5 recommendations: 

#1 VERY SHORT ANIME - THE DEVIL IS A PART-TIMER! (13 EPISODES IN TOTAL) 

The Devil is a Part-timer is, essentially, about Satan working at McDonald’s. After being trumped in his own world and forced into human form, Satan now needs to figure out how to go about living like the rest of us simpletons and make ends meet. Naturally, McDonald’s is the answer. 

The Devil is a Part-timer is incredibly hilarious, flows pretty organically, and introduces characters you’ll end up loving. Despite being only 13 episodes long, the anime has a satisfying finality to it, so you won’t feel like you dedicated your time to an unfinished story. On the contrary, that'll be some of the funniest 13 episodes you’ve ever watched! 

#2 SHORT ANIME - MOB PSYCHO 100 (25 EPISODES IN TOTAL SPLIT BETWEEN TWO SEASONS)

Mob Psycho 100 follows Shigeo Kageyama (aka Mob) who, from the outset, looks like an unremarkable middle schoolboy. Look a little deeper and you’ll find out that in actuality Mob was born with incredible psychic powers that, over time, get even stronger. 

With great power comes great responsibility for a young boy who really just wants to build muscle to impress the girl he’s had a crush on since childhood. As time goes on, Mob starts to question his purpose in life, suffering from emotional imbalances while facing dangers in the form of power-hungry psychic antagonists. 

Mob Psycho 100 is fast-paced and action-packed, offering unique animation and quirky dialogue. This is the type of anime you watch when you want mind-blowing fight scenes while also laughing at the many hilarious things that happen to Mob and his friends. 

#3 MEDIUM LENGTH ANIME - FULL METAL ALCHEMIST: BROTHERHOOD (64 EPISODES IN TOTAL) 

If you want a Netflix and binge anime session, look no further than Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood. The story follows two brothers - Edward and Alphonse Elric - who are desperately trying to return to their normal human bodies after an alchemy experiment to bring back their dead mother goes wrong. Edward pays the price by losing an arm and a leg, while Alphonse loses his entire body, while his soul is instead forced into a walking empty metal amor. 

What first seems like a horror show quickly turns into something epic as you switch between despair and hope for the two boys whom you will inevitably grow to care for. Join the Elric brothers on an emotional journey that is sure to make your heart race!

#4 SEMI LONG ANIME - HITMAN REBORN! (202 EPISODES IN TOTAL) 

Hitman Reborn is about a boy (Tsunayoshi Sawada - AKA Tsuna) who discovers that he is a descendant and heir to an infamous Italian mafia family name: the Vongola family. He is then introduced to his mentor, the Vongola family’s top Hitman, Reborn, who is tasked to turn Tsuna from a hopeless kid into an elite mafia leader. 

While the anime is relatively long, you will enjoy it, nonetheless. The characters are all very different to each other and are incredibly fun to watch whether during fighting scenes or in character development. Hitman Reborn is funny, offers exhilarating action scenes, and is backed with an interesting plotline. It’s guaranteed unlike anything mafia-related that you’ve ever watched, anime or not. 

#5 VERY LONG ANIME - ONE PIECE (925 EPISODES ONGOING) 

One Piece is arguably one of, if not the, most iconic manga/anime series to have ever existed. But with so many chapters and episodes in both manga and anime alike, it can often be too tall a mountain for new fans to climb. 

As such, it had to be included in our quarantined anime list because, with so much uncertainty ahead, you have an indefinite amount of days to spare right now. Enough days, that is, to join Luffy and the Straw Hats on their everlasting adventure. While the anime is often criticized for its slow pacing, it is nevertheless incredibly enriching to watch merely due to the fact that the world of One Piece is so vast and spectacular to the eyes. The characters grow throughout the episodes, each one more fleshed out than the last. 

A hefty commitment but a rewarding one for sure. If you think you’ve got the stamina for it (because you certainly have the time), One Piece is an absolute must. 

Next up, 5 Best Feminist Anime To Sink Your Teeth Into