The Black Man’s Guide to Anime
Thought you’d watched everything out there? Time to broaden your horizons.
Update 6/7/22: Level has a new home. You can read this article and other new articles by visiting LEVELMAN.com.
Bet you didn’t know streaming platforms had a bottom. Not a quality bottom, like the social media muck where White supremacists and Tory Lanez apologists congregate, but an actual bottom. Like, you’ve officially seen it all. At least that’s how it feels almost 11 months after the first shutdowns began; we’re all still inside watching the same hodgepodge of warmed-over crime dramas or the umpteenth episode of 90 Day Fiance. Don’t worry, there’s an entire universe of shows out there waiting for you: anime.
While so many other genres seemed to fall flat this year, 2020 was glorious for stylish Japanese animation, both in its origin country and abroad. Thanks to its WFH-friendly development and wild production schedule — over 150 anime series were produced in the last year — there’s always something new and unexpected. And between Netflix’s ongoing development splurge, other major streamers getting in on the action, and anime-only platforms like Crunchyroll, VRV, and Funimation, the medium has never been more accessible.
