Anime, Set in the Real World (No scifi, no magic, no aliens, no talking animals, etc)
With animation, where virtually anything is possible, and special effects that would be near-impossible IRL are cheap an easy, I get WHY anime has always been so dominated by 400ft robots, schoolgirls with magical transformational abilities, futuristic space settings, psychic powers, 14yo boys with super-human strength, and the ubiquitous cat-girls...
But personally, I've always had a weird soft-spot for the minority of anime, with a simple, humble real world story- Minus the gimmicks of scifi technologies, magical exercise books from hell, weird-ability-bestowing fruit, sexy jutsus, and invisible homoerotic buddies with strangely-limited powers, who'll bail you out of every problem.
But personally, I've always had a weird soft-spot for the minority of anime, with a simple, humble real world story- Minus the gimmicks of scifi technologies, magical exercise books from hell, weird-ability-bestowing fruit, sexy jutsus, and invisible homoerotic buddies with strangely-limited powers, who'll bail you out of every problem.
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- CreatorNaoki UrasawaStarsHidenobu KiuchiLiam O'BrienMamiko NotoTenma, a brilliant neurosurgeon with a promising future, risks his career to save the life of a critically wounded young boy. The boy, now a charismatic young man, reappears 9 years later in the midst of a string of unusual serial murders.
- StarsBrandon PotterJustin BrinerJessie James GrelleTaking place in the year 1937 on the eve of World War II, the story involves a mysterious spy training organization known as the "D Agency." The organization is established by Lieutenant Colonel Yuuki from the Imperial Japanese Army. His ideals lead him to recruit people beyond military academy graduates and personnel, while training them to become skilled agents in arts of manipulation. These agents would become a specialized team to conduct operations. One such antihero agent, under the name Jirou Gamou, goes on a harrowing mission to uncover secret documents titled "Black Notes," while battling forces from within and without his own ranks.
- DirectorIsao TakahataStarsTsutomu TatsumiAyano ShiraishiAkemi YamaguchiA young boy and his little sister struggle to survive in Japan during World War II.
- CreatorNaoki UrasawaStarsNorihiro InoueKeaton YamadaShinpachi TsujiTaichi Keaton is a half-British half-Japanese archaeologist and SAS veteran of the Falklands War. He solves mysteries and investigates insurance fraud for Lloyd's around the world.
- StarsMichelle RuffMona MarshallChristopher CarrollLady Ran is an often-penniless traveler with formidable samurai skills, sharp wit, and an unquenchable taste for sake. She frequently runs into but tries to ignore Lady Meow, a hand-to-hand practitioner of the Iron Cat Fist. Meow is more naive and happy-go-lucky than the no-nonsense Ran, but is somehow more resourceful with money. So together they go from town to town doing odd jobs and dispensing their own brand of justice while living the happy poverty lifestyle.
- CreatorShin'ichirô WatanabeStarsKazuya NakaiGinpei SatoAyako KawasumiFuu, a waitress who works in a teahouse, rescues two master swordsmen, Mugen and Jin, from their execution to help her find the "samurai who smells of sunflowers."
- StarsMegumi ToyoguchiDaisuke NamikawaBrad SwaileA Japanese businessman, captured by modern-day pirates, is written off and left for dead by his company. Tired of the corporate life, he opts to stick with the mercenaries that kidnapped him, becoming part of their gang.
- StarsMiyu IrinoTamara MercerAkiko HiramatsuThe adventures of two female police officers in modern Japan.
- StarsMayo SuzukazeDorothy Elias-FahnRichard CansinoThe adventures of a young wandering swordsman who stumbles upon a struggling martial arts school in Meiji era Japan.(kinda borderline; Similar to other shonen power-fantasies like Baki the Grappler, it seems like it's MEANT to be set in a real, non-magical world... but characters frequently do stuff that's that's basically superhuman (altho Baki probably pushes that further than Kenshin, with stuff like Japanese bigfoot, or guys who can swallow a hand-grenade)
- CreatorMckenzie HammondsStarsSaori HayamiTatsuya TokutakeMiyuki SawashiroA gambling prodigy comes to an elite school run by games and turns the order upside down.
- StarsSteve BlumKirk ThorntonJun'ichi SuwabeAbout Eikichi Onizuka, a 22-year-old ex-gangster member and a virgin. He has one ambition that no one ever expected from him. His sole life purpose is to become the greatest high school teacher ever.
- StarsYutaka KoizumiYui MakinoMichael C. PizzutoThis surreal dramedy follows Satou Tatsuhiro as he attempts to escape the evil machinations of the NHK.
- StarsAki ToyosakiYôko HikasaSatomi SatôK-ON is about 5 high school girls who become friends through the Light Music Club. Yui the lead guitarist, Tsumugi the keyboardist, Mio the bassist, Azusa the rhythm guitarist, and Ritsu the drummer. K-ON is the story of 5 aspiring musicians and their journey through high school together.(although genres like music or sport anime kinda feel like "cheating", here)
- StarsKôki UchiyamaAaron DismukeMicah SolusodFive ping pong prodigies learn to navigate the harsh climate of competitive sport and the even more frightening realm of self realization.
- StarsDaisuke NamikawaEmi ShinoharaSeizô KatôThe series starts off at a tournament where a one armed samurai faces a blind one and quickly flashes back to reveal the history between the two fighters.
- StarsJanyse JaudShigeru ChibaEllen KennedyThe misadventures of a young student and his landlady's romance.
- StarsTaliesin JaffeEric ValeGreg AyresKoyuki thinks life is a drag-until he meets Ryusuke, a local guitar hero with a bad reputation. The two misfits start a band and set out to save rock n' roll. If the guys can stay true to their vision, the whole world awaits.
- DirectorHiroshi NagahamaStarsDaisuke KishioAi KobayashiTakashi MatsuyamaThe life of a split personality man who secretly sings for death metal.
- StarsSatomi HanamuraYumiko KobayashiChristel TakigawaAn apocalyptic look at the possibility of an earthquake of magnitude 7 or greater striking the Tokyo area. Mirai, a middle school freshman girl who goes to Tokyo's artificial Odaiba Island for a robot exhibition with her brother Yutaka at the start of summer vacation. A powerful tremor emanates from an ocean trench, the famed Tokyo Tower and Rainbow Bridge crumble and fall, and the landscape of Tokyo changes in an instant. With the help of a motorcycle delivery woman named Mari who they meet on Odaiba, Mirai and Yutaka strive to head back to their Setagaya home in western Tokyo.
- CreatorNaoki UrasawaStarsNorihiro InoueKeaton YamadaShinpachi TsujiTaichi Keaton is a half-British half-Japanese archaeologist and SAS veteran of the Falklands War. He solves mysteries and investigates insurance fraud for Lloyd's around the world.
- StarsShannon ConleyDan OlkRandy GlassA pilot must try to survive with his humanity when he is shanghaied into a mercenary jet fighter force.
- StarsYûto UemuraMike HaimotoShin'ya TakahashiFollowing a tragedy, Thorfinn embarks on a journey with the man responsible for it to take his life in a duel as a true and honorable warrior to pay homage.
- StarsHiroshi KamiyaKatsuyuki KonishiKen'ichi SuzumuraHachimitsu Academy, once an all-girls school, has become co-ed, and teen Kiyoshi is one of five boys to enroll. When he is caught peeping, Kiyoshi is sent to the schools prison, where his punishment is carried out.
- StarsChikahiro KobayashiHaruka ShiraishiFumihiko TachikiIn the early 20th century in Hokkaido, Japan, a treasure hunt between various parties takes place for a hidden stash of gold.