Shoujo romance shows are those types of anime in which there's a heroine as the main protagonist, usually in her teens, who experiences her first love. The pattern is almost the same for every shoujo of this type, therefore the most important thing is the originality of the characters, and how the plot is developed. Typically, shoujo romance features the hardships that eventually will bring our heroine and her love interest together. These shows are a roller-coaster of feels as they portray very relatable situations – love triangles, unrequited feelings, misunderstandings – that every girl comes to face during her teens. Below an example of a shoujo romance worth watching!

Ao Haru Ride is a perfect example of a shoujo romance anime! The story revolves around Futaba Yoshioka, a girl that tried to reset her image the moment she stepped into high school. Due to certain reasons, she became a tomboy, until one day she encounters once again Tanaka-kun, the boy she had a crush on during junior high. However, through the years Tanaka became a person Futaba no longer recognizes. Still harboring feelings toward Tanaka, step by step, Futaba will come to know what kind of event made him an introvert. Our heroine will have to face different hardships, and struggle a lot. Ao Haru Ride is a trip into teenage years and back, in a vortex of feelings. Its originality lies in a non-conventional heroine like Futaba, and a big range of other very well-developed characters surrounding her. Ao Haru Ride is a must-see among the shoujo romance shows!

The magical girls (mahou shoujo) shoujo anime involve girls who are able to use magic. Typically, the girls can transform into magical superheroes who defend humankind from evil forces. The constants in these kinds of shoujo anime are a transformation sequence, frilly battle costumes, and a weapon. Romance is involved in these shoujo anime, even though it's usually in the background. Let's see an example!

Sailor Moon is the epitome of the magical girls shoujo anime! Our protagonist is Tsukino Usagi, a 14-year-old girl in junior high whose life is turned upside down after meeting Luna, a cat able to talk. The concatenation of events following that moment lead Usagi to become the Moon Guardian fighting against the enemies who are looking for the Silver Crystal. With a magical brooch, she turns into Sailor Moon, but she is not alone in this: throughout the show, she will encounter the other guardians who will help her through the mission! As we said up above, Sailor Moon wields all those elements characterizing a magical girls anime. The guardians transform with a long sequence after which they wear outstanding costumes, plus Sailor Moon's weapon is a very cute Moon Stick. Another important trait in this show is the romance; in fact, each of the guardians has a love interest, but the most important is Usagi's love interest, who will make her struggle a lot. Basically, these kinds of shows have a typical shoujo pattern, enriched with magic and evil enemies!

Let's close our exploration talking about a different type of shoujo anime. We're referring to those shoujo shows featuring male protagonists, that can involve romance, or not. For example, Natsume Yuujinchou is a shoujo anime, with a male protagonist who can see the spirits, but the show lacks the romantic element altogether. On the other hand, Nijiro Days is a shoujo anime featuring four male protagonists in their teens, struggling with their first love. What characterizes this type of shoujo anime is that the male characters are very compassionate toward each other (it isn't uncommon to see “bromace”), and the themes can vary a lot. Yet, even though they feature male characters, you can't expect to see action-packed scenes, long fights, and all the other things you would in a shounen anime. Here's an example!

Hakkenden is a good example of a shoujo anime featuring male characters who are very compassionate with each other! Shino Inuzuka and Sousuke Inukawa once died when their village was turned to ashes, but then they came back to life thanks to some lucky circumstance, and at a high price. Both of them have a peony-shaped birthmark, and one day the Church shows up in front of them, forcing the two on a journey bound to find the other six people sharing the same peony-shaped birthmark. The eight guys are the dogs of the East, with an important mission to carry out! While debating important topics such as loneliness, loss, and the likes, Hakkenden follows these guys through their mission. Sousuke is the older-brother type of character helping Shino with all his might, and Shino sticks to Sousuke all the time. “Bromance” in this show is the keyword, as even the other male characters act overly friendly toward each other. Hakkenden is a slow-paced shoujo anime, mixing together a lot of emotions, and gradually getting to the point.

This statement could be taken for granted, but it isn't. In fact, how many anime series were ruined because of huge differences with their manga versions? Even though it was published back in the day, and its anime version came only a few years ago, Kiseijuu remains very faithful to the original work. Of course, there are some upgrades, but the reason lies in the fact that the anime doesn't take place in the time of the original manga's publication. Therefore, in its anime version, people have smartphones and tablets, but this makes the show more relating to our days, without altering a single thing in the original plot.

Remember that bad feeling of an anime with an open ending, that you must interpret the way you like? Now forget it, because Kiseijuu is complete. Since its publication ended many years ago, the anime version was entirely adapted from the beginning to the end, in 26 episodes full of action and dramatic turn of events. With a clear and definite ending, each viewer can taste that feeling of satisfaction that only complete stories – all the more when the epilogue is worth it – can give.

The thing that makes Kiseijuu one of the most beautiful works created so far is a plot that doesn't leave any room for taking a breather. From the moment Migi – the parasite – subjugates Shinichi's right hand, there's an escalation of events keeping the viewers glued to the screen. There's a crescendo of action, as we see Shinichi evolve and fight, while still trying to stay human. There aren't plot holes, nor stretches; the plot unfolds starting from an A point, making its way toward the B point, without straying for even one moment. Kiseijuu's plot stays congruent from the beginning to the end, and it wields everything a viewer expects from an anime: a wonderful soundtrack, friendship, love, and a coherent ending.

Another important reason as to why you really NEED to watch Kiseijuu is that it debates very important topics. In fact, the theme of an alien race which is striving to survive on another planet is debated while considering the hardships of both, aliens and humans. Initially, Shinichi can't seem to understand Migi's way of acting, nor his lacking of emotions, and vice versa, Migi can't understand human emotions. Step by step, though, Shinichi and Migi manage to build a sincere relationship of mutual trust, so much so that both of them begin to consider the other as a “friend”. It's easy to hate what is “different”, in this case, the aliens trying to destroy humankind. Kiseijuu manages, as the story unfolds, to make the viewers understand the parasites' point of view, turning the tables. Aside from friendship, which is the most important topic in Kiseijuu, another important theme is the importance of bonds. Shinichi will face the losses of important people while understanding that the peace, and the “normality” of his previous life can't be taken for granted.

As previously stated, translations and localizations go hand-in-hand, but they’re not one in the same. Translation is merely taking something from one language, and putting it into another. When it comes to localization, it goes beyond just translating since it takes cultural differences into account. It’s modifying the text/dialog in a manner to suit the target audience of a specific region. For example, every country has a different style of humor in context to their language and culture. Just because a joke applies in one language/region, doesn’t mean it applies in another, and that’s where localization, appealing to the target audience comes in. Even British and American humor, which both use the English language, are distinguishing due to different histories and cultures. One old school example that exemplifies this is Super Mario RPG, in which its original Japanese is full of references to pop culture, especially older anime that most international audiences had yet to be familiar with upon its debut. In retrospect, there are some references to anime that are presently internationally renowned such as Sailor Moon and Dragon Ball. In the instance of Dragon Ball, the Terrapin enemy, or the Nokohei in the original Japanese, introduces itself in the original Japanese version by yelling “Usu! Ora wa Nokohei! Jicchan miteru ka?” is a reference to the old Dragon Ball next episode previews of when Chibi Gokuu references himself. Replace Nokohei’s name with Gokuu’s and you got the same line. In case you don’t know what it means, it means “Hey! I’m Nokohei! Are you watchin’ me, Grandpa?” When the game debuted internationally, Dragon Ball had yet to be popular in North America so the line was simply changed to “Yo! What’s goin’ on?” since no English speaking fan would get the reference.

For a more recent example, look no further than Phoenix Wright, or Gyakuten Saiban in Japanese. This is one of those instances where if you were to directly translate it from its original Japanese and keep it that way, it wouldn’t make sense due to all the traditional and pop culture references, and the puns. For example, Phoenix Wright’s name in the original Japanese version is Ryuuichi Naruhodo. Naruhodo is a word play on saying “I get it” in Japanese. As a means of complimenting that, Wright is a play on “right,” and the Phoenix name more or less explains itself. In addition, with the side character Lotta Hart, it’s obviously a play on “a lot of heart,” but in the original Japanese version, her family name was Oosawagi, meaning “to be rambunctious.” If you’ve played the English version, she’s portrayed as a country bumpkin speaking with something akin to an American Southern accent. In the Japanese version, she speaks with an Osaka accent, which tends to be perceived as rougher and more informal in comparison to standard Tokyo Japanese. In order to accommodate her Osaka accent in the original Japanese version, it was best to represent it as a Southern accent, which tends to be seen more as informal in comparison to standard American English.

In the original Japanese version to I Am Setsuna, its use of the Japanese language is very unique in relation to the world of its game (which qualifies as its own article!). In the original Japanese version, the game’s official title is Ikenie To Yuki No Setsuna, meaning Setsuna of Sacrifice and Snow. To English speakers, they only contextualize Setsuna as one of the characters in the game, which works for them. However, Setsuna is taken from the word “setsunai” meaning “sadness” in Japanese, which is one of the game’s themes. In addition, “setsuna” also means “a moment in time,” which is a reference to the momentum system as you gain Setsuna Points. Due to the meaning of Setsuna in exclusive context to the Japanese language, just simply changing the title in a way for players to contextualize is a way of demonstrating the simple differences between translating and localizing. As for the village names, that’s a different article for a different time.

Initially, when backers were given a survey towards the end of 2018, the survey asked if they wanted a Steam code for the PC release. Due to how the survey explicitly stating they were going to release it on Valve’s highly regarded Steam store, this sudden change for fans who expected such a version can be understandable on a surface level. For starters, since the survey “promised” it was going to be on Steam, some PC users are reasonably upset by this sudden change. However, a good number of other fans have pulled the “subject to change” (which was in fact stated) as to why they shouldn’t be shocked over it. Steam has many highly regarded features such as giving users the ability to share their accounts, utilize cloud saves, play games offline, live chatting with friends as you play a game, and give reviews. However, as of presently (during the writing and uploading of this article), the Epic Games Store feature none of that, which partially adds fuel to the fire (though Tim Sweeney, CEO of Epic, has said that he is planning on adding such features). In addition, there have been numerous issues with Epic Games Store’s security as to why backers are resistant to the change.

If it’s any consolation, Tim Sweeney immediately went out of his way to take responsibility by saying he’s willing to provide refunds to backers who wanted a Steam version. And this isn’t coming from Ys Net, Sega, or Deep Silver, but from Epic Games’ own pockets! Sweeney has also stated on Twitter that he plans on being more communicative as to avoid such situations in the future. The fact that Epic Games is willing to go to such lengths to accommodate the outraged backers shows that they’re taking responsibility, and we should give credit where credit is due because they don’t want to take away any crowdfunding. In addition, backers still have the option of getting the PS4 version. Last, it’s not like it’s going to be on Epic Games Store forever. The team has also admitted that the Epic exclusivity deal is only for one year and that it is going to be released on Steam. If they want to wait another year for Steam, they can do so.

As to why Shenmue III is exclusive on the Epic Game Store on PC, it has to do with how the game is being made on the Unreal Engine, which is owned by Epic. Not only that, Epic offers a better revenue split with developers as opposed to Steam. On Steam’s store there is a 70%-30% revenue split, while Epic has an 88%-12% split. If Shenmue is a success on the Epic Store, Ys Net can make more money and it gives them a chance to make more Shenmue! Of course, thanks to Steam’s revenue split, Valve uses their part of the profits to maintain their respective store and its highly regarded features. In case some of you didn’t know, despite Shenmue III’s initial goal being $2 million, it also had stretch goals in case it reached such and such in funding. Not only did it make $7.1 million when combining the Kickstarter and slacker backer campaigns, Epic actually provided the remaining $2.9 million for Shenmue III to reach almost ALL of its stretch goals. The fact that Epic went out of its way to help Shenmue III become the game that Suzuki intended to make is more than enough reason to understand why it’s an Epic Store exclusive.

Tamaki Mari has always had an intense curiosity about what lies beyond the reaches of the universe. Despite her curiosity, Mari has a crippling fear of the unknown and her anxiety about her own limitations which have kept her from chasing her dreams. Now, in her sophomore year of high school, Mari is determined to live her life; however, she remains plagued by uneasiness until she has a chance encounter with a girl with aspirations of her own. Kobuchizuka Shirase has been working hard to fund a trip to Antarctica, spurred on by her mother’s disappearance. Despite being ridiculed, Shirase is determined to head to this barren place to search for her mother and Mari, finding herself inspired by this resolve, decides to join her. The two soon become four as the bubbly Miyake Hinata and the polite Shiraishi Yuzuki join them on their journey south – their journey to a place further than the universe. An anime featuring young girls doing their best in order to embark on the adventure of a lifetime, A Place Further than the Universe brings to the fore the type of youthful energy characteristic of the Aries zodiac sign. Mari’s fear of the unknown is uncharacteristic of the average Aries; however, the way in which Shirase works doggedly towards achieving her lofty goal inspires Mari and, in many ways, this anime works to inspire – very much the leader quality Aries is meant to embody.

Since the death of his father, Kamado Tanjiro has had the heavy burden of supporting his family. They live on a mountain, enjoying a fairly peaceful life. When Tanjiro goes to a nearby village to sell charcoal, he is late in getting home and decides to take shelter in the home of a strange man who mentions the existence of man-eating demons that live in the woods. Returning the next day, Tanjiro is met with the unsightly view of his entire family slaughtered, with his little sister Nezuko being the only survivor. Unfortunately, Nezuko has been turned into a bloodthirsty demon herself. Overcome with grief, rage and a desire for revenge, Tanjiro swears to avenge his family and take care of his sister, putting his body on the line to join the ranks of the Demon Slayer Corps to gain the power to achieve his goal. The element of Kimetsu no Yaiba that we expect to be the most appealing to the Aries is the aspect concerning having a goal and putting everything towards achieving it. The pent-up rage Tanjiro feels as a result of his family’s passing, as opposed to detachment or just sorrow reflects the inner flame of the Aries – cross them and you incur their wrath for a very, very long time.

With the sustained appearance of superpowers called “Quirks” in human beings, society rapidly becomes superhuman, bringing to the fore the profession people could only dream of and read about in comics: superheroes. With 80% of society having some sort of special ability, a fifth of people lack such powers, including Midoriya Izuku. Despite lacking a Quirk, Izuku has always wanted to become a hero like his idol, the number 1 hero, All Might. Izuku’s dedication to his dream has him taking notes of all heroes whenever he can. When he meets All Might, he soon learns of All Might’s inheritable power and to make things better yet, All Might sees Izuku has his successor. After several months of gruelling training, Izuku enrols at UA High, famous for its hero training program, beginning his journey to becoming the best hero. Presenting the Aries characteristic of unwavering ambition, Midoriya Izuku is both the type of character Ariens would like, but also dislike for his lack of confidence in his abilities, particularly in the earlier episodes of the series. The way in which the universe is set up in a way in which heroes can be objectively ranked would definitely tickle the average Aries’ desire to come out on top and compete with others; although they’d be very impatient in seeing Deku rise to the top.

The most important law of alchemy is that of Equivalent Exchange. The Elric brothers, Edward and Alphonse, learn first-hand the horrors that can happen when one does not adhere to this law, with Alphonse losing his entire body and his brother Edward losing an arm and a leg in order to affix Alphonse’s soul to a suit of armour. Years later, Edward becomes a State Alchemist of the land of Amestris, the youngest ever to lay claim to that title, granted the moniker “Fullmetal”, based off the mechanical limbs he now possesses. Together, the brothers perform their duties while trying to locate the Philosopher’s Stone, a relic capable of overcoming the laws of alchemy so that they can return their bodies to the way they used to be. However, along the way they come to realise the dark history of their own country. Filled with personal and political turmoil and two protagonists who are relentless in their quest, the quintessential Aries will have a field day amongst the alchemists. Their tumultuous childhood aside, Edward is quite the Aries in his demeanour and his stubbornness – instantly relatable to the fire sign. Jokes aside, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is regarded as one of the greatest anime series of all time and it is appropriate for the so-called pioneers of the Zodiac to be watching an anime that is nothing short of a standout masterpiece.

It is Year 198 of the Solar Era. At this point in human history, one of the biggest fears of society is the phenomenon known as Spontaneous Human Combustion, which turns human beings living pyromancers known as “Infernals”. Infernals are but the first generation of spontaneous combustion cases, with later generations being able to manipulate the flames while staying human. Kusakabe Shinra is a third-generation Infernal, nicknamed “Devil’s Footprints” for his ability to manipulate flames emanating from his feet. He joins the Special Fire Force Company 8, consisting of other flame manipulators who work together to lay Infernals to rest, while looking to one day uncover the truth about the fire that razed his home and killed his family twelve years ago. While the main character is rather docile in his demeanour and interactions with others, he shares something with other protagonists on this list – a goal burned into their minds that they pursue with everything they have. Aries, as mentioned before, is The Ram, a lively creature associated with forward movement and independence. The other reason why Fire Force would be an Aries’ choice is because of all that fire!

When her father is murdered, Matoi Ryuuko searches for his killer, with nothing to go on but the half of the Scissor Blade used in the crime. She arrives at Honnouji Academy, a prestigious school with an all-powerful student council led by the cold-hearted Kiryuuin Satsuki and her powerful allies, the Elite Four. Honnouji’s hierarchical dynamic gives Satsuki the space to bestow the higher-ups special “Goku Uniforms”, which grant their wearer superhuman abilities. After suffering a crushing defeat from a student in a Goku uniform, Ryuuko heads home and finds Senketsu, a sentient set of clothing called Kamui, which provides her with incredible power when in contact with her blood. Now dressed for the occasion, Ryuuko stands against the Elite Four and Satsuki in order to find her father’s killer and put them to justice. Fast-paced, comical and yet every bit as serious is the 2014 anime Kill La Kill!, a memorable title with some really interesting elements! The way in which this anime manages to be many different things at the same time really reflects the way in which the Libra is able to spread their energies over various different things. This also makes them seem very easy to distract and Kill La Kill! is filled with various different things that would satiate the curiosity of the average Libra and keep them very entertained!

Oreki Houtarou is a high schooler who believes in living a life of “energy conservation”, choosing to do nothing more than the bare minimum. However, when he signs up for his school’s Classics Club, he realises that there is more to it than he initially thought. Despite his lack of motivation for it all, Oreki is dragged into an investigation into the 45-year-old mystery surrounding the club room. With his fellow members and friends Fukube Satoshi, Ibara Mayaka and the ever-curious Chitanda Eru, Oreki must use his hidden talents of deduction in order to find the truth. With its curious heroine and laid-back protagonist, Hyouka is an anime a Libra would definitely enjoy particularly because of its beauty and the slowness it has in comparison to other anime on this list. Hyouka’s more docile yet captivating approach to mysteries and anime’s after-school club trope is the type of thing that makes the show very unique and thus very palatable for a Libra.

Hasegawa Kodaka is a high schooler determined to make a positive impression at his new school and possibly make some friends. Unfortunately for him; however, he is immediately labelled a violent delinquent about a month in due to his intimidating facial expression. Kodaka’s notorious reputation leaves him friendless; however, when he finds fellow loner Mikazuki Yozora talking to herself in an empty classroom, they hit it off over stories of their lonely high school lives. Looking to overcome the difficulties of making friends, Kodaka and Yozora start the Neighbour’s Club. Created for people who have no friends, the daily activities of the club include learning social skills and fitting in; but with each new member bringing a whole new type of eccentricity to the table, maybe social skills and fitting in aren’t exactly all they need to make new friends. Libras have the tendency of appearing to be social butterflies with their energy and sweetness, however, they also have a tendency to pity themselves if things don’t go their way. Friendless Kodaka pities his situation that seems totally doomed, at least until he finds someone just as friendless as he is. This brings out the social aspect to this anime filled with social misfits, an aspect compatible with the diplomatic Libra.

The orphans of Grace Field House live great lives. Despite not having any parents, their every need is cared for and they live together in a big family all taken care of by their “Mama”, Isabella. At the age of 12, the children are adopted into happy hopes. Their daily lives consist of rigorous tests but they’re allowed to play outside. The only rule – they may not leave the orphanage. However, one day, Emma and Norman, two of the highest-scoring children, venture past the gate and see something they wish they hadn’t… The Promised Neverland is an anime about human children betting everything on leaving the world they once knew into to find one that is even better. This particular aspect lines up with the Libra’s sense of justice and also their desire for freedom. Sometimes appearing childlike in their expression because of their Air-inspired curiosity, the Libra would feel doubly for the children of Grace Field.

Kageyama “Mob” Shigeo is a 14-year-old who, from an early age, has possessed incredible latent psychic potential. However, he soon realises the potential danger of his abilities and vows to suppress his powers. In an attempt to learn how to control his powers, Mob takes up one Arataka Reigen, a con artist claiming to be a psychic, up to be his mentor. Reigen; however, uses Shigeo’s authentic powers to make a quick buck. Mob now participates in exorcisms and various other paranormal activities every single day; however, if his emotions go unchecked his powers stand to cause incredible destruction for the world around him and he simply can’t be stopped. With incredible animation and beautiful colours and characters, Mob Psycho 100 is fairly short two seasons into the series and deal with Mob’s day-to-day. This in turn develops his character in a way that is compelling and perhaps Mob’s aloofness and appearance of detachment from the happenings of his daily life may make like kin to the Libra, but also his sense of justice. However, be this as it may, the Libra constellation is sometimes known as “The Claws”, because it was considered by ancient Greeks to be ruled by Scorpio alongside Virgo, which perhaps highlights a Libra’s “claws of justice”, which correlates with Mob’s 100% outbursts.

Kurenai Shinkurou is an orphan with a tragic and violent past. However, he’s putting that violence to good use and earning a living settling conflicts as a mediator. His next client proves to be more than he’s used to when he meets the young child Kuhouin Murasaki, daughter of a powerful syndicate family. It isn’t long before the enemies that threaten her life soon threaten his, and Kurenai has to use every ability he has to keep them both alive. As they survive one conflict after the next, the two forge the familial bonds they both desperately desire. In our opinion, the author of this series, Katayama Kentarou is one of the most underrated in all of Japan. His works display a maturity often missing in many works, and his characters always draw a bit of sympathy, even the villains. The action in Kurenai was top tier, and sometimes over the top with supernatural combat. It’s a series we would have loved to see 10 more volumes from, and even more.

Yuuki Wakura knew he lived in a dangerous world where men were treated as second-class citizens to women, but even still, he didn’t expect to find himself in an even worse one. Transported into a demonic gate and attacked by a horde of monsters, he is rescued by one of the elite female soldiers of his world and made into her “slave”. His rescuer Kyouka Uzen has no power herself, but she draws out the latent abilities of those who swear loyalty to her, which Wakura has now done. Together with her other team members, they keep the demons that threaten the world from crossing over and attacking Japan. We were caught off guard by Mato Seihei no Slave. At first, it appeared to be just an ecchi romance manga with some light S&M play, but it’s actually a well-drawn and exciting battle manga with a few kinky elements. Wakura isn’t just your typical MC who lets himself be used and mistreated just in exchange for some female attention. He thinks rationally and uses the strength he gains in exchange for some dignity to protect those he cares about. This series is new but so far very much worth reading.

Some, if not all, of the greatest mercenaries in the world have come from Mikado High School. But this latest batch of students has no idea that hidden among them is one of the most powerful faculty members disguised as a wimpish student. Hayama Morito might look like a weak child who the girls can’t help but dote on, but he’s a grizzled war veteran undercover protecting the most dangerous student to ever attend, Kotonoha Nanase. Her circumstances hold the keys to maintaining the balance of military power in the world, and it will take everything these teachers have to keep her safe. Funny at times, dark at others, and with a hint of romance, Gun x Clover is as unpredictable as it is exciting. Not a single character has a full piece of the puzzle surrounding Kotonoha Nanase, but solving it is the only way anyone involved with Mikado High will survive. We enjoyed this series through its ups and downs, and would highly recommend reading it. It’s worth a read alone just to see how cool a protagonist Hayama Morito is.

This consists of a series of adaptations of six modern Japanese literature classics: Dazai Osamu’s No Longer Human and Run, Melos!; Natsume Souseki’s Kokoro; Akutagawa Ryuunosuke’s Hell Screen and The Spider’s Thread, as well as Sakaguchi Ango’s In the Forest, Under Cherries in Full Bloom. Naturally, these stories do not flow together to form a consistent narrative but rather, the series is a retelling of some of the most celebrated works in the early-to-mid 20th century. Being the intense wells of knowledge that they are, Capricorns tend to be well-read, well-studied clusters of intense cynicism. The literary works depicted in the Aoi Bungaku series hence reflect a sense of cynicism and overall gloom that probably spills over from the lives of the authors themselves, particularly Dazai Osamu. Cynicism aside, the way in which the stories put together feature realistic elements as well as elements of absurdism, an aspect that reflects the Capricorn’s paradox of aloofness amongst a sea of closed-off emotions.

Second-year Economics student Yoga Kimimaro understands the power of money all too well. Being in the midst of his silver-spoon peers, Kimimaro works hard to make ends meet. However, his life changes forever when a strange man in a top hat arrives at his door late one night. Introducing himself as Masakaki, the man tells Kimimaro about a place called the Eastern Financial District, a place where people place their futures as collateral in order to achieve immense wealth. It turns out that the Financial District is an alternate realm where participants have to engage in “Deals”, putting their collateral at stake. As Earth signs, Capricorns are very much connected to the material world and know how it works almost innately. Which brings us to their love of money and their high ambition which makes them one of the overachievers of the Zodiac. C is the type of anime that brings these elements together into one intense show. The sobering realities presented in some of the latter episodes are definitely a Capricorn’s cup of tea.

Iwakura Lain is an awkward fourteen-year-old. She is one of many girls at her school to receive a strange email from their classmate Yomoda Chisa – a girl who had recently committed suicide. Lain is technologically awkward and can barely handle basic technology; however, upon opening the email, Lain is transported to The Wired; a virtual world similar to the internet. Her life is changed forever as she starts experiencing cryptic mysterious and strange men called the Men in Black show up everywhere she goes, asking her questions while seeming to know more about her than she does. Serial Experiments Lain is convoluted, confusing at times and thus the perfect anime for a Capricorn because it challenges them to think more than many other anime would. The way in which Lain herself seems to be closed off, maybe even detached or stoic is very similar to how the average Capricorn is thought to carry themselves, and with the series playing with concepts of reality, Capricorns and their understanding of the material world will feel instantly attracted to this show.

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Koshiyama Shiki is a first-year high schooler at Buzou High School who on his first day at school, suddenly finds himself approached by the Quiz Study Group, a school club involved in all things quiz related! The shy bookworm spends all his time reading rather than socialising, which prompts him to sign up to be one of the two librarians in his class. Shiki’s frail physical constitution makes him ill-suited to sports clubs, but his lack of interest in the more cultural societies at the school makes it hard for him to choose a club. However, he finds himself up on stage during the Quiz Club’s presentation at assembly and does something amazing! Is the Quiz Study Group Shiki’s chance to finally have a balanced school life? An entire anime based on the idea of epic displays of one’s general knowledge with some light-hearted humour? Count the Capricorns in! As we mentioned before, Capricorns tend to be people who know a lot and really love to show it. Absolutely love showing off their knowledge in subjects vast and wide. They love it. Did we mention that they love it? They enjoy it to the point of being condescending know-it-alls!

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Puberty Syndrome is a mythological condition which seems to only affect teenagers, causing inexplicable supernatural symptoms that are often dismissed as legitimate occurrences. However, Azusagawa Sakura knows from experience that it is real and is quite prevalent at his high school. Sakurajima Mai is a third-year high schooler who gained fame as a child actress but halted her promising career for unknown reasons. She is known throughout the school and bears an air of unapproachability, so nobody interacts with her. That is at least until Sakuta sees her wandering the public library in a bunny girl costume. No one seems to notice her despite the conspicuous outfit and after talking to her, Sakuta realises that she is another victim of Puberty Syndrome. As Sakuta tries to help Mai through her situation, he comes into contact with more girls who are experiencing the condition. Featuring a deadpan protagonist and supernatural setting, Bunny Girl Senpai is one recent show that would definitely entertain the quintessential Capricorn. The biggest selling point for them is the extremely sarcastic, deadpan Sakuta, a protagonist they’d find both entertaining and maybe a little bit like them! The relationships between characters are also the type to warm the heart and sometimes, a Capricorn needs to thaw out their icy cores.

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Takafumi’s “Ojisan” uncle was reincarnated to another world, but back home he was just in a coma for 17 years after being hit by a truck, like so many others. Thought to be crazy by his nephew, after he displays the elite tier magic that he learned, Takafumi has no choice but to believe him. His uncle now regales him with tales of his adventures and lost loves while pining for all the Sega games he missed out on. It’s a dark comedy of an isekai that takes place mostly in the real world, but with some fantasy elements. An interesting read!

The most powerful magician of another world used all of his power and life force to summon average college student Tarou and passed away. Upset by this, he reincarnated the old man himself as a frog, and both learned that he had 8 million times the magical power of anyone else. Unfortunately, Tarou doesn’t have enough to send himself back, so he’s forcing the old frogman to show him the strange fantasy world he brought him to, while its inhabitants liken Tarou’s appearance to the advent of a dark god. A comedy where the protagonist isn’t on the same page as everyone else, it’s an interesting isekai about differences in perspective.

Shino Kazura won 4 billion yen in the lottery, but before he could enjoy it he was bombarded by greedy relatives and strangers all seeking a handout. Unable to bear it anymore, he went to a hidden family home in the country but didn’t realize it housed a gateway to another world. The inhabitants of the other world know nothing of Japan and live very basic and impoverished lives, which Kazura uses his money to slowly improve. Advancing agriculture, delivering medicine, these people believe Kazura is the reincarnation of a god who once enriched their lives centuries ago. This isekai manga is an exciting story of a good Samaritan trying to avoid handout seekers, and quickly living up to this new world’s expectations of him.

Once a 34-year-old recluse, Rudeus Greyrat was reincarnated as an infant in a fantasy world with all his memories intact. Determined to use his second chance to enrich his family’s lives and do his best, he quickly studied magic and behaved more maturely than any pre-teen should. However, after a world-shaking cataclysm befell his family, he’s desperately put into a situation that few could survive, let alone prepare for. Deadset on succeeding in this life by reclaiming his family and friends versus his previous life, he sets off on a journey that will take all the long years he has left to live. Mushoku Tensei is arguably the most well thought out isekai manga of recent years. It has a complete web and light novel series that have long since ended, but the manga is still ongoing and from its pace, has several more years left to go until it reaches its conclusion. If you consider yourself a fan of isekai or manga in general, you owe it to yourself to check this one out.

Have you ever read a manga or watch an anime where someone says something like “Oh, I bet Kobayashi will be interested to hear about this…” or “Much like the incident at Port Minato…” without having any idea what they’re talking about? This is a common strategy implemented by manga authors to build up the intrigue. Since manga chapters are written monthly or even weekly, often times the workload is so much that artists don’t have a lot of time to plot things out and fly by the seat of their pants. Many times, they’ll throw in these details and when they’re quickly scrambling to figure out what to do with the story next, they’ll look through their old chapters searching for vague mentions like this and decide to expound on it. However, Araki’s greatest strength as an author is to not get caught up in the details of his own story if it means it’ll sacrifice its tone. A great example of this is during Diamond is Unbreakable, where we find out early on that an unnamed individual saved him and his mother out in the middle of nowhere when Josuke was a kid. While it certainly would have been possible to have gone back to explore this plot point, the contrast between the illusion of the warm atmosphere of the town of Moriah and how that provides a shield for a monster like Kira to thrive is the tension that drives our investment in Diamond is Unbreakable. It’s not necessarily that Araki forgot about the intrigue set up by Josuke’s history, but that he couldn’t really figure out how to incorporate that into the Kira story without it being distracting to the themes of Diamond is Unbreakable. Instead of stressing out about it, he just didn’t care.

If you’ve been keeping up with the anime adaptation of Vento Aureo (or Golden Wind, as it’s been translated to), you’ve gotten to where villain Diavolo’s spirit has returned to his original body, thus beginning Diavolo’s downfall. What makes this entire scene work so well is that it’s timed exactly to the moment we finally have Diavolo in his perfect, “true” form, no longer hiding in anyone else’s body. Throughout the entire series, we have only known Diavolo through his stand ability, as he’s a man who understands his greatest strength comes from his complete anonymity. Even if plotwise it wouldn’t have mattered if Diavolo went back into hiding or not, it makes sense on an intuitive level for us as a reader/watcher. We’ve been terrified of him because we didn’t know who he could be or when he could strike next. Once we know who he is, the story has to show how he’s no longer someone to be feared and ties his immediate downfall to the instant he purposely throws away his winning strategy. This also plays into our understanding of Giorno’s role in the story. Bruno has overshadowed Giorno so much as a presence in Part 5 that it’s actually an in-joke in the fandom to refer to him as the real main character. But here it pays off by directly addressing that expectation. Note the difference in tone to when Bruno threatens to switch everyone’s bodies vs when Giorno actually has it. When Bruno is in control of the situation, Diavolo pleads with him to reconsider “who is truly worthy”, acknowledging that Bruno is a threat to his rule. However, when Giorno has the Golden Arrow in his hands, there is no consideration that the vision Diavolo could have seen was Giorno’s success. Diavolo actually fears Bruno, but Giorno’s a newbie, so of course, the future Diavolo sees is of Giorno’s failure. Even if we don’t consciously recognize it, we understand on an intuitive level why Diavolo would underestimate Giorno and don’t question why he would throw everything away for this one shot at even greater power.

Throughout the course of Part 2, Battle Tendency, we watch Joseph grow up from being a righteously-hearted but somewhat cowardly street punk into a man who learns to value the people who have supported him all this time. However, none of this actually changes the fact that Joseph’s greatest strength is his ability to bluff through any situation. So, when Kars and him are launched into the air by a volcanic eruption, and Joseph’s dismembered arm also knocks into Kars, launching him into the stratosphere, Joseph calls out to him “Of course I planned this Kars! I plan everything!” During all this, Joseph thinks to himself how this was all a great stroke of luck and he’s only saying this to make him mad. It’s this sort of consistency in the face of insanity that make Jojo’s characters so endearing. Even when death approaches, Joseph is still bluffing his way through his fight with Kars all the way to the very end in case this doesn’t work out. Jojo’s main draw is its creativity at the expense of logic, but we can buy into it easier when it feels consistent with the character’s personality.