The Cambridge Geek

Best Anime on Amazon Prime

Okay, I'm massively cheating here. I've been horribly busy and have been mostly listening to The Magnus Archives while doing too much driving (and having now reached Ep 40, it's heading into amazing audio theatre territory - seriously, give it a go), so here's my latest concession to that internet beast, the "listicle".

Basically, like most people, I hunt through various sources to determine what to watch next, and this can be based on platforms. A couple of dozen Reddit threads later, and I've got a list of the top 14 recommendations for anime on Amazon. (Sorted from most recommended to least.)

Of course, the internet being what it is, an annoying selection of these are only available on the US version, so I've found equivalent where possible for us Brits (which appears to usually be Hidive). Feel free to shout at me if I've missed anything important/wasted your time. (If you're in anything other than those two countries, sorry, but I honestly haven't got the time.)

1: Made in Abyss

Within the depths of the Abyss, a girl named Riko stumbles upon a robot who looks like a young boy. Riko and her new friend descend into uncharted territory to unlock its mysteries, but what lies in wait for them in the darkness?

(So much meaner than you expect it to be.)



2: Land of the Lustrous

The Houseki (gem creatures) fight against the Moon Dwellers, beings who attack them and use their shattered bodies as decorations. Each Houseki is assigned a role, and Phos, the youngest, is assigned to create an encyclopedia of natural history.

(Ends up unexpectedly confusing. Brilliant animation though.)



3: Girls' last Tour

In a future where most of humanity has perished, two girls explore the ruins of civilization, looking for food and fuel. With Chito behind the wheel and Yuuri handling gun duties, they try to salvage what’s left of their post-apocalyptic world.

(Cute, and massively depressing. Amazing.)



4: Re:Creators

People have created many stories. Joy, sadness, anger, deep emotion. Stories stir up emotion and captivate. However, those emotions are nothing more than the feelings of a spectator. What if the characters in the stories had their own"will"? In their eyes, are we, the creators of the stories, like gods? Revolution for our world. Punishment for the land of the gods. Re:CREATORS. Everyone becomes a Creator.

(No idea, not watched it yet, now added to my list.)



5: Princess Principal

Five girls attend Queen’s Mayfaire, a conventional and prestigious school. Under the guise of regular high school girls, they act as spies under cover.

(No idea, not watched it yet, now added to my list.)



6: The Great Passage

"I'm just saying 'read the air' a little more." "You are using 'air' to mean situation." Mitsuya Majime, an awkward salesman, and Masashi Nishioka, an easy-going dictionary editor meet by coincidence. Genbu Book's veteran dictionary editor Araki is looking for a successor. He hears about Majime from Nishioka and decides to meet him. This is a story about the clumsy people who live for words.

(No idea, not watched it yet, now added to my list.)



7: Welcome to the Ballroom

"Dance is a passion!" Tatara is an average middle school student with no particular dreams until an unexpected incident draws him into the fascinating world of ballroom dancing. "If I can just find one thing to be passionate about..." He dives into the world of dance, believing it's his opportunity to change. His journey is portrayed with explosive energy in the ultimate "coming-of-age" dance anime!!

(No idea, not watched it yet, now added to my list.)



8: Scum's Wish

Hopeless love... Painful love... Unrequited love... Are they really all that beautiful? In her second year in high school, Hanabi Yasuraoka is hopelessly in love with the wrong person. Someone she's willing to do anything to be with, even if it means hurting the people she cares about. This is a love story both pure and disturbed.

(No idea, not watched it yet, now added to my list.)



9: Inuyashiki Last Hero

Ichiro Inuyashiki was a boring office worker living a life shunned by his family and coworkers. One night, a UFO crashed into him, and his body was rebuilt into a powerful robot. A high school student named Hiro Shishigami was also involved in the same accident, and he begins to use his new powers to enable his darkest impulses. Is man's true nature good or evil?

(No idea, not watched it yet, now added to my list.)



10: Cowboy Bebop

The Bebop crew is just trying to make a buck. This motley lot of intergalactic loners teams up to track down fugitives and turn them in for cold hard cash. Join Spike, Jet, Fay, Ed, and Ein as they make their way in the year 2071.

(A classic for good reason.)



11: Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood

After both suffer physical damage -- brothers Edward and Alphonse battle nefarious forces to try to reclaim their bodies in this supernatural anime.

(The Major's not crying, you're crying.)



12: Bakemonogatari

Having recently fallen foul of a female vampire, becoming one himself for a brief time, third-year high school student Koyomi Araragi is saved by the intervention of homeless man Meme Oshino, who helps him return to normal, albeit with an extraordinary aptitude for healing. His abilities soon come in handy, however, when he begins bumping into a random selection of girls, all of whom suffer from a range of afflictions brought on by their interaction with supernatural creatures.

(No idea, not watched it yet, now added to my list.)



13: Just Because!

For a group of high school seniors, a chance reunion with a transfer student will change the course of their final year. When the paths of these five cross, their fates turn in a way none of them could have seen coming.

(No idea, not watched it yet, now added to my list.)



14: Armed Girl's Machiavellism

Nomura Fudou is sent to Private Aichi Symbiosis Academy, which is ruled by the student organization called “Supreme Five Swords”. He is given the option: be expelled, or act and dress like a girl!

(No idea, not watched it yet, now added to my list.)



Tagged: Feature Best of Anime