Winter is here, which means now is the perfect time to either catch up or discover some great new anime to watch. From Mushi-Shi to Laid-Back Camp, we’ve got plenty of anime to put you in the mood for the season.
Your time is precious, and your options are endless. The good news: We watch it all so you don’t have to. Polygon’s What to Watch highlights the best, the funniest, the scariest, and the most exciting in movies, TV, and everything in between. Stop scrolling, start watching!
December is right around the corner, and you know what that means: Time to curl up under a thick blanket, pour yourself some hot cocoa, and watch whole seasons of anime while hibernating inside. Aside from the avalanche of new series that pour onto television and streaming services every season — as well as the best anime the year has to offer — there’s a plethora of fantastic anime to watch that are appropriate for every month and mood, including winter. We’ve handpicked a couple of our favorite anime to watch when days grow darker and the weather starts to turn colder.
Here are some of the best anime to get you in the mood for the winter season!
Directed by Atsuko Ishikuza (Goodbye, Don Glees!, No Game No Life), this coming-of-age comedy adventure anime follows Mari Tamaki, a second-year high school girl who dreams of doing something bold and exciting with her youth. That is, if she could only get over her timidity and debilitating fear of failure. After meeting Shirase, a girl saving up money to travel to Antarctica to reunite with her lost mother, Mari joins her and two other girls on a scheme to embark on an expedition to Antarctica.
A Place Further Than the Universe is many things: a moving coming-of-age story about following through on your dreams and treating every challenge as an opportunity, a hilarious comedy, a gripping drama, and overall, a unique story told beautifully through brilliant animation and music. If you haven’t yet taken the leap and watched the series yet, now is absolutely the best time to do so. —Toussaint Egan
A Place Further than the Universe is available to stream on Crunchyroll.
As with most episodes of Komi Can’t Communicate, the Christmas episode focuses on Komi overcoming her social anxiety and stepping out of her comfort zone. This time around the stakes are a little higher: It’s not just a Christmas party, but also her birthday party. But like every episode of this soft slice-of-life anime, Komi’s anxiety is treated gently and with compassion. Her friends are understanding and really do want to celebrate with her.
