You know, Anime is kind of great. As a medium anime has a lot of genres and art styles. The plethora of opportunities also makes it that much harder to find something interesting that is not the popular Shonen battles series.
Every season of anime brings with it a lot of shows to watch. With so much shit coming out every year it can be hard to go back to the endless backlog of anime. How can I know what anime is worth watching? What makes it good? And what should I prioritize?
It can indeed be hard to find new stuff, so what I am going to do is use my anime knowledge to highlight shows or Movies I feel have gone under the radar. Since anime have so many different elements and styles to them I am convinced I can recommend something to someone and they will end up liking it.
Todays anime is called Master Keaton
Master Keaton is an anime made by Madhouse. The show is about Taichi Keaton, an insurance agent who solves a variety of different cases. While the initial premise might sound boring I can assure you that it’s not.
Master Keaton is an episodic series with a new story being told in every episode. There is no overarching plot and only a few characters return throughout.
The manga was written by kkkkk the same guy who did 21st century boys and Monster. The style is the same with a focus on more “human” features rather than the classic big eyes and spiky hair anime usually use. This makes for a more serious show. There are no grant power-ups and while there sometimes are exciting action sequences and fights they tend to be more realistic and not so flashy.
The anime is not as serious as Monster with a lot of jokes. Some episodes are more serious than others, but some are just a fun time. One of the strengths of an episodic narrative is that it makes for different feels and moods.
The stories in the show vary greatly. One time Keaton is making his way through a snowstorm with an old man claiming to be immortal. The old man tells strange stories that seem fictional but just might have something more to them. In another episode Keaton is helping someone find a terrorist and in another, he negotiates a hostage situation. All the episodes have great variety and something new and interesting is bound to happen. I watched every episode with a sense of “I wonder what Keaton is up to now”.
Anime has a problem where the protagonist is often the weakest link. Countless subreddits and forum posts have been used to recommend anime with a strong protagonist.
Master Keaton’s biggest strength is the main guy himself. Taichi Keaton is a wonderful protagonist and one of the best in anime history. A common problem with protagonists today is that they are way too stoic, overpowered, and humorless. Well, Keaton is none of those things.
Taichi Keaton is extremely competent when it comes to his job. He has a wide-spanning knowledge, but it comes off as endearing and nerdy (in a good way). He is also very lighthearted and sees the good in everything and everyone. Other characters call him naive and make fun of him, but eventually, they fall for his charming personality. In today’s world that seems so bleak and hopeless it would be great if more people were like Taichi. A little less cynicism and more optimism.
Taichi Keaton also has the right amount of mystery to him. His background is extensive, he is both a former archaeologist and also former SAS special forces. His backstory is only shown in pieces leaving out a clear picture. This further enhances the intrigue and makes you want to see more episodes.
When he fights he doesn’t just beat people with sheer power, he outsmarts them and sometimes even loses. The invincible protagonist is a tedious trope IMO and Keaton avoids this trap by relying on his intuition and wid.
Conclusion
If you are interested in a more serious and adult-led anime with a great variety of stories and an amazing protagonist then look no further. While not all episodes end on a happy note the whole of the show is inspiring and a lot of fun.
I highly recommend if you like:
Adult lead anime
Monster
Mystery