The most popular anime of the year is available on Netflix

The author Jonathan Klotz
| Published 30 seconds ago

When did 2024 start, I think Solo levelingreverse isekai shonen, would be the biggest new show of the year, but as the year went on, I realized that no matter how popular the show was, it didn't capture the hearts of legions of anime fans on social media like I expected. Instead it was To tastea very different kind of shonen that combined a romantic comedy with aliens and the supernatural that has taken anime fandom by storm in recent months. It turns out that throwing every anime trope into a blender doesn't result in an unwatchable mess; instead, it's one of the best new shows in years.

Aliens and Jokai And superpowers

To taste followed by the cheerful Momo Ayase, who, for example Mulder the foxchoose to believe in aliens, and the grieving Ken Takakura, dubbed Okaruna for his interest in the occult, as they inadvertently gain superpowers that allow them to fight against evil spirits, alien invaders, and evil humans. This sounds like the main focus of the series, and in a way it is, but the pair's motivation is to get back part of Okarun's body, which he lost after becoming possessed and gaining the ability to shift into a demonic form. It's absurd, comical, and wildly over-the-top, but the series somehow manages to balance it out with moments of raw emotion.

Episode 7 “The Best World” is one of the highest rated anime IMDb history episodes with a 9.7 rating, ditching the crude humor and fan service found in most of the series as the story focuses on one of the yokai (spirits), Acrobatic Silky. Jokai's premise is so tragic and heartbreaking that after the episode aired, social media was filled with fans posting videos of themselves crying. It's both Dunedin the best series and show of strength in anime.

While episode 7 is clearly outstanding in that it leaves out most of the show's humor and fan service, the rest To taste still worth it. The development of a friendship and the beginning of a romance between Momo and Okaruna provide heartfelt moments in almost every episode, even when they have to overcome yokai or deal with dinosaur-shaped aliens. It's a delicate balancing act to keep the absurd and the emotional in every episode, and most anime fail at this amazing feat, but with one pretty major exception, the Science Saru team pulls it off.

Dandadan is not for everyone

I would be remiss if I didn't mention this one exception that might be To taste a heavy watch for some, and it's not the crass humor or Okaruna's search for the missing parts, but Momo being pushed through the spinner. There are implied attack scenes, including Season 1's Rock in the Hot Springs, that stand out compared to most other shonen. Blatant fanservice moments have also fallen out of favor in recent years, but the show embraces them, especially for Momo, so for everything the show does to move the anime's story forward, it still has one foot stuck in the 90s.

To taste may receive universal praise, but it's not for everyone, and while I found it a refreshing roller coaster ride of a series, I also watch a lot of anime, including pay-to-see Solo leveling movie summaryand anything that dares to be so different and take risks immediately catches my attention. Season 2 won't be released until summer 2025, so you'll have plenty of time to binge the 12-episode first season. You'll want to consume it all at once, so sit back, relax, and let the strange combination of classic shonen with aliens, the occult, vengeful spirits, and crass humor roll in beautifully animated waves.

To taste is being streamed Netflix, Hulu, Disney+and Crunchyroll.