Crunchyroll is a streaming service, similar to Netflix, but specifically for Anime (Japanese animation). You can watch shows on Crunchyroll for free, with advertising (the same way
Tubi works), or subscribe to the ad free version. Having recently subscribed to the premium service, here are a small selection of some of the weirdest shows I've found on there.
I haven't been hugely into anime since I was a child, so these shows might not seem that weird to anime fans, but for someone just dipping their toe into the ocean of anime they seem pretty odd.
The shows are in Japanese, but all have either dubbed (into English) or subtitled options.
1. Bananya
Bananya is a tiny kitten that lives in a banana, because why not? He hides in a human's home with his family, who are all also tiny banana dwelling cats.
I get the impression that this show is designed to sell stationery. There is not much substance to it, but it's cute, and the episodes are only three minutes long.
2. That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime
The slime.
is a TV series adaptation of the book series by the same name. It is the story of a businessman in modern day Tokyo named Satoru. Satoru is murdered and finds himself reincarnated in a strange new world as a sentient blob of slime. There he meets dragons and goblins and goes on weird and wonderful adventures.
It's an odd premise, but it starts to make a bit more sense as it goes along.
Apparently this series, along with several others, was partially
banned in Russia due to its theme of reincarnation. There are three seasons available to stream on
Crunchyroll.
3. Chainsaw Man
Pochita, the chainsaw devil.
If you were expecting the title to be a metaphor you have not yet watched much anime.
Chainsaw Man is the story of Denji, a young man struggling to work of his debt to the Yakuza. He uses his pet chainsaw devil (it looks a bit like a dog with a chainsaw blade for a nose) to make money by felling trees and killing other devils for the bounty on them. When he is betrayed and killed by the Yakuza, his devil pet merges with him and he gains the ability to turn into Chainsaw Man, with chainsaws for arms and a head.
The premise is bananas (no disrespect meant to Bananya) but if you go with it it's fairly entertaining. There is a lot of gore in this one, because chainsaws. There are twelve episodes on Crunchyroll.
4. Sarazanmai
I feel pretty confident saying that
Sarazanmai is weird even for anime. The story revolves around Kappa, water spirits from Japanese folklore. Three high school students accidentally anger the Kappa prince, and are punished by being forced to help him harvest the Shirikodama (a ball containing the person's soul) of zombie servants of the evil otter empire. The Shirikodama resides in the anus.
I told you it was weird. There are two seasons on
Crunchyroll.
5. A Centaur's Life
Himeno Kimihara is a centaur girl, navigating life in high school with her friends and classmates who are all also mythical creatures (bat winged demons, angel people, satyrs etc.).
This one actually isn't terribly weird for anime, but is a little out of the norm for a high school slice of life comedy. There are the usual crushes (straight and lesbian) and heartbreaks and rivalries, but with occasional twists to do with the character's various body types. It's a warm, fuzzy sort of show to watch, like a mental bubble bath. There are twelve episodes on Crunchyroll.
