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Christmas anime recommendations.




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amagee



Joined: 08 Nov 2010
Posts: 333
Location: Orlando, FL
PostPosted: Tue Dec 24, 2013 10:52 pm Reply with quote
So for the few hours in which I'll be cooking by myself before anyone is up for Christmas, I'm thinking of putting on something to watch.

I was personally thinking The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya since it's set at Christmas but I was wondering if anyone else might have some movies/series episodes I could throw on to keep me busy.
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dtm42



Joined: 05 Feb 2008
Posts: 14084
Location: currently stalking my waifu
PostPosted: Tue Dec 24, 2013 11:39 pm Reply with quote
Is this really a proper recommendation thread for Christmas?

Tokyo Godfathers is the best Christmas anime I've ever seen. Can't go wrong with that. Except of course there is no dub, which may be an issue if you are trying to cook at the same time and cannot devote the necessary attention to the screen.

Just how do you plan to get a hold of whatever is recommended to you?
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Galap
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Joined: 07 Apr 2012
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PostPosted: Wed Dec 25, 2013 12:30 am Reply with quote
I'll preface by saying that everyone else I know hates it but I think that Itsudatte my Santa is really funny, because of its extremely rapid pace and timing, and manic sense of humor. It just fits very well with my sense of humor. I'd compare it a little to the Marx Brothers, which I really love too.
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zawa113



Joined: 19 Jan 2008
Posts: 7357
PostPosted: Wed Dec 25, 2013 3:24 am Reply with quote
Honestly for me, Tokyo Godfathers is like one stop Xmas shopping. I'm still trying to convince my mom to watch it (have been for years, but being sub only isn't helping), but it's got everything right about the holiday spirit. It's about three homeless people living in Tokyo who give literally everything they've got to try and find an abandoned baby's mother between Xmas eve and New Year's (New Year's having more significance in Japan than the US). The three heroes absolute selflessness is something I really don't see in a lot of Xmas specials from any country. In addition, we get to learn about the characters and about their families, so you the family aspect in there too. And, just for good measure, a little magic of a Christmas Miracle too. It's a shame we don't have more Christmas movies like this from any country, and that Tokyo Godfathers isn't more well known outside of the anime community or Japan. I can barely even remember one shot Xmas episode specials that lots of series tend to have, all my mind can think of when it hears "Christmas" and "anime" is Tokyo Godfathers.
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Kelly



Joined: 17 Nov 2003
Posts: 868
Location: New York City
PostPosted: Wed Dec 25, 2013 9:46 am Reply with quote
Agree that Tokyo Godfathers is the first thing that comes to mind. Very touching, sometimes funny, sometimes sad, often heartwarming and even exciting at the climax. Quite different from the other Satoshi Kon works I've seen.

Between Christmas and New Year's, I like to watch Haibane Renmei - a beautiful story about redemption and processing loss which ends on the Haibane's equivalent of New Year's Eve. Don't know what I'm going to do this year because of a combination of visitors this weekend and the holidays falling in the middle of the week.
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amagee



Joined: 08 Nov 2010
Posts: 333
Location: Orlando, FL
PostPosted: Wed Dec 25, 2013 12:45 pm Reply with quote
dtm42 wrote:
Is this really a proper recommendation thread for Christmas?

Tokyo Godfathers is the best Christmas anime I've ever seen. Can't go wrong with that. Except of course there is no dub, which may be an issue if you are trying to cook at the same time and cannot devote the necessary attention to the screen.

Just how do you plan to get a hold of whatever is recommended to you?


I had Tokyo Godfathers and that's what I chose. That covered the 5:00 a.m. to 7:00 a.m. time slot rather well.

Also, don't be such a scrooge.
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Tony K.
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Joined: 18 Nov 2003
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Location: Frisco, TX
PostPosted: Wed Dec 25, 2013 2:59 pm Reply with quote
dtm42 wrote:
Is this really a proper recommendation thread for Christmas?

Eh.. might as well make it so. We usually get at least 1 person asking for seasonal recommendations (Halloween, Christmas, or even the not-so-spiritual ones like Fathers/Mothers Day).

I've added this to the Recommendations index.
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Snomaster1
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Joined: 31 Aug 2011
Posts: 2793
PostPosted: Wed Dec 25, 2013 4:32 pm Reply with quote
Well,Mr. K.,I guess someone had to do it. I remember when I did those sorts of things. I wish you or someone else would bring those back.
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Tony K.
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Joined: 18 Nov 2003
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Location: Frisco, TX
PostPosted: Wed Dec 25, 2013 6:17 pm Reply with quote
Well, if someone wants to go through the trouble of finding all those old threads, I can merge them together and add them to the index.
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nobahn
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Joined: 14 Dec 2006
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PostPosted: Sun Jan 03, 2016 7:56 pm Reply with quote
So now it is 2016. My question: Did 2014-5 present any anime with an episode that somehow -- in a prominent fashion -- mentions Christmas? (Please, no unannotated listing; thank you.)
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FenixFiesta



Joined: 22 Apr 2013
Posts: 2581
PostPosted: Sun Jan 03, 2016 10:28 pm Reply with quote
nobahn wrote:
So now it is 2016. My question: Did 2014-5 present any anime with an episode that somehow -- in a prominent fashion -- mentions Christmas? (Please, no unannotated listing; thank you.)
for THAT recent, yeah I don't recall catching many shows mentioning xmas in any form, if it appears in slice of life or harem set up the punch line is about Christmas fried chicken and the latter is just an extra excuse for the male protag to get into hot water with the female cast be it metaphorical or literal.

The more amusing memory of a Christmas theme gag was during setokai Yakuindomo with the punchlinespoiler[ of the male lead receiving a vibrator from santa.]
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Night fox



Joined: 01 Oct 2014
Posts: 561
Location: Sweden
PostPosted: Sun Jan 03, 2016 11:10 pm Reply with quote
There's only 3 recommended anime so far in this thread, so I don't think Nobahn will strangle you for picking an older title, if you've got any that is. Wink
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RestLessone



Joined: 02 Aug 2009
Posts: 1426
Location: New York
PostPosted: Sun Jan 03, 2016 11:19 pm Reply with quote
nobahn wrote:
So now it is 2016. My question: Did 2014-5 present any anime with an episode that somehow -- in a prominent fashion -- mentions Christmas? (Please, no unannotated listing; thank you.)

Well, Osomatsu-san just had a Christmas special, with the entirety of the episode revolving around festivities in one form or another. Though it's not exactly what you'd call heartwarming Anime smile + sweatdrop

Tribe Cool Crew did, too, but it's a show that skews younger so it was a pretty by the numbers story. The last episode of Gugure! Kokkuri-san and episode 6 of Ping Pong also feature Christmas, though the latter may have been specifically Christmas Eve. Ping Pong is especially introspective so it's less about Christmas and more about where characters are in their life at that particular moment. The Disappearance of Nagato Yuki-chan, which I didn't watch, apparently has some Christmas-y episodes at the start.

Come to think of it, not a lot of anime seem to take place during winter, even if they are winter season anime.
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Gina Szanboti



Joined: 03 Aug 2008
Posts: 11306
PostPosted: Mon Jan 04, 2016 2:50 am Reply with quote
Hetalia had several Christmas episodes over the seasons (28, 31, 71, 72, 113). Everything from the Allies stranded on a beach on Christmas Eve to Christmas customs around the world and a missing Santa. Here's a sample.

There's also the amazing Christmas episode of Gintama at the end of the 3rd season in April with everyone as Santa. It's Gintama, do I need to say more?

Irresponsible Captain Tylor did a Christmas episode, but it pushed my being-stood-up buttons so hard I'm loathe to recommend it at all.

Perhaps the most apropos (if mildly sacrilegious) one would be Saint Young Men The Movie, which leads up to the Buddha trying to throw a surprise birthday party for Jesus, which even in secular Japan, is not exactly easy. :D

There's also the Kickstarter funded Santa Company from last year, about a girl named Noel trying to deliver a last minute package. The synopsis of this seems to have changed between the campaign and write-ups and the script that actually got animated, since I don't remember anything about her magically stumbling onto the Santa Company, or hating Christmas. iirc, she's always been in line to be an apprentice Santa or something. Anyway, it's not terrible, or marvelous, just mostly harmless and kids past believing in a one-and-only Santa might like it.
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Night fox



Joined: 01 Oct 2014
Posts: 561
Location: Sweden
PostPosted: Mon Jan 04, 2016 5:25 pm Reply with quote
Finding anime with a christmas theme is nearly impossible, so you need to grab whatever bits and pieces you can find. Here are a few titles that I believe noone has mentioned yet and that has one or more christmas episodes:

Episodes 17-19 of Toradora! explains Taiga's love for christmas, preparing the decorations and also includes the obligatory party and throws in a heartbreaking love triangle to boot. As John Hammond would say: "We spared no expense."

Episodes 21-25 of Kimi ni Todoke takes place between the days before christmas to new years eve. Episode 4 of Kids on the slope is nother christmas episode. They both deal with typical christmas elements such as romance, melancholic flashbacks, frienship and gift-shopping. The latter also has jazz music for those who dig that.

Episode 4 of Honey and Clover starts out a bit depressing, with Hagumi getting stressed out over an art piece she's working on. Later on a christmas party is held, partly to cheer her up, and the plot takes a more humorous turn. (ep 17 also has some christmas scenes in it, but is not really central to the plot.)
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