5 anime you can chill to if you’re suffering from post-Valentine’s day blues

Valentine’s day is considered to be the holiday of love and couples all around the world. Some prefer to go out on exciting dates, stay in and watch a movie or just have a romantic dinner. Some, however don’t have a significant other and just find the whole thing depressing and somewhat annoying. The days after it can be as worse as a hangover, a blessing in disguise, that it’s already over, or just a chill happy time. In any and all cases, relaxation is important. Here’s my 5 anime picks to chill after Valentine’s is over:

• 3-gatsu no lion

Starting off this list is March comes in like a lion, in all of its wonderful animation and many interconnecting themes. We follow the story of Rei who in a way tries to get his life back together after dedicating it to shogi. The anime follows it all: pressure he feels after going pro in middle school and the warm interactions between him and the Kawamoto family, who seems to help him return to a more normal life and both mental and physical state. 3-gatsu no lion is hard hitting in all aspects: from depression to feelings of loneliness, bullying, the warmth of (found) family, all portrayed through delicious food and touching soundtrack and animation. 2 seasons of both heart wrenching moments and sweetness that makes its home as the never leaving warm feeling. While not the brightest show on the list, it gives off the feeling of love and hope that come in more shapes than one.

• Turning girls

Turning girls is an anime following 4 friends and various turns in life that they go through due to their quirks and personalities, all while balancing their hobbies with their boring work. From the cheerful idol wannabe who in fact is just as tired and bored as all of us (conveyed through one of the most entertaining songs ever made); a goth girl who looks like she’s calm and aloof, but is actually super intense when it comes to her interests; the voice of reason with in the group who is a hardcore fujoshi in secret and would rather die than anyone found out; and last but not least, a girl who is as nice as she is oblivious to all kinds of attention from guys she receives (much to the chagrin of her jealous single friends). It’s a quick and fun ride that is guaranteed to make you feel better and snort in relatability.

• Binbougami da!

What would you do if a god of misfortune appeared before you and proclaimed that she’s going to steal your luck before other people die from utter lack of it? Why, fight back for your comfortably lucky lifestyle, of course! Ichiko Sakura is blessed, until the point that the goddess of misfortune, Momiji Binboda, enters her life in all of her gloomy glory. And so, an epic fight ensues! Or more of a hilarious comedy filled with all sorts of jokes and anime references…

• Fune wo amu

Have you ever thought about how dictionaries are made and how the seemingly countless words are even picked? Probably not really, nevertheless, Fune wo amu follows a story of a person who decides to help out in such a task, with all the help he can get. The only thing Mitsuya Majime excels at is his careful personality and love for words. Where he lacks in social interractions, Masashi Nishioka makes up more than enough, despite not really working in the dictionary making department, he helps out making “The great passage” nevertheless. The anime explores how one goal brings all sorts of characters together and how different people can find solace and enjoyment in working together. From interpersonal drama, their personalities and relationships, Fune wo amu follows their journey to the end.

• Ascendance of a Bookworm

A love of books is something that is very universal and true to many, not matter the genre or type of book. One such book lover is Urano Motosu who wakes up in an unknown place after nearly fulfilling her wish of becoming a librarian, yet losing her life in an incident. While it is unknown whether it was the job of the infamous truck-kun or not, she soon remembers that the body she’s in is not her own. She has reincarnated into the body of a frail and sickly girl named Myne. While it should come with more questions and worries, she immediately sets her focus on her past goal of reading more books in the next life. What she has yet to realize is that Myne comes from a medieval era where the printing press is nowhere in sight, so her only choice is to make books herself with the help of her family and new found friends. One of the things that drew me in was the creation aspect of the anime, mainly that Myne has to make her own inventions using the knowledge that she has accumulated, but explain it to the people around her as well, giving it a somewhat Dr. Stone or Isekai slime vibe, and us, the pleasure to see her find means to make various things- from a simple hairpin, to pancakes, nothing can stop our protagonist in the quest to obtain more books, all except her mysterious fever.