When it comes to the world of anime streaming services the usual big names come up first Chruncyroll, Funimation, and AnimeLab in certain parts of the world. Yet recently the big streaming sites have taken a stab at the anime streaming game Hulu partnered with Funimation and Netflix continues to acquire a small collection of great exclusives, but Amazon has proven they too can have a great category of animes including these 5 great exclusives.
1. After the Rain (Koi wa Ameagari no You ni)
Based on the manga by Jun Mayuzuki this anime follows Akira Tachibana a high school student who was the ace of the track team, but an injury led her to quit. She then found a job at a family restaurant where she finds herself falling in love with her 45-year-old manager. The anime explores the odd relationship that builds between these two one not based on physical attraction, but a more one built one support and genuine respect for each other resulting in a simple sweet romance anime with a unique art style that leaves the watcher with a smile on their face and wanting a sequal.
2. Grand Blue
Based on the manga of the same name by Kenji Inoue and Kimitake Yoshioka Grand Blue is the story of Iori Kitahara who recently moved into a new town to live with his uncle to attend the local university but finds himself forced to join diving club filled with crazy muscular senpais who love to drink and cause chaos. The anime focuses on Iori’s journey making new friends and finding a passion for the diving club, resulting in one of the funniest anime’s of 2018 due to the over the top and crazy face expression given to characters that had me pause episodes over how hard I was laughing.
3. Boarding School Juliet (Kishuku Gakkou no Juliet)
This anime is another version of the Romeo and Juliet story, but with a few twists. The protagonists are Juliet Persia and Romio Inzuka who both attend Grigio Academy boarding school a school located between two feuding countries and divides the students into two dorms based on their country of origin. The anime explores the classic love story as the two protagonists develop their love for each other in secret and must pretend to hate one another. Filled with moments of comedy and genuine romance this was a surprisingly decent romance anime that I would find myself re-watching in the future.
4. Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku (Wotaku ni Koi wa Muzakashii)
The protagonist Hirotaka Nifuji and Narumi Momose run into each other when Momose begins her new job at same company as Nifuji where they reunite and eventually decide to date each other since other did not understand their Otaku behavior. The anime follows this odd couple’s journey as friends to girlfriend and boyfriend whilst bonding over anime, manga, and games. This anime is the closest depiction to a real-life Otaku relationship where romance comes second and their passion for anime/games comes first, it also has one of the catchiest openings of 2018 which is a bonus.
5. Welcome to the Ballroom (Ballroom e Youkoso)
This anime is, surprisingly for some, a sports anime which explores the world of competitive dance as middle schooler Fujita Tatara gets saved from some delinquents by Kaname Sengoku and elite competitive dancer. After meeting Sengoku Tatara realizes he suddenly has a goal in life to be a