The holiday season is on its way, bringing a time of celebration and joy for all. As people look forward to some well-earned relaxation, anime fans may find openings in their Christmas vacation to catch up on their overdue watchlists. Of course, since this is a time unlike any other period of the year, audiences may want to pick up shows that fit the merry and jovial nature of the occasion.
Hulu subscribers looking for anime to suit the most magical time of year can enjoy the following recommendations, all wrapped up and left under the tree for yuletide viewers' pleasure.
Kimi ni Todoke
There's something romantic about the frost-laden moments of the calendar's final days. Christmas time has a strong association with love in Japan, so it's no surprise that holiday storylines abound in shoujo anime. Among the classics, Kimi ni Todoke stands out as a heartwarming addition to any lineup.
The series tells the story of shy high school student Sawako Kuronuma. While she longs to make friends, her long black hair and downward gaze scare people away, as they make her resemble Sadako from the horror movie The Ring. With the help of her classmates Chizuru Yoshida and Ayane Yano, as well as her romantic interest Shouta Kazehaya, she slowly learns to open up and express herself. The anime follows a largely seasonal progression, with the end of Season 1 surrounding Christmas and New Year's. These snowy scenes of young love are an excellent watch to help keep couples warm as they cuddle up together this winter. Stream it on Hulu.
Gintama
Laughter may be one of the best ways to stay toasty during the chilly days of Christmas. For a hilarious series with some creative and charming holiday specials, look no further than the shounen gag series Gintama. The anime takes place in Japan during an alternate history Edo period, where aliens have long since taken over and accelerated the progress of society. In the midst of this absurd setting, Gintoki Sakata runs an odd job service called "Gin's House of Ten-Thousand Businesses."
On top of some of the medium's wittiest and most action-packed comedy, Gintama has a number of winter episodes that are sure to hysterically heat things up. While Hulu only has the first 49 episodes of the 2006 series, it includes several seasonally appropriate stories, including one where Gintoki helps Santa rebrand himself in time for Christmas. The platform has both the original Japanese and the Sentai Filmworks English dub available.
Digimon Adventure 02
With presents and family all around, it's easy to feel like a kid again at Christmas time. That makes old favorites like Digimon a great nostalgic watch to get in touch with one's inner child. Digimon Adventure 02 in particular does a great job at this, as it passes the torch from the original Digidestined to a mostly new crew of fresh-faced young ones.
Furthermore, this second iteration of the franchise contains an adorable holiday special where Ken Ichijouji, the former Digimon Emperor, throws a Christmas party for his new friends. The episode also features a storyline containing all of the original members of the first series as the current generation of Digidestined help to reunite their predecessors with their Digimon partners. While Hulu only has the dubbed version of this series, available on Hulu, that makes somehow it even more authentic to the childhoods of those who grew up watching it.
Noragami
Since Christmas is all about magic and miracles, an anime that deals with the mystical side of life makes for quite the fitting match. Noragami straddles the line between lighthearted humor and occasionally eerie supernaturalism, providing a bit of something for everyone. Noragami is about Yato, a stray deity who takes on random jobs to steadily accrue followers and offerings. Accompanied by Hiyori Iki, a girl stuck between this life and the next, and his transforming familiar Yukine, Yato resolves problems from both the mundane world and mysterious realm.
Much of the series takes place during winter, so cozy fashion is a mainstay throughout a large portion of its run. While the anime contains no Christmas episode per se, there is a New Year's episode that touches on many similar themes while covering a holiday with even greater importance to Japanese culture. It can be viewed in either subtitled Japanese or dubbed English on Hulu, according to the viewer's preference.
Bakuman
Christmas isn't just about thinking back on years gone by, but about looking forward to the years ahead and the hopes represent. No matter what aspirations anime fans may be considering for their futures, Bakuman provides a journey of creative passion, fit to inspire anyone who sits down with it. Covering the careers of Moritaka Mashiro and Akito Takagi, an up-and-coming pair in the manga industry, Bakuman compliments the dreamy optimism of the season with a story about pursuing one's purpose.
Thanks to the lively cast of characters who grow alongside the two, the anime creates a relatable account of friendship, love and dedication. As the series spans a decade of the duo's vocational adventure, there are numerous holiday episodes to fill audiences with plenty of cheer, all of which can be viewed on Hulu. One episode in particular contains a sentimental carol that guarantees viewers a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.