Anime and video games have always walked hand-in-hand. You can look as far back as the 1990s and see how anime and manga artists were brought on by RPG studios to work on character design. Since then, countless tie-in titles have been released to partner up with high-flying anime like Naruto, One Piece, Bleach, and Dragon Ball Z.
But this goes both ways, anime has been equally inspired by games. Not just tie-in titles like Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, Castlevania, Nier or Persona, but a good deal of modern anime that are taking off or proving popular have gaming at their core.
Two of this anime season's biggest titles fit that bill. Solo Levelling plays on the idea of a magical dungeon hunter being aided in quests by a video game system to improve his skills. The other is Shangri-La Frontier, which sees a gamer who usually plays awful games take on a truly brilliant AAA title in VR and have it take over his life.
These are both titles that appeal to broad audiences, breaking down a small boundary between general anime lovers and video game fans which, I’ll admit, is almost a Venn diagram. However, if you love games of all types and want to get into some great anime, you might be wondering where to start. After all, a quick browse of Crunchyroll, the leading anime streaming service, will show there are hundreds of options.
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So, as a self-confessed weeb, and an avid gamer of over 30 years, I wanted to take a moment to recommend some of the great anime currently showing, or recently finished, that will scratch the itch of offering up a gaming-like experience.
Shangri-La Frontier
This anime is just starting its second season and follows a character called Rakuro Hizutome, a guy who loves to play the worst games ever made. He adores ‘trash’ games - the more bugs and glitches, the better. Playing these games has made him an elite gamer and one day he seeks to try out a very good game instead and starts to play Shangri-La Frontier.
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What happens next isn’t a case of life and death and there are no world-shattering evils to thwart, it’s just an anime about a guy who loves games. And it’s clearly written by someone who knows gaming and gaming terminology and tropes inside out. You’ll find so many references to game mechanics and how they work, and it’ll remind you of some of the best RPGs you’ve played.
Solo Levelling
The gaming aspect of Solo Levelling comes from the near-death experience felt by Sung Jinwoo. He is a hunter, someone who enters mystical portals that have begun appearing across the world to harvest resources. He’s the worst hunter ever, a grade E who can barely hold a knife. However, after his brush with death, he starts to see a menu like a video game, and he starts completing tasks to level up.
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His strength builds, he grows taller and more muscular. His skills improve and while he’s still classed as a Rank E hunter, he can outperform and outbattle some of the best in the business. Gamers will recognise so many tropes from gaming here, from the act of levelling up, to the assignment of skills and buying weapons through menus. It’s bloody, brutal, and brimming with darkness.
Recovery of an MMO Junkie
Then there's the more light-hearted Recovery of an MMO Junkie which takes a look at a growing problem in the world of games, but does so with bags of heart. It’s often incredibly funny, especially if you’ve ever caught yourself thinking about an MMO, or gaming generally, while doing other things.
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It’s more of a ‘slice of life’ anime, than anything bursting with adventure and action, but the connection to gaming is one that proves to be an accessible entry point for those wanting to explore anime further. Morioka Moriko is a great protagonist and her dealings with every day life are often charming, especially when she begins to find love.
.hack//SIGN
It would be remiss of me not to include .hack//SIGN on this list as it’s probably one of the most popular examples of gaming infiltrating anime. It’s showing its age a little now, as it came out in 2002, but that does at least mean it’s finished and you can watch the whole thing. The show is a slow-burn mystery that takes place in ‘The World’, an MMO-style game. This is where Tsukasa awakens and begins to meet a variety of characters.
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It doesn’t feature much action, but what it does have is a wealth of great moments that focus on a strong cast of characters and some heavy and meaningful topics like anxiety, relationships, and escapism through media. This is definitely one to watch if you prefer the in-depth chats within RPGs over the combat.
Overlord
Lastly, I have to recommend Overlord. This anime plays off of both video games and tabletop RPGs. The former is represented by the concept; a popular MMORPG is scheduled to be shut down and a hardcore player, Momonga, refuses to log out. The latter comparison comes from the designs of the many monsters and the core mechanics and features you experience while watching.
With some tremendous world-building and a cast of unforgettable characters, Overlord does a great job of creating a place you want to experience as a game. I often left episodes just wishing there was an equivalent game for me to play, and that goes a long way to pulling you into the story. If you always find yourself loving the bad guy, or at least rooting for them, this one is for you as the villains are superb.
Topics: Anime, TV And Film, Opinion