Good Bye Summer!

Summer is starting to fade away. The blistering heat of the day is tempered little by little by the clear, chilly nights. Leaves on the trees have begun to yellow and become a little dry and crispy. They flutter to the ground and make crinkly sounds as they are walked on. The mornings are laced with fog and mist, yet the afternoons still need sunglasses. For many this is the last scramble to get what ever Summer fun they can find. These are the last days for barbecues, for splashing at lakes, rivers, and shores. It’s the last of the Summer festivals, the snow cones, the grilled corn, and out door concerts. It will be three more seasons before the return of sun rosied cheeks and noses, the pitter patter sound of sprinklers spraying unnaturally green lawns, and grannies donning over sized sun hats. As Summer slips away and pumpkin spice starts to fill the air, it’s not just barbecuers and Summer festival goers that should squeeze in one last Summer experience! There’s still plenty of anime with a Summery feel that’s out there waiting for us otaku too! So if you live for the Summer and are sad to see it fade away, here’s some anime that might brighten your day!

Non Non Biyori

Non Non Byori is a cute anime about cute girls doing cute things! In the enchanting countryside of Asahigaoka, this small troupe of girls spends their days going to the quite empty rural school (there’s only five students!) and hanging out in the tiny down town area nearby. The lush green country setting, the glistening rice fields, and the bright sunny characters definitely gives this slice of life comedy anime the feel of perpetual early Summer. And with the fun and silly adventures the girls get themselves involved in, it’s a wonderful anime to pass the time and dream of brighter days.

A Lull in the Sea

A Lull in the Sea is an anime about a small group of students that are sent from their under water village to attend school in a fishing town nearby. There’s a level of animosity between the town’s people and the people from the under water village because the fishing town was founded by people that had abandoned the under water village and thrown away the magic that make it possible to live under water. Though the students have different points of view and levels of anger toward the fishing town, varying from very angry to doesn’t really care, a crush between an under water village girl and a fishing town boy still manages to blossom! And with so many scenes set on, near, or under the sea, not to mention that every episode seems to be colored as if it were a seaside watercolor painting, this anime has a wonderful relaxing vibe of a lazy Summer day at the beach.

One Piece

Nothing says eternal Summer (I mean, other than Free! Eternal Summer) like the anime One Piece! What could be more Summery than pirates sailing on the high seas, the hot wind filling their sails and the crystal blue sky stretching to the horizon? Would a Summer even be complete without the inclusion of an intrepid ship and crew hopping from one island to the next, hunting for adventure in the sunshine, and searching for an epic treasure left behind by a legendary pirate captain? Though the Straw Hat crew does travel to some destinations that are cold, or even completely frozen, most of the series is set in locations that are quite Summery. So If the sun as already hidden away where you are and you’re craving a little virtual sun tan, check out One Piece!