Whether you want to admit it or not, you are a geek. The word is one which may be new to you, but don’t fear its once-damning connotation. Time has been friendly to the word geek over the years, turning the low-level insult into a bonafide compliment. Everyone is a geek over something may it be comics or fantasy football. In the anime world, shows depict its geeks in every size and shape – and there are a lot of them.
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The anime industry is not once that has shied away from its geek status. The Japanese medium celebrates geekdom no matter its origin, and it owes a lot of thanks to various fandoms as such. When anime got its big break in the U.S. back in the 1990s, counter-culture geeks were the ones pushing western franchises to import Dragon Ball Z VHS tapes. Both kids and adults were then folded into a growing geek community who obsessively caught up on all things anime. And, as those geeks then tapped into other hobbies, anime was quick to adapt
If you are not familiar with anime, then you should know the medium is one which focuses on niche topics. You can find an anime for almost any hobby whether it be sports or card games. The anime industry aimed to bring geeks from all walks of life into its demographic by putting them on screen. Anime titles are filled with characters of passionately follow a single hobby, and fans have come to love many of their on-screen counterparts. Here at ComicBook, we are counting down some of the most geek-centric anime series which go hard on one pastime alone.
Summer Wars
Created in 2009, Summer Wars is a one-off anime which tells the story of an odd math genius. Kenji is a tested prodigy when it comes to academics, but the student find himself cornered when he is accused of making a life-threatening AI program. Summer Wars then follows Kenji and his unwitting comrades as they try to discover the origins of OZ’s AI threat. The pursuit puts Kenji’s brains to the test as he’s forced to solve complex hacks, and the audience itself is even quizzed along the way. If you’re into logic games, then Summer Wars has enough puzzlers to keep you busy for a solid weekend.
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Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters
Card games are not new to the anime world, but they would not be so popular today if it weren’t for Yu-Gi-Oh! In 2000, Studio Gallop brought the now-iconic card game series to life on the small screen with Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters. The anime follows a young boy named Yugi as he and his friends sharpen their Duel Monsters skills in skirmishes. The overall series features storylines about corporate greed and godly possession, but Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters is predominantly focused with card game strategy. Most if the episodes feature Yugi and his friends going head-to-head against players as they try to listen to the heart of their cards. So, if you have any interest at all in card games or collections, you will want to give this anime a shot.
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.Hack//Sign
In the world of video game anime, there are few titles are well-known as .Hack//Sign. The anime debuted back in 2002, and it was one of the first titles set in an online MMORPG universe. The story follows a boy named Tsukasa after he finds himself trapped in the anime’s titular game. The character is unable to log out of his profile thanks to a bout of memory loss, so Tsukasa meets up with other players who offer to help him regain his memories. .Hack//Sign truly encompasses the feel of living within a fantasy world, and it even touches on the importance of online friends. Even with its bittersweet ending, the anime stands as one of anime’s best explorations of video game culture to date.
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The World Only God Knows
As this list’s most recent entry, The World Only God Knows is all about wit and cute girls. The anime tells the story of a boy named Keima who is a god in the gaming fandom. Known as the ‘God of Conquest,’ Keima is an expert at otome girls. The boy’s expertise with dating simulators has led him to capture the hearts of fictional girls, so he is put at a loss when a demon named Elise tasks him with wooing real-life women. The anime explores and debunks ongoing myths about dating sim culture while enticing audiences with hilarious dating hijinks. And, of course, Keima is witty enough to keep fans coming back for more episodes.ย
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