I honestly love reviewing anime for my friends because so many of them come to me asking what they should watch next. I honestly am a bit niche on what I like and picky in regards to what I can actually enjoy from an anime. My tastes include more mature storylines that aren't heavy on fanservice and include supernatural elements. I really can't stand most slice-of-life or moe. That being said let's dive in.
This list will be my top 3 picks for the month.
(1.) Kokkoku (8/10) - still airing
Description: "Juri Yukawa lives with her NEET father and brother, her retired grandfather, her sister and her young nephew. One day, her nephew and brother are kidnapped for ransom. Having only 30 minutes to meet the demands of the kidnappers, Juri, who realizes there is not enough time to prepare the money, decides to head for their rescue by herself with a knife in hand when her grandfather uses a mysterious stone passed on in the Yukawa family to stop time. In a world where everyone and everything are inert, Juri and her father and grandfather run to rescue the two. But at the kidnappers' hideout, they soon realize they are not the only ones who can move about in this still world..."
why you should watch this: This anime really captures the imagination from the first episode. You are given just enough to push you into episode two which really does a lot of world-building in a short time. There is a heavy focus on a lore built around the concept our reality isn't as solid as it seems. In a reality where you can stop time and manipulate the world what is possible? It's a lot of fun to understand the rules of this world and its characters and it has tons of mystery and slight horror elements.
(2.) Junji Ito Collection (7/10) still airing
Description: "A collection of animated horror stories based on the works of Japanese artist Junji Ito. Stories from both the 11-volume Ito Junji Kessaku-shuu series and the Fragments of Horror book will be adapted."
why you should watch this: Ito Junji is famous enough that you have probably seen his work and never realized it. You would be hardpressed to look up horror imagery and not come across his work. Junji Ito has a way of capturing what makes us the most uncomfortable and delivering it in a delicous and warped way. This anime adaption is not as good as the manga, but it is still a treat to watch. I especially love how they tried to maintain the look of the manga while adapting it.
(3.) Darling in the Franxx (7/10) still airing
Description: "The story is set in the distant future. The land is ruined, and humanity establishes the mobile fort city Plantation. Pilots produced inside Plantation live in Mistilteinn, also know as the "birdcage." Children live there knowing nothing of the outside world or the freedom of the sky. Their lives consist of battling to carry out missions. Their enemies are mysterious giant lifeforms known as Kyōryū, and the children pilot robots called Franxx to face off against them. For the children, riding the Franxx proves their existence. A boy named Hiro is called Code:016, and he was once known as a prodigy. However, he has fallen behind, and his existence seems unnecessary. Not piloting a Franxx is the same as ceasing to exist. One day, a mysterious girl known as "Zero Two" appears before him. Two horns grow out of her head."
why you should watch this: While the other two are horror and mystery-themed this one is simply a fun action based anime. It comes from studio Trigger which only delivers gold. While it can border on ecchi at times the characters are great as always with a release from this company. It honestly reminds me a lot of Gurren Laggan which is a major compliment. I can't wait to see what happens with these characters and learn more about the foreboding places people who aren't viewed as being good enough are sent. Get ready for some amazingly animated fights and lots of stylized robots and characters.
Descriptions were taken from https://myanimelist.net/