Kara Dennison
March 3, 2021 
Marvel’s WandaVision is coming to an end… and we’re not ready. We’ve thrown ourselves fully into the Disney+ sitcom/drama/horror(?) series, and the realization that it’s on the outs has us a little messed up. As with all things, we turn to anime. And we’re not exactly sure how we’re going to do this, but we’re going to build a playlist to make us feel better.
We’ve taken the core elements of the show and tried to find anime that hit those sweet spots. The result is kind of weird… but we’re standing by it. If nothing else, these should distract us until the next movie.
Marvel Goodness: Iron Man
Obviously one of the biggest selling points of WandaVision is that heavy MCU goodness. There’s even more lore getting thrown at us in this series than we expected, and that’s saying something. Fortunately, there are four actual Marvel anime series to choose from. For our money, we’re going for Iron Man.
The series is part of the Madhouse Universe, where the studio took on four Marvel properties. With the return of Iron Man, Tony Stark travels to Japan to train up his replacements and test out a new Arc Reactor. But an organization called Zodiac has gotten their hands on the new Iron Man Dio Armor, and plans are afoot that require Stark to come out of retirement.
Classic TV Tributes: Anime-Gataris
WandaVision seats its wild story in a love of sitcoms. Starting from the 1950s and coming all the way up to the 21st century, it offers us takes on each decades quirks and style. So we need a series that does the same for anime, right? There are plenty of those, but Anime-Gataris is particularly enthusiastic about its tributes.
The majority of the series looks like your typical hobby anime with references aplenty. But as you approach the series finale, you’ll see why in particular it made this list. Let’s just say the references and tributes get a lot more on the nose.
Bizarre Dream World: Sarazanmai
Saying Sarazanmai has something in common with WandaVision, much less anything, feels a little weird. The Kunihiko Ikuhara joint is a bizarre tale of kappas, otters, smartphones, and soccer. But the two do share at least one element: a dream world where reality feels both symbolic and subjective, with media as a predominant element.
Actually, there are another few things the shows share, but they all count as spoilers for both series. Suffice to say, the presence of kappas and a certain body part fixation aren’t shared across the two series.
What will you be watching when WandaVision closes out?
