Kara Dennison
May 27, 2024 
Got plans this Memorial Day? Great! Get out there and soak up some sun, enjoy time with friends and family, and start pre-gaming summer. Staying in or need a break? Then live vicariously through these anime! Whether you can’t go out over the weekend or simply don’t want to, they’ll bring the celebratory summer vibes to your TV room. Which will you be watching today?
Initial D – Motorsports Madness
Memorial Day is one of the biggest weekends of the year for motorsports. The Indy 500, Coca-Cola 600, and Monaco Grand Prix were all this weekend. Missed the big races? You can still enjoy some racing action—this time with a Eurobeat soundtrack! Initial D is a mainstay for both street racing enthusiasts and anime fans, following reluctant racer Takumi Fujiwara as he makes a name for himself on Mt. Akina.
Already watched (or rewatched) this anime classic recently? Then take on its sequel! MF GHOST centers on Takumi’s protege in a new era of racing. Plus, this series is getting a second season in the near future, so it’s a great time to get caught up!
Delicious in Dungeon – Beastly Barbecue
A backyard cookout with friends and family is a great way to spend Memorial Day. But we can’t all make it happen—whether it’s weather, distance from loved ones, or pesky schedules. As far as we’re concerned, the next best thing is living vicariously through another group of hungry friends and enjoying the beauty of a well-drawn food anime. There are plenty of those around, of course, but Delicious in Dungeon has a special place in our hearts.
Studio Trigger’s adaptation of the fantasy manga fries up treasure bugs, mimics, and more as Laios and his party dungeon-delve. The dwarf chef Senshi has become a fan favorite, cooking up impossible dishes each week. We’ve even caught ourselves craving kelpie thanks to this show…
Diary of Our Days at the Breakwater – Gone Fishin’
Fishing is another favorite Memorial Day pastime, with cities like Baton Rouge and San Francisco being rated as top fishing spots for the long weekend. Even if fishing isn’t really your thing, it’s always fun to watch anime characters go all in on a hobby. Diary of Our Days at the Breakwater is just one series about this specific pastime, all about country girl Hina Tsurugi making friends at her new school.
Hina joins the Breakwater Fishing Club not because she’s interested in fishing, but because she’s coerced and scared of an octopus. But between finding out her childhood friend is also a member and finding out she actually sort of likes fishing, she decides to stick around. With old and new friends, she learns to come out of her shell and enjoy her unexpected new hobby.
Feeling summery already? Catch up on these returning summer anime series!
