There comes a time when you come across a show that just reminds you why you love the genre and medium in the first place. It’s easy to get burnt out due to the deluge of shonen fare and high-budget action shows coming out, even with some bright spots here and there.

City The Animation’s first season (on Prime Video Malaysia), an adaptation of the manga of the same name by Nichijou mangaka Keiichi Arawi, is that one show that exemplifies and reinvigorates anybody’s passion for the genre, mine included.

…That Never Sleeps

City The Animation is just what the title alludes to: a bunch of stories and slice-of-life tales from different groups and folks all from the same city they’re living in, with a good dose of surrealism thrown in for effective measure. In one corner, you have the trio of sophomores: the energetic and go-getter Midori Nagumo who is always chasing money, freshman Ayumu Niikura who is also getting by and always gets wrapped up with her senpai Midori’s schemes. And then you have Wako Izumi, a “space cadet” who lives in her own world while also satelliting close to Midori and Niikura, while also getting into her own escapades. She’s also good with a camera and loves to lay traps for her playful schemes.

You also have the Makabe family led by patriarch Tsurubishi who runs his own family restaurant and has two kids: the high school male Tatewaku with his own hang-ups and school crushes, and Matsuri who just wants to play with her best friend Ecchan.  The duo go on their own after-school activities which consist of dicking around the city while coming up with their own harmless games, always in sync with each other’s thoughts and actions.

Wako also has a sister named Riko who is most likely a narcoleptic while also somehow getting people to fawn for her (most especially Tatewaku), leading to a bunch of hijinxes. There’s also a duo named Oni and Todoroki who work for a publication via their manga series Mr Bummer, a playwright who happens to have four cryptids accompanying him like a fighting monkey(?), a soccer team Tatewaku is part of that happens to be terrible, the Adatara family, the rich Tanabe family, and the Tanabe butler who expresses people’s gratitude by putting them in chains and locking them up in a tower filled with luxurious amenities and food. And yes, all these numerous folks cross paths and even have sole episodes dedicated to all of them together.

This may seem like a chaotic way of telling a story, but Kyoto Animation does a great job at introducing them bit by bit while making sure the comedy and visual work lands. And boy, do they ever. One minute you have the Tsurubishi’s family restaurant handling a crisis involving accidentally dropping fried noodles in someone’s bag, the next you have Niikura frantically getting her precious pendant back from a cat/dog/rabbit hybrid. And then there’s an escape sequence from the aforementioned pleasure tower that leads to one of 2025’s best use of manga panels in an anime. There’s even a bit involving a mythical Japanese creature called a Tsuchinoko adopted by one of the soccer players just because.

Kyoto Animation proves that they still got it animation-wise, delivering bright and colourful visuals, expressive characters already charming enough from their manga counterpart, and beautifully-framed and animated sequences of even the most mundane and normal of situations accompanied with choice music and audio (or lack thereof in key sequences).

…Of Angels

City The Animation is a joy to watch if you need a lovely dose of slice-of-life anime with gorgeous visuals, inventive compositions, and non-sequitors aplenty. Enthusiasts who feel that comedy anime has peaked with Azumanga Daioh, Nichijou, or even Nokotan (if your standards are THAT low) will have their viewpoint altered by just experiencing an episode or two of this gem of a show.

Kyoto Animation has proven that they have yet to lose their touch, delivering the best visual gags and energy you can ask for and more out of a bright comedy series filled with so many positive vibes. This is especially apparent with the first episode’s intro, the aforementioned Episode 5 panels combination bit, and the entirety of Episode 9 that’s just the author’s take on It’s A Mad, Mad Mad, Mad World. Not only that, but you also get a cute diorama-filled ending sequence, with even some episodes adding in more scenes post-credits.

Anime these days tend to get dour with shows like Takopi’s Original Sin and the dozens of shonen series from a few years back regurgitating already-sorted-out plotlines in different guises. City The Animation is a fuzzy-feeling and heartwarming breath of fresh air amidst 2025’s catalogue of anime, one highly recommended for all ages. It’s the perfect cure for the common shonen.

Final Score: 100/100

Sub VS Dub?

Both are done very well; I highly suggest spending time with both the Japanese VO and English VO work. The latter did their best and more in keeping up with the pace of the show while also adding their own inflection and spin to it.