As we recently announced, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members can now get 75-days free of Crunchyroll Mega Fan, a premium subscription for the global anime brand. However, with over 1,300 titles in the catalog, which ones should you watch first?
With that question in mind, we scoured the archives for shows that Xbox players will want to start watching now – these are gaming-themed animations and can serve as a great entry point into the otaku world.
Animes Based on Game Franchises
Persona 5 The Animation – Episodes: 28
‘Persona 5 The Animation’ follows the same story as the game, featuring the teenager Ren Amamiya, who lives a normal life in Tokyo during the day but roams the city at night with his group of friends, the Phantom Thieves, as they awaken entities known as Personas. They enter the minds of corrupt and malevolent individuals to change their hearts.
Fans of the series can also watch the anime ‘Persona 4 The Golden Animation’, an adaptation of the game with the same name, currently available on Game Pass, as is Persona 5 Royal.
Nier: Automata Ver1.1a – Episodes: 12 (season one)
An adaptation of the acclaimed action game Nier: Automata, which depicts planet Earth in a distant future where humanity has taken refuge on the Moon after an invasion of mechanical alien beings. The anime presents its own interpretation of the game’s events, with some changes to the plot, but still revolves around the android soldiers 2B and 9S, who are on Earth to investigate mysterious phenomena. The first season has recently concluded, with a second season already announced.
Dragon Quest: The Adventures of Dai – Episodes: 101
‘The Adventures of Dai’ is not based on any particular game, but it contains many elements found in iconic JRPG franchise, Dragon Quest. It follows the story of Dai, a human who lives among monsters who has his life changed when an ancient Dark Lord is resurrected, leading him to become a warrior with the mission of saving the world.
The anime will also serve as inspiration for a new game in the Dragon Quest series; Infinity Strash: Dragon Quest The Adventures of Dai will be released later this year on Xbox and Windows PC.
Anime with a Gaming Theme
Just because an anime isn’t an adaptation of a famous franchise doesn’t mean it can’t also be about video games. The following titles uses gaming culture as a backdrop to tell their stories:
New Game! – Episodes: 24
This anime presents a situation that is not often explored, showing the daily life of a game development studio through the eyes of the protagonist Suzukaze Aoba, a rookie artist who joins the team working on the sequel to her favorite game, the fictional Fairies Story 3.
Gamers! – Episodes: 12
The story of ‘Gamers!’ revolves around a group of students who come together out of their passion for video games in a school club. With plenty of humor, the animation focuses on the different types of relationships each of them has with the hobby, whether it’s a competitive spirit or simply to spend time having fun.
How to Redeem the Crunchyroll Mega Fan Subscription with Game Pass Ultimate Perk
Game Pass Ultimate members who are new or returning to Crunchyroll Mega Fan will be eligible to claim the 75-day free trial (not valid for previous trial users in the past year) through the Perks gallery on their Xbox console, on the Xbox app for Windows PC, or through the Xbox Game Pass mobile app on iOS and Android. Once the Perk is claimed, members will be directed to the Crunchyroll site to activate their subscription. Make sure you claim this offer by October 20, 2023!
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