CITY THE ANIMATION

Midori Nagumo couldn't care less about her future like any sensible college student should, and instead spends her time dragging everyone around her into absurd situations she didn't plan and can't escape. Her friend Ayumu Niikura just wants to become a photographer and live a normal life, but being anywhere near Midori makes that basically impossible. Throw in their friend Wako Izumi and a city full of people who are all slightly unhinged in their own way, and you get a show where literally anything can happen in a given scene. This is Kyoto Animation's return to original projects after six years, and they brought their A-game to something that's essentially a gag comedy about college kids doing nothing important. The animation is gorgeous in a way that makes the absurd punchlines hit even harder — there's something deeply funny about KyoAni's meticulous craft being used for a bit where someone gets chased through a park for no reason. The jazz-inflected soundtrack by the band Piranhans gives everything this laid-back energy that somehow makes the chaos feel cozy. If you liked Nichijou, this is from the same manga creator, and it carries that same DNA of mundane setups spiraling into surreal chaos. Fans of Azumanga Daioh or Daily Lives of High School Boys will recognize the vibe too — it's comedy built on characters bouncing off each other rather than any real plot. Thirteen episodes, pure comfort viewing, zero stakes, maximum weird.