This week’s list is a bit strange but I started wondering about how many anime actually used colours as part of their title and that took me down a meandering mental path that I won’t bore you with but the end result was this list. Essentially my favourite 5 anime that use any colour in the title. Now, to simplify things, I went with the English name of the anime (assuming they have one). Otherwise, my only other real consideration other than enjoyment was that the colour actually served some significant point in the story (symbolic or literal) and wasn’t just a random word thrown into the title. That, and I tried to avoid multiple titles with the same colour but that gave me a real headache trying to decide between Black Butler and Darker Than Black.
I’d love to know your favourite anime that uses a colour in the title so feel free to comment below.
Please Note – There will be spoilers below.
Honourable Mentions: Red Data Girl and Black Butler (sorry Sebastian, but I just couldn’t pass over Darker Than Black on the list).
Number 5: Blue Spring Ride
While I’m not a hopeless romantic I really did enjoy this story. The main character is kind of pitiful at the beginning as she endeavors to fit in by essentially denying her own character and then she kind of gets crushed when she reveals herself and is rejected, but the slow build-up from that low point is kind of sweet and the romantic element of the show is kind of adorable. Plus, when deciding between this or Blue Exorcist for the list (which were the two blue titles I narrowed it down to), Blue Exorcist just didn’t seem to have enough of a reason for the name other than the whole blue flame thing (though there might be some deeper reason I just overlooked).
Number 4: Golden Time
It might be hard to claim I’m not a hopeless romantic with some of the titles on this list, but I loved Golden Time. Banri was great as the lead and I liked that even though he was kind of the every guy he wasn’t a complete push over. He did break up with Koko when he realised she was using him, which actually slapped some sense into her (metaphorically) and allowed their relationship to progress more naturally after that point. Okay, he is a convenient amnesiac and the story doesn’t really work if you start applying too much logic to it (and what about Linda), but that doesn’t stop it being really kind of sweet.
Number 3: Snow White with the Red Hair
Okay, I like romance and romance apparently is full of anime with coloured titles. Besides, you had to know this one was coming on the list and it takes out two colours simultaneously, so points for being an over-achiever. Zen and Shirayuki are quite possibly my favourite anime couple ever. Basically, this one is adorable from start to finish and I’m completely in love with this anime which means the two anime coming are ones I am even more insanely in love with for various reasons and despite their flaws.
Number 2: Darker Than Black
As might have been obvious from my choice of this anime for my 100th review, I really love Darker Than Black. It is one of those anime I never get enough of rewatching. There are some cool characters with awesome powers and a storyline that makes you think (just don’t over think it because it won’t hold up to the scrutiny) and it is fun. The other thing I love about this anime is that it appeals to non-anime fans and I’ve managed to convince quite a number of people to watch it with me over the years given there are minimal moments where you have to use the “it’s anime” excuse for something on the screen. Considering all the other anime out there with black in the title, this should have been a hard decision but Darker Than Black is not just one of my favourite anime with a colour in the title, it is one of my favourite anime of all time.
Number 1: D Gray Man
But what beats Darker Than Black? Allan Walker and one of the most misery inducing stories I’ve ever watched and loved every single minute of. D Gray Man ran for 103 episodes before leaving us mid-narrative, completely stranded. The story returned in D Gray Man Hallow with new character designs and a brighter colour scheme in general but it just continued on as if 8 years hadn’t passed. And then it was only 13 episodes and gone again barely progressing the plot. Despite all of that and everything this show has done to drive me away, I’m still in love with this story. Partially, it is because I watched it when I hadn’t seen such a huge amount of anime but mostly it is because of what the show puts Allan Walker through and how he responds to it. He isn’t the happy-go-lucky protagonist who occasionally snaps. He isn’t a shouter. He isn’t a calm and collected genius. Nor is he simply a crazy berserker. Allan is a person in every way and a person who has been through some of the worst experiences imaginable and somehow is still mostly nice but has an undeniable dark streak (just try playing cards with him to see that in action). Following Allan, I’ve laughed, I’ve cried, I’ve stared in stunned shock at the screen, I’ve yelled at him, I’ve supported him, and to be honest he is a character that I will never get over. The show has its rough edges and doesn’t appeal to everyone, but it is most definitely one of my favourite anime ever.
So there’s my list. What would have included on yours?
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A fan of D.Gray-Man!!
One of my first animes, one of the reasons i got into anime in the first place!
And Hallow covering the alma karma arc! I wasnt happy with the first ep of hallow though. It had alot of issues and missed some content, but it got better.
A few weeks ago i actually got a tattoo of Allens curse mark, on my arm though, not my face!
The first episode of Hallow wasn’t terrible, but it wasn’t brilliant either. I think if I hadn’t been such a huge fan of D Gray Man I may have just given up on that continuation after that episode, however it was D Gray Man. Glad I kept watching because that was quite the ride.
Do people endlessly ask you what your tattoo is of?
Oh ALL the time! I mostly get concern because the tail pokes out of my shirt and its completely red.
One person gasped because of the upside down star! XD
Yea i was so new to anime watching dgm. I didnt even know what dubbed was!
Interesting topic and nice choices! I like Redline.
Fun topic! Silver Spoon and Redline are the two that immediately come to mind for me. If I can stretch it a bit I’d also throw Noir in there, since that’s “black” in French. I’m happy to own all three of those on disc.
Nice choices. Thanks for sharing.
No room for White Box (Shirobako) in this list?
It probably belongs in the list but it is one of my need to get around to anime. It’s been sitting in the list getting closer to the top for awhile but somehow I just never get around to it.
I also have to echo raistlin0903’s Orange. I’m hoping the sequel/spin-off manga is picked up soon.
Perfect Blue looks like a decent candidate
Great choice! I really enjoyed all of them, heck if we take out the Shoujo (sorry, not really my favourite genre) ones, then we have some of my preferred series, with Darker than Black being at the top (Golden Time is very near though).
Oh, yeah. Actually forgot to say mine… welp, nothing comes to mind right now. Sorry, my memory is everything but reliable. I think it wouldn’t really change from yours though (maybe the Shoujos… but that’s just because I’m not one of the people these shows are aimed at).
I usually don’t take to them either. These ones are a part of the very small handful I watched all the way through.
The only Shoujo I liked, where the ones in which the romance wasn’t the main focus or there were some other elements I liked.
Sometimes I feel weird and want to watch them though, I remember that while watching Ao Haru Ride I felt so refreshed, and it totally focuses on romance. While I didn’t like much Red Haired Snow White, even Akatsuki no Yona wasn’t too enjoyable (still better than most Shoujo for me though), and yet this latter one has more action than romance.
I’ll never understand how my brain works.
I’m a big fan of Darker than Black. Other titles with colors that come to mind would be Black Butler…and that’s it, I think. My memory’s not the best, sorry.
There’s a lot of Black out there. Darker Than Black, Black Blood Brothers, Black Butler, Black Cat, etc, etc. I probably could have filled a whole list with that so I decided to limit myself to one title per colour.
Ohh Black Cat! Yep, that one was great. And maybe Ao no Kanata too.
Fair enough. Black would get an advantage otherwise.
WordPress is acting up very strangely today. One of my own posts that I published 10 minutes ago, does not show up in the reader for some weird reason. And for another weird reason I can’t see comments on this post in the reader. Oh well…one of those days I guess.
This was actually a pretty easy question for me to answer for a change: without a doubt: Orange. I loved that series…can’t help it 😊 Probably not a very big surprise to know that I have yet to see any of the series on your list. Aargh, so frustrating sometimes, but in the other hand also very nice to know that I have a lot of cool stuff that I have still yet to see 😊
Orange didn’t do much for me but I know a lot of people loved it and it certainly has a colour in the title.
WordPress has been doing some odd things with my notifications over the last couple of days too. Hopefully everything returns to normal soon.
Blue Spring Ride, Golden Time, and Snow White are all among my favorites… I especially remember one of Ride’s closing lines: “But it’s more fun when we make a lot of noise together!”.
I’m curious as to whether or Silver Spoon was on your list for consideration?
I haven’t actually watched Silver Spoon. It is on my list of anime to try at some point but it isn’t a high priority for me because I don’t think it is my kind of thing. That said, I’ll probably get to it at some point.
Nice