The winter 2020 season of anime is certainly full to the brim with a ton of anime worth looking into. From “Demon Slayer” to “My Hero Academia” season four, fans of anime have a ton to watch this season (after they study and do their homework, of course).
That said, I want to direct your attention to an anime that while not as popular as “My Hero Academia” or “Demon Slayer,” is worth checking into.
“Seton Academy: Join the Pack!” follows the adventures of Jin Mazama, a student who is not a fan of animals due to an incident that happened to him when he was a kid, but has to attend a school whose population is composed of almost entirely animals. Now where have I heard that plot before…
There, Jin meets a pink wolf named Ranka Okami. Jin has actually met Ranka before, as when he was a kid he saved her from a sleuth of bears, only to get beat up. While this caused Jin to hate animals, it caused Ranka to believe that animals of different species can get along together.
Ranka gets her wish via a cooking club Jin and Hitomi, the only other human students at Seton, set up. From there, the trio meet Yukari Komori, a koala; Miyubi Shisho, a three-toed sloth; Kurumi Nekomai, a cat; and Mei Mei, a panda who is extremely popular and self-centered.
Other than the fact that the plot is similar to the old Cartoon Network show “My Gym Partner’s a Monkey,” I really didn’t know what to expect from this show, but honestly, I like it.
The characters are likeable and memorable. Although Jin can be a jerk sometimes, he does come through to help out the cooking club.
The show is full of funny moments from the first episode where Jin meets Ranka to the episode where Ranka’s sister visits the cooking club and wants Ranka to return home.
I also like the reasoning as to why Jin has to go to the school in the first place more than “My Gym Partner’s a Monkey.” Jin has to go to Seton because there are fewer humans then humanoid creatures, Adam (the main character of “My Gym Partner’s a Monkey”) had to go to the all animal school because his last name was “Lion” and they thought he was an actual lion. Yeah, that joke really didn’t age well and why Adam didn’t sue is beyond me…
While I know many will have their eyes on the more popular anime this season, I do suggest that anime lovers new and old do check out “Seton Academy.” Despite the similar plot to an old Cartoon Network show, it seems to execute it better and in a way that makes it feel original and more interesting.
You can stream “Seton Academy: Join the Pack!” on the Crunchyroll website, or anyone of Crunchyroll’s apps on your
smartphone or gaming console.