March 11, 2020 | Awake & Dreaming

If you’ve never watched anime before, where have you been? In case you didn’t know, anime is the Japanese word for animation, and essentially refers to anything animated. This can be film, TV, comic books, graphic novels, etc. It tends to have a distinctive style of animation compared to, say, Disney. But anime is also very popular internationally, with many films and TV shows translated for a global audience to enjoy.

If you’re intrigued by anime and want to see what it’s all about, here are some suggestions to get you started.

Spirited Away

Spirited Away is one of the most well-known anime films, it was even nominated for an Oscar back at the 2003 Academy Awards. The story centers around a young girl named Chihiro, whose parents are turned into pigs by a witch, leaving the hero to get a job at the witch’s bathhouse to help free them. Highly rated and highly recommended, it’s a wonderful family watch that can ease you into the world of anime. Need further convincing? Read the Rotten Tomatoes reviews here.

Kite Liberator

Kite Liberator is an anime movie series that’s had people hooked for years. Available online, Kite Liberator is the second in the film series, set 10 years after the first one. Featuring a mixture of space and assassins, it’s a fast-paced adventure that will give you a fantastic introduction into the world of anime. Why not watch both movies back to back and make a movie night of it?

Howl’s Moving Castle

Howl’s Moving Castle is a wonderful anime film that is very popular amongst children and adults. The English-language version of the film has an amazing cast that includes Christian Bale, Billy Crystal and Lauren Bacall, in case you need more of a reason to watch it. Featuring magic, war and a cute owl, the story focuses on Sophie, who is turned into an older woman and along her journey to be changed back, joins the resistance against the kingdom’s ruler. It’s the ideal movie to enjoy as a family and will show you just how great anime can be.

Vampire Knight

Want to enjoy something a bit grittier? Then Vampire Knight is a great series, especially if you love classic YA movies and TV like Twilight and Buffy. The series is set in a school which is attended by both vampire and humans, but the twist is that the humans are unaware that there are vampires – with the usual high school drama added in. A fun series to get into, you’ll soon be hooked!

Discovering new movies is fantastic, and if you can find a new genre that you love, then even better! Anime will open up a whole new world, introducing you to all kinds of exciting series and movies. Need further inspiration for your movie-watching? Take a look at this big list of movies to give you some ideas of things to watch today.

So, you have guests over but it’s midday. You are not having a dinner party so much as a gathering for something. Maybe it’s to watch sports, to meet old friends that you plan on keeping for dinner. Maybe you’re meeting your boss from work to go over some plans for your future role. It could be for any reason, but whatever it is, having the best entertaining snacks is important to the mood and ambiance. Planning for dinner parties isn’t easy but it’s not tough either, as there are a colossal amount of options. But if your guests have arrived at lunchtime, what kind of snacks should you present to them? Anything but cheese and tomato sandwiches and you’re good.

A Mediterranean classic

If there is one culture on this planet that is known for making the best lunchtime snacks, it’s the Mediterranean culture. This laid back, sunny climate is full of excellent recipes of food that tastes great but doesn’t fill you up completely to the point you want to take a nap.

Flatbread specials: Buy some high-quality wholemeal flatbread. Toasting the flatbreads will get them to open up naturally. Pour some chili olive oil into them and allow the oil to soak into the bread. Then, serve half slices of flatbread with Morrocan hummus, aubergine dip, spicy tzatziki sauce and perhaps a topping of chili cherry tomatoes, sprinkled with basil, oregano and Italian baby red chili.
Italian crown: One of the most-loved snack recipes is focaccia. It’s a thick bread that can be surface-stuffed with herbs and spices. Using a traditional olive focaccia bread, you can stuff fennel and black olives into the craters. Sprinkle some sea salt and paprika for an extra hit.

A German delight

Although the pretzel really achieved it’s true fame in America, in Germany it’s still one of the most popular snacks to date. It’s incredibly versatile as you can eat it as a dessert, for breakfast, and for lunch. These gourmet soft pretzels are some of the best in the world. After over 200 reviews from verified customers, they have a 5-star rating. These pretzel buns and sticks and rings can be sprinkled with a number of ingredients to maximize flavor. You have a chili-lime salt option, truffle salt, rosemary lemon salt and a blended spice pack. As you may know, you can also eat pretzels with certain dips such as garlic cheddar, honey mustard and chocolate hazelnut whip.

A full fat treat

British cuisine is world-renowned for having some of the best snacks in the culinary realm. If you want something that is fattening, sweet and unashamedly indulgent, then go with a classic raspberry cream scone. This is fresh dairy cream and concentrated raspberry jam in the middle of a buttery crumbling scone. You can make this recipe at home with just a few ingredients but you can find this at almost any British bakery near you.

When you have someone important over for lunch, you need to be creative and seek to impress them. These three snacks are gourmet yet they don’t fill you up until you feel tired and sleepy, which is great for long hours of conversation.