Quirky anime-and-literature pairings to ponder while in quarantine.
One of my favorite things to do during quarantine is to imagine different fictional media going on “dates” with each other. If an animated show and literary novel both swiped right, what sort of bond would they form? What gossip would they share? Would it be a one-night stand or a long romance?
The process of making unusual pairings is much more than just a parlor game or the overindulgent pastime of professors now teaching remotely, though. It’s a vital skill for any writer, one essential to the forming of metaphors (usually with half of the metaphor being commonly understood).
Anime and classic literature can be a fun pairing for practicing ways to make these new connections, as well as a way to plan what to read and watch for the duration of the quarantine. Here are eight hypothetical pairings that I think you’ll find interesting, along with some tongue-in-cheek descriptions of what connects their halves.
Each anime is a television series — so you can spend a somewhat equal amount of time with the show and the book — and is widely available through various streaming services.
What anime/literature pairs would you put together? What kind of “date” would those pairings have?
- Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron Blooded Orphans + Lord of the Flies
Connection: The fractured nature of fraternal bonds (i.e., having a mecha or conch won’t save you). ~Netflix
- Id: Invaded + The Count of Monte Cristo
Connection: Revenge is a dish best served cold while assuming a persona. ~Funimation & Crunchyroll
- Fruits Basket (2019) + Mansfield Park
Connection: Finding love while living in another family’s house is hard. ~Funimation
- Wolf’s Rain + Watership Down
Connection: Anthropomorphapalooza (i.e., animals making societies are a dark mirror). ~Funimation
- 7 Seeds + Parable of the Sower
Connection: Earthseed and 7 Seeds means society has collapsed and it’s time to gather followers. ~Netflix
- Beastars + Romeo and Juliet
Connection: Star (Species)-crossed lovers. What could go wrong? ~Netflix
- Vinland Saga + East of Eden
Connection: Generational betrayal is not a cure for naivete ~Amazon Prime
- Durarara + A Confederacy of Dunces
Connection: Multiple points of view; much hilarity ensues. ~Hulu & Crunchyroll
