Best Anime OVA Specials
I love certain OVA specials. Sometimes they can be more enjoyable than the actual anime itself. But which one's are the best? Here's a few options, the rest is up to you.
Black Lagoon (stylized in all caps) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Rei Hiroe. It has been published in Shogakukan's seinen manga magazine Monthly Sunday Gene-X since April 2002, with its chapters collected in twelve tankōbon volumes as of August 2021. In North America, the manga... read more Black Lagoon OVA: Roberta's Blood Trail was only five episodes but all five were outstanding to see. This series was already intense but these specials... just wow. First, read the manga and then watch the anime. Then watch the violence and thrill in this special.
Fullmetal Alchemist is an anime series adapted from the manga of the same name by Hiromu Arakawa. It follows two brothers, Edward and Alphonse Elric, who use alchemy in a quest to restore their bodies after a failed attempt to resurrect their mother. The original series aired in 2003, and a more faithful... read more I love the five OVA specials of this series. I think the ones in FMA Brotherhood are pretty good too. Like the one with Riza and Winry, Izumi's "alchemy" survival training, and even Mustang and Hughes befriend an Ishvalan.
Another is a Japanese horror anime based on the 2009 novel of the same name by Yukito Ayatsuji. The story also inspired a manga adaptation and a 2012 live-action film. The series is known for its suspenseful storytelling and supernatural themes. The OVA special really made me care about Mei Misaki. Her friendship with Misaki Fujioka made me sympathize with her when the curse hit. It was nice to see she wasn't always the loner type and could actually laugh.
Attack on Titan, also known as Shingeki no Kyojin in Japanese, created by Hajime Isayama, is one of the most popular Japanese anime series to be released. It was first watched in Japan during 2013 and was dubbed in English to be watched in America in 2014. It is best known for its emotional moments,... read more The OVA specials were pretty cool. I loved the Jean special and how over the top insane it was. Plus, the intro was hilarious with him replacing Eren or blocking Eren from our viewpoint.
That special also made me like Jean more as a character. Then there's one with Hanji as she finds Ilse's journal and we truly see her devotion to the Scouts' cause.
The best though, as most expect, is No Regrets. The one where we see how Levi got into the Survey Corps and why he acts the way he does. It was great, and I'm curious to see how Season 2 plays out.
FLCL is an anime original video animation series written by Yōji Enokido and directed by Kazuya Tsurumaki. It was produced by the FLCL Production Committee, which included Gainax, Production I.G, and King Records... read more This anime is pretty split with its viewership. Like how some people love or hate Clannad or Sword Art Online. However, if you do love FLCL (Fooly Cooly), then I would recommend watching the OVAs too.
FLCL is a very outlandish anime, especially with its art direction. But it's definitely worth a watch. Don't get turned off so easily with this one.
Hellsing is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Kouta Hirano. It follows the secret Hellsing Organization as it battles vampires, ghouls, and other supernatural threats across England. The series inspired the anime adaptation Hellsing Ultimate, which closely follows the manga's storyline... read more A great reboot of this series. I know somewhere deep inside, people cringe at the word reboot, but I loved this one. I think it's just as good as the original Hellsing, with the same elements from the original.
One-Punch Man is an ongoing, online, web comic, which was later adapted into a Manga and Anime series . Created by ONE in 2009, It gained popularity, and soon after, went viral in 2012, surpassing 7 . 9 million views . One-Punch Man (OPM for short) focuses on the protagonist Saitama (Who is named after... read more I was so happy to hear that this anime had OVA specials. The characters I loved came back, the story was interesting, and it reminded me of why I loved this series to begin with. That's what an OVA should do.
Death Note is a Japanese anime television series based on the manga created by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata. The story follows Light Yagami, a gifted high school student with a strong sense of justice who discovers a notebook that allows him to kill anyone by writing their name in it. His actions... read more This one did have an OVA sort of. It's more of a director's cut with added scenes, a different point of view, and new dialogue. It was pretty enjoyable and might be considered filler, but it wasn't the worst filler.
They need to make more OVAs of some of the other manga one-shots!
Future Diary is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Sakae Esuno. The story centers on a deadly survival game in which each participant possesses a diary that can predict the future. The manga was serialized in Kadokawa Shoten's Shōnen Ace magazine from January 2006 to December 2010... read more Yeah, that OVA special sort of saved me some of my complaints for this series. Like that confusing ending with Yuki's phone. It was neat to see what would happen.
This OVA helped with the ending of this series.
Angel Beats! is a 13-episode Japanese anime television series produced by P.A. Works and Aniplex. It was directed by Seiji Kishi and written by Jun Maeda. The series features a story set in the afterlife and blends action, comedy, and drama. The OVA specials weren't the most groundbreaking but they were great despite that. They were simple and sweet from old characters we loved. Fun fact: I didn't know those were OVAs. My friend who gave me a flash drive of the series put them in chronological order, so I thought they were part of the episodes.
The Newcomers
Baccano! (バッカーノ!), which Narita translates as 'stupid commotion', is Italian for 'ruckus'. An ongoing light novel series with over twenty volumes published, it takes place across three eras – the early 1700s, 1930s, and 2000s – and presents its story arcs in anachronistic fashion. Though... read more
Fairy Tail is a manga franchise created by Hiro Mashima. The manga has been adapted into an anime series produced by A-1 Pictures and Satelight, which began broadcasting in Japan on October 12, 2009. Additionally, A-1 Pictures and Satelight have developed seven original video animations and an animated... read more
Darker than Black, known in Japan as Darker than Black: The Black Contractor, is an anime television series created, directed and written by Tensai Okamura and animated by Bones. In 2007, the 26 episode anime named Darker Than Black: The Black Contractor aired with a huge commercial success. It was... read more
One Piece is a manga franchise created by Eiichiro Oda. The manga was adapted into an original video animation (OVA) produced by Production I.G in 1998. The anime series produced by Toei Animation began broadcasting in Japan in 1999 and, as of now, has aired 851 episodes.