Sometimes you just want something completely different.
Tired of your anime being set in fantasy worlds, but don’t want yet another one that takes place in Japan? Believe it or not, but there are many anime where the events take place in completely different countries.
There are some quite obvious ones, like the USA or France, but some of the others would surprise an average viewer — no one expects some of these to be represented in anime.
Vinland Saga is set in… a lot of places. Medieval vikings traveled all over Europe — and further, as the name of the show indicates. The show’s primary locations are Denmark peninsula and the British Isles, but there are scenes in other places, like, for example, Iceland. Furthermore, the “Vinland” from the title actually refers to Newfoundland, which was discovered by the vikings circa 1000 AD. The anime is not there yet, however.
Kingdom
There are many anime that are set in China. There is hardly any other, though, that is as popular and hyped right now as Kingdom. It makes sense: the manga and anime cover the Chinese Warring States period, one of the most interesting (and bloody) periods in the region’s history. Set in the 3rd century BC, it follows Li Xin, who, in history, was one of the most famous generals at the time. The series starts during his teenage years, however. It is an epic tale, and definitely worth getting into if you like historical shows.
Monster
Naoki Urasawa’s psychological thriller follows doctor Kenzou Tenma, tracking Johan Liebert, a horrifying criminal whose life he once saved. Set in the Cold War era, it takes place mostly in Germany, but some parts of the series happen in Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic (Czechoslovakia back then). It is a slow-paced and atmospheric show which speaks about the nature of humans.
What would you get if you took New York City and added a ton of supernatural creatures, conspiracies, crazy action and insanely cool powers to it? That’s right, you get Blood Blockade Battlefront (Kekkai Sensen). A gorgeously animated action show by Studio Bones, it is set in “Hellsalem's Lot”, which is basically NYC after it becomes a place where humans and creatures from other dimensions are forced to coexist. Leonardo, a seemingly normal person, suddenly awakens mysterious powers in his eyes — but not without a cost. Blood Blockade Battlefront follows him on his adventures as he tries to find answers behind all the things that are happening in the city.
Trinity Blood
Perhaps the most surprising one on the list, Trinity Blood takes place in perhaps the last place you would expect an anime to be set: the Vatican City. Okay, maybe not all of it, but that’s arguably the most prominent location in the show. It makes sense, however: with a show that’s centered around the war between humans and vampires, heavily drawing themes and concepts from Catholicism, there is no better stage for the events to unfold than the Holy See itself.
Sometimes you just want something completely different.
Tired of your anime being set in fantasy worlds, but don’t want yet another one that takes place in Japan? Believe it or not, but there are many anime where the events take place in completely different countries.
There are some quite obvious ones, like the USA or France, but some of the others would surprise an average viewer — no one expects some of these to be represented in anime.
Vinland Saga is set in… a lot of places. Medieval vikings traveled all over Europe — and further, as the name of the show indicates. The show’s primary locations are Denmark peninsula and the British Isles, but there are scenes in other places, like, for example, Iceland. Furthermore, the “Vinland” from the title actually refers to Newfoundland, which was discovered by the vikings circa 1000 AD. The anime is not there yet, however.
Kingdom
There are many anime that are set in China. There is hardly any other, though, that is as popular and hyped right now as Kingdom. It makes sense: the manga and anime cover the Chinese Warring States period, one of the most interesting (and bloody) periods in the region’s history. Set in the 3rd century BC, it follows Li Xin, who, in history, was one of the most famous generals at the time. The series starts during his teenage years, however. It is an epic tale, and definitely worth getting into if you like historical shows.
Monster
Naoki Urasawa’s psychological thriller follows doctor Kenzou Tenma, tracking Johan Liebert, a horrifying criminal whose life he once saved. Set in the Cold War era, it takes place mostly in Germany, but some parts of the series happen in Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic (Czechoslovakia back then). It is a slow-paced and atmospheric show which speaks about the nature of humans.
What would you get if you took New York City and added a ton of supernatural creatures, conspiracies, crazy action and insanely cool powers to it? That’s right, you get Blood Blockade Battlefront (Kekkai Sensen). A gorgeously animated action show by Studio Bones, it is set in “Hellsalem's Lot”, which is basically NYC after it becomes a place where humans and creatures from other dimensions are forced to coexist. Leonardo, a seemingly normal person, suddenly awakens mysterious powers in his eyes — but not without a cost. Blood Blockade Battlefront follows him on his adventures as he tries to find answers behind all the things that are happening in the city.
Trinity Blood
Perhaps the most surprising one on the list, Trinity Blood takes place in perhaps the last place you would expect an anime to be set: the Vatican City. Okay, maybe not all of it, but that’s arguably the most prominent location in the show. It makes sense, however: with a show that’s centered around the war between humans and vampires, heavily drawing themes and concepts from Catholicism, there is no better stage for the events to unfold than the Holy See itself.
