7 Animated Shows You Need to Watch as a Blerd
By Lyza Lawal
Blerd is a slang term for black nerds, made necessary by culture in the early 2000s since nerds were often (and still are) presented as white. Generally, a nerd is someone who digs deep or has a special interest in specific types of media, such as board games, video games, cosplay, anime, manga, comics ,and more. Anime and animated shows are typically included on lists of things that make a nerd, a nerd. So if you are new to blerd-dom or would like some recommendations, here are some good starting points.
Castlevania and Castlevania: Nocturne (2017) (2023)
This dark fantasy is based on a series of games released by Komani, a Japanese game company. Written by Warren Ellis, who also worked on Iron Man 3 the series, the story follows a vampire hunter who fights to save a besieged city from an army of otherworldly creatures who are controlled by Dracula.
Castlevania: Nocturne follows the story from the prequel 316 years later, during the French Revolution, as vampire hunter prodigy Richter Belmont fights to uphold his family's legacy and prevent the rise of a ruthless, power-hungry vampire. Both series have everything a blerd loves: worldbuilding, magic systems, the supernatural, and awesome fighting scenes. The story itself is well written with very compelling characters, especially as the seasons go on.
The Japanese-inspired animation style is very obvious, which is a plus, but it also successfully merges with American animation. The wider themes of the show touch on family, love, legacy, institutional powers, and political conflicts.
Watch Castlevania and Castlevania: Nocturne on Netflix.
Michiko e Hatchin (2008-2009)
This adventure anime follows Michiko, a recent prison escapee searching for an ex-boyfriend, and Hatchin, who is living as a runaway fleeing from her strict catholic foster family. The two join forces and set off on an unpredictable road trip, both in search of their own freedom.
Set in the fictional Diamandra in South America, we are carried through a whirlwind of betrayal, the criminal underworld, poverty, and more. Blerds who need a break from the supernatural will still enjoy this entertaining series on politics, love and the criminal underworld.
Rent Michiko e Hatchin (2008-2009) on Amazon Prime by the season or episode.
Blue Eyed Samurai (2023)
This historical revenge saga follows Mizu, a mixed-race warrior on the path of retribution against four white men—one of them being her father. She blames him for being ostracised and treated as subhuman due to her blue eyes. Created by husband and wife duo Amber Noizumi and Micheal Green, the story is set in Japan’s Edo period, and deals with political conflicts from the East (Asia) to the West (United Kingdom).
While we follow the political plot, there are various sub-plots dealing with women's social position, poverty, culture, and more. This Netflix series was brilliantly put together, with aspects from the storytelling to its visual elements and having been critically acclaimed from critics and watchers alike. Blerds who loved Game of Thrones or Shogun will thoroughly enjoy this series; it has the tastefully done adult factor that makes it more enticing.
Watch Blue Eyed Samurai on Netflix.
Ergo Proxy (2006)
Ergo Proxy is an underrated gem that Blerds need to get into. This Japanese cyberpunk anime was directed by Shūkō Murase and written by Dai Satō. It follows the city of Romdo, a dome city of the last of human civilisation due to an ecological catastrophe. Living outside the city is virtually impossible, and to speed up mankind’s recovery, humanoid robots are created to assist humans in their day-to-day lives.
However, these robots start contracting viruses, which grant them self-awareness. Blerds who love a complicated story that delves into the philosophical questions about human nature, society, and more will enjoy this. We get action scenes, brilliant dialogue, and peculiar plotlines.
While it is not available on streaming platforms, if you are interested in building a physical media catalogue, Ergo Proxy is worth the buy.
Love Death + Robots (2019)
This an adult animated anthology series created by Tim Miller explores different genres such as sci-fi, comedy, and horror, with different cast and crew for each episodes. Blerds with short attention spans who love video games will enjoy this series. You are left wanting more, but also satisfied with what you get in the 6 21-minute episodes.
Now with three seasons and having been renewed for season 4 in 2022, Love Death + Robots has been nominated for (and won) various awards such as multiple Annie Awards, several Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards, a Golden Reel Award, and more. The show itself has brilliant storytelling, exploring environmental issues, the human condition, society, and the industrial-military complex.
Watch Love Death + Robots on Netflix.
Death Parade (2015)
This Japanese psychological thriller was created by Yuzuru Tachikawa, with the story set in a bar called Quindecim. In this world, human souls are either sent to heaven or hell, but for some, death brings them to Quindecim. Here, pairs who die together have to meet with an arbiter to pass judgment on them through a series of games.
These games will determine whether their souls will be reincarnated or sent to the void. For Blerds who are from religious backgrounds or love the concept of life and death, this series is for you. Not only does it have a religious tinge to it, but also explores the human condition. When humans are put in stressful situations what types of behaviour will they exhibit?
Watch Death Parade on Crunchyroll.
Young Justice (2010-2022)
This animated series is based on the DC Comics series created by writer Todd Dezago and artist Todd Nauck. Formed of young superheroes and side-kicks, they battle a secret society called “The Light.”
Spanning over four seasons, we are thrown into intense and entertaining plots that include mind control, political conflicts in the Atlantean world, alien race conflicts, cloning, and more. Blerds will love this; despite its superhero elements, it's not cringy or surface-level. We deal with some serious and complex issues, especially because the main characters are all teenagers. This is one of the best series to come out of American animation, and though the 7-year gap between season 2 and season 3 is clear, you are quickly thrown back into the drama of Young Justice.
Watch Young Justice on Netflix.
These recommendations are a mix of both Eastern and Western Animation, and full of turns, twists, and philosophical yet action-packed stories that delve into the human condition. We hope you enjoy!
