Sarazanmai is available in streaming form on Crunchyroll If you're ever looking for anime that shows off just how wild the medium can get whilst also tackling a myriad of mature themes and subjects, then look no further than the works of Kunihiko Ikuhara . From his early days on Sailor Moon to creating  Revolutionary Girl Utena, Mawaru Penguindrum and Yurikuma Arashi , Ikuhara has garnered quite the reputation despite what seems like a relatively limited filmography. However in 2019 he returned with his latest creation - Sarazanmai. A joint production between studios MAPPA  and Lapin Track , Sarzamanzai aired as part of Fuji TV's prestigious Noitamina programming block. Drawing heavily on Japan's kappa folklore at 11 episodes it is Ikuhara's shortest original work, but that doesn't make it any less heavy on the symbolism.

While many anime series that seemingly take their influence from a vivid acid trip, those that actually rank highly in terms of quality are less easy to come by. But every so often one comes along and pushes the boundaries of quality, even if it may divide fan opinion in the process. From co-writer/director Kunihiko Ikuhara (creator of Revolutionary Girl Utena and director for many episodes of the Sailor Moon anime series) and animation studio Brain's Base ( Durarara!! , Baccano! ), Mawaru-Penguindrum is a surreal psychological journey that is just as dramatic and it is comedic. Originally released between July and December 2011, the series ran for a total of 24 episodes.  Brothers Shouma and Kanba Takakura live alone with their younger sister Himari in a small multi-coloured house. Their parents have been missing for years and Himari is terminally ill, yet the three live a happy life. But a trip to the aquarium leads to disaster one day when Himari collapses, a...