Anime Grab Bag Trivia Quiz

Answer: Cells at Work!

"Cells at Work!" is a 2017 comedy slice of life that is literally about life as these anthropomorphized human body cells do their best to keep this unseen human function on a daily basis. Each episode tackles either another cell in the body, such as the Eosinophil fighting off parasites, to other issues like dehydration and a cedar pollen allergy.

The series has numerous spin off titles, including "Cells at Work!: Code Black" and "Bacteria at Work". The former follows another set of cells, this time in a body living an unhealthy lifestyle. The latter follows good and bad bacteria who reside in the small and large intestines.

Answer: 2002

"Naruto" began with Part 1, which first aired in 2002 and ended in 2007. Part 1 covered his pre-teen days forming bonds with his fellow Leaf ninja. Part 2, or "Naruto: Shippuden", covered his teen years, following a time skip after the first series, and aired from 2007 till 2017.

The series continues with "Boruto: Naruto Next Generations", following the exploits of Naruto and Hinata's son in making his own ninja way, wanting to get out of the shadow of his father.

Answer: Toradora!

"Toradora!" is a 2008 romantic comedy that sees two polar opposites bond over time in their final years in high school. On one side, there's Ryuji Takasu, a tall, insecure and soft spoken young man who is constantly mistaken for a delinquent due to his fierce looking face. On the other side, is Taiga Aisaka, a diminutive, intimidating yet klutzy girl who is not afraid to throw a chair or a punch onto anyone, including the much taller Ryuji.

After an accident where she reveals her crush on Ryuji's best friend whilst Ryuji reveals his crush on Taiga's best friend, they made a tenuous deal to help each other hook up with their respective crushes, with disastrously hilarious consequences and some high school emotional drama thrown in.

Answer: Carole & Tuesday

"Carole & Tuesday" is a Netflix-licensed anime first released in 2019, and follows the lives of Carole Stanley, an orphan living out a hard life on her own in city, and Tuesday Simmons, the daughter of a politician who runs away from home to find new meaning, and live her dream to be a musician. Together, through a chance meeting at a bridge, they would form an impromptu music duo and with the help of producer Gus and friend Roddy, would eventually lead to a moment dubbed "The 7 Minute Miracle" by their friends and the local press.

"Carole & Tuesday" is the creation of Shinchiro Watanabe, a prolific director who created iconic series such as "Samurai Champloo", "Space Dandy" and "Cowboy Bebop", the latter of the three sharing the setting and universe of Carole & Tuesday.

Answer: Kaguya-Sama: Love is War

A romantic comedy of two proud, overthinking students, "Kaguya-Sama: Love is War" took the anime world by storm in 2019 with its comedic timing and the many zany mental schemes of Kaguya Shinomiya and Miyuki Shirogane.

Along with them in their whacky exploits are the rest of the Student Council, secretary and high octane foil of the due, Chika Fujiwara, and the dour underclassman and treasurer, Yu Ishigami.

The series also has a live action adaptation released in Japanese cinemas in 2019.

Answer: Gunslinger Girl

Set in Italy, "Gunslinger Girl" follows a team of girls and their "handlers" working for The Social Welfare Agency, a military organization disguised as a charity. Behind that guise, the girls in question go through mental conditioning and cybernetic enhancement to become deadly assassins for the Italian government.

Answer: Revolutionary Girl Utena

A surreal title to say lightly, "Revolutionary Girl Utena" sees the title character, Utena Tenjou, desiring to be a prince after a chance encounter with one after the death of her parents. We follow her journey in the Ohtori Academy, where she enrols and partakes in a duelling tournament for the engagement of the 'Rose Bride'.

Answer: Snow White with the Red Hair

"Snow White with the Red Hair" made its anime debut in 2015, revolves around the adventures of Shirayuki, a herbalist in a fantasy setting who is known for her distinctive red hair. This draws the attention of a prince who wishes to have her be his concubine.

Eventually, she would meet with another prince, Zen, and over time sees them develop into a budding romance despite their difference in social status.

Answer: Un-Go

"Un-Go" is a 2011 sci-fi supernatural series by studio Bones, part of Fuji TV's "noitaminA" block. Set in Tokyo, where the city has become mostly ruins from war, we follow Shinjuurou Yuuki, dubbed as "The Defeated Detective" by the press, and his 'boss', the demon Inga, who has the ability to extract the truth from anyone of Shinjuurou's choice, but with only just one carefully crafted question. Together they crack down cases while uncovering the dark secrets of the city, its crackdown on free information through the internet, and other strange supernatural beings.

Answer: Nodame Cantabile

"Nodame Cantabile" debuted back in 2007 and ended in 2010. This romantic comedy sees perfectionist Shinichi Chiaki and sloppy Megumi "Nodame" Noda, as they develop their relationship over time in music school, and eventually fulfilling their dreams of playing in Paris, conquer fears and break down barriers between their seemingly ill-fitting temperaments.

The anime is also noted for its successful live action remakes, both as TV series and as a series of films around the same time as the anime aired. This also led to a South Korean version in 2014, called "Naell's Cantabile".