Five Favourite Anime Christmas Stories

[Njr Scrawl]

What are your 5 favourite anime Christmas stories, whether scenes, a whole episode or movie.

What makes them special to you?

[perigee]

It may not be my definitive list, but here are some Christmas anime favorites.


Tokyo Godfathers - It really captures the Christmas spirit and is an interesting variation on the 3 Godfathers story.
Love Hina Christmas Movie - Depending on whether you enjoyed the series, this is a fun revisit and chance to see the characters in a less slapstick setting.
Ai Yori Aoshi ~Enishi - The Christmas episode is available as an extra with V1. It's a well done prequel to the entire series with Aoi looking terrific in a Santa suit.
Maison Ikkoku - Chapter 45, The Man Who Reached For the Stars is one of several Christmas episodes IIRC and probably my favorite. It involves Godai's search for the perfect present for Kyoko.
Urusei Yatsura - Episode 10, Pitter Patter Christmas Eve where Ataru shows a little tenderness toward Lum for once.

[StanS]

I agree on Urusei Yatsura. When I saw that, all I thought of was, Taming of the Shrew with Ataru playing the shrew. It is such a modern twist on the story as only a female writer could view the woman’s point of view.

VanDread is high on my list. The different perspectives of all the characters make it a show I catch something new ever time I see it, so far.

Lupon was just plain fun.

I may add a couple others later:)

[Serial Experiments Nobue]

In no particular order:

Tenchi Muyo: Midsummer's Eve (aka Daughter of Darkness) - especially the final scene and ending credits sequence. Best part of the whole movie.

Sailor Moon S: Hearts in Ice - only marginally Christmas, but it's wintery enough and it works. And how many times do you see Tuxedo Kamen enter as Santa Claus?

Strawberry Marshmallow episode 12: Present - keeping Matsuri's dream of Santa Claus alive.

Cardcaptor Sakura episode 35: Sakura's Wonderful Christmas

and every episode of Figure 17 that takes place in the winter.

[Splitter]

Love Hina Christmas Special - Still the best part of the entire anime franchise. Placing romance and character development over fanservice made for an unforgettable story that did the best job of showcasing how much Keitaro really means to Naru and vice-versa.

R.O.D. The TV - The Paper Sisters' first Christmas as a family is still one of the best and most emotional moments of the series.

Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha A's - Not really for the Christmasy aspect, but the entire Christmas Eve arc is just AWESOME!

Ichigo Mashimaro - It's so cute seeing them all work together to keep the dream of Santa Claus alive for Matsuri-chan ^^

Azumanga Daioh - "Merrrrrrrrrrrry Chrisssssssssstmasssssss..."

[Njr Scrawl]

If MI ep.45 is about Godai getting Soichiro's geological rock sample for Kyoko its 1 of my 5, otherwise that particular episode's # is.

Oh My Goddess OVAs final episode, about Christmas, gets watched every year.

Isudatte My Santa (R2J) is my newest Crimbo special. Replaces Love Hina, but its a Ken Akamatsu anime as well.

KOR episode #44 (I think), is there too, though poor Jingoro's treatment spoils it some.

Sailor Moon S is 5th. More Christmassy for having & listening to my Sailor Moon Christmas song CDs.


Special mention for the Christmas episode(s) in Macross TV, & the fake Santa YUA episode.

[Fudce]

several spring to mind...

Chrono Crusade
Strawberry Marshmallow
R.O.D. the TV
Comic Party
Cardcaptor Sakura

[Jimmie M]

These come to mind:

1. You're Under Arrest! TV: "Santa Claus Panic" (Too many Santas with one of them being a burglar)
2. SDF Macross TV: "Romanesque"
3. The Devil Lady: "Box"
4. Patlabor-The Mobile Police: "Eve's Trap/Eve's Shudder" (Kanuka's grandmother visits & disappears while the SV2 takes on foreign labors)
5. Ranma 1/2 OVA Series: "Tendo Christmas Scramble"

[Ty]

Love Hina Christmas Special - Still the best part of the entire anime franchise. Placing romance and character development over fanservice made for an unforgettable story that did the best job of showcasing how much Keitaro really means to Naru and vice-versa.

R.O.D. The TV - The Paper Sisters' first Christmas as a family is still one of the best and most emotional moments of the series.

Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha A's - Not really for the Christmasy aspect, but the entire Christmas Eve arc is just AWESOME!

Ichigo Mashimaro - It's so cute seeing them all work together to keep the dream of Santa Claus alive for Matsuri-chan ^^

Azumanga Daioh - "Merrrrrrrrrrrry Chrisssssssssstmasssssss..."

We have the exact same list. :) The Chrono Crusade episode is really sweet too though, so I'd consider bumping the Nanoha entry for it (only because it's kinda stretching the definition though..... I agree that arc is awesome just like the rest of the series).

[LimePie]

Sailor Moon S: Hearts in Ice - only marginally Christmas, but it's wintery enough and it works. And how many times do you see Tuxedo Kamen enter as Santa Claus?

The manga version, 'Kaguya-hime no Koibito', is much more Christmas-focused. It's probably my favorite manga Christmas story.

My other favorite is Ojamajo Doremi episode 45, 'Save Santa-san!', where the ojamajo help Santa deliver presents. Pop and her boyfriends' (yes, multiple boyfriends :P ) searching for Santa all over town is adorable.

[Herufaiya]

Why thank you for reminding me, it's almost time for my yearly viewing of the greatest anime Christmas episode of all time: The Big O's "Daemon Seed" (S1E11)
Other good Christmas episodes in anime are RahXephon's "Eighth Movement: The Holy Freezing Night (The Dreaming Stone)" and Vandread's "What A Wonderful World" (S1E6)
Oh, and Jimmie M mentioned The Devil Lady's "Box," (E11) which is probably one of the best episodes in the series.
Also, a good non-Christmas anime episode(though very awesome and uber wintery) is Berserk's "The Parting" (E19) and any of Divergence EVE's nightmarishly depressing December 24th episodes(yes, there are multiple episodes that take place on the same December 24th, though it's never mentioned directly in the series, part of its wondrous artisitc flare)

[2old2care]

Love Hina Christmas Movie - Shoulda ended the series there. Naru trying on the coat for the 1st time. Just magic.

Dai-Guard - Nothing major happens except the big goof, Akagi shows up wearing a Santa suit and Shirota mends some fences by participating in the office party.

Maison Ikkoku - Remember the 1st Christmas episode most: Kozue getting an unexpected gift from Godai and then, Godai receiving a gift from Kyoko, thinking he was oh, so special; then discovering he wasn't.

Tokyo Godfathers - if it didn't happen during Christmas, I don't think I could've swallowed all those 'coincidences'.

Mahoromatic (Something More Beautiful) - Mahoro spans the globe searching for the finest holiday ingredients and Minawa receives a gift of warmth from a nervous Hamaguchi.

[RommieSG]

Love Hina Christmas - The first Christmas anime I ever saw. So it holds a bit of specialty in that respect.

Sister Princess - The song towards the end of the Christmas Episode is enough to bring a tear to your eye.

Azumanga Daioh - Santa can go super fast! Like Mach 100!!!

Strawberry Marshmallow - I have to agree. Keeping Matsuri's dreams of Santa Claus alive are very touching.

The Irresponsible Captain Tylor OVA - Tylor's late, but he had a damned good excuse for it. :)