Are you and your friends searching for the perfect anime to watch?
![top five anime gems celebrating friendship & chosen family on disney+ hotstar](https://media2.fishtank.my/media/syokenglish/assets/policies/sand-land_-the-series.png)
If you truly cherish each other as a chosen family and vow to stay friends forever, no matter what happens, we’ve handpicked the perfect anime titles for you on Disney+ Hotstar.
Check out these unlikely friendships, whether formed through hardship or fun. Our curated list promises to inspire gratitude among your close-knit group of besties. Hey, at least you don’t have the responsibility of saving the world or anything, so you can sit back, relax, and truly enjoy these shows!
#1 Code Geass: Rozé of the Recapture
Code Geass: Rozé of the Recapture is the thrilling sequel to Code Geass: Lelouch of the Re;surrection that promises an edge-of-your-seat experience for fans. Set four years after the first of its series, it follows brothers Ash and Rozé, who embark on a daring mission to liberate Japan. Known as the ‘Nameless Mercenaries’ for their unmatched skills—Ash’s hand-to-hand combat as a Knightmare pilot and Rozé’s strategic genius—they’ve become a force to be reckoned with.
Japan is on the brink of collapse under Emperor Chalice’s tyranny, and the Nameless Mercenaries join The Black Knights in a desperate bid for freedom, and to save Empress Sakuya Sumeragi.
Amidst the chaos, Code Geass: Rozé of the Recapture is a heartwarming tale of family and friendship found in unlikely places, such as a few stray cats that find a safe place in Ash and Rozé’s mobile home.
#2 The Fable
“You’re too good at your job!”—are six words hitman Fable never expected to hear. After his 71 successful kills, his sponsor orders him to take a year off in Osaka. Now, Fable must lay low under the alias Satou Akira, accompanied by his assistant Yoko, who poses as his younger sister. The threat is clear: disobey, and they die.
Yoko and Akira’s bond deepens unexpectedly amidst chaos and danger, revealing layers of reluctant affection. Through shared trials, Akira finds living a normal life a little easier with Yoko’s support. Born of necessity, their chosen family blossoms unexpectedly into something genuine and profound, and Akira learns that even a master assassin can find a semblance of normalcy and even enjoy it.
#3 Macross Delta
Set in 2067, Macross Delta unfolds fifty years after the first Space War devastated Earth, pushing humanity to the stars and into contact with various alien races. In the remote Brisingr Globular Cluster, a new crisis looms in the form of a disease known as Var Syndrome, that triggers uncontrollable aggression through abnormal fold waves.
Those infected can only be calmed down by music from Walkure, an idol singer group with stars Mikumo Guynemer, Kaname Buccaneer, Makina Nakajima, and Reina Prowler. Enter an escapee from the Windemere Kingdom, Freyja Wion, who decides to seek refuge within their ranks. Although her idol journey is fraught with cultural mix-ups, she overcomes her awkwardness as the other Walkure members graciously help her reach her full potential.
#4 Sand Land: The Series
What happens when a Fiend Prince (Beelzebub), a demon (Thief), and a human (Sheriff Rao) walk into a bar? A tale of friendship, of course!
Beelzebub, a tsundere through-and-through, starts off how you’d expect the prince of demons to act. Distrustful and petulant, Beelzebub constantly makes excuses for his kindness. His life is forever changed when he meets Sheriff Rao, a gruff but kind-hearted soldier, and Thief, a wise demon renowned for pocket-pinching.
Quite the unlikely trio isn’t it? Not when there’s a prize at the end of the road: a necessity as simple and basic as water. As Beelzebub, Thief, and Sheriff Rao embark on their quest to find the Legendary Spring, they begin to understand that a quest is much easier when you’re with friends.
A lively continuation in Akira Toriyama’s works, Sand Land: The Series promises viewers a colourful journey through the post-apocalyptic desert, along with some fun antics along the way.
#5 The First Slam Dunk
High school student Ryota Miyagi is assigned probably one of the hardest tasks any kid has to do – living up to his older brother, Sota’s name. Before Sota passed away unexpectedly, he made Ryota the vice-captain of his family. Now, heavy hangs the head that wears the crown.
As Ryota struggles to fill his brother’s shoes at home and on the basketball court, he realises that the road to success is rough and bumpy. He faced two humiliating losses – getting benched at his first game and watching his team fail miserably. However, with a team that’s determined to win, Ryota finds that basketball is only part of the game – trust, friendship, and teamwork are what truly matter in the end.
The First Slam Dunk is a film that touches on Ryota’s journey of grief, human connection, and his blossoming friendship with teammates, Sakuragi, Rukawa, Akagi, and Mitsui.
Here’s a reminder to hug your friends a little tighter as you dive into the heartfelt journeys of these relationships, streaming on Disney+ Hotstar.