Have you checked your Horoscope yet?

What do you usually do to prepare for the new year? I watch plenty of anime, have lots of fun, and prepare more special anime loot to send to my otaku friends!!

Chinese New Year has been making its way among westerns, so it’s only natural that around this time of the year, the talk about these festivities begin to arise!

Year of The Rabbit begins on January 22, 2023, but what does it mean? Today I’ll tell you a little about it and, of course, about ANIME!

Lunar New Year or Chinese New Year?

We sometimes see these terms used interchangeably, but despite being strongly related, they are not the same thing!

Lunar New Year is a celebration held by some Asian communities worldwide. It starts on the first new moon of the year and ends 15 days later, on the first full moon.

Because the lunar calendar is based on moon cycles, the new year date varies slightly, according to the Gregorian calendar we are used to.

Each country has its own traditions for the new year, which means that “Chinese New Year” only refers to the way the Chinese celebrate the festival.

The 12 Zodiac Animals

Each year in the Chinese calendar is represented by an animal, following the Chinese zodiac: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig.

Each animal carries unique traits that are said to influence the year and people born in it.

The animal alone might not be enough to define one’s personality, though. Each year is also tied to one of the five elements in Chinese philosophy: Gold or Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth.

2023: The Year of The Rabbit

January 22, 2023, marks the beginning of the Year of the Rabbit! More, specifically, the water rabbit! The next year is considered to be a year of hope, and I do want to believe in it!

About Rabbits, people born in the year of the rabbit, they are said to be kind, quiet, and responsible overall.

The ones born in 1963 or 2023, for example, are especially gentle and adaptable to the influence of the water element.

Chinese Zodiac in Anime!

And this is my favorite part: Anime!

These are some shows based on the Chinese Zodiac, a great opportunity to learn more about its legends!

Fruits Basket (2019)

Starting from the most recent one, I present to you Fruits Basket or FURUBA!

I recommend watching the most recent version, which is longer and made after the manga was completed, although both versions, the one from 2001 and the one from 2019, are sweet and fun.

Fruits Basket follows the story of Tooru Honda, a girl who always loved when her mother told her the story of the twelve zodiac animals.

After losing her family, Tooru is forced to live in a tent, and she was lucky that the members of the Souma family offered shelter when they found out her secret.

However, the Soumas have a big secret too! They are under a strange curse that makes them transform into the animals of the Chinese Zodiac when hugged by a person of the opposite sex!

Juuni Taisen: Zodiac War (2017)

If drama and romance are not your cup of tea, what about Zodiac War?

In this anime, mercenaries participate in the Zodiac Tournament every 12 years. Each contestant has the name and attributes of one of the Chinese zodiac animals.

To make the tournament more deadly than it already is, the mercenaries ingest a poisonous gem, setting a time limit on the competition and their lives!!!

Etotama (2015)

What about cute kemonomimi girls?

Every 60 years, the heavens conduct a sacred ritual to select new members of the Chinese zodiac. The problem is, in two thousand years of tradition, nobody has been able to replace the first members.

Nyaa-tan is a cat girl who wants to become a member of the zodiac, and to achieve that, she must win various battles using energy created by people's positive emotions.

She isn’t very strong, but she happens to meet Takeru Amato, who can provide her with high-quality energy to help her!

Happy New Year!

Horoscopes are fun, but one thing I truly love about the Chinese Zodiac is the wonderful animes and characters it has inspired!

Plus, it goes without saying that Anime is fun, but learning something new while watching Anime is another level of fun!

By the way, have you already subscribed? You don’t want to be out of the party like the cat in the legend of the Chinese Animals, do you? 😝

Images from IMDb, Etotama Wiki

Source: Chinese New Year