Anime fans outside Japan have no trouble understanding what shounen and shoujo anime are. Both target the ‘young male’ and ‘young female’ demographics as a defined feature of their genres and have spawned shows that have become iconic of the anime medium itself. One could easily get the impression that anime as a whole comprises shows and films that can be pigeonholed into the categories of ‘anime for guys’ and ‘anime for girls’, which may indeed be how creators and production staff sees the situation when considering their target audiences. Watching a long-running shounen TV anime show is a time-tested way of getting anime fans into the hobby, and such is the case for countless teenage boys who are right in the strike zone of the genre’s target demographic. The appeal of such shows lies in being able to find characters that one can think of as their idol or as a reliable friend, letting us root for them through their failures and eventual, hard earned success. The stereotypical young male otaku is enamoured with this kind of storytelling, and there’s a wealth of shows with all kinds of settings, character types and plotlines to make it work for almost every preference. On the other hand, shoujo anime are a dime a dozen, more often than not rehashing the high school setting. There is an intense emotional attachment to character drama that cannot be experienced anywhere other than the shoujo genre, especially considering how petty some of the conflicts might’ve been after taking the time to think the events through. Just like how romance movies hit it off well with the girl crowd, the fantasies of ideal romantic partners or hoping for the fulfillment of an unlikely couples are the As the differences between these genres are relatively clear-cut and lack in overlap, there is definitely merit in understanding that there is a split teenage anime viewership at least in terms of how each of the two genres above develop their popularity. However, to extrapolate further than the fact that there are two defined genres that have very particular target audiences is a dangerous line of thought. In order to show why this is, we will proceed to look at how certain fanbases are in more specific genres.

The same understanding comes into question when the sub genres of anime, which are also significant features of the current anime landscape, come under scrutiny. Are mecha anime and mahou shoujo shows really dedicated to a specific audience? Let’s first consider the former. Mecha anime is probably best understood in terms of its largest franchises, namely Gundam and Macross. While Gundam series are no doubt quality shows that convey meaningful (if admittedly questionable) messages about the problems of war and human conflict, they are also largely driven by hordes of mecha anime fans who have developed a deep appreciation of the intricate robot designs of the franchise’s signature robotic war machines and form a consumer base for the model kits and toys made of them. This particular subset of viewers is definitely dominated by males. However, the very same Gundam franchise have also spawned shows that have hit it off with the female demographic for various reasons. Consider the relatively recent Mobile Suit Gundam 00; the show has garnered an enormous female fan base because of the appealing bishounen character designs for the show’s main Gundam pilots. In fact, voice actor Mamoru Miyano became so popular for his role as Setsuna F. Seiei, the show’s protagonist, that he remains to date as one of the most loved male voice actors among dedicated female otakus in Japan. The Gundam franchise is a prime example of how genres in anime do not exist categorically; there are crossovers and overlaps for the vast majority of shows that leads to them appealing to a much broader range of audiences. Moreover, creators within established franchise are probably motivated to take a more flexible approach in their storytelling in order to attract newer fans in order to promote even more growth. The Macross franchise further complicates issues as it is as well remembered for its romance as it is for its mecha. Although, yet again, the franchise produced memorable mecha designs with every new shoes, iconic works such as Macross: Do You Remember Love is just as (if not more) loved for its memorable songs and romantic plotline, which is appreciated from both sides of the gender spectrum. Anime as a hobby, and probably along with many other modern media, has many aspects that do not divide between male and female. In fact, anime as a whole garners fans from so many different backgrounds that differentiating between gender seems to be meaningless. Ending off this section, let’s take a brief look at the mahou shoujo genre. Best known for spawning the now legendary Sailor Moon franchise, it is difficult to argue against the idea that mahou shoujo shows were originally meant to appeal only with female pre-teens. However, as the genre gained traction and Sailor Moon itself became a respectable love story with surprisingly ground-breaking themes for a TV show for kids, mahou shoujo evolved beyond its target audience. In fact, this evolution tips off an important aspect about the possibilities of anime that makes it difficult to regard the medium’s fanbase as split between male and female, and almost inane to think that ‘shounen’ and ‘shoujo’ (and the adult forms of either genre) covers everything that anime has to offer.

The current season of anime has over 40 series airing on TV. This is not counting those that began from the previous season, the films that are scheduled to air within this time nor the series that will be released direct-to-video. This has happened for four seasons a year for many, many years leading up to where we are now. There is a lot of anime available to us that we can easily tap into. Having said that, let’s refocus on the issue at hand: how do we consider the viewers of all these anime, and does being a boy or a girl have much, if anything, to do with that. The genre labels seem to suggest so, but also otherwise when looking at just how different some of the shows can be within specific subgenres. There are some shows that are clearly aimed at either boys or girls, but also shows that can appeal very well to both. What’s going on? The core issue of this problem is not one that lies within anime, but in the question being asked. A common assumption about anime, especially with newer fans, is that there are a lot more commonalities between all anime series and films than there really are. This leads to further assumptions that the people who consume anime also have a lot in common when that is not necessarily true. These assumptions come from a preconception that anime is, in one way or another, a genre of animated works. This is not true. Anime is a medium pertaining to animation produced in Japan, nothing more and nothing less. As the medium has evolved to bring us such a variety of TV anime series and anime films, there are countless combinations of anime that a single anime fan can have. The term otaku may be considered to have a specific definition when used in English, but its use in Japan is often specified even further (such as mecha otaku, military otaku…) just so that it becomes clearer what group of people exactly are being referred to. Ghibli family-friendly works are anime, provocative ecchi shows are anime and even social commentaries such as Hataraki Man and Shirobako are also anime. There are so few commonalities between their fans that it makes more sense to discuss their differences based on the genres of the anime, the topics they discuss or even their creators. There are many differences between anime and their viewers, some meaningful or thought-provoking and some less so because of how arbitrary they are. A difference based on gender is about as arbitrary and general as it can get. In essence, asking for the difference between otaku boys and otaku girls is about as meaningful as figuring out the difference between male and female movie watchers or the differences between male and female newspaper readers.

G-Taste is a unique start to our list as it actually has two separate stories within it. The first three episodes follow three women – Moe, the disgruntled office worker, Nana, the cute maid, and Mai, the usually dominating one who finds herself on the bottom. The remainder of the series just focuses on two girls – Sayaka, the “perfect” teacher, and Misuzu, the professional swimmer. Both story arcs focus on the relationships between all of these different girls, and what happens between them. Just the name G-Taste is enough to make a hentai fan curious. The letter “G” is used as it is the letter between “F,” for fetish, and “H,” for hentai – and this yuri has both. Of course, you can expect plenty of girl-on-girl sex, or it wouldn’t even be on this list! But what you can also expect is a unique animation style full of slow motion movements, and a focus on long legs expertly combined with heels to appeal to those of us who enjoy that sort of thing. G-Taste may be old, but its ladies have become somewhat iconic in the yuri world of today, which makes it an important series to watch if you’re really interested in yuri hentai!

Nikutai Ten’i actually has a male main character – Kenichi, a boy that is too curious for his own good. When one day he and his friends find an old mirror and decide to investigate it further, they find themselves sucked into an alternate dimension! To top things off, their minds have been switched into other people’s bodies, and the only way to switch back into their own bodies is to raise their sexual emotions. Can Kenichi bring everything back to normal before the dimensions implode? Despite Kenichi being male, Nikutai Ten’i has plenty of yuri in it to make it onto this list. With the very plot line revolving around the characters having to turn one another on, you can imagine there is plenty of sex to go around. Add to that the ordeal of characters dealing with having sexual feelings in a body that isn’t their own and you have a very unique take on what could otherwise have been quite a predictable storyline. Expect plenty of foreplay as the characters try to raise their sexual energies sky high, and if that is what you like, be sure to check out Nikutai Ten’i.

Haruka is a girl in a unique situation – in order to defeat the powerful ninjas that are pursuing her, she needs superhuman powers. And how does she get those superhuman powers? Through sex, of course! And thus we have Choukou Sennin Haruka, the story of a girl who literally gets her kicks from sexual acts being performed on her, and then uses that power to fight –and all while dressed in kunoichi, or a modern female ninja outfit. One of the best things about a good yuri hentai is clearly the amount of oppai, or boobs, that you’re going to get to enjoy. Choukou Sennin Haruka certainly doesn’t disappoint on this front, and there are plenty of oppai to go around. Because it’s a hentai, you get to enjoy them both with and without clothes, too, which is an added bonus. And of course, we aren’t just talking about Haruka, but also on the other girls involved in her sexual power-ups! So if you like seeing girls kick ass, especially ninja girls, while still enjoying plenty of girl-on-girl sexual action, Choukou Sennin Haruka is definitely a fun ride.

Another older, but still worthy of our Top 10 Yuri Hentai Anime, is Stainless Night. It follows Linea, a girl out of her own time and place – literally. The short series begins with Linea awakening in a time capsule in the countryside of Japan, completely unaware of when or where she is in time. Luckily, she finds a research facility staffed by three other women, and one of them takes quite a liking to her. When Sayako leaves her lover to sleep with Linea instead, she learns there is more to this mysterious girl than anyone could have ever guessed. The animation style of Stainless Night may reflect the time it was produced in and cause people to shy away without giving it a chance, but don’t! The story is intriguing, and the characters are good, not to even mention the yuri sequences. Plus, there is the added bonus that Linea’s outfit strongly resembles a maid, if you’re into that sort of thing as well. While it may only be two episodes long, Stainless Night is still definitely worth a watch. You may just be looking for the sex – and trust us, it doesn’t disappoint – but you’ll leave intrigued by the mystery behind who Linea actually is.

Hiroe Ogawa is a girl with a very personal problem in Nageki no Kenkou Yuuryouji – she is unable to reach an orgasm through any sort of traditional sexual means. And when you’re a girl starring in a yuri hentai, you can imagine just how big of a problem that is! Lucky for Hiroe, her housemate and landlady are more than willing to help her with her issue. Thus begins their sexual adventures together to try to bring Hiroe to a climax through any means necessary in hopes she can finally reach her orgasm! Nageki no Kenkou Yuuryouji has a lot of unique and more interesting lesbian sex in it than the average yuri might contain. Because of Hiroe’s unique situation, the sex in the anime is anything but traditional, showcasing a large number of techniques and tricks. Another important point in Nageki no Kenkou Yuuyouji is that the yuri scenes sometimes have three girls instead of just two involved, and both Hiroe’s landlady and her housemate are older and more experienced than her. So if you’re looking for that kind of dynamic between characters with an age difference, like more than one girl at a time, or just want to see some more adventurous sexual escapades, Nageki no Kenkou Yuuryouji may be just what you’re looking for.

Cream Lemon is a hentai classic series (check out that release date in the 1980’s!) that sometimes is forgotten today, but definitely shouldn’t be. While the series itself has 38 episodes telling a lot of different stories, we are specifically looking at Escalation for our list of the Top 10 Yuri Hentai Anime. It’s the second episode of the original series, and the one that has the strongest yuri focus – and is also one of the most famous episodes. It features a story that is anything but traditional, with bondage and other BDSM elements to spice up the yuri action. All of Cream Lemon is filled with edgy sex, including incest, male rape, torture, and more. Escalation is no different with its use of BDSM between the female characters. So if you like a darker kind of yuri and are looking for something that is a bit more exciting and naughty, Cream Lemon: Escalation may be just the OVA for you. It is only one episode long, but will leave you wanting more, and wondering why you had never seen this classic yuri hentai before!

Honoo no Haramase Tenkousei is another yuri with a male main character, but don’t worry – there’s plenty of yuri action to be had. It is the story of Tatsuya Tagami, a boy with the hefty goal of total world conquest. The first step in his plan is to make every one of his female classmates pregnant, but at an all-boys school, that proves to be rather difficult. So the best solution, of course, is to transfer to a newly co-ed school that recently was all-girls, which means there are finally plenty of girls to go around! While this may sound like the set-up for a more traditional, heterosexual hentai, don’t give up yet – it’s on our list of Top 10 Yuri Hentai Anime for a reason. As you can imagine, at a nearly all-girls school, there is no shortage of female characters. And while some of the sexual scenes do involve Tatsuya as well, there is plenty of girl-on-girl yuri action to satisfy you! Also, did we mention that all the ladies are very well-endowed? Because they certainly are, and there’s no shortage of great oppai action waiting for you in Honoo no Haramase Tenkousei. Besides, with a hilarious English name like Flaming Impregnating Transfer Student, you have to be at least a little bit curious.

Star Jewel is a yuri hentai with a science fiction and fantasy twist to it. There are goddesses of both light and darkness, and they are at war with one another. The dark goddesses are bent on stealing the “jewels” of women, which leaves them as nothing more than lifeless husks. Of course, the goddesses of light are trying to stop them from succeeding by hunting them down! Sure, both teams have magic on their sides, but their most powerful weapon is their retractable penis. It turns out that sexual pleasure truly is the strongest weapon. Star Jewel certainly adds a unique entry on our list. All the characters in the hentai are futanari girls, or characters that are female but also have a penis. Considering the storyline of Star Jewel revolves around sexual pleasure, you can safely bet that there will be plenty of on-screen girl-on-girl, futanari sex. If you like futanari stories, or are interested in a new kind of yuri, try out Star Jewel! And if you decide you like those girls in their tight, low-cut bodysuits fighting one another powered by sex, luckily for you it has a spin-off story called Star Jewel Gaiden: Natsumi Oblivion.

In Shoujo Sect, Shinobu Handa and Momoko Naitou begin as innocent childhood friends, though Shinobu falls in love with Momoko from the first time that they meet. Most of the anime takes place after the girls are in high school, and though Momoko has forgotten their past together, Shinobu is determined to make her remember. However, now Momoko and Shinobu are very different – whereas Momoko is the leader of the Disciplinary Committee at the school, Shinobu is very much a hooligan that cares little for the rules. That doesn’t stop Shinobu from trying to pursue her relationship with Momoko though, however challenging it may be! Shoujo Sect revolves around the relationship of Momoko and Shinobu, which is clearly a love story between two girls. But on top of their story and the romance sequences that come from it, Shinobu is also part of a harem at her school. She may love Shinobu, but that doesn’t stop her from playing around with plenty of other girls, adding in group sex scenes involving multiple other girls as well into the story. And of course, there are the scenes that happen directly between Momoko and Shinobu. On top of having great yuri sex, Shoujo Sect has a good story and well-developed characters as well. If you want a yuri hentai with a story you can actually be interested in, be sure to check it out.

Arguably one of the most famous and highly rated yuri hentai of all time, our list of the Top 10 Yuri Hentai Anime wouldn’t be complete without Sono Harabira ni Kuchizuke wo: Anata to Koibito Tsunagi. With a name that long, it’s hard to forget it, but the name isn’t the only thing you’ll remember about this yuri. This anime focuses on the relationship between two schoolgirls, Mai Sawaguchi and Reo Kawamura. They take care of one another when they’re sick, spend time together, have arguments – and of course, have plenty of sex, too. The story focuses on the romantic relationship that the girls have together, complete with as many emotions and ups and downs that one episode can have. What puts Sono Harabira ni Kuchizuke wo: Anata to Koibito Tsunagi in the number one position on our list of the Top 10 Yuri Hentai Anime is the quality of the relationship, and the way it is presented. It’s not hard to believe in Reo and Mai, and to imagine that their story could be true. The yuri scenes themselves are done tastefully and artistically, while still being satisfying to watch. The only thing that this hentai will leave you wanting is more episodes, because Mai and Reo’s romance is sure to captivate you from the start.

Yoshino straddles the border between love interest and little sister for Shido, making their relationship one of the more interesting ones to watch. Particularly when it throws off the other girls. Although one of the younger girls of the group, and least powerful, Yoshino is also one of the smartest, with most of her more intricate thoughts voiced through her puppet Yoshinon. Although not one of the most obviously sexy characters, Yoshino’s appeal resounds with the sizable lolicon audience out there. More adorable than anything, despite not being much younger than the other girls Yoshino’s short stature means she goes full cute loli when it comes to clothes and hairstyles. Along with that, her easy to embarrass, delicate personality is what makes her so charming, particularly when put into ecchi situations.

An odd balance between mature, battle hardened weapon and a young girl, Mana’s personality can at times be difficult to get on with, for both friends and enemies. Although always trying to be in control she often doesn’t know which way is up herself, with so many things being hidden from her all the time. At these times it’s reassuring to know that her sensible attitude and drive to protect her family will more often than not shine through. Mana looks best in her CR-Unit, which kindly follows the skin tight bodysuit cliché that we so often see with powered suits in anime. Not only does it do an excellent job of enhancing her modest chest, but it dips and curves in all the right places to give us the best possible view. Her accidental utterances of Nii-sama are always nice to hear as well, oh how she misses her big brother!

How a human can live with being this tired all the time we will never understand, but somehow Reine manages to get by. Even as tired as she is, Reine is one of the most grounded characters in the show, often providing advice to everyone, whether it be battle tactics or dating related. This normalness often causes her to be the one to push the plot forward when the Spirits and Shido are either screwing about, or have no idea what they’re doing. One of the older girls in Date A Live, Reine’s more mature, womanly appearance gives her a beauty that none of the other girls can achieve quite yet. On top of that her dishevelled hair and tired eyes give an oddly casual and wild look to someone who is otherwise sensible and organized. With her appearing in numerous outfits throughout the show, from swimsuits to nightwear, even if she’s not a Spirit or a Wizard, Reine can easily hold her own against any of them.

Part commander of the Ratatosk organization, part fire Spirit, and part middle schooler little sister, Kotori has a lot going on. With that in mind, it’s easier to forgive her snappy tsundere nature, given that she literally has no time to put up with your, or any else’s, crap. The most interesting thing about Kotori’s tsundere nature is how she can choose to switch it around at will: black hair ribbons for her cool, snappy tsun, white for cute and sweet dere. Kotori’s sexiness comes from her choice of outfits more than anything. First is her pink and white shimapan, which she is kind enough to show us whilst waking up her brother of all things. Second is her choice of swimsuits: both the cute, frilly, and pink one, and the tight and white one are simple with innocent colors and work so well with her slight frame. And lastly her Astral Dress, an almost kimono like robe falling off her shoulders, which flares out at the bottom to show off her legs.

Date A Live’s idol princess, Miku Izayoi starts off as a brainwashing queen of pop, but it’s not long before she’s made to see the error of her ways. Even after being sealed though her voice remains as beautiful as ever, and her flirtatious, lady like personality sticks around as well. One of the perkiest girls of the group, Miku is always seen with a smile, which along with her light purple eyes makes her face incredibly pretty. Along with her impressive idol wardrobe, Miku has one of the biggest busts in the series, which can never be a bad thing, particularly when all her outfits do such a good job of showing it off. Despite fitting the high class lady type with her pretty clothes, hime cut hair, and her ability to spend incredible amounts of money, Miku’s personality says pervert, with her blatant yuri tendencies being one of the sexiest things about her.

One Angel, two girls, Kaguya is the flatter half of the Yamai twins. Tsundere and kind of childish, Kaguya is the more excitable and immature one, often sayings things without really thinking. She also appears to have an interest in cute, black, gothic Lolita type clothing, such as her outfit from her date during Date A Live Movie: Mayuri Judgment and of course her black polka dot swimsuit. In anime twins are normally sexy by default, we’re pretty sure it’s the main reason for including them. Considering them as individual characters though, Kaguya and Yuzuru both have gorgeous designs. Kaguya being the tsundere of the two has the whole cute-angry thing going on, which works brilliantly in the swimsuit scenes, as well as when she’s fawning over our protagonist. Along with that, her slim figure is always great to see in between the otherwise flat loli or big busted girls of the show.

Diligent classmate and anti-Spirit Team fighter, Origami has her own ideas when it comes to logic, bending reason whenever needed to get what she wants. It’s not an attribute that’s appreciated by the rest of the cast, but remains hilarious none the less. Regardless of that quirk, Origami is an intelligent girl who is shown to lack common sense and experience more than anything. To be blunt, Origami is really, really weird. Her obsession with Shido knows no bounds, whether it means dressing up as a swimsuit wearing dog, or a pretty maid girl. Origami’s all or nothing attitude gets her into some pretty perverse situations, a dream scenario for some! Much like with Mana, Origami’s CR-Unit is sexy as anything as well, with a touch more transparency to boot. If ecchi anime has taught us anything, it’s that transparent clothing means more fighting power.

The other half of the Spirit sisters, Yuzuru is the more logical thinking one of the two, with her robotic way of speaking adding yet more emphasis to the trait. Although she has no trouble outwitting her loudmouth sister, Yuzuru is not the brightest spark herself, with her mechanical thought process often causing problems that are normally solved by simple common sense. Regardless of her quirky mannerisms though, she’s still very much a girl at heart and yearns for time with her sweetheart. Although almost identical to her sister in many ways, there is one notable difference between the two: cushioning. But that by itself isn’t the reason why we’d rate Yuzuru higher than her slender sister. Yuzuru’s cool-headed way of thinking things through means she knows exactly what to do to win you over, with everything planned out to the tee. Though admittedly when her information isn’t quite accurate, things can get a bit odd.

It’s slightly concerning when a girl as airheaded as Tohka Yatogami has the power to destroy cities. Not that she would do it by accident but you know, we worry. Unhealthily obsessed with bread, Tohka is Date A Live’s main heroine, and as pretty as anything with her regal, purple and gold Astral Dress. The main charm point of Tohka is her childish personality, as she is not very good at human-ing yet and so often doesn’t cope very well with embarrassment or jealousy. Along with her cute clothes and crazy long hair, Tohka has totally got the whole beautiful princess look going on. Despite her immature personality, she’s also one of the most physically mature out of the cast, with the contrast being both amusing and sexy. The beach episode in particular does a great job of showing off Tohka’s incredible figure, as well as pretty much any time she leans over come to think of it.

With time itself under her control, Kurumi is one dangerous girl, especially considering no one really knows what’s going on inside that head of hers. Always with her own agenda, she’s not bothered whether someone needs help, or who’s standing in her way, although she does seem to have a soft spot for our main man. Kurumi’s cruel yandere personality is what makes her stand out the most, with her spending more time screwing about with the rest of the cast than anything else. If there was a character whose appeal needn’t be explained, it would be Kurumi. Her gothic Lolita style dress is a thing of beauty not often enough seen, though she also looks pretty great in a school uniform. Not one to shy away from showing off her lavish lingerie, Kurumi’s black thigh highs and garter belt are one of Date A Live’s iconic images. And not just that, she really ticks all the boxes from the yandere gaze as she licks her lips, to her feigned cute schoolgirl personality, she’s not so much a pervert as she is a cruel tease.

As most of us probably know, Death Note follows Light Yagami, a young idealist, as he attempts to create a utopia through the power of the Death Note, which kills whomever is written in its pages. Now, there’s going to be some hate for Death Note not being near the top of this list, but this list is focused on a show’s ability to warp the audience’s mind. Death Note is great at capturing the reader’s imagination, but it touts its ideologies as straight forwardly as possible, as do most investigative thrillers such as Terror in Resonance, Monster, and Psycho-Pass (all of which are great, just not for this list). Nonetheless, these shows do give the audience quite a bit to ponder (what is justice, harmony, utopia?) as well as consistently intense mental games.

Ever wonder what would happen if you got caught stealing someone’s laundry? Aku no Hana does exactly that as Kasuga Takao is spotted by another student as he steals his crush’s gym clothes. Despite its rather simple premise, this anime’s episodes are filled with cryptic requests, gestures, and moments for us to unravel. There aren’t any long soliloquies of what’s right and wrong, so it’s our job to figure out the motives and question the internal dialogues. More importantly, the artwork of this show forces introspection. Its blurry, impressionistic animation diminishes the feel of a medium between us and the characters, putting us in their shoes.

This classic unleashes a world of cyberpunk mystery upon its audience the moment Lain Iwakura receives a disturbing email from a classmate who committed suicide. Without batting an eye, Triangle Staff’s psychological thriller toys with Lain’s perception of reality as she traverses the contents of the real world and the world of the Wired (aka the Internet). Each choice made in this anime has resounding consequences that keep the audience on its feet. More importantly, this anime deftly handles issues of identity and consciousness with the advancement of technology. It’s asking what happens when we interact intimately and consistently with an impossible store of knowledge. Obviously, things begin to blur and unhinge themselves, and yet there’s power as well. In the end, it forces you to consider your interactions with technology and the countless possibilities that are at your fingers.

Mankind has been forced to live in isolated establishments scattered across the world. It is in one such colony, a metal metropolis, that we meet the triad of heroes who will begin to unravel the complicated and unmarked territories of this world. There’s Inpsector Re-I Mayer, Proxy Vincent Law, and the child-AutoReiv Pino who make up a rather diverse group of individuals who struggle as much to figure out their own desires as to understand one another. Ergo Proxy is easily the most confusing of all the series on here, and can easily derail a lot of viewers. This is not, however, because the narrative is told sloppily or incoherently but rather through an intricate mix of references and symbolism. From Greek mythology to the ideas of multiple philosophers, this anime winds together an epic of self-discovery that few shows can compare to. Bending your mind each step of the way, Ergo Proxy forces you into settlements and landscapes that defy genre by exposing the inner turmoil of separate mental hives and ideologies.

Mousou Dairinin is one of those shows you don’t want to watch with the lights off. It purses the case of apprehending the infamous Shounen Bat (Lil’ Slugger) who has been flying across Musashino City on rollerblades an pummeling people with his golden baseball bat. The detectives Keiichi Ikari and Mitsuhiro Maniwa are on the case, however, with each passing day, paranoia is spreading and the Shounen Bat’s terror is spreading. Mousou Dairinin incredibly handles the infectious nature of paranoia and anxiety. Within its narrative there’s an active discourse on panic and the erosion of one’s mind to fear as rumors seize the entire community about who the culprit is. In doing so, it also successfully toys around with your expectations to an incredible degree. Furthermore, its representations of characters heavily toys with certain notions of perception. Is it the character that views himself/herself, society, or simply the artist’s desire to meet the audience’s expectation?

Kuuchuu Buranko is all about chasing the rabbit down its hole as we get a firsthand look at the quirky practices of one Dr. Ichiro Irabu. It’s one trippy ride as patients file in, looking for him to help solve their problems. Visually, the show is a psychedelic madhouse of environments and colors that will both assault and mesmerize your eyes. Its vivid animation acts as a perfect backdrop to symbolize the unconscious, its wild power, and how little we truly understand of ourselves. Plot-wise, this anime tackles mental issues unlike anything else. A lot of the time, the treatment methods seem rash or bizarre, escaping even the understanding of the patient. Yet, that’s one of the beautiful points. Mental health problems, issues of fear and anxiety, don’t have a plain and simple treatment.

How weird would it be to die and then find yourself in a bar where you must play a simple game against another to determine your fate? That’s the premise of Death Parade as the bar’s master Decim, observes each game to determine who will be reincarnated and those will not. Death Parade demands your attention from start to finish as it presents an almost too simplistic environment. Indeed, its rather plain setting forces our attention on the characters and every little action they make. It wants us to analyze them and make judgments of our own as even the most minor of games becomes a battlefield for psychological and emotional warfare. Wrapping this show’s open discourse up quite nicely is the realization that Decim might not know what he’s doing. Suddenly, death is once more realized as another factor of life. It is uncertain and never clear cut.

Paprika throws viewers into a world where it’s possible to enter into the subconscious of another person through the use of a DC Mini. Captaining the rise and use of this technology is Dr. Atsuko Chiba, whose alternate identity of Paprika, when entering another person’s mind, can benefit society to great lengths by analyzing and resolving deep-rooted issues in people. However, the first of this technology, a prototype DC Mini, has been stolen and someone is using the machine to instigate psychological warfare against society. Inception anyone? Traversing dream state backdrops of different minds while chasing down the person who stole the DC Mini sets up the plot for Paprika. Abstract and beautiful, you will find yourself in settings that both confuse and draw you in. Ripe with questions of identity, and what defines reality Paprika will keep you glued to the screen the whole time. However, rather than simply interweaving the lines of reality and fiction to create tension, Paprika suggests that there is really only a thin veil between the two. Sight is a medium, memories are a medium, everything is subjection to refractions of light streaming through faulty lenses. Thus, everything, including the wildest scenarios of our dreams, are open to us. Is there still drama, of course, but there’s a sense of delight too, that comes from the belief that we can break past our own concepts.

If Kuuchuu Buranko is chasing the rabbit, then Yojouhan Shinwa Taikei is tailing the groundhog. Yojouhan Shinwa Taikei focuses on a nameless protagonist, who, in his endeavors to make the most of his college life, consistently repeats his first two years. In a revolving door of life’s joys and disappointments, our main man sets out to conceive his ideal self. Director Masaaki Yuasa does not waste any time blasting the audience with psychological warfare. Immediately, were are introduced to a world of folklore sand oddities as our hero unleashes an almost rabid chorus of mental ingenuity while sitting down at a ramen stand that possibly serves cat soup, we are introduced into a world of crazy folklore and oddities. The animation is one of temporal space with everything shifting, constantly moving about us with very little to root us besides the repetition of a few familiar faces. It’s easy to get lost, and depicts well our struggles with stepping past our self-imposed boundaries of routine and habit. Topping off the incredible narrative is the sense of connection we feel with our protagonist, whose namelessness helps make such a bond all the more poignant. In many ways, he is the voiced manifestation or our anxiety and concern that we’re missing one thing or another in our lives.

Perfect Blue revolves around the life of Mima Kirigne as she decides to leave her pop idol group and become an actress. Not only is one of her more ‘intense’ fans extremely upset about this, but, upon starting her acting career, crazy things begin to happen to people involved with the film she’s starring in. Thus, begins the mental breakdown of both Mimi and ourselves. This movie is one of the earlier and most renowned works of Satoshi Kon, who was also at the helm of both Paranoia Agent and Paprika. Clearly, the man had mastered his trade. With each passing moment in Perfect Blue, the lines between nightmares, dreams, and realities become more and more interwoven. Deciphering the labyrinth of Mima’s mental state is a task of the upmost perception, and yet, the things you’re bound to pick up are just as likely to bait you into a misconception. This is not one of the shows with a lighter side to it as it drags us down into a blood-curdling anxiety that has you gripping the edge of your seat. You will keep hoping for freedom, for the cycle to break as you yourself get lost in Mima’s spiraling madness. Throw in some extremely gory moments, and Perfect Blue is a psychological thriller that pushes our comfort levels to their limits.

If beauty is in the eye of the beholder, then sexiness must be too. Athena, from Saint Seiya is a character that needs no introduction. For anyone who's seen the series, the goddess Athena is the ultimate sexy female (be it in an unattainably divine kind of way). She mixes that alchemical rarity of sexy yet classy that still seems to elude some of the more endowed characters on our list. And her armor is top notch too; if you’re a tad conservative yet still get a tingling for a high-powered goddess decked out in awesome weaponry and armor, Athena's cloth should definitely peak your interest, so to speak. Perhaps the most powerful armor worn by any character anywhere, Athena's Cloth is a gilded defensive piece composed of heavy upper armor covering her chest, arms, shoulders and back. The armored suit is complete with a helmet similar to that of a gilded knight’s medieval regalia, staff, and shoulder blades resembling metallic wings that rest at her side. The Golden Staff which she wields, contains the power of the goddess Nike, the winged goddess of victory and Athena's loyal and trusted companion. Athena also brandishes the mythological shield of Aegis, a powerful healing apparatus able to purify/cleanse and heal fatal wounds (such as the arrow that pierced Athena's breast). Her lower body is covered by a long golden shielded skirt that completes the mythical cloth's full power. Immeasurable power aside, Athena is a goddess that’s not to be trifled with; if you’re craving a woman with brawns, brains, and untold divine powers, look no further. Goddess Athena is an honorable mention that deserves all the honor and edged her way to a spot on our list; if power is sexy, then this is the sexiest armor out there.

Like many series, Battle Girls begins with an unsuspecting, ditsy schoolgirl whose life is turned upside down. The series follows Hideyoshi as she is transported to feudal japan in a version of the country that’s solely made up of women. Battle Girls boasts an impressive roster of scantily clad girls (some more than others) who harness powerful magic and brute physical stamina to match. We find one of the fierier characters in Takeda Shingen, who is a feudal lord and a samurai able to control the elements of wind and fire. Takeda’s blazing attire is perfectly suited for agility, quick movement, and easy maneuvering. Her armor is simplistic with ridged crimson plates that shield her arms, shoulders and legs. Underneath her light armor, Takeda leaves little to the imagination as she sports a sexy red bikini top and bottom that shows off some of her feudal assets. The most interesting thing about her appearance, besides her obvious womanly charm, is the intimidating, demon-like samurai warrior mask that sits on the top of her head (most likely to instill fear/trepidation to any who stand in her way).

Claymore follows the story of Clare, a Claymore or half human, half Yoma (beings who feast on human flesh and blood). While most Claymores are human and Yoma hybrids, Clare is unique for being only 1/4 Yoma. Fearsome as she may be, Clare is seen by the organization (the order responsible for much of what's going wrong behind the scenes in this strange universe) as weak/undesirable, labeled No. 47 and the last of her generation. Her frail, slim frame disguises overwhelming superhuman strength and extraordinary abilities unbeknownst to many. This fearsome blonde with piercing silver eyes and sterling moonlit armor to match is a warrior whose pure passion and unstoppable spirit will unleash upon anything that stands in her way. Clare’s attire is simple yet still elegant and sensual. The skin tight body suit that elongates her slim alien-like frame looks like a cross between a sexy cat-suit and the most badass sword-proof fencing gear out there. The suit leaves her collarbones exposed while a black high-collar with the emblem of a dagger, covers hers throat and neck. Two large metallic shoulder pads adjoined by a thick metallic necklace, secures the armor around her chest. A white cape flows from behind her shoulder armor, while her bottom skirt consists of leaf-petal shaped platinum sheets that wrap around her waist. Clare might be adorned in sensual, clean, elegant attire along with other Claymores like her beautiful mentor Teresa, (who sports similar armor and waves of long golden hair/hypnotic silvery eyes), but don’t let her looks fool you; her awakened state is extremely dangerous (and that’s putting it lightly). A beauty to beast with blades and claws for hands and feet, deadly enough to go from super sexy to really scary, very fast.

Hundred follows Kisaragi as he learns to harness the great power of Hundred, a crystal energy that can take the form of defensive armor, advanced projectiles and physical weaponry. After mastering the Hundred in just a short amount of time, Kisaragi and his schoolmate Emil are recruited by the student body Queen, Claire Harvey, to become full-fledged slayers and combat a ruthless alien species. One of the most powerful characters in the series with equally impressive looks and womanly assets is that of the Queen (who sports golden pigtail ringlets that look more like pasta). Depending on the situation, Claire’s armor will either be simple and subdued (out of battle) or she’ll be adorned in highly-advanced, anti-gravitational burgundy armor that can withstand massive amounts of damage. Aside from some of her more offensive abilities like transforming pieces of her armor into arm-sized missiles or twin long-edged blades, one of her crystal’s main functions is to divide into 6 crown-like petals which float mid-air and possess either defensive (becoming a shield) or offensive capabilities. You just might get a flurry of projectile energy blasts headed your way if you’re not careful!

Konosuba is nothing short of being spellbindingly entertaining as it is full of arcane magic, snow sprites, summoning spells and chicks with loads of power. The story follows a Japanese Hikikomori (or shut-in) with an excessive habit of video game binging, until his life is abruptly cut short following a traffic accident. He meets a goddess named Aqua who accompanies him to a parallel world where the duo embark on an epic quest; meeting new friends and facing the Devil King and his dubious minions along the way. Among those friends is a character nicknamed Darkness. At first glance, you’d think Darkness is just your typical, airy, blonde paladin, but looks are not always as they seem. Her masochistic tendencies and awkward pleasure-seeking behaviours bewilder Kazuma and even some of her enemies. But for what she lacks in social grace and combat skills she makes up for in cuteness. Darkness is adorned with metallic shoulder plates and an upper body breastplate that can dish out (and take) some serious melee damage. The long, orange flowing robe lined with ivory trimming allows her the flexibility and range of motion to dodge (or not) oncoming attacks. Far be it from us to judge, she’s not your typical paladin but this sadomasochistic, socially inept, backwards warrior happens to be our favourite little dark angel. And with sizeable assets and a sweet disposition like that, could you disagree?

This series is set in a futuristic world inhabited by genetically modified humans and an invading alien species, called the Nova. To combat this extraterrestrial menace, an academy of boys (limiters) and their respective female counterparts (pandoras) are infused with genetic material to alter their DNA in order to manifest superhuman strength, agility, and weaponry. The story follows Satellizer L. Bridget, or the untouchable queen, whose genetic attire consists of a simple flowing red dress highlighted with golden accents, laced stockings and an open brassiere showcasing her noticeably ample bust (bigger than all of her classmates). What her outfit lacks in intricacy, it makes up for in innovation. Through the infusion of volt energy implanted by her stigmata, Satellizer is able to manifest weaponry and transmorphic armor through her simple clothing; enough to leave her adversaries smouldering. Boasting a wide array of lethal combat moves through volt (magic), her most effective weapon is her ability to manifest an intimidating, albeit impressive, single-edged sword that can easily slice through anything (or anyone).

No list of sexy armor can be complete without Erza Scarlet from Fairy Tail. Set in the fictional world of Earth-Land, where wizard guilds fulfill magical jobs (much like sorcerer contractors for hire), Erza Scarlet is the noble heart of the series. Her long scarlet hair and hazel eyes match her quick temper and strong attitude. While she fronts a strong exterior, she is at heart playful and sometimes just downright clumsy. Although soft-hearted, Erza is a formidable opponent whose power is only matched by the armor she wears. Her closet is full of tight fitting armor ready for every occasion, battle and adventure (which could encompass a full list of its own). So for this list we've chosen the sexiest and most powerful. Erza’s most powerful armor is her Heaven's Wheel; a winged silver armored suit akin to that of a warrior angel. The armor's main feature are metallic wings in the shape of elongated feathers that give Erza the ability to take flight. Her breasts are covered by a mid-drift-bearing metallic bustier with decorative metal feathers, while her upper arms are covered with metallic ribbons that create diamond shaped skin exposures. The lower section of Heaven Wheel is composed of a skirt of metal plates, complete with a flowy underskirt. Erza plays it down with silver sabatons (or plated knight's boots) sequined with metallic feathers pointing upwards. Besides wielding two immense swords that harbour special abilities, the armor also has the ability to summon different specialty swords/weaponry to fend off and vanquish any and all who stand in her way. Overall Erza's Heaven Wheel is the ultimate female armor that makes it both sexy and immeasurably powerful.

This series follows a school uniform and an assuming girl in search for her father's killer. Ryuko and the suit she inherited from her father, are left with only one half of the Red Scissor Blade as a clue to the mystery of her father's killer. Sounds simple enough, but this is far from any ordinary uniform. This life-fibre suit is also the ultimate anthropomorphic ogle monster ready to devour the wearer of all their blood, the only real power source that satisfies its life-fibres. With the vital energy from the wearer's blood, Senketsu transforms into a suit of revealing, dare we say, sensuous proportions. The life-fibres (a super nanotechnology of sorts) transform into a fully mechanized destruction machine granting the wearer explosive super human abilities, precision and skill. Very little is left to the imagination as the belly armor is held down by two very thin red suspenders (resembling lingerie garters) that attach from Ryuko’s breasts down to her thigh high boots. Like the good schoolgirl she is deep down, Ryuko ironically feels ashamed of the skimpiness of her armor, something her unabashed counterparts from other anime series seem to ignore. But, once Ryuko understands the power of this sexy ensemble, she isn't afraid to show everyone she's also a butt-kicking bad-girl inside, although sometimes her enemies can’t help but just stare.

What more can you ask for when you have a bundle of babes adorned in scantily clad outfits fighting the forces of darkness? Bikini Warriors is set in a world brimming with monsters, mages and every mythical character under the sun. Expect no shortage of long pans and close-ups of the warriors’ pleasantly rounded assets and plump derrieres. The series begins when the king enlists the help of four sexy femme fatales (a dark elf, paladin, mage and a fighter) who are hand-picked for their renown intellect, prowess, and strength. Arguably the most formidable of these select few is the Dark Elf. Her exotic armor (if we can call it that), is minimal; dressed in high heels, thigh-highs, tan ribbon-like draping, as well as decorative amethyst coloured arm and knee plates with sword in hand. The Dark Elf’s allure is completed by her nipple tassels and a corresponding bottom piece (with tassels) to match. Although Bikini Warriors can at times lack a strong, engrossing plot, there’s plenty of eye candy to satisfy your sweet tooth. This series is brimming with long (and we mean long) pans of big-breasted female warriors saving the world and looking quite good doing it.

Queen’s blade offers the viewer titillating adventure with bikini clad outfits that make some of the other characters on our list seem conservative (at least in comparison). This story follows a group of up and coming female warriors whose soul mission is to combat the misuse of power that has pervaded the Queendom. Their succubus-like prowess and beauty allows the warriors a real chance to overthrow the tyrannical Queen and restore peace to the land. One of the main antagonists is a high-ranking demon whose body is possessed to do the Swamp Witch’s bidding. Although you never get to see the witch (as she has no physical form), she’s chosen the amply chested daughter of a demon god to be her vessel (for the time being). And who could blame her? Werbellia has some serious bad girl style; she spawns an undeniably wicked attire with horns protruding from her long jet black hair. This femme fatale is draped in a velvety indigo and crimson cloak made up of panels with scarlet trim, a matching choker (that leaves her breasts nearly exposed), thigh-highs, and vampire bat lingerie (that appears to be crawling out of her nether regions). All this along with a brimming skimpy brassiere, decorated with an emerald green gem set in a gold cast that is barely able to hold her twin assets in place. This seductive she-devil is also decked out in infernal high heels that resemble flames rising from her feet to boot. Her staff, which is hard to miss, is the main source of her demonic power. With it she can summon legions of undead to do her bidding, dish out some diabolical curses, and project energy blasts from the green gem that lies in the staff’s heart; it’s safe to say that you don’t want to get on the bad side of this big-breasted seductress (good guys be warned). Werbellia is the ultimate armored femme fatale who retains all the sexiness that comes with being a sinister sorceress hell bent on all consuming power.

In this unforgettable hit film by the late great Kon Satoshi, Paprika, based on the novel by Tsutsui Yasutaka, is a story about psychologists who wish to help by entering the dreams of patients. Through a machine called the DC Mini, it allows individuals to be inside people’s heads while they dream. Due to the machine being incomplete, the treatment is still not 100% approved. Chiba Atsuko, a doctor in the project, beings to use the machine as Paprika. So what makes this movie similar to JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Diamond is Unbreakable? Granted their stories are very different but if you are someone who truly appreciates anime exclusively for the art, then art-oriented fans are likely to be attracted to both products for its uses of psychedelic imagery. If anything, the entire town of Morioh with its unique bright color palette feels like a trip. JoJo is more influenced by Araki-sensei’s love for progressive rock, while Paprika is meant to stimulate what goes in in the subconscious. Both do a good job of pulling viewers into an immersing trance of the insanity that happens.

Based on the hit visual novel and video game franchises by Type-Moon, the original story centers around Emiya Shirou, a high school student who is also learning the dark arts. He is a resident of Fuyuki City and uses his abilities to take place in a secret battle known as the Fifth Holy Grail War which includes various kinds of magical based beings. Whoever wins, their wish shall be granted. Like Josuke, Shirou is motivated by a strong sense of justice which they get from their parental figures. Shirou gets his from both his natural and foster fathers, while Josuke is influenced by his grandfather. As the bow and arrow from Diamond is Unbreakable is the source of people getting powers, the grail also contributes as the motivating factor to this magical war and the parties involved. In addition, both supernatural battles take place in a fictional rural town surrounded by intrigue.

In this prototype to Tsukihime and the Fate/stay night series, Kara no Kyoukai takes place in the late 1990s and tells the story of Ryougi Shiki and Kokutou Mikiya and how they deal with the supernatural and other crazy real world problems from suicide, rape, to murder. Together, they must stop these threats but the threats may be closer than they could ever imagine. One instant comparison is of course both series taking place around the same time period. In addition, both share plots on how rural towns are being haunted by crazy instances and a teenager with powers due to her lineage gives her the obligation to put a stop to it. But both Shiki and Josuke don't do it because it's something their families wanted them to do, they do it because it's the right thing. Though JoJo tends to have more humor, Kara no Kyoukai has a much darker atmosphere and can be pretty creepy.

In the second animated adaptation of Garo, based on the hit Tokusatsu franchise, the Crimson Moon series takes place in medieval Japan and tells the story of Raikou, the bearer of the Garo armor. Together with his assistant Kintoki and his guardian/mentor Senmei, they use their unique abilities to fight the horrors that threaten the future of Japan. In the midst of all of this, the characters must confront their pasts and the politics that could limit their activities. What makes this series similar to JoJo and why fans should check one or the other out is on a foundational level, they both share stories of the supernatural. What also makes them similar is that the incidents that are happening in both animes is that they tend to take place in one town/city, and if things go wrong there, then it could have consequences that could affect the whole world and both main characters are teenagers that have the abilities and support that can prevent it. In addition to these superficial similarities, both series also tackle themes on how the characters embrace their legacies. As the illegitimate son of Joseph, Josuke’s bloodline puts something of a target on his back from Dio’s (the villain in the first and third story arcs of the series) remaining henchmen. Since Joseph was never in his life, the only person he sees as a parental figure is his maternal grandfather, a humble and respected police officer. Like Josuke, Raikou grew up without his father (or the rest of his natural family for that matter) and like Josuke, Raikou embraces his situation as a “it’s just the way it is” kind of mentality, and just accepts people who have always been there for him as his family and does the right thing for the sake of it.

Based on the hit manga series by Togashi Yoshihiro (who initially made fame through Yuu Yuu Hakusho), it tells the story of Gon Freeces, who wishes to become a Hunter, or more specifically a treasure hunter just like his father. Together with Killua, Kurapika, and Leorio, they face the hardships of meeting the demands to becoming qualified as Hunters, and later on becoming the best at what they do. Though different in their own unique ways, both Diamond is Unbreakable and Hunter x Hunter share very unique action sequences. Famous through Yuu Yuu Hakusho, Togashi-sensei demonstrates his approach to action by once again being more tactical oriented such as trapping and other means of psychological games. JoJo is likewise psychological but in a very different matter. As stated before, a lot of the battles are expressed through stands, astral projections of the combatants. Each stand has its own unique ability and its own limitations. Like Hunter x Hunter, Diamond is Unbreakable expresses its battles through mind games and goes no holds barred when it needs to. In both series, they are also motivated by their fathers and/or paternal figures. Gon is motivated by his father’s achievements as a Hunter, while Josuke’s sense of right and wrong comes from his maternal grandfather.

Just like the original PlayStation 2 game it is based on, the story of Persona 4 is about how Narukami Yu, your typical teenager, moves into the fictional town of Inaba to stay with some relatives while his parents work overseas. Haunting this town is a Midnight Channel that appears on rainy days and the town is plagued by unsolved murders. With his new friends Yosuke and Chie, they set out to solve this mystery. Thankfully, they found clues to what's going on and in order to combat this threat, Yu develops his Persona power. As you can tell, both Person 4 and Diamond is Unbreakable on a foundational level (town haunted by a mystery and teenagers must band together to stop it) tend to share virtually almost every quality. Altus has openly admitted to saying Persona’s are based on stands from JoJo, and even asked Araki-sensei permission to use them. The concept that the Persona’s take influence from the personality of the user is also the same as the stands from JoJo. While JoJo takes its influence from music, this installment of Persona takes its influence from Japanese mythology. Though not as trippy in the same way as JoJo is artistically, Persona has its own unique ways of getting the viewer to challenge their views on reality.

In a lot of ways, Aki Nijou is your typical nurse -- for an anime. She works at Tenbi Academy, a school for students who possess magical and spiritual energies called “elements,” and who wield crafted weapons called Makens. She is kind, a bit on the naïve side, and the classic cute klutz. Did we mention she has honking big hooters and wears clothes so tight they’re like a second skin? We didn’t? Well surprise! She does. Aki is tall with light brown eyes and blue or purple hair depending on which season you are watching. She mainly wears short skirts, tight camisoles that let her cleavage spill out, and a white lab coat to denote that she’s a health care professional. Aki Nijou, like all of the characters, also has a Maken, which is classified as a debugger type. The bugs she fixes with this magical device are injuries. She uses the device to examine a patient and see exactly what is wrong with them. She definitely has a skill attuned the world she works in, taking care of the rambunctious students in her charge. The unique skill with her Maken and the setting she works in is the key reason she makes number ten on the list.

Midori Okamoto is the school nurse at the High School on Southern Cross Isle. The island of Southern Cross has many secrets, many involving the use of giant robots called Cybodies. A power struggle over the Cybodies and their power to break the magical seals of the shrine maidens on the island is the central plot of the story. Midori Okamoto is an unknown age but seems to be in her late twenties. Midori wears a lab coat that hides a girlish figure; she has brown hair pulled back into a bun and wears glasses. She makes this list because of her obsession with young men. Midori also shows many similar traits as the closet-pervert trope, collecting candid photos of many of the male students and filling page after page of albums. She is also has a more serious role as the leader of Glittering Star Crusade’s science division as well as the pilot of the Cybody Yoddock. Her First Phase ability allows her to reverse her age and appear as she was back in High School. She often uses the ability to flirt with male students. She not only flirts with the male students but occasionally uses a potion to seduce them. So if you want to play doctor, this nurse is the perfect choice.

Eclipse is known as the “Snake Charmer” and is one of the Zodiac spirits that rebelled against their servitude. Eclipse may look like a slim, young woman with blue eyes, modest breasts, and shoulder-length blonde hair, but in reality she’s a large black snake. She keeps her top half human much like a lamia, for example Miia the lamia from Monster Musume. Eclipse wears a traditional nurse’s uniform, a one-piece dress with buttons, and a nurse’s cap with gold trim. Eclipse considers herself as a “nasty nurse” who uses her powers to make the healthy become sick. She tends to behave sadistically towards the members of the guild Fairy Tail, taking delight in her torment of its members. In some ways, she’s a comical evil villain right out of a silver age Batman comic book. Her first attack on our heroes was with thermometers and stethoscopes, playing right into the cartoonish villain act. The reason she makes the list is she is a mean and nasty nurse. You’d never want to be in her care, but she sure is interesting to watch.

Ayako is the school physician at Winford Academy and runs a café and boarding house on the side. She is a supportive, caring adult, which makes her stand out in a genre filled with bad parents. She is the kind of adult who will always give you a nudge in the right direction when you need it. The café she runs, “Tart-Time,” not only employs students and gives a couple of them a roof over their heads, but also serves as a hangout for our core group of characters. She can have an impish personality when it comes to teasing Takahiro, her cousin, about the girls in his life. She is on the list because she is a nurse and rather attractive in a lady-like way. She has long black hair and light purple eyes that draw you in. She also has a very demanding job; you see the pastime at Winford Academy is jousting. We are not talking about the modern style of jousting where you’re riding at full speed and putting your lance through suspended rings. We are talking armor-wearing, lance-wielding, medieval-style knights trying to knock each other of off their respective horses. The injuries she sees on a daily basis must be pretty severe. At most times she seems calm and relaxed, but has shown a sterner side. Like most nurses, that side comes out it to protect the wellbeing of her patients.

Miyo Takano is the nurse of a village clinic in Hinamizawa. She is 30 years old with shoulder-length blonde hair. She is very average in appearance, but we won’t hold that against her. The village she serves seems ideal but has a troubled history. The village has had a series of murders all seeming to revolve around the village festival and the village’s patron god Oyashiro. Miyo is deeply interested in village history and records and recounts her village lore and speculation to others. She also seems to derive pleasure from scaring and unnerving people with the twisted tales she can weave with her macabre local knowledge. She also seems to be a bit of a cultist nut. Miyo Tanako is a little twisted, and that’s why she makes the list. She could be classified loosely as a mad scientist. She sees the people (patients) around her as potential guinea pigs. She is driven almost beyond reason in her research into a mysterious illness, Hanamizawa Syndrome, which causes psychoses among the town’s population. Her determination and focused ends-justify-the-means mentality is one of the remarkable things about this nurse of ambiguous morality.

Michiru Onigawara is the school nurse and advisor to a rather strange club. The club is made up of students with issues; for example, the club president is hyper-aggressive and carries around a baseball bat. Another student, Yuno, is terrified of men. The club also features a student who’s a cross-dresser, and Sado, a complete masochist. The story revolves around Sado trying to cure himself of his love of being made miserable, a task taken on by the club president who’s pretty sure she’s god. You can imagine how quickly the situation can devolve into the simple story of a sadist and her submissive, making it very entertaining. Onigarawa gets on this list because she fits in perfectly with the bunch of weirdos in the club she advises. She is really into cosplay, so much so she forces her students to cosplay for her. Onigawara also seems to get some sort of perverse pleasure in taking pictures of her victims -- we mean students -- in elaborately staged scenes. She doesn’t say much and tends to blend into the background when she isn’t the focal point, but is just as involved in the crazy antics as the students. She isn’t one for interfering in the sometimes violent and crazy stunts like a real adult should, which is just another reason she makes the list -- for letting weridos be weirdos.

Shizuka Marikawa is the school nurse at Fujimi High School. She is caught up in the undead plague while at work and rescued by several of her students. She is only 26 and at times seems like she is just another one of the students. She is also not the most emotionally stable of the group. Marikawa seems to be rather fragile and can’t make sense of the world falling apart around her. She needs to be taken care of by the more responsible members of the group whenever they get in a crisis situation, most often being surrounded by hordes of the undead. Shizuka Marikawa makes the list partially for being completely true to form with her blonde hair, big boobs and ditzy nature. She also makes the list because she manages to remember her medical training and can calmly treat everyone’s wounds -- and you know she’s going to see a lot of them. She is also kind and caring and is constantly worried about how her students are handling their new lot in life as zombie killing refugees at the end of the world. She also makes the list for her many wardrobe malfunctions and her lack of modesty, giving the main character quite an eyeful time after time.

Caren Ortensia is the school nurse at our heroine, Illya’s, school. The world of Fate/Kalied liner Prismia Illya is an alternate Fate/Stay universe in which Illyasviel von Einzbern leads a simple life knowing nothing about the Holy Grail war. One day Illya gets the chance to become a magical girl with the help of a wand named Magical Ruby. She is then tasked with finding magical “Class Cards” which contain the souls of heroic spirits. Caren’s true purpose is a mystery, but she observes Illya and her friends Miyu and Kuro very closely. She even seems to have some knowledge about the magical world and the girls’ role in it. She goes as far to referring to Illya as “necessary,” Miyu as “accidental,” and Kuro as a “miraculous existence.” She is another one of our nurses who makes the list less for being a caregiver and more for her contrary attitude to healthcare. She has taken the role of school nurse simply because she likes to watch children suffer. She also gets points for the way she dresses; she wears the typical lab coat, a ruffled shirt, black stockings and short skirt. Her silver hair, side ponytail and gold eyes are just the perfect finishing pieces for this healthcare cutie.

Chisato Hasegawa is the school nurse of Hijirgasaka Academy. She doesn’t seem like it, but she is a can do pretty powerful magic, too. The 5’5” healthcare practitioner is often seen a personifying a Cake song, wearing a short skirt with a long jacket. In this case, the jacket is a lab coat and the short skirt is black and lets you see the garter hooks on her nylons. The green turtleneck fits pretty well, too, hugging her ample chest. The story revolves around Basara, a young man and powerful warrior who fights to defend his step-sister, the daughter of the last demon king, from other unsavory demons involved in a power struggle for rule of the demon world. She makes the list because in a world of devils and demons you can still use this line on her, “Did it hurt when you fell from heaven?” because she is an honest-to-goodness angel. She is also the mentor and aunt of the main character Basara, who is an ass-kicking force of good in his own right. She even cast some protective spells on him that has saved his life in one of Basara’s critical battles. She has the look and makes us wonder: just how do you talk to an angel?

Sergeant First Class Mari Kurokawa is a member other Japanese Self-Defense Force. She is member of the 3rd Recon Team in the Special Region, a region very different than modern day Japan, filled with elves, wizards, and dragons, accessed through a dimensional portal in Tokyo. She is in good physical condition and, despite wearing green military fatigues, is still a beauty. She has had combat training, and is a marksman, as all soldiers should be. The most important thing, other than her amazing blue eyes, is that she is a combat medic and a nurse. Sgt. Mari Kurokawa makes the list for her role in the unit -- that of big mama bear. She gives off an aura of grace and ladylike calm and takes the health and wellbeing of her team members personally. You’d better watch out if you get between her and the treatment of her patient. She also sets up a clinic in the Imperial Capital and administers aid to anyone who needs it, without judgment of class or profession.

Komugi is a struggling idol. She can sing and dance, but just hasn’t had her big break. She has determination and spirit, though. She doesn’t seem to get too depressed as her other idol friends become more and more popular, entertaining large crowds and getting guest roles on dramas, while she entertains crowds at the ribbon cutting of local stores in the shopping district. She rescues and performs first aid on Usa-p, a strange rabbit-like creature, who in turn offers to make her a “legendary girl,” a.k.a. a classic magical girl. She accepts and her weird triple life of being an idol, middle school girl, and magical girl. Komugi makes this list not for her medical skill, since she isn’t actually a nurse. She just dresses like one and seems to have a nursing theme in her magical spells. She makes the list for her purity; when you strip away Komugi’s roles as idol and magical, she’s just a little girl with a dream. We can also give her marks for her transformation into the Nurse Witch and the classic revealing costume.