Inspired by the prince that she saw when she was young, Utena decided to be a prince herself. Fast forward to the future, she is now a student in Ohtori Academy where she displays herself more differently, which is a bit closer to her ideal during her childhood. As the girls at school fall for her, she witnesses Anthy being abused by her current partner. Mustering up her courage, Utena fought to protect Anthy without any knowledge that she is getting herself involved in a revolutionary duel. Anthy being the rose bride, shows herself to others as emotionless with no will to do anything on her own. She must present herself as someone obedient and well-mannered until she meets Utena that is. Utena can be considered brave, who will fight for what is right and has a great sense of responsibility. Utena helped Anthy to be really who she is and protected her from any malicious people that hurt her. In turn, Anthy encourages Utena and willingly lets her use the power of revolution. They started off quite rocky but through the course of the anime, they began a relationship that can be more than just friends but less than that of lovers. They are good partners with a fresh new view outside expectations and norms.

After the dark masterpiece of Takeshi Obata & Tsugumi Ohba that is Death Note, they again presented us with another superb piece that is Bakuman. Much like Obata & Ohba, Bakuman tells the journey of two people who teamed up together to create a hit manga series and dream to be the number one mangaka in Japan. It is an informative anime that gives us a little sneak peek into the process behind manga, seiyuu, and anime in general. Meet Mashiro who has really nothing in mind for his future, but on the other hand, we have Takagi who is set on having an easy way to have cash; his brilliant idea? To be a mangaka. These two don't seem to likely be paired together, but with Mahiro gifted with drawing skills and Takagi blessed with his writing skills, it’s a perfect match! Together they become known as Ashirogi Muto. As the two try to make a name for themselves, they became sincere friends that constantly strive to be the best. Both share what is on their minds and never fail to appreciate/motivate one another when one starts to feel insecure due to the line of work they have. The growth that is shown in the anime little by little is the most wonderful part in Bakuman..

Not everyone had an easy childhood and Natsume is a prime testament of this. Since childhood, he had the ability to see youkai. Natsume mostly grew up being isolated from people as he was either being ignored or being bullied because of his ability. He loathed this and appeared cold and distant to other people. Until he accidentally broke a seal that concealed a powerful youkai in the form of a maneki-neko (meaning lucky cat). Madara, or Nyanko-sensei as our protagonist calls him, promises to get the book of friends once Takashi dies and becomes the boy's bodyguard. Now with Madara by his side, Natsume learns that not all youkai are evil at all. He accepts them with wide open arms and gives help when necessary. Natsume became more open to his foster parents and even gained friends through it. Madara, who is most of the time with Natsume, became friendlier to some characters in the show despite him saying he doesn’t care about them. While Natsume realizes more about himself and his new forged understanding around him, Madara becomes attached to him and is even protective of him. Madara shares some minor insights here and there to help Natsume return the names in the book of friends albeit will diminish its power because of this.

Much like Natsume from above, Watanuki can also see ghosts. Watanuki started out his story in XXX HoLiC when he pleaded to remove the ghosts clinging onto his back to Ichihara, Yuuko. She does remove it, asking for a payment for her services. With nothing to pay her, he began working odd jobs for Yuuko; and there he meets Doumeki. Since both of the boys have clashing personalities, it seems it is expected already that they will not get along. Watanuki views Doumeki as his rival with Himawari but these are merely one of his crazy assumptions. Despite this, they are fated to work together and eventually finish the different tasks that are given to them by Yuuko. In their ghost related jobs, these two are well matched in terms of their abilities. Doumeki cannot see ghosts but can sense it and exorcise it, while Watanuki can see them and attract them, which helps heaps in their two man team. Their relationship started with Watanuki bickering to Doumeki (most especially his impossible food demands and Doumeki’s constantly showing up out of nowhere). But as the story goes on, both matured and grow as a character. They formed a deep subtle friendship that made these two unlikely characters to heavily trust on one another and care for each others well being.

After the death of her father, Ryuuko transferred to Honnoji Academy to find answers to who is the killer of her father. After her overwhelming defeat in the hands of one of the student council members, she flees from the battle and meets her homeroom teacher Mikisugi, Aikuro. Through him, she meets Senketsu and from this point on starts with their rough relationship. Ryuuko and Senketsu didn’t start out as close as it looks, in fact, Ryuuko only saw Senketsu as some piece of clothing that can help her achieve her thirst for vengeance. As the series progress through, Ryuuko acknowledges Senketsu as her friend after he sacrificed himself in order to protect his wearer. Even though they are believed to be friends, they act more of like a father to his daughter. Senketsu is level headed and can think critically which helps a lot with Ryuuko’s impulsiveness. He advises Ryuuko in times of her confusion as well as nags her when she does something careless. Both are protective of each other and work in sync in their en devours. Each time their bond goes deeper, they become even stronger. And just like how Senketsu will always be inside Ryuuko’s heart, these two will also be in ours, too.

Before Simon became a well-known hero, he started out as a 14-year-old meek boy that has little to no self-confidence at all. In their humble beginnings in the underground, Kamina and Simon treated each other as blood brothers. Unlike Simon, who sees nothing good about himself, Kamina sees a lot of potential inside the shy boy. He is often giving Simon inspiring speeches to get the child going and learn to fight his insecurities. Even during battles, he urges Simon to show all that he has and believed that it was his little brother who helped him attain extreme victories. Besides viewing Simon as his little brother, Kamina treats Simon too as his partner in everything they do. On the other hand, Simon immensely admires his big brother Kamina. The way he views things and what his beliefs are; are mostly inspired by Kamina’s will and resolve. Especially in bad times, Kamina’s words are what resonates to Simon to stand up again and find himself once more. Their partnership is based on brotherhood and support, hence, why they are on our list.

This dynamic duo is often overshadowed by the Elric brothers. As we look deeper though, you will see how their partnership gave a lot to them to improve as a person and as great supporting characters to our main ones. Roy has set his mind on being the next Amestris and to change the ways of the military, which is good and beneficial to Riza. Their bond is so strong that Roy has let Riza become his conscience, bodyguard, and his executioner. They balance out very perfectly. With Riza being the voice that Roy needs and Roy being the source of Riza’s hope for a better future. They equally respect each other and show their weakest side to one another only when they are alone. Roy and Riza are devoted duos that are willing to put each one's life on the line even if it means saving the other.

Their partnership couldn’t be any better than it is. With their different intentions in mind, both were partnered with Maka as the cool Meister and Soul Eater as her trusty weapon. They often clash due to their personality differences, nonetheless, they are rarely seen without each other and both have a lot of chemistry between them. Soul is very protective of Maka. They sometimes squabble about minor things but he genuinely cares for Maka. At times, he gives guidance to his meister to keep her out of trouble and shows Maka his undying loyalty towards her. Meanwhile, Maka is full on ready to fight for Soul. She heavily relies on him and wants nothing more but Soul to trust in her. She gets jealous when others seem to understand him more that she does, so she compensates this by reading books to know more about him. Each seeks to be stronger and better not because for the sake of it, but to support each other without being a burden to one another.

In a world where humans are deemed as prey under the hands of parasitic aliens, shows the story of a 16-year-old Shinichi, who tries to co-exist with his infected hand that is named Migi. Like all parasites, Migi should have infected Shinichi through his brain. Luckily for Shinichi, he was able to stop the parasite from taking over his brain albeit a price that cost him his right hand. Since both have their special circumstances, they are different from others who were infected by other parasites too. Who says human and aliens can’t be a combo? This anime showed us that despite the differences between species, when goals are set, the combination can be badass. Migi wanted to live and will do anything to stop anyone who will give harm to him and his host. That’s not really easy though, not when Shinichi is set on saving humans from parasites, it took a lot on effort on Migi’s part to finally relent and help Shinichi in his task. As Shinichi learns to fight individually with Migi, Migi, on the other hand, begins to act more like a human. Migi even expressed how good it was that he failed to take over Shinichi and how thankful he is to gain wonderful memories with his host. Each has their back for each other and made a mutual friendship out of their unusual predicament.

We present to you the characters in our top spot who are Gon and Killua from Hunter x Hunter! Why not? They are the perfect embodiment of a solid partnership and true friendship. This list will never be complete without these two amazing child fighters. As we all know, Gon is a very friendly character, so it's not really a surprise when he befriended Killua, who is the same age as he is. Their dream to become a Hunter made these two characters meet, which in time formed a friendship that is full of fun and adventures. Killua, in the beginning, was a bit guarded towards Gon but with his curiosity so strong, Gon seems to be the right person to go with. With Gon’s reckless behavior, it balances out with Killua’s good perception of his surroundings; putting a knack of some sense into Gon. We watched as they grew strong together, ventured in their quest together and, of course, on how they supported each other the most. In this friendship though, both of them have their own way to grow as a character in this ordeal. Whether their friendship sparked small changes in Gon or an even bigger change for Killua, both have learned and gained something during their time together. They continue to still improve, which is more evident in the later parts of the anime when they decided to part ways. Now that each of them have their own goals in mind, it's time to let go and venture out in the open and hopefully improve themselves yet again in time, separately. Gon and Killua are definitely friendship goals!

As one of the most recent horror anime on this list, Ajin, takes us into a world of terrorism, misinformation, and immortals. For a long time Ajin, supernatural/immortal beings, have lived in relative peace with humanity. At least that’s the status quo as there have only been a couple documented interactions. However, this all changes in Japan when one psychopathic Ajin, Satou, begins to bomb and terrorize the city all the while wearing his trademark close-eyed grin. Ajin succeeds in providing a unique blend of horror for its viewers. Between the gritty action sequences of Satou capping people in the foot, knee, face with a shotgun (still smiling) and moments of nationwide paranoia, you’ll be kept on pins and needles. Though many might not like the animation style, Polygon Pictures’s choice of CG is actually used to great effect. It creates this sort of puppetry quality, despite being very fluid, that unsettles the nerves. Most people feel like they’re wearing a mask of some sort and so it’s hard to weed through what’s true and what’s not.

Another sends you off to Class 3-3 of Yomiyama North, the class of which a popular student died within back in 1972. As we follow Kouichi Sakakibara into this classroom, we’re immediately thrown off balance by a rather eerie, gloom-filled class, complete with the eyepatch-wearing Mei Misaki. Despite, the eyepatch, no one seems to notice her except for Kei. Thus following primarily Kouichi and Mei, Another embarks on a quest to discover what phenomenon has been tormenting the students. This show is practically the anime equivalent of Final Destination, however, with a bit more narrative depth. The horror Another haunts us with is a combination of an extremely tense environment mixed with brutal deaths. Umbrella points impaling bodies, elevators crashing and speed boats cutting bodies apart are just a few of the type of deaths you can expect. Are you cringing yet? Ultimately, Another makes you aware and afraid of everything you do. Is it safe to be twirling this pencil about my fingers? What if it slips and pierces an eye. Time to put it down.

Often times, the high school years are seen as the golden years of life. Yuki Takeya understands that her time in high school has been so great at Megurigaoka that she never wants to leave. However, the backdrop of her friends and all the awesome times they’ve had in their club is simply a façade. In truth, a zombie outbreak has left them isolated in their school. The other survivors are torn psychologically between the horror of their current predicament and their attempts to create a blissful world for Yuki, if not for themselves as well. Gakkou Gurashi’s horror is particularly well done in its contrast with the rather youthful animation style and character designs. This contrast dissects the reality of the situation and creates a confusing mess of emotions that you will need to sort through. Essentially, his show is a breeding ground for paranoia because so much of it depends on deception. Thus, it’s difficult at times to trust what you’re being presented. Nonetheless, it keeps you attached as you’ll be constantly wondering two things: will they survive and who’s really saving who in this terrifying situation.

Deadman Wonderland is a terrifying adventure from beginning to end. It throws into what seems to be an average school life anime, but then Ganta Igarashi’s entire classroom is blown up and he is framed for the crime. From that point he enters the maddening, horror-filled world of the prison Deadman Wonderland. Each episode of Deadman Wonderland has at least one moment that makes you turn your head and cringe, physically in pain from the brutality and gore. His classroom being blown up and the carnage afterwards was already pretty gruesome, but the horror is taken to the extreme when shown the false video during the trial. The scene, in rather sickening detail, portrays a reel of atrocity, including the raping of a dead body. That’s how this show starts off. From there, its blood and death from obstacle course killing fields to underground fighting rings. Adding fuel to every moment is the disturbed nature of most of the characters, with several murderers having an almost child-like demeanor that will send shivers down your back.

This fifth chapter of the Kara no Kyoukai film series follows the events following a double homicide committed by Tomoe Enjou. To Tomoe’s confusion though, it doesn’t seem that the media or police are covering the case. In fact, he finds out his mother, who he was sure he killed, is still alive. Despite being the fifth installment of a series, which is altogether worth your time, most people can jump right into this movie without feeling completely lost in its narrative. You will have to pay attention, because the plot can take some drastic turns, but it’s worth every ounce of your attention. Between an intensive noir-like setting with hard lines and dark colors as well as the number of corpses that pile up, Kara no Kyoukai 5: Mujun Rasen is one nightmarish ride. To grasp just how grand of a psychological twist this series can pull off, one character takes over an entire apartment building and causes the occupants to kill one another. From there, he has copies of the inhabitants re-enact their grisly murders/suicides hoping to find a deviation in their deaths. It’s this type of horror that makes up the entire series.

Taniyama Mai’s school has been experiencing quite a few supernatural phenomena. To solve these incidents the principal has called in the president of the Shibuya Psychic Research Company, Shibuya Kazuya. During Kazuya’s initial investigation, Mai happens to interfere and accidentally injure Kazuya’s assistant. Thus, Kazuya drafts her into service and Mai gets to see behind the scenes of the stories she loves to gossip about. As an anime, Ghost Hunt’s horror is reminiscent of the ghost tales told around a campfire or while spending the night at a friend’s house. At that very moment, the story seems all too possible and immediately you begin to imagine monsters and ghosts to be hiding in the shadows. The show is filled with a range of suspenseful moments, but few have the lasting, bedeviling effect of the time Kazuya finds himself in a silent stare down with a ghost that intends to kill him at the first sign of weakness.

Presented in the style of Kamishibai performances, which utilizes paper figures and backgrounds, Yami Shibai has rounded up its third season of terrifying shorts. With each four-minute episode being a standalone story of horror, Yami Shibai has a few unique qualities that make it stand out from the rest. First, and most obviously, its animation is an artistic mix of kamishibai, photos, and a moment or two of live action that create a peculiar static tension that is impossible to get away from. It creates a certain desire to see them move that’s akin to having an itch you can’t reach. It’s also reminiscent of staring at the dull and lifeless qualities of a doll’s eye, which works extremely well in this show. Mix these qualities in with impeccable sound setting the mood, and you’ll be captivated from season one’s ghost and curses to the inescapable, too-close-to-home situations of the third season. Truly, this show proves that no place is ever safe. From a simple drive home to your bedroom to a bathhouse, evil will find you.

Have you ever wished death upon someone? Well, Hell Girl gives you a chance for that wish to become reality. In the world that Studio Deen created, Jigoku Tsuushin (Hell Correspondence) allows people to input the names of their enemies onto a website. The peoples whose names are written are then ferried to hell immediately by Ai Enma, while the prosecutor will join them upon death as payment. Hell Girl’s narrative, style, and sound come together in glorious unison to provide viewers with an exceptional taste horror. From the constant harassment and bullying of victims in the real world to the nightmarish traps for those being punished by Ai, there is always something haunting. When you first experience one of Ai’s nightmarish traps, set up with the help of three straw dolls in the school hallways, you’ll fully understand just how twisted and deceptive this anime is. Do yourself and remember Golden Rule, people. However, what really pushes this show so far forward is its ability to provide a lasting narrative. Most horror type shows can only provide so many thrills for so long, but Hell Girl is able to successfully introduce character after character, fleshing out the abuse and paranoia created from bullies and stalkers, and convince us as viewers to invest our time into another person’s nightmare.

Studio Deen’s 2006 masterpiece, Higurashi no Naku Koro ni, follows Keiichi Maebara as he moves to a quiet little village and quickly becomes friends with schoolmates Rena Ryuuguu, Mion Sonozaki, Satoko Houjou, and Rika Furude. As the village gets ready for a festival, the show almost feels as if it’s about to turn into a generic harem. However, Keiichi starts to learn about murders and other terrible events that seem to have some connection with the festival and the village’s patron god, Oyashiro. Like any normal person, Keiichi turns to his friends for advice to find out that they’re not really people he should have ever called friends. First things first, Higurashi no Naku Koro ni is incredibly well-written and staged out. Though, some might be confused when a dead character comes back, the episodes are composed in certain arcs, and it’s honestly for the best as it forces you to piece together certain narrative elements and relationships. Also, it allows us to better analyze the specific mental states of each character by dividing itself into these arcs. With all the madness and mental instability that are depicted in this anime, it might have been too much to handle if it followed a more normal narrative. Now, the narrative has a lot of other strong suits, such as its ability to suspend our disbelief and make us fully agree that these people we just met are cult/homicidal psychopaths. Nonetheless, the story would not have as much impact as it would have if it wasn’t for the gore that ensued within each episode. People drive pins through a finger and then axe somebody, people throw their own necks into knives, nails get ripped off, and that is only a taste of what this horror fest has in store.

Nine students hold congress in their high school one night to say goodbye to a friend. With youthful tendencies, they decide that this farewell needs to be incorporated with a particular ritual using small paper charm dolls. These dolls, however, are connected to an alternate dimension of an elementary school that used to reside where their high school now stands. A maze of sorts, these nine students must work together to get out of this nightmarish environment. Cruel ghosts and maddening traps galore, Corpse Party is the Saw of anime. The mastermind behind every trap and ounce of torture that the students face is the ghost Sachiko, a young girl who was murdered back when the grounds were an elementary school. Now, she is one angry ghost and takes a lot of pleasure out of torturing the people who are unlucky enough to be sent to her domain. Whether it’s gouging out eyes, cutting of tongues or cutting a person’s head in half little by little with scissors, Sachiko doesn’t have any limit to the horror she can inflict. The gore alone is enough to sate most horror fanatics. However, the mystery and overall story behind is Corpse Party is strong enough that some with squeamish stomachs might even find themselves unable to stop. It’s compelling and even though it might terrorize your dreams, it’s hard to stop before finding out what drives young Sachiko.

One of Section 9’s older team members, Ishikawa specializes in traditional hacking as opposed to invading someone’s cyberbrain like other members of Section 9. However, that doesn’t mean that he can’t, as evidenced by his ability to hack into multiple elderly people’s cyberbrains at his pachinko parlor in order to gather heavy data. Despite being the one whom sees combat the least as well as having few (if any) cybernetic enhancements, Ishikawa can still hold his own a fair amount in a fight, as evidenced by surviving his multiple injuries and being able to handle certain weapons (probably from his experience serving in South America with Batou). Ishikawa best assists the team overall with his explanations as to what exactly the team is getting into. With a laid-back approach, talented hacking skills, and an appearance far from the typical one of a technology expert, Ishikawa is certainly kickass in his own right.

The team sniper for Section 9, Saito is one of the members with the fewest cyber implants, possessing only a prosthetic left arm and Hawkeye, a specialized cybernetic left eye. Usually pretty stoic, Saito lets his sniping speak for him; his accuracy was already incredible even before his cybernetic eye was installed, and with the ability to sync up with satellites to determine the most accurate shot, one would have to possess incredible skill to not get hit by any of Saito’s shots. With a strong and silent demeanor, a unique past with the Major that leaves his teammates unsure of its authenticity, and an overall unmatched sniping talent, Saito is not someone to mess with.

The main antagonist in the 2nd season of Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, Kazundo Ghoda is an extremely shady character who enjoys leaving an impression of some kind on whoever he meets. Ghoda suffered a terrible accident that resulted in half his face being scarred, yet chose to keep it that way instead of repairing it because he liked how unsettling it was for people to see him. Despite his inferiority complex and his desire to one up the Laughing Man, Ghoda is ultimately responsible for the emergence of the Individual Eleven as well as the conflict that takes place between Japan and the refugees. Ultimately his desire for chaos is his undoing, and rather than surrender to Section 9, Ghoda goes out in kickass fashion with the major having to resort to her machine gun in order to stop him once and for all.

An old-fashioned cop, Togusa is kick-ass in the sense that he does the same job as Batou and the Major without having undergone a cybernetic replacement of any kind save for the cyberbrain, putting him more at risk for injury. Being the only member with a happy family to look after, Togusa brings a different perspective to Section 9 with his by the book approach, refusal to fall to corruption, and overall positive outlook. Togusa also has a different weapon of choice from the rest of the team, favoring a Mateba Autorevolver as opposed to the standard-issue Seburo M5. Despite these differences from the rest of the team, however, Togusa can hold his own in a combat situation, especially during the Sunshine Society Massacre. Togusa is arguably the one responsible for cracking the Laughing Man case mainly due to cracking some of the key information, such as what he learns while spending time at a mental institution tied to the Laughing Man. Whatever your opinion may be, Togusa has certainly proven that he can be kickass when the time calls for it.

Despite his age and not being involved in combat himself, Chief Daisuke Aramaki knows how to get things done in order for his team to be as effective as possible in getting the job done. Throughout the series Aramaki puts his reputation on the line because of his faith in Section 9, such as telling the Prime Minsister he will be the one held responsible if Section 9 fails to succeed in rescuing the hostages at the Chinese Embassy from the Individual Eleven. With many different connections throughout the levels of government as well as a thorough knowledge of the legal and political rules and regulations, Aramaki is perfect in bending as many of them as possible and creating the best strategy no matter what the situation, even taking it upon himself to act without authority if needed. Most of all, Aramaki knows how to keep his composure in a hostile situation, as evidenced by his handling of the wine bank robbery in regard to both keeping the rest of the hostages safe as well as convincing the thieves to surrender. Definitely the most kickass character in Ghost in the Shell when it comes to authority figures in government getting things done.

A first impression one might get from an interaction with these A.I. would make you wonder whether they belong in Section 9, as they tend to sound and act like 5 year old kids with the curiosity to boot. However, that would immediately change once you see them in action. With mounted machine guns, grappling hooks, the ability to walk on walls, and an appetite for destruction (especially if you mess with Batou), the Tachikomas know how to get the job done whenever things go south. The Tachikomas also have the ability to hack satellites in order to acquire their targets and show an excellent aptitude for tracking, such as when they stalk the Major. Things only get crazier when they become self-aware of their own existence, making the scenes involving their deaths in combat as well as sacrificial deaths earn even the Major’s respect. There’s nothing more badass than cute-talking machines absolutely wiping something completely out of existence.

A member of the Individual Eleven terrorist organization, Hideo Kuze’s introduction in the series couldn’t be more kickass. Attempting to assassinate the Prime Minister firmly establishes Kuze’s motivations for change as well as the beginnings of why he is more antihero than villain. Later on in the series, Kuze chooses not to participate in the Individual Eleven’s mass suicide attempt; this eventually leads to him starting a revolution among the refugees in order to help them get independence. Kuze also shares a special connection with the Major as being the only survivor from the plane crash that resulted in the Major getting her prosthetic body. He even managed to win his fight with Batou near the end of the 2nd season of SAC by slicing up Batou’s gun with his knife in a matter of seconds and literally crushing Batou’s leg with his own 2 hands. As an incredible fighter and masterful tactitician, Kuze sets himself up as one of the most kickass opponents Section 9 goes up against.

A hacker with incredible skills as well as antihero motivations, the Laughing Man is the primary antagonist that Section 9 goes up against in the 1st season of SAC. Even though kidnapping the CEO of Serano Genomics is the only one he carried out before the series began, the Laughing Man ended up spawning multiple imitators that performed various crimes, something he never intended to happen. In addition, the Laughing Man never found out the originator of the information he stumbled upon to perform the kidnapping in the first place. However, by taking advantage of the discovery and doing what he had to do, the Laughing Man’s hacking abilities (including of ghost bodies) as well as being able to stay one step ahead of the authorities arguably made him the toughest opponent Section 9 ever dealt with. They were even good enough for the Laughing Man to be offered a place in Section 9 if he wanted. Doesn’t get more kickass than that.

At 6’1 with a very muscular cyber body and the attitude to match, Batou is one of the most kickass characters in the series. Batout tends to be the funny man, as he usually has a quip in combat situations as well as at headquarters with the other members of Section 9. He also gets along very well with the Tachikoma, givng his own an unapproved sunthetic oil until he got caught. Howver, when things get serious, Batou couldn’t be more kickass. Batou’s fights alone tend to be pretty physical and brutal, as he’s one of the strongest members of Section 9 and can hold his own against just about anybody he comes across. Batou is also a superb agent; notmany people can infiltrate the Marines and get away with it. What makes his skills even more impressive is that his stealth is superb despite having a huge prostehetic body. With excellent combat skills and a love for guns, Batou repeatedly demonstrates why he’s such a kickass character.

The main protagonist of the series for a reason, Motoko Kusanagi, or “the Major”, is the leader of Section 9 due to her skills in combat, hacking, and stealth. The Major repeatedly shows how kickass she is in almost every episode we see her, whether by how she wields a variety of weapons, disables tanks singlehandedly, and takes on multiple opponents by herself in close quarter combat. Her indomitiable spirit is incredible, especially during her fight with Gayle Yasuoka, where she not only has her entire arm obliterated, she is almost crushed to death by a ginat robot. The Major also specializes in hacking and stealth, making her a legitimate threat in multiple ways. Unlike Batou, who people would expect to be kickass based on his appearance, the Major’s kickassery is all the more impressive since her appearance doesn’t give off that exact impression. Yet her display of physical and mental skills throughout both the series and the movies cement the Major as the definitive kickass character.

Ikebukuro is a massive epicenter for all things commercial and entertainment. The moment you exit from the Eastern side of the station you're immediately greeted with a mammoth street which is filled with brand name stores and cafes. With so many directions that you can take towards Sunshine City, it's a great experience to just wander around the area before making your way there. Opened in 1978, Sunshine City is known for being the city within the city. The main focal point is its 240 meter tall Sunshine 60 Skyscraper which is a beauty to admire in person. The entire city contains numerous restaurants and shops ranging from the popular Sunshine Aquarium, Planetarium, Museum, J-World Tokyo, and more. The complex has become a very family oriented location since it carries so many amenities for you to choose from. J-world Tokyo for example is an awesome spot for anyone who follows the Shonen Jump comic franchises such as Dragonball Z, One Piece, and more. Created by Namco in 2013, J-World Tokyo has plenty of attractions to partake in as well as souvenirs to bring back with you once you've experienced this indoor theme park. Starting at 800 yen the price is definitely worth it, as you get an opportunity to take photos with some of your favorite manga superstars, while being able to enjoy some of the carnival game stalls along the way!

This is where it all shines when many speak of Sunshine City, the Sunshine Aquarium. There is no shortage of amazement here as you're immediately graced with an abundance of creatures from seas, oceans, and tropical forests from all parts of the globe. Some animals that you may see range from beautiful penguins to the more exotic snakes and otters. The aquarium is a spectacle for all to see since it does not cater to just one particular person. You can bring along your spouse as well and really impress them with your sense of adventure and love for wildlife! Starting at around 2000 yen (around 20$ US) per person, the price is slightly steeper than J-World but what you're going to experience is far more satisfying than anything else in Sunshine City.

One of the best opportunities that you have is to take a look at the Sunshine 60 Observation Deck which is located at the top of the skyscraper. Newly renovated just this year, the spectacular spot is an awesome chance to see a breathtaking view of the entire city of Ikebukuro, but more so the entire view of everything. After checking out the view, there are other attractions to choose from, one of which is a virtual reality ride which is fun for everyone. Starting at 1800 yen (about $18) per person it is most definitely worth every penny as you get an awesome chance to view the skyline from one of Tokyo's popular spots. We recommend checking this out during a very bright sunny day as you get to see just about everything in sight, along with the gorgeous blue skies!

While Sunshine City is the focal point of many Ikebukuro adventurers, the east side of Ikebukuro has a ton of extra places to check out especially if you're into anime and electronics. Ikebukuro much like Akihabara, is known for its otaku culture but is more catered towards the female clientele with stores such as Animate, K-Books, and Mandarake. Otome Road is where it all happens, which is all very close by to everything mentioned earlier by walking. This is an awesome place to pick up Dojinshi if you're into self-published manga. While men do traverse the area, much of the butler styled cafes are very female centric, doing their best to grab the attention of the fashionable wanderers of the area. If you're into electronics or games, then you're definitely within reach of some of the best entertainment spots around. SEGA Gigo is Ikebukuro's biggest and most popular arcade spot, with over 6 floors to choose from all catering to different activities. This spot is always packed no matter what time of the day, with loud sounds and lights to keep you awake for hours on end. Right next to Gigo is Round 1 which is also another very popular amusement arcade for many to visit. Catering more to a bigger group of friends, Round 1 covers you in many areas such as bowling, billiards, and more. One of the great things about the arcade culture here in Japan is that it is still rich in its history, and still on the top of the list of things to do for many people. UFO catchers are a great way to not only grab an anime figure at a fraction of its actual cost, but it is most certainly a past time that anyone can take part in. Starting at 100yen per turn, the objective is to grab the item you're hungry for using a crane like machine (Crane games are the what most western countries called this game) and coming up with a strategy to effectively grab more as you play. You can find more information about each of these awesome locations down below:

SEGA Gigo Ikebukuro 170-0013 Tokyo, Toshima, Higashi-Ikebukuro 1-21-1 Website: http://tempo.sega.jp/tabid/78/pdid/37/Default.aspx Now if you're anything like we are here at Honey's Anime, you can't leave Ikebukuro without first checking out all of the electronics department stores. Ikebukuro is home to a lot of great shops for electronics, fashion, and more with Bic Camera being the first on the list. Bic Camera is one of Japan's leading discount electronics stores, with the flagship store being located on the east side of Ikebukuro station. With a few new locations opening up on both the east and western sides of the station, there is no shortage of gadgets to choose from. Second on the electronics list is none other than Yamada Denki which another heavy hitter in the discount electronics department, who is in direct competition with Bic Camera. Whichever department store you end up choosing is entirely up to you, but we assure you that whatever it is you're looking for these department stores will most definitely have a large assortment waiting.

There is one childhood friend who turns out to play a more important role in Satoru’s life than many would have expected; that character is Kazu. Kazu belongs to Satoru’s group of friends and is often seen hanging out with them inside and outside of class. He is depicted as a loud and outgoing guy and clearly has no problems befriending other people. Kazu becomes important later on in the story as Satoru tries to protect another girl once Kaya is safe. That girl is Aya, a primary school student who is supposed to become the second victim of the serial killer. Satoru struggles trying to befriend her and is at a loss, not knowing what to do. That’s when Kazu steps in and manages to get close to Aya with his likable personality. Thanks to Kazu and his special charm, Aya’s death could be prevented and that’s why we want to give him the first shout-out on this list.

Here we have another character you might have forgotten about, but who plays an important part in the universe of Erased. Sawada is a TV reporter who first shows up after Kaya disappears in the original storyline. Satoru catches him interviewing his mother for possible clues, but does not think much about him. He becomes important again once Satoru is grown up; his mother tries to contact Sawada to name the real murderer but gets killed before she can do so. It already takes some courage to become a reporter in the first case and also to work on a case involving a dangerous serial killer. Yet, Sawada is never seen being afraid and quite on the contrary, he does not stop in his pursuit of the real killer. When Satoru visits him asking for help, Sawada gladly hands over a list of possible suspects. Even though he wasn’t the one solving the crimes, Sawada still supported the investigations with his courage.

There is one character in Satoru’s elementary school class that stands out from the rest of the crowd and that character is Kenya Kobayashi. Kenya is a mysterious child. He is friendly but doesn’t talk unless he actually has something meaningful to say. Similarly, he takes notice of what’s going on around him and thinks about everything he observes. His level of maturity is way beyond his actual age and he is also the only character who suspects that Satoru is involved in something bigger. Despite his mysterious personality, Kenya is one of the closest friends of Satoru. He might not fully understand the scope of Satoru’s actions, but he understands that his friend is involved in something important and he’s not afraid of supporting him. His sense of justice might be even stronger than Satoru’s and combined with his will to help he is truly a courageous character.

Yes, we have decided to include the ultimate antagonist of this story, Gaku Yashiro, on this list. Keep reading to find out why! Yashiro is Satoru’s homeroom teacher and is known as a lovable and kind-hearted man. He even supports Satoru when he finds out that the boy is trying to befriend and protect the lonely girls of his neighborhood. But as the story continues it becomes clear that all of that is just a mask to hide Yashiro’s true identity - the identity of a ruthless serial killer. It might be rather morbid to say that it takes courage to become a murderer. However, that is not our main reason for including Yashiro; it’s the fearlessness with which he pursues his goal that makes him stand out from the rest of the cast. His reasoning might be questionable, but you do have to admit that he doesn’t stop before he gets what he wants. Yashiro is the strong-willed villain of Erased and seventh spot on our list.

There are some unlikeable characters in Erased, but it is clearly Akemi who many viewers despised the most. The single mother physically abuses Kaya, her only child. When she is not beating her, pushing her head underwater or leaving her outside freezing in a cold shed, she finds other ways to neglect her motherly duties. For most parts of the story, there is no glimpse of love inside Akemi and she seems to have no compassion or sympathy whatsoever. Why would we include an abusive mother on a list honoring courage? No one is without a past and it is the things that Akemi went through that turned her into the woman she is today. After a bad breakup, she had to bring up her daughter on her own; alcohol and violence were simply her escape from a scary reality. In the end, Akemi might have chosen the easy way out, but it still required courage to get this far and to accept that she was wrong in the end.

Next up is Jun Shiratori, the friendly guy who was framed for a crime he didn’t commit. Better known under his nickname Yuuki, he is often seen strolling around the neighborhood Satoru and his friends grow up in. He makes an effort to befriend lonely kids and talk to them whenever he has the time. During the day, he works as a food delivery worker with his dad or spends his time alone in his room. It is not far-fetched to suspect a male loner might have killed Kaya and the other girls. But as it turns out, Yuuki is innocent. He simply cares about the kids around him and wants them to grow up to become happy adults. Yuuki encourages them to find friends and stand up for what they believe in. Unfortunately, it was this courage that sealed his fate. And as a sidenote: Yuuki means courage in Japanese, so there is no way we could have excluded him from this list.

Satoru might not have many friends as an adult, but there is one girl who became more important to him than he would have ever expected: Airi Katagiri. Airi works at the same pizza place as Satoru is known for always having a smile on her face. She is only a high school student so she has a rather childish and outgoing personality. While Satoru tries to keep his distance, Airi insists on getting closer to him and helping him out whenever she can. Airi’s childish facade hides a more thoughtful personality. Her family split up because of a lack of trust and that is why Airi makes an effort to believe in the people she cares about. She is one of the few people who supported Satoru when he was framed for the murder of his mother. Airi might seem like an innocent child, but she has values that she believes in and is not afraid to fight for them. What a courageous character!

Satoru might not have a big family or a girlfriend, but there is one person who will always be part of his life: his mother Sachiko. While some mothers might be smothering their kids, Sachiko encourages Satoru to do his own thing. Already from a young age she shows great support and simply wants her son to be happy even if she doesn’t really understand what he is going through. Satoru might feel embarrassed by her from time to time and wish she was more like other mothers, but the two of them still share a special bond that cannot be broken. If we had to describe Sachiko with one word it would definitely be strong. Just think about it: she is a single mother, working full-time while also raising Satoru and teaching him important values on the way. On top of that, she also has a sense of what’s right or wrong and tries to frame the true murderer years after the killings. Sachiko is independent and truly courageous, that’s why she earns the third spot on this list.

Of course, we had to include the hero of the story, Satoru Fujinuma, on this list. After all, his courage is the driving force of the whole storyline. At the beginning of the story, Satoru leads a simple and rather dull life. He lives alone, doesn’t have a girlfriend and works as a pizza delivery boy. But deep down he cares about the people around him. He is kindhearted and wants to protect his loved ones. While his special ability to travel back in time is a nuisance to him, he still cannot help it but use this power for the greater good and save those in need. What makes Satoru courageous? Of course, there is the fact that he has a little bit of a savior complex and wants to protect others. We are not only talking about his childhood friends but even as a grown-up, he puts the needs of others above his own. Most importantly, Satoru isn’t afraid to risk his own life. He doesn’t stop when a situation gets dangerous and certainly won’t rest until justice has been done. While Satoru’s courage is truly admirable, there is one last character we simply had to include on this list.

Our final choice had to be Kayo Hinazuki, the girl who Satoru tries to save from her gruesome fate. Kayo is a quiet and shy girl. She doesn’t have any friends, rarely talks and would rather stick to herself. Only after getting close to her does Satoru learn the reason for her behavior; Kayo is being abused by her own mother and lives in a world full of pain and suffering. Afraid of what might happen to her, Kayo doesn’t stand up for herself and accepts her fate in silence. Of course, this isn’t the end of Kayo’s story. It already takes courage to endure physical and emotional abuse, but Kayo becomes even stronger after Satoru steps into her life. Standing up to her own mother and believing in a better future for herself made Kayo one of the strongest characters in Erased, despite her young age. It was her courage that truly touched us and that is why she deserves the final spot on this list.