Kore wa Zombie Desu ka jumped into viewers’ hearts back in 2011 with its trope breaking and fast-paced humor. It starts off one night with high schooler Ayumu Aikawa walking home. All of a sudden he is murdered by a serial killer, and then is just as unexpectedly revived by a necromancer named Eucliwood Hellscythe. So now he’s a zombie and is required to serve under Eucliwood. Quite enough gold there to keep a series going, but things go completely off the charts when he takes a magical girl’s uniform, stealing her powers, and thus now responsible for handling the creatures known as Megalo. Despite being a comedy at heart, Kora wa Zombie Desu ka has quite a bit of glorious action. Though, Eucliwood Hellscythe doesn’t necessarily show off her powers like the others, it becomes quite evident as to why once her powers are fully revealed. She has the power to make her every word (spoken aloud) become a reality. Thus, by simply muttering “die” she can take someone’s life away. The main drawback and reason she is so far down the list is that she doesn’t have full control and her ability causes her intensive pain. Thus, she can only use it so much, such as when she takes several lives away from Kyoko but is unable to deal the final blow.

Madoka’s just an average middle school student, with her main quirk being pink hair. However, that changes rather quickly after her and her friend, Sayaki Miki, meet the extraterrestrial, cat-like Kyuubey. Kyuubey offers them a strange proposition: he will grant them one wish, and then they will need to become magical girls. For the most part, the two are quite excited about the prospects of being a magic girl and achieving their dreams. However, one girl, the mysterious Homura Akemi, continuously tries to prevent this contract, as she understands the truth behind being a magical girl. From the get go we get the idea that Madoka will make a badass magic girl. However, it’s not until the end that we see just how powerful she is, and thankfully so, or otherwise there wouldn’t have been much of a story. If you haven’t watch the show, Madoka’s magical presence is so powerful that she will become one of the greatest magic girls ever, however, in becoming exactly that, she will also prove to be the deadliest witch and destroy everything. Solution to the problem? Madoka becomes an omniscient goddess/angel who alters the universe by negating the possibility of witches forming from magical girls.

Diomedea invented a decidedly imaginative world where the fate of your community is determined by games and challenges. Anything from rock paper scissors to riddles to straight up brawls are allowed. Sadly, one community has been stripped of everything and are at the verge of being wiped out. Of course, that’s when Asuka Kudou, You Kasukabe, and Izayoi Sakamaki, each possessing a unique power, suddenly find themselves transported into this world. Though each of these characters are quite powerful in their own right. Asuka Kudou can command control of people and animals, while You is able to capture the powers of any animal she befriends. However, Izayoi Sakamaki’s power is on a completely different level. The guy is ridiculously strong and is able to essentially cancel out the abilities of others. He’s made to be a god-breaker and can easily flip this whole society on its head. Furthermore, despite having awesome bronze as explicitly shown when dueling Weser, the real Pied Piper of Hamelin, he is also quite cool-headed and calculatingly. Out of everyone, he has by far contributed the most to the community of No Names’s revival.

The moon gets cut into a permanent crescent and the international culprit, who committed said act, has created a home for himself as the teacher of Class 3-E at Kunugigaoka Middle School. With national defense agencies unable to so much as touch this alien invader, it somehow ends up the responsibility of the students of class 3-E to assassinate the creature before the Earth is destroyed. If you haven’t watched this heartwarming and hilarious anime, then it should be known that Koro Sensei is in fact the alien invader who has taken an interest in teaching. His abilities include flying at speeds up to Mach 20; a body that is essentially indomitable to everything, but a very specific substance; extreme adaptability; inhuman intellect; and incredible teaching skills. He shows off each of these abilities on an episodic basis from flying around the world and deflecting missiles to helping a student with a personal problem. However, would you expect anything less than an overpowered character is a show that’s whole story is contingent on whether or not said character can be killed at all?

In this world magic has become an established part of society. It has been analyzed and institutions have sprung about offering a formalized study and practice for those capable of using it. Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei follows Tatsuya Shiba, an extremely skilled magician, as he embarks with his sister, the heir of Yotsuba family who Tatsuya is ordered to protect, into the daily struggles of first year magicians at First High School. Making this transition extremely difficult is that Tatsuya’s powers are not quite recognized by the system and he is assigned into a lower course group, marking him as an irregular. If you haven’t seen the show, you can get an inkling that Tatsuya will in fact have a certain power index that’s just being skimmed over for dramatic affect. While this is correct, it’s rather hard to comprehend a system that was able to overlook his vast abilities. It’s like an explorer observed the ocean from a cliff side and instead of realizing it was water, declared it “blue land.” Tatsuya is essentially a being of incomprehensible power. He can cancel magic, revive people instantaneously, heal himself, and vaporize people. They call his abilities miracles and there’s good reason for that. He’s also incredibly intelligent and part of the most elite military units.

Medaka Box follow the adventures of Medaka Kurokami, the Student Council President of Hakoniwa Academy, and her childhood friend Zenkichi Hitoyoshi. Together, they accept every request put into the suggestion box in order to make Hakoniwa Academy a sphere of happiness and righteousness. Though, the show is filled with extremely powerful characters, few are as powerful and none as magnetic as the protagonist, Medaka Kurokami. To begin, she has a certain raw aura that pulses about her, immediately attracting many people to her either out of adoration or simple fear. It’s this reason why she was elected as the Student Council President with 98% of the vote. Then there’s the fact that her special ability, “The End” allows her to copy practically anyone else’s quirk and perform it even better than the owner. Thus, along with her already incredible physical prowess, she can use such quirks as “All Fiction,” which allows her to essentially erase people from existence, a well as “Reading Minds,” which lets her receive the electrical impulse of others. Essentially, she’s not just a jack-of-all-trades, but a master of everything.

The Kara no Kyoukai series of films follow in particular a sudden burst of murders that entangle the fates of Mikiya Kokutō and Shiki Ryougi. It’s an extremely intense and suspenseful series, as it follows the two into increasingly disturbing and paranormal mysteries. From a string of school girl suicides to an apartment complex where the residents are caught in a repetitive murder spree, Kara no Kyoukai never fails to intrigue with its supernatural presence. Leading the foray against the forces that wish to disturb the city is the demon hunter, detective Shiki Ryougi. Now, Shiki has incredible endurance, agility, and strength. She is quite capable of dispatching a horde of undead or even spirit like beings, especially when in possession of a katana. However, what sets her above and beyond most if not every single being in her universe is her innate ability “Mystic Eyes of Death Perception.” This power allows her to see lines of death; and when she cuts along those lines, she can obliterate any object as well as even concepts and ideas.

Your virtual world is shutting down and your reign as a powerful wizard and leader of a guild will soon be nothing more than memory. It’s depressing, but as captain you’ll stick to your ship until the bitter end. Well, time has run up and somehow you still exist in the virtual space as a sort of god-like figure while all the NPC’s become life-like. This is the premise for Madhouse’s anime Overlord. Being at the head of a guild and a wizard does suggest quite a bit of power at Momonga’s disposal. However, that is a cruel understatement to the magnificent and dark powers belonging to this singular living being in a virtual world. Momonga can’t really be harmed by physical attacks unless the weapon is able to crush his bones. This is pretty evident in his fight against Clementine, albeit she’s a much lower level, but she stabs him in the eye sockets and blows up his skull to no effect. Then there’s the fact that he can withstand any holy attack with very little damage done to himself. Truly this skeletal freight train is not one you would want to mess with.

Madhouse’s hit 2015 action/comedy/satire definitely made a mark on the anime community. It follows around what would appear to be your average guy, Saitama, as he entertains his hobby of being a hero. However, Saitama can basically kill anyone with one punch and after meeting a 19-year-old cyborg has decided to embark on a quest to make heroism more than just a hobby. One Punch Man came in and K.O’d everyone by the first episode. Yes, it might be a series that even the creator has admitted to being a gag. Something he created just for the fun of it, to laugh at a constant trope in the anime world. However, being overpowered as a joke doesn’t stop Saitama from beating people down everywhere he goes. It just makes it hilarious to watch as he destroys mosquito ladies and star heads in a single blow with his awkward half-satisfied grin. Also, he at least had to pay two hefty prices instead of just being born with his godly skills. First, he had to sacrifice his hair. Second, he must live in eternal boredom as no one can come close to beating him.

The Hellsing Organization has long been keeping Britain safe from the supernatural forces of the night. In no small part has this relative safety been employed through the work of the organization’s personal vampire, Alucard. However, Britain’s next threat moves with the determination that it will be able to dismantle the Hellsing Organization and then conquer the world This anime is a nightmarish ride through Britain where Nazis, vampires, werewolves, and other supernatural beings rampage. Though the power of a Nazi force of vampires dwarfs anything man can do, it cannot hold a candle to the satanic abilities of Alucard. He can regenerate, call upon hell hounds from his own body, and essentially devour anything and everything before him with the power of a thousand souls. The creators even paint a pretty portrait of how such power is transported through blood, the moving force of humanity, which contains every moment of a person’s life. By the end, Alucard even becomes an abstract power that no longer exists within a singular dimension. Basically, after Alucard absorbs Schroedinger and disappears for some years, he comes back able to exist in any state without the need of blood. Immortal, check. Master gunslinger, check. Literally untouchable, check. Oh, and by far his powers get the most gory and glorious screen time when compared to any other character.

Rakka woke up from a dream of falling from the sky, moments after, she is welcomed by a group of females that look like angels in a very strange new world. She then develops her own set of wings and a halo on top of her head. As the story progresses in a new realm, she later realizes that there are walls surrounding the whole town of Haibane Renmei. She builds a relationship with her new found family and lives in the quiet confined world along with wingless-halo-less beings while trying to uncover the mystery behind the impenetrable wall that no one dares to cross. Rakka gains our number ten spot because she is the perfect example of an anime angel character. Given the obvious wings and halo, she also has the characteristics of being holy and she somehow has a celestial connection with birds. She also shows deep attachment to her new found family and is very curious about the mysteries surrounding her life. Her character is a great representation if we were to describe how angels would live if they were sent to the human world, even though it was never determined she was an angel, we definitely like to believe she is!

High School DxD follows the story of Issei Hyoudou, a young high school student who gets killed on his first date. He is later reincarnated as a devil servant by the beautiful Rias Gremory, who turns out to be an elite devil and a senior student at his school. Issei must now learn to fight as they enter an adventure in where angels and devils collide. Being one of the many female protagonists of High School DxD. Irina is a good candidate on our anime angels list as she was reincarnated as an angel because of her devotion to God. Even her battle attire looks very religious. She has an upbeat and cheerful personality and has a deep admiration to Issei despite being an angel. If you want a hilarious harem action anime with beautiful angels and devils, this anime should definitely be a part of your watched list.

Meet Kotarou, an average student with a normal life and normal problems, such as stress on exams and just simply grown up decisions. Out of nowhere, a strange girl named Misha knocks on his door asking to be friends. Things quickly escalate as it turns out that she is actually an angel in training. Misha gets into a lot of trouble as she has no idea how things work on Earth causing more harm than good. The reason why Misha gets our ninth angel spot is because this show really captures the essence of how an angel would live with ordinary humans. She speaks innocently like a child and tries really hard to make everyone around her smile. She is also very optimistic and protective of Kotarou. Pita Ten is a very adorable show for kids and kids at heart. If you want a show you can share with the little ones, and somehow give them a glimpse of how great angels are, this wonderful anime would be a good choice.

Queen’s Blade: Rebellion is the third chapter in the Queen’s Blade franchise. Set after the events of the last season, the once noble Queen Claudette is corrupted by power and has oppressed a nation under tyranny. It is up to Annelotte, an exiled princess and a new generation of brave rebels, come together and overthrow the Queen and somehow restore peace in their lands. Nanael squeezes her way to our number seven spot to represent a seductive angel warrior. She has the appearance of a celestial being wearing polka-dots panties with little armor. Nanael was tasked to watch and join the Queen's Blade tournament. She is considered friendly and very clumsy but is also a skilled angel. Equipped with a Celestial Sabre, she gets down to business when fighting against mortals, even if she considers them inferior beings. If you want to be purified in the Ecchi-est way possible, you will surely have a blast watching Nanael in Queen’s Blade: Rebellion.

Moving on to our number six spot is Flonne from Makai Senki Disgaea. Laharl, the prince of darkness wakes up after a two-year slumber only to be welcomed by the chaos left by his father’s death in the Netherworld. He sets a journey and tries to reclaim the throne his father left. Along with his unfaithful vassal, Etna and an angel assassin, Flonne, they restore order to the demented Netherworld. Flonne is an angel assassin trainee who is tasked to destroy the demon king, only to find out that he is already dead and is in the process of being replaced by Laharl, the demon king’s son. Due to her kind angelic personality, she believes that the new demon king has a good heart. Flonne deserves a spot on our list because she worries about everyone and is an advocate of love and peace. Her innocence and protective behavior make her a great angel character. If you were a fan of the hit-game Disgaea or just want to see the adventures of demons and an angel, this twelve-episodes anime will surely keep you entertained.

Dokuro Mitsukai, our super cute angelic assassin from the future takes our number five spot. Bokusatsu Tenshi Dokuro-chan revolves around the daily life of high school student, Sakura Kusakabe. Jumping to future events, Sakura discovers a way for women to gain immortality. God is not pleased with this, so he sends his angel assassin Dokuro, to go back to the past and assassinate Sakura to prevent him in inventing technology capable of immortality. Dokuro, on the other hand, spares him and came up with a plan to keep him busy and far from the thoughts of a never ending life. Dokuro isn’t our typical angel character, which made her the perfect candidate for our list. Hidden underneath her cute halo and innocent smile is her brutal tendencies to kill Sakura. Accompanied by her magical spiked bat called “Excalibolg”, she mercilessly clubs her victims to death in very amusing ways. She also has the capability to bring them back to life which makes it very funny. If you are looking for an extremely fun series to watch, this anime will leave you with the phrases “wtf?!” and keep you laughing till the end.

Flying to our number four spot is Tenko the red-haired angel from Kamisama Kazoku. This anime focuses on Samatarou, the son of god who tries to live as a normal high-school student to learn more about humans in order to better protect and serve them in the future. He is accompanied by Tenko, his personal guardian angel who looked after him until they grew up. Samatarou’s life changes when he meets Kumiko, a girl who just transferred to their school, which he immediately falls in love with. He tries to win her love without relying on his godly powers, while Tenko realizes that she has feelings for him. Tenko deserves the number four position in our list because of her innocent personality. Acting like a child who occasionally motivates Samatarou and punishes him for his bad deeds, she stays true to the concept of being a guardian angel. Despite the fact that she develops feelings toward Samatarou, she still helps him to get closer to the girl he loves. If you are looking for an anime filled with mushy moments, a little drama, a spice of fantasy and a lot of romance. Tenko will surely entertain your need for a good love triangle story.

If angels have a naughty side, it would be this anime. Sora no Otoshimono tells the story of Tomoki Sakurai, a kind and sincere person who is also very perverted. Living in a calm and peaceful town, Tomoki spends his time peeping at his childhood neighbor. He often dreams about a mysterious girl but completely forgets about her when he wakes up. Suddenly, an anomaly drops a mysterious entity from another dimension who then calls herself Icarus, an animal-angel who suddenly becomes Tomoki’s servant. The quiet life of Tomoki stops as they both embark on a journey full of romance and mystery. Ikaros takes our top three spot simply because of her cuteness. She is technically classified as an “Angeloid” or an android angel. She becomes attached to Tomoki from the very get-go of the series and heeds to his every wish. Much like fantasy angels, Ikaros has the ability to grant wishes through the use of magical cards. Also equipped with angel wings in a voluptuous body, she would clearly be a great candidate if you are to describe how you want angels to look like when you get to see one. This is a fun and perverted take on angels, along with a little romantic relationship that blossoms between characters.

Teleporting her way into the number two spot is Jibril from No Game No Life. This anime follows the story if siblings, Sora and Shiro. They are both considered NEET, who soon receive a strange email challenging them to a chess match which changes their lives. Teleported to a world where games are the only way to settle conflicts, the genius duo tries to unite the races of the new world by dominantly winning all the games. Jibril, is Sora and Shiro's angel servant. She is obsessed with knowledge and owned the National Library of Elchea. Despite being an underling, Jibril happily serves the duo because they share their need for more knowledge in order to win more games. Other than her perfect angel appearance, Jibril gets on our list because of her love for knowledge. She has a great sense of honor and believes that anyone can win in a fair game. Filled with clever comedy and a good story, watch the cast of No Game No Life as they duel things out in some very interesting games.

Sharing our first place for badass anime angel characters are the Anarchy sisters, Panty and Stocking. These angel sisters were kicked out of heaven because of some nasty behavior. They are thrown away to the treacherous Daten City, a place in between heaven and hell, where foul creatures have gone berserk and feed on evil desires. Panty and Stocking do their best to exterminate these wicked ghosts to collect enough Heaven Coins and find a way back into heaven. Humanity’s last hope for survival is in the hands of the Anarchy sisters. Stocking is the youngest of the Anarchy sisters and is one of the main characters in Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt series. Her name derives from, yes obviously her stocking, when taken off becomes blade weapons. Taking a different approach of the usual good-hearted angels, Stocking purifies evil by slicing them to pieces, literally. Panty is Stocking's sister and contrary to a typical angel’s personality, Panty loves sex and spends most of her free time with random men in love hotels. Showing more of a bad girl side compared to her sister, her name is also the source of her power, transforming her panties into a handgun named Back Lace. One angelic feature that she has is that her bullets only penetrate spirits and has no effect whatsoever to humans. If you want to see angels in a totally different naughty point of view, Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt will surely keep you entertained.

A girl wakes up to discover that all of her memories are gone, including the memories of her own identity. All she has is her cell phone with names of people she doesn’t recognize. We can’t forget that she can also see a supernatural being named Orion who has decided to help the girl figure out her own identity, her boyfriend, and the rest of her life. Except, she’s got to figure it out without telling anyone! Amnesia is a popular reverse harem anime based on the extremely popular otome game of the same title that is now available in English on the PS Vita. The anime follows the storyline of the video game fairly closely, allowing you to experience a relationship with each of the love interests and in the end, you can decide on who you want to be your husbando! What makes Amnesia so interesting is the mystery that follows the main character as she tries to figure out her situation in each scenario. You can’t forget, it’s so moe to be able to experience all the character tropes here! Oh, dere! Combine that with the beautiful art style and you just can’t deny that Amnesia belongs on this list of top 10 reverse harem anime!

Tachibana Ritsuka has never done anything wrong, but one day, she is called forth by the student council. The student council has a few questions for her, but they do not seem to have anything to do with her as a student! Ritsuka finds herself amidst a supernatural world after her mother is kidnapped. Vampires and devils have only wanted one thing from Ritsuka: The Grimoire. Then Ritsuka’s older brother Lindo comes home after studying abroad, but things just seem to get more confusing. Dance with Devils is an anime that aired last fall, but it is quite an excellent reverse harem. Combining different aspects of popular reverse harem such as idol elements, supernatural beings, and rather forceful bishounen, it is a reverse harem aiming at success! There is so much intrigue in the plot that you’ll stay tuned, even if some of the cliches aren’t your thing. You may think that Dance with Devils will flow a certain way because of how it first presents itself, but oh no, it most certainly is not that bland of an anime. The plot is plenty dynamic.

Harry Burnsworth is a major power in the political and business world and his daughter, Kajika Louisa Kugami Burnsworth has been living on the island of Giviolle since the age of two for her own safety. On the island, Kajika befriended a white leopard named Mustafa and a boy named Li Ren Fang visited her on occasion. Now, Kajika is fourteen and must decide on her future husband amongst three candidates that her father has chosen. Kajika must figure out who her possible fiances are, but even they do not know that they are her fiances. This is only the start of something so much more. Hanasakeru Seishounen is a fairly recent anime that actually has a strong female lead (who knew?)! Kajika is a girl who makes her own decisions and she takes life by the horns, undeterred by the challenges that come into her path. Hanasakeru Seishounen is not your normal reverse harem, either, as there is a clear romance in the anime, but it isn’t tainted by romance. There are many things going on in the plot from political struggle, family mysteries, rivalries, and so much more. This may be a reverse harem, but it is far from boring!

It is 1860, the Edo period in Japan, and Yukimura Chizuru has come to Kyoto in search of her father, a doctor who she has lost contact with since he moved to Kyoto for work. Chizuru disguised herself as a man just in case, but still finds trouble when she is attacked by several samurai and strange men who don’t appear human. Luckily, the Shinsengumi save the day, but now, they have taken her to their base to keep her quiet. Do you like mystery, intrigue, the Shinsengumi, action, and bishounen? Hakuoki has them all! You’ve heard of the Shinsengumi, but what happens when you romanticize these legendary samurai and inject the supernatural into Japan’s Edo period? You have one gripping story sure to really grab you. Hakuoki is not an anime to take lightly; Watch as the samurai lose their way, defend their way of life to their deaths, and find love in the process.

Four bishounen find themselves living under the same roof in a large mansion for free. Takano Kyouhei, Morii Ranmaru, Toyama Yukinojo, and Oda Takenaga think it’ll be a wonderful life since they are only given one condition for living in the mansion: turn the landlady’s niece into a “lady”. When Nakahara Sunako reveals herself, they are more than a little surprised to see that she is a horror movie fan who looks like she’s a character out of a horror film! Sunako suffers from being crushed in the past so now, she has low self-esteem, cares little for beauty, and gets nosebleeds when she even glimpses at something of beauty! Yamato Nadeshiko Shichi Henge is an underrated reverse harem that many tend to turn away at first due to the art style (if they’re bishounen, they should look like it, right?), but once you give the anime a chance, you won’t regret a second of it. Yamato Nadeshiko Shichi Henge is one of those few reverse harem that falls in the comedy category, but it excels in comedy and entertainment value. Sunako suffers because she thinks she’s ugly while the boys suffer due their good looks. Damn, it’s hard being shallow. You will find yourself caught off guard constantly in this anime as Sunako is definitely not your usual shoujo heroine, but of course, our bishounen are not your typical reverse harem either.

Hino Kahoko is in the normal branch of her school, but there is also a music branch for students studying music. There is a music competition that allows students from both branches to compete against each other, although few compete from the normal branch. Kahoko meets Lili, a fairy who gives her a magic violin which gives her musical ability. Kahoko may not know much about music, but now she’s been given the power to compete in the music competition whether she wants to or not! For many who love musical anime, let’s check out the first musical reverse harem: La Corda D’Oro~Primo Passo~. Kahoko may seem like your usual weak shoujo heroine, but she shows us how dynamic she can be! Kahoko struggles with her sense of self and music while alongside a group of young men who also have their own internal struggles. La Corda D’Oro~Primo Passo~ is an amalgamation of sound, developed characters, and plot which you just don’t find too often in reverse harem anime.

Kou Shuurei was born into a noble family but lives in poverty while taking many odd jobs to survive. Shuurei’s father is an archivist working in the Imperial Library, but it doesn’t pay well. Together, Shuurei and her father manage to get by, barely. One day, Shuurei is approached by a court advisor who wants her to be the concubine of the new emperor in order to influence him to be a better ruler. Of course, this is in exchange for 500 pieces of gold. Shuurei wouldn’t pass this up for her life, especially when rumor has it, the emperor enjoys the company of men. Or is that so? Now, Shuurei finds herself working within the palace and stoking the fires of a dream long forgotten: to become a court official. Can she achieve it if it is against the law for women to do so? Shuurei is no pansy; she has sass, attitude, and all the talent which help make Saiunkoku Monogatari as amazing as it is. Yes, there are bishounen all around Shuurei who have their eyes only for her regardless of their wealth and social status, but this is not a story focused on love. Shuurei spends all of her time pursuing her personal ambitions and overcoming hurdles at every turn while putting her love life on the backburner, but that doesn’t mean Shuurei doesn’t think about it! If you’re absolutely sick of those weak ass shoujo heroine, reverse harem with generic plots, and all the same character tropes, Saiunkoku Monogatari will be a refreshing change of pace.

Fujioka Haruhi, the scholarship student attending the prestigious Ouran High School, was seeking out a place for study one day until she comes across the Ouran High School Host Club. The Host Club is a place where bishounen help to relieve the students of Ouran High School from their everyday boredom. While attempting to flee, Haruhi knocks over a very expensive vase and must work off the debt as the Host Club’s dog. That is, until the king, Tamaki realizes Haruhi has the potential to be a real host! The only thing is, Haruhi is a girl and Tamaki failed to realize it! Now, Haruhi’s life is full of extravagant parties, cosplay, charming girls, and hiding her gender. Ouran High School Host Club is perhaps one of the funniest reverse harem out there, and one of the few gender-benders to actually receive an anime adaption! The bishounen are fully aware of their character tropes, but they own them, taking advantage of them to sway the hearts of maidens! What with the crazy adventures, great luxury, and the ignorance of the poor, there is never a dull moment in this host club.

Princess Yona lives a sheltered life in the lap of luxury without knowing the truth that dwells beyond her palace walls in the Kingdom of Kouka. One day, her father was murdered at the hands of her beloved, Su-won, who has forced Yona to flee for her life with childhood friend and bodyguard, Son Hak, by her side. Yona soon learns that not everything is as blissful as she imagined it to be. The kingdom is overrun by poverty, corruption, and dissatisfaction over the ruler, which makes it that much harder for Yona to find a way to take back the throne. In this day and age, Akatsuki no Yona is one reverse harem that does it right! Yona starts off as naive and infantile but slowly develops into a strong woman who everyone relies on. Each one of the characters actually has their own personalities and back stories, the romance is not a dominant part of Akatsuki no Yona, and there are still many mysteries that keeps Akatsuki no Yona from ever getting dull.

Yuuki Miaka and Hongo Yui were visiting the National Library when they were whisked away inside the book, “The Universe of The Four Gods.” Here, Miaka has the responsibility of the priestess of Suzaku so she must gather the celestial warriors to summon Suzaku to grant her wish to bring peace to the nation. Unfortunately, the nation of Seiryuu has gotten their hands on Yui and manipulated her into being the priestess of Seiryuu. Now, they are enemies fighting on the opposite side of a war, racing to be the first to summon their respective gods. As old as it is, Fushigi Yuugi does not fail in any way as a reverse harem. You have a dynamic heroine who struggles with what she knows is right, her friendship, and her relationships. You have a group of bishounen who all have their own internal struggles and heart-wrenching love stories. There’s plenty of comedy with Miaka, Noriko, and Tamahome (and occasionally, Chichiri), but there’s plenty of drama. The plot is so dynamic that there are surprises at every turn. There’s romance, heartbreak, and tragedy. Yes, Fushigi Yuugi is old, but it encompasses everything a reverse harem anime should strive for.

Shokugeki no Souma is an anime about a fifteen-year-old boy called Souma Yukihira, a young and talented son of a world-renowned chef, Joichiro Yukihara. Souma follows in the footsteps of his father in hope to one day surpass him and take over his restaurant. However, just as Souma is about to enter high school, his father decides to shut down the restaurant and sends Souma to Totsuki Culinary Academy. A school famed for it’s less than 10% graduation rate, where he is faced with the challenge of competing against other equally talented young students to rise to the top of his class. Similar to Yakitate!! Japan, Shokugeki no Souma focuses on the development of a young boy as he uses his skills to fight his way through the intense culinary battles to one-day achieve his dream. Whereas Yakitate!! Japan is more specifically about bread, Shokugeki no Souma is about all types of cuisine from around the world. They both revolve around a determined protagonist who battles against a wide range of competitors, aiming to improve their culinary skill as each face-off is more challenging than the previous. With great drama, fan service and comedy, this anime will get you up on your feet wondering how Souma will be able to use his innovative abilities to overcome each challenge as he is pushed to the limit with every single duel.

An anime that takes place in a fictional 19th Century Imperial China, Chuuka-Ichiban! is about the story of a young Chinese boy called Liu Mao Xing. Mao aspires to follow in the footsteps of his late mother, the ‘Fairy of Cuisine’ - Pai. Taking the highly competitive examinations to become a Supreme Master chef and to travel all around the country to improve his culinary skills. Though Mao is very young, he has the ability to remember the ingredients of every dish he has ever eaten with his incredible taste buds, which makes him a worthy contender that shouldn’t be taken lightly because of his looks. Set in a world where cooking is taken with utmost seriousness, one can be heavily punished for insulting the art. Various chefs from around China come together to compete in fierce cooking battles to gain the fame and respect of others, however losing is not an option as it can cost a chef their entire life’s work. Though Chuuka-Ichiban has a more serious tone than of Yakitate!! Japan, it has a lot of similarities. Both protagonists have special abilities that aid them on their journey to become the best in the world and they both have intense competitions. If you like cooking mixed with a side adventure then this is an Anime for you!

This particular anime centers around a 14-year old female protagonist named Ichigo Amano, an extremely clumsy girl who loves eating sweet things, most notably cakes. One day Amano stumbles upon a sweets festival where she meets a man called Henri, a world famous patissier and teacher at St. Marie Academy, the culinary school for sweets. Henri sees potential in Amano when he notices her incredible palate, and invites Amano to enroll to the academy. Amano has no other particular abilities and has trouble adjusting to the academy, but finds luck as she encounters a sweet spirit by the name of Vanilla. She also gets placed in a group of 3 elite patissiers that are known as the Sweet Princes (Makoto Kashino, Satsuki Hanabusa and Sennosuke Andou). Amano with the help of her friends, gains confidence and learns many new skills on her journey to become a patisserie. Yume-iro Patissiere’s similarity to Yakitate!! Japan lies in the protagonist’s both following the love of their childhood, cakes and bread respectively. Their dreams of doing what they enjoy the most show off in their positive attitudes in making delicious food!

For the next recommendation, we chose Moyashimon, an anime based on the agricultural arts. Tadayasu Sawaki is a freshmen college student who has a unique ability to see and talk to bacteria and other microorganisms that appear to him as cute little creatures, a good ability to have especially for agriculture. Though at first they seem harmless and adorable, however they soon wreak havoc to Sawaki everywhere he goes. Destroying the carefree college life that he had hoped for, as he has to hide his ability from his childhood friend Kei, his fellow students and professors. What will become of his life when they eventually find out? This is short anime that has uniqueness to it that you won’t find anywhere else. Though it’s not specifically about the culinary arts, Moyashimon brings a similar vibe and tone to that of Yakitate!! Japan. In which they both revolve around a protagonist, who has a special ability that gives them the edge over their craft. If you’re looking for a break on all the intense action of mainstream anime, look no further!

Next up, we have an anime about the competitive scene of mahjong. It may seem like a game that appears dull and boring to most people, but Saki will change your perception of the game. Following the story of Saki Miyanaga, a high school freshman who doesn’t like mahjong because of bad experiences during her childhood with her mahjong-obsessed family. When she would win, they would get upset. If she lost, then she would get some sort of a punishment. Therefore, Saki had learned to play in a way that keeps her score on zero, so not to win or lose. Upon entering Kiyosumi high school her middle school friend convinces her to join the mahjong club. Saki hates mahjong but is convinced to stay due to her unique ability; she eventually re-finds her love for the game and heads off with her newly found friends to compete in the national mahjong tournament. Saki is another anime that changes everyone’s perception of something that isn’t recognized as having a very competitive presence. In many aspects, it’s similar to Yakitate because of the over the top use of abilities and the over exaggeration of movements that brings a light-hearted kind of humor to it.

Our last recommendation is Koufuku Graffiti, a heartwarming anime that follows the story of a girl named Ryou Machiko, who is a second-year high school art student that lives alone. She loves to cook after learning from her late grandmother, who taught her to be a fine wife one day when she gets married. Ryou has good cooking skills but has lost her drive as she thinks her cooking doesn’t taste as good as it used to. This all changes one day when her second cousin, Kirin, decides to attend the same art school as Ryo and comes to stay with her during the weekends. With the arrival of Kirin, Ryou completely changes her whole concept of cooking and learns that good meals are to be shared with the ones you care about. This re-ignites Ryou’s passion as she rediscovers the taste in her cooking that her grandmother once taught her. The similarity in Koufuku Graffiti lies within the protagonists both wanting to follow their passion for food and create mouth-watering dishes that receive comedic over the top food eating reactions. If you can’t have enough of looking at delicious food being made, then this is the anime for you!

The series Bakemonogatari can be summed up to contain elements of the supernatural, e.g., vampires, apparitions, spectres, etc. It begins with being introduced to Araragi meeting Senjougahara by catching her as she falls on a flight of spiral stairs. In this instance, what throws off Araragi is Senjougahara’s lack of weight, that is she is ‘as light as a feather.’ Her weightlessness is caused by a spirit that took away her weight. Fortunately for her, Araragi knows someone who can cure this ailment, Oshino. Oshino is the man who helped Araragi in his previous state that resulted in him being part vampire. Although Oshino’s treatments are successful, some residual side effects remain. Additionally, Oshino will cure the other victims. Throughout the series, Araragi attempts to help several female characters resolve their troubles of various paranormal maladies. Each arch throughout these 15 episodes develops Araragi and his colorful female counterparts’ recovery in restoring their humanity. In comparing Bakemonogatari with Dance in the Vampire Bund, both their methods of storytelling are very identical. In addition, they have an array of supernatural species and deliver the intentions of the series in a very straightforward manner.

The Hellsing Organization was created to find and destroy every threatening supernatural force in the country. Hellsing is supported by the British government to hide the existence of monsters in order to protect and keep the general population at peace. The main characters are Integra Hellsing, heir to the Hellsing Organization, and Alucard, a very powerful vampire who pledged allegiance to the Hellsing Organization centuries ago. Police officer Seras Victoria enters the story as she is investigating her missing peers. As Alucard performs the duties of the Hellsing Organization, he finds a priest who alternatively has been turning people into ghouls. In a hostage situation with the priest and Seras Victoria, Alucard shoots them both. Clinging to life, Alucard offers to save Seras Victoria by turning her. Consequently, Seras Victoria’s transition progresses throughout the series. In addition, the alliance of these two species: monster and human are revered in order to keep the public safe. In comparing Hellsing with Dance in the Vampire Bund, these two are action packed with lots of battle scenes. Hellsing and Dance in the Vampire Bund also demonstrate a twisted and dark theme. Moreover, each character greatly enhances the plot thus strengthening the series. Their structures truly push viewers to experience the world of humans and the supernatural.

Black Blood Brothers begins with Jirou and his younger brother Kotaro, “old blood vampires”, who a decade before fought a harsh war against to Kowloon clan, a very violent group of vampires. When returning to an area known as the Special Zone, things are unlike what they should be in peaceful times. There is growing conflict among various sects of vampires, threatening the safety of “red blood humans” and “black blood vampires” within the vicinity. Furthermore, descendants of the Kowloon clan also emerge, attempting to occupy the Special Zone and reclaim their dominance over society. When Jirou’s younger brother is abducted by the Kowloon clan, war veteran Jirou is once again called to fight the war against the relentless clan and preserve the harmony between humans and vampires. In comparing Black Blood Brothers with Dance in the Vampire Bund, between both anime, they share the identical concept of the traditional embodiment of what vampires should ideally portray. Incredibly enthralling, both will leave you eager to find out ‘what is next.’

Vampire Knight begins by highlighting the historical background of Yuki Cross and vampires. In recollecting the few memories of her childhood, she recalls the day she was attacked by a vampire and conversely is saved by one, Kaname. Time has passed. She is now attending Cross Academy where her adoptive father is the headmaster. Notable about Cross Academy is that it accepts humans for day courses and vampires for night. A recognized figure, Yuki is a guardian to vampires, especially to Kaname and serves as a great link between humans and vampires. In addition to the duo is Zero Kiryu, whose experience tremendously differs from Yuki in that he hates vampires for killing his parents many years ago and can never grow to trust them. When peace is maintained between humans and vampires at the academy for some time, incidents of hostilities arise due to personal conflicts interfering with their duties. As tensions increase between the love trio, the vampire/human coexisting nature is questioned where each side contemplates whether the arranged relation is serving an ulterior motive. In comparing Black Blood Brothers with Dance in the Vampire Bund, the two stories mainly feature a romantic component involved in interspecies coupling. In a scenario where the concept is newly introduced, that in itself is a fascinating feat.

The setting of Shiki takes place in the small village of Sotoba. A strange family, the Kirishiki, recently move into this remote village, residing in a very large castle on the outskirts. At around the same time the family moves in, mysterious and unexplained chain of deaths have occurred. As this phenomenon takes over Sotoba, Dr. Toshio Ozaki begins to investigate what is going on among the inhabitants. He treats his patients as normal, but as strange symptoms appear more rapidly, Toshio is perplexed on how to diagnose proper treatment. Highlighting characters also include Natsuno, a boy who aids Toshio, Megumi, who is obsessed with Natsuno, Seishin, the village priest, Sunako Kirishiki, and several others. Moreover, with many dying and the dead become undead, the villagers are completely baffled in determining methods on how to save the dying, the undead, and the Shiki. In comparing Shiki with Dance in the Vampire Bund, the similarities between the two involve the mystery and horror of an invading vampire force attempting to make a claim on humanity’s ecosystem. Both series exhibit dark undertones and take a strong stance in deciding what is ethically right to do: the freedom to live without foreign occupation or hostilities threatening their livelihood.

Vampire Princess Miyu and her companion, Larva, protect the world of the living from god-demons called Shinma who suck the soul out of humans. Ironically, she is part human and part Shinma, but is unaware of her heritage until after the death of her parents. As such, she is destined to save humanity. In order to cast away the Shinma back into the darkness, she herself must suck the essence out of the victims. More composed than your average blood-sucker, she chooses her targets carefully which draws attention to Himiko, a spiritualist. As Miyu’s appeal and gift of providing eternal happiness draws a desire for her victims to offer what she needs so willingly, it is easy for them to succumb to her. Although Miyu feels she is not part of the human race, what she is fated to undertake is powered by good and ideal of a greater cause. In comparing Vampire Princess Miyu with Dance in the Vampire Bund, their backgrounds place a huge emphasis on the ability for life to function within the worlds of vampires and human, making this belief a possible reality. Additionally, fear of the unknown is what keeps humanity from accepting this fate. Both Princess Miyu and Princess Mina express this notion patently.