Gyakkyou Burai Kaiji is one of MADHOUSE’s many masterpieces. Some people may not be acquainted with this show since there really isn’t a big fanbase for gambling shows. Gyakkyou Burai Kaiji is the story of Kaiji Itou, a good-for-nothing young man who one day finds himself owing a lot of money to the wrong people. His only chance to repay his debt is by participating in underground gambling events, where his own life will be at stake. Gyakkyou Burai Kaiji is definitely aimed at a mature audience for its highly psychological content. This show explores the darkest and scariest corners of the human mind, such as greed, perversion, dishonesty and despair. Gyakkyou Burai Kaiji is a show where we’ll see the main character being beaten, humiliated and taken advantage of constantly, and even though he never loses hope and has his little victories, Kaiji is definitely not the typical triumphant hero.

Mushi are basic and mysterious forms of life that transcend what humans regard as good or evil. These entities have no purpose of being and they take many different forms. Ginko is a mushi-shi, someone who studies mushi in order to find more about them and their existence. Mushi-Shi is one of those mind-blowing shows that make you meditate on some of the deepest and most philosophical aspects of life. It has a combination of mystery, fantasy, slice of life and adventure that make for a complex and meaningful high-quality show. Mushi-Shi is a beautiful seinen anime that can teach us a lot about life.

Seinen also has a place for romance, and as it turns out, 5 Centimeters per Second is one of the best romantic seinen out there. This is the story of Takaki Toono and Akari Shinohara, two middle school kids who begin to develop strong feelings for each other. Eventually, Akari has to move to a distant town, so she and Toono keep in touch mostly through mails, rarely visiting each other. The longer they are apart, the more they realize they love each other, but they also find out the distance is too great and life goes on. Will they ever be able to meet again? 5 Centimeters per Second is one of those stories that will make you cry your eyes out. Just keep in mind that this is not the typical high school love story that ends in a “happily ever after”. 5 Centimeters per Second presents a more down to Earth story that portrays in a very realistic way how love and relationships actually work… or should I say how they don’t work. Anyway, this romantic seinen is meant to appeal to those who are more emotionally mature and especially to those who’ve had some relationship experiences (whether good or bad).

Boku dake ga Inai Machi (or Erased for short) was one of this last winter’s highlights. It is about Satoru Fujinuma, a young man in his twenties who has a rather peculiar ability; every time there’s an accident around him, he’s taken back in time a few minutes to prevent it. To his surprise however, one day he’s sent back 18 years in the past into his 11 year old self. Satoru realizes he has to prevent a series of murders that occurred when he was a child in order to make his present time right. More than half of this show revolves around Satoru as a kid and his childhood friends, although that doesn’t mean this show is aimed at a young audience. Boku dake ga Inai Machi is clearly not the usual kawaii show about cute children playing around and holding hands in the park (well, they do hold hands in the park, but that’s not what this show’s about!). Boku dake ga Inai Machi is a dark and complex mystery show that will play with your mind until the very end.

An all-time classic, Berserk, tells the story of Guts (or Gatsu in Japanese), a young warrior who fights for profit, selling his sword to the highest bidder. Being a skilled and promising fighter, he is eventually recruited by the Band of the Hawk, led by the unrivaled Griffith. In his long journey alongside Griffith, Guts will finally find a purpose to fight for. Berserk is almost unarguably one of the most legendary seinen shows ever. It just has it all, a bunch of gory action, a really dark atmosphere and the most twisted and dramatic turns of events. Berserk is a magnificent tragic tale about greed, ambition, lust for power and finding one’s own path. It’s obviously no surprise why we’re so excited about Berserk 2016.

Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex is an epic badass seinen anime. It is set in a future where humans can be transplanted from machines, enhancing their physical and cybernetic abilities. Motoko Kusanagi is a police woman belonging to the elite Section 9 unit, which fights against criminals who use this sort of cybernetic enhancements. Motoko will have to face a dangerous hacker known as The Laughing Man, who poses a real threat to everyone in Japan. GITS is a fantastic sci-fi seinen filled with action and underlying moral themes. It deals a lot with the concept of humanity and what it means to be human. Furthermore, GITS provides some insight about such philosophical and moral themes in a very dark way as it blurs the line between man and machine. The awesome action in GITS may appeal to all kinds of audiences, but its complex plot is aimed at those who are mature enough to follow it closely.

One Punch Man is an extraordinarily original show and one of the highlights of 2015. This show gives us the lamest superhero (in appearance only) we’ve seen so far. However, this bald guy with an awful taste for costumes, known as Saitama, hides the kind of power we’ve only witnessed in Dragon Ball Z. Saitama is in fact so strong that he always defeats his enemies with just one punch, regardless of how terrible they are. This is his main cause of frustration as he can no longer have a proper battle he can enjoy, and of course, it’s also what triggers the comedy in this show. Obviously, seinen is not only about gore, tragedy and dark themes. Seinen come in all genres, and comedy is not the exception. One Punch Man is an action comedy and a parody of the usual superhero show. As we would expect from a seinen anime, the comedy in One Punch Man is not silly or kawaii as in most of the shows aimed at a younger audience, but it’s rather sour and filled with irony, often mocking the traditional canon of superpowered heroes. Just don’t make the mistake of thinking this is a sophisticated comedy with subtle humor. One Punch Man may appeal more to young adults, but it’s still absolutely ridiculous and absurd.

Steins;Gate is probably one of the most celebrated seinen anime ever. It presents a fascinating sci-fi story in which a mad scientist, Rintarou Okabe, with the help of his two friends, Mayuri and Daru, creates a machine he baptized as the Phone Microwave. It’s not long before they realize this machine can do something they never expected: send emails to the past and change the course of history. Steins;Gate is an original high-quality show that will blow your freaking mind. It deals a lot with the concepts of time travel and alternative realities or universes. Of course, the way Steins;Gate approaches these ideas are not as simple and linear as in… say, Back to the Future, but they are much more complex, mysterious and unpredictable. Steins;Gate is a brilliant adventure that is meant to captivate a mature audience with its intricate and well-developed storyline.

Psycho-Pass is a brilliant sci-fi police seinen. It takes place in Japan in the near future, where criminals are identified by special devices that analyze their mental state, known as their psycho-pass. In this way, the police can apprehend or neutralize criminals before they actually commit any crime, pretty much like Minority Report (has anyone seen that awful movie?). Psycho-Pass is the perfect example of the gray morality concept portrayed in seinen shows. One of the main themes in this anime is the fine line between good and evil, between what sets the law-abiding citizens apart from the criminals. The highly psychological content of Psycho-Pass is one of its strongest points and what mostly defines it as a seinen.

As you probably know, Tokyo Ghoul tells the story of Kaneki Ken, an 18 year old boy who’s deceived and ambushed by a female ghoul, a flesh-eating demon. Kaneki barely manages to make it out of that situation, but not without turning into a half-ghoul half-human hybrid. As such, he begins his new life trying to cope with his new self. Tokyo Ghoul’s huge success may give the idea that this show is not aimed specifically at young adults, especially considering the amount of both male and female teens that watch it. Although it is true that Tokyo Ghoul appeals to a broad audience, this is intrinsically a seinen show. And it’s not just the gore and the disturbingly peculiar characters that make it fall into this category. Tokyo Ghoul is a well-developed show with a rather complex storyline and psychological themes. There’s also hardly a distinction between good and evil, as the two races (ghouls and humans) fight each other not for justice but for their own survival. These are all particular traits of most seinen shows and they make Tokyo Ghoul one of the most representative anime of this demographic.

Many of the names on this list are fairly well known, but for those readers who are unfamiliar with streaming, it is important to understand what each service has to offer along with the pros and cons of choosing each service. Not every service is the same and many offer different payment options and plans so sometimes it is hard to decide. Let’s break each service down to make it easier to understand.

A staple of streamers and quite possibly the father of the streaming revolution, Netflix’s humble root lie in niche titles that were once extremely hard to find. Movie buffs raved about the service and it soon became mainstream. The service was one of the first services to create streaming apps for consoles and phones and thus began a craze. Today, Netflix boasts a huge library of movies, television shows, documentaries, and more recently, anime. While many of the titles available are currently viewable elsewhere, the company has become more aware of how profitable the anime industry can be. Recently, Netflix has branched out into offering a select few shows as exclusives including a collaboration with Production I.G. to create an original series. So while Netflix seems to be lagging behind anime-wise, the future seems bright for the company.

For being in the shadow of Netflix for so long, Hulu has done quite well. The service is most popular for its fast releases of episodes for mainstream television series but has also accumulated a quite a large library of anime titles as well. Many of FUNimation’s older and more popular series can be found on the service as well as simulcasts. Many of the anime listed are also offered in both subs and dubs, making this service quite versatile. Hulu’s movie library isn’t as robust as Netflix, but its television offerings are top notch as well as the service’s new exclusive series. While Hulu certainly beats Netflix on the sheer amount of series offered, Hulu has yet to form the same partnerships that Netflix has in creating original content. Perhaps this will change in the future, but regardless of original content, Hulu is a solid choice for a well-rounded family.

The web browser-based streaming service is perhaps the least well-known of the bunch, but Daisuki has a leg up on everyone in price since its offerings are completely free. The library isn’t that large, but the service does like to keep up on the latest seasons of anime along with offering some from previous seasons. Since the site has a partnership with Bandai, many of the anime available are also owned by Bandai which means plenty of Gundam for mech fans. Most of the titles are simulcasts, which is great for anime fans on a budget. While Daisuki doesn’t have the extensive collection of anime that many of these other services have, their price can’t be beaten and the service is a great supplement to any of the others. The only downside is that the site features subs only. Sorry dub fans!

Considering FUNimation is the leading publisher of anime in the west, their streaming service is definitely worth checking out. Simulcasts are updated weekly with subs while the dubs take just a little longer, but still relatively fast. A good 90% of FUNimation’s simulcasts are unavailable elsewhere, giving the service quite an edge along with access to dubs for fairly newer titles unavailable on DVD or Blu-ray yet. One of FUNimation’s best features consists of their free option as well which allows users to access new episodes of simulcasts in standard definition. Free users may not be able to binge a series though because older episodes are deleted, but at least people can still keep up with newer series without worrying about their budget.

Probably the most well-known amongst anime fans is Crunchyroll. With hundreds of series including such classics as Captain Harlock and Princess Knight along with simulcasts, there is always something to watch. Crunchyroll offers the most simulcasts of any streaming service with includes both subs and dubs. This service simply cannot be beaten in selection and variety which is why it continues to thrive to this very day. In fact, many of the older anime on Crunchyroll are out of print, making the service the only way to watch some series.

Over the years Netflix has continued to raise its prices and has probably to most unique pricing plan in comparison to the other services. While each plan includes access to videos without commercials, the difference in plans is based on the number of simultaneous screens allowed to use the service at once with 4K only available for premium users. The Basic plan featured at $7.99 a month only allows one user at a time to use the service which means if another person in the house wants to watch a movie while you are watching My Hero Academia, they will be unable to do so. The next step up is the Standard plan which costs $9.99 a month and will give users access to two screens at once. This plan seems to be Netflix’s most well-rounded plan and best for small families. The Premium package is the most expensive, costing $11.99 a month, but doubles the amount of screen use to four and also offers ultra HD for 4K televisions.

Two basic plans are offered at Hulu that are relatively easy to understand. The first plan costs $7.99 a month and gives users access to at least one stream (though many have reported streaming to three devices at once), but also features commercials. The commercials can be quite annoying sometimes and often appear in awkward places within an episode, but they are bearable for those on a budget. To get rid of those annoying ads and maximize viewing time, the $11.99 per month plan is best. If you can afford to spend the extra $4 a month, having no ads is worth it.

The easiest service is Daisuki since it offers no paid service at all. The only caveat being that commercials will regularly appear in episodes, but it’s a small price to pay for access to free anime! All videos are even in HD!

What’s great about FUNimation’s plans are that they know how anime fans think and based their pricing accordingly. The free plan grants access to simulcasts a few episodes at a time and in standard definition which is great for users who are already paying for another service, but don’t want to miss out on exclusives. The other two plans are custom made for anime lovers. FUNimation smartly created a sub packaged only for those uninterested in dubs for only $4.99 a month which grants access to their entire library in HD. This is a brilliant move and it is quite strange that Crunchyroll doesn’t offer the same sort of pricing, but that may be because many of their titles simply aren’t dubbed at all. The third plan is an All Access Plan that costs $7.99 a month and gives users access to dubs as well as subs. This is the most comprehensive plan for fans who wish to watch their anime dubbed and in HD. This is a great way to get new fans into anime.

While Crunchyroll technically has a free service, many of the shows offered are already featured on Daisuki which is most likely why those shows are free. The standard payment plan is monthly at $6.95 being paid each month, but money can be saved if months are bought in advance. The three-month plan only saves a few dollars at $19.95 for every three months, but the yearly plan can save viewers almost $30. The yearly plan costs $59.95 and is worth paying the money up front if at all possible. The savings of doing so could pay for another streaming service or whatever other anime merchandise is wanted.

Being the powerhouse service that it is, it’s no wonder that Netflix offers streaming from every type of electronic available. If it has access to the internet, that device most likely can play Netflix. The only downside depends on what plan is being paid for. If someone is in an airport watching Pokemon and their partner is at home and wants to watch Yu Gi Oh, that situation can be quite tricky. Before committing to a plan, be sure to discuss how often those in the household will use the service.

Probably the best when it comes to devices and plans, Hulu is also offered on every device imaginable and seems to be able to support multiple streams. It is unclear how many streams Hulu can support at once since many users have reported the use of up to six simultaneous streams, but the official stance taken by Hulu is one stream at a time. Still, the service is quite solid and available on the go.

While the primary way to access this service is via their website, they do offer an app available on iTunes and Google Play Store. So far, though, the service is inaccessible via console or streaming sticks such as Chromecast. We’ve reached out to Daisuki to see if they plan to expand their service to these devices in the near future.

FUNimation’s service is available on most well-known consoles and devices with the exception of the Wii U and PS Vita, though to be honest, these consoles are some of the least supported when it comes to online apps. Still, the service is most impressive and works relatively well across all platforms.

As an anime only streaming service, Crunchyroll does well for itself as it is offered on every device that Netflix and Hulu are available on with the exception of the Amazon Prime Stick, though this will most likely change in the near future. Crunchyroll also offers simultaneous streaming across multiple devices as well as an easy to use layout.

In almost every aspect of Pokemon, Gyarados is a badass. Even in regular gameplay, people are willing to deal with the headache of a Magikarp to earn themselves the monster that is Gyarados. Despite its weakness to electricity, Gyaraods is extremely bulky with intimidate, immensely cutting your opponent’s damage. Now, Gyarados might not be an impossible brick wall to overcome, but it’s not like the gameplay tactics with Gyarados were to stall to begin with. Couple his other abilities with dragon dance and you have an effective sweeper at your disposal. Sadly, flying goes out the window when going into a mega evolution, so in terms for flying-type strategists, Gyarados is actually quite underused.

Essentially, the only bird on this list, Staraptor is a speedy high-potential killer. His style is meant to destroy walls (and essentially destroy himself in the process) and with a base 120 attack and base 100 speed, he’s extremely good at it. In this position its best to set his moves to Close-combat, return, brave-bird, and u-turn to create a ridiculous glass cannon of sorts. He might even be able to take on another due to a relatively decent HP stat of 85. What sets Staraptor apart from other birds in Pokemon is the ability Close-combat, which allows for good coverage against ice, rock, and even steel types.

A personal favorite since the beginning, Dragonite has proven itself a contender worthy of adoration in the OU tier. Several factors combine perfectly with Dragonite making it one of the most well-rounded powerhouses out there. Its base attack of 134 allows Dragonite to break through walls and take chunks out of a whole team with ease. Add to his strength the move Extreme Speed and you have yourself a warrior who can revenge kill powerful sweepers as well as get the first shot in on speedy Priority users like Talonflame. Dragonite even has one of the best scales with Dragon Dance and with the Multiscale ability it’s quite easy to set up that move. Couple it with elemental punches and outrage and most people won’t be too happy to find a Dragonite on your team. That is unless they have a fairy, in which case be careful.

Pinisr really got quite the boost with its Mega form, allowing it to play as a powerful cleaner for late in the game. With its base attack in Mega form at a deadly 155, coupled with Swords Dance and Aerilate; Pinsir can one-hit KO many fast attackers (including Mega Lopunny, Mega Sceptile, and Mega Gallade) using Quick Attack. A truly deadly mix of speed and power, players can opt between a Jolly nature to epitomize speed or an Adamant nature to add a little more kick to his attacks, and relatively find themselves in control. However, a jolly nature does allow Mega Pinsir to outspeed a powerhouse like Charizard, which can be quite useful. Pinsir’s main weakness is Stealth Rock, which will set back that HP a bit, especially in Mega form, which is why you should wait to put him once you’ve dealt with such hazards.

One of the highest threats in the OU metagame, Tornadus-T can effectively take down opponents who are even resistant to flying (perhaps because he is a pure flying and would be too weak otherwise). This is due to its ability to strike hard with moves like Hurricane and U-turn and quickly with its base speed stat of 121. In addition to the offensive strategies that best suit Tornadus-T, one can appropriately equip the Assualt Vest to create a versatile attack pivot. Essentially, you’ll have yourself a Pokemon that deals good damage and rotates your offensive line with ease. However, its flying status still leaves it weak to Stealth Rock and overall it can’t hold out for too long.

In the Uber tier Landorus is an epic wall breaker to have on your team. Equipped with a Life Orb and the Sheer Force ability, Landrous’s Earth Power can hit for a lot of damage. If you also include Knock Off into that moveset, then you’ll be able to hamper switch ins by removing their items. Immunity to Spikes, Toxic Spikes, and any ground-type attack is definitely a plus when using Landorus. The ability to neutralize Stealth Rock is also a pretty nice cushy bonus to have as well. Its base speed also allows it to get in a shot on many of the stronger Ubers, such as Primal Groudon, Primal Kyogre, and Rayquaza. Nonetheless, Landorus is still more of a glass cannon than a tank. Its health and defenses are rather frail and a few hits are all that’s needed to take Landorus out. Understanding which Pokemon to team Landorus up with and being able to time switch-ins are a must for those wishing to master using this particular Pokemon.

Mega Charizard Y’s Fire STAB and base 159 special attack already present this fine creature to us as a wallbreaker. However, the bringing out all of its moves and stats into the spotlight is its ability Drought, which can boost Fire Blast to the point of one-hit KO’ing most in the in the OU tier. The fact that Mega Charizard Y can also perform Solar Beam and Roost allows it to check water-types and as well as lessen the effects of Stealth Rock. The overall effect is that you have the strongest wallbreaker in the OU tier. There truly are only a few Pokemon that can hamper Charizard Y from destroying a team, but it is easy enough to have supports that will take out such threats as Latios, Latias, Dragonite, and Chansey. More worrisome that any of the opponent’s Pokemon is just whether or not you’ll land the hit.

Lugia is a wall. Lugia is a massive white and blue wall that can slow enemies down to a halt. With base defense at 130 and special defense at 154, access to reliable recovery, and the ability Multiscale; Lugia’s health rarely budges. Between Reflect, Whirlwind, and Roost it really is hard to get any type of damage as the moveset handles sweepers pretty well, and can even aid teammates. Despite its immovable stature, you’ll most likely find Lugia only on teams that focus on stalling or are just extremely well-balanced. This is because Lugia’s main form of attack comes from the use of toxic, which of course works well for a staller and can wear down something like a Primal Groudon. However, the lack of offense leaves Lugia susceptible to taunt.

Since Mega Rayquaza is essentially a god-like legendary when it comes down to competitive play and has fallen into the channel of anything goes, with its base and special attack both at 180, let’s focus on base Rayquaza for Uber tiers. Though not too insanely powerful, Rayquaza is still a Pokemon you won’t be happy to see on the other team. Breaking walls is its specialty with its attack and special attack holding to a beastly 150. With Dragon Ascent most walls will go down with two hits. One of the few who can actually withstand more than two is the multi-scale Lugia described above. However, Rayquaza wouldn’t be this high up on the list if it was a one-trick pony. Its entire moveset is exceptional. V-create, Draco Meteor, Extreme Speed, and Earthquake to create a mixture of power, easy revenge killing, and the ability to hit any would-be checks. You can also mix in Swords Dance or Dragon Dance to boost power. Its only weakness is of course, Stealth Rock (as is with most fliers), and the necessity to usually equip it with Life Orb.

With its mega evolution coming alive in ORAS, Salamence finally emerged as an offensive powerhouse in the Uber tier. Base 120 speed combined with a base 145 attack makes Mega Salamence pretty powerful as is. However, it’s when Salamence’s moves are backed up by the Aerilate ability that it becomes a true threat on the field. With Intimidate on the pre-mega Salamence, a player is not only able to create an extreme attacker, but a brawler who is extremely hard to revenge kill. Salamence has bulk and can stay in a fight for pretty long, especially if you have teammates and skills to check Stealth Rock. The main threat is ice, which will do 4x the damage. Nonetheless, Salamence can really be brought onto any offensive team or act as the primary hitter for a more well-rounded team.

Goblins are supposed to be the villains of the series. The story says the Goblins and other creatures invaded the lands of man and they have been at war ever since. We see the newly arrived young men and women in this world given no choice but to fight them, kill them, and earn a bounty for each kill in order to survive. We also see the Goblins use tools, fight with weapons, use strategy; all elements that point to intelligence in these green, pointy-eared villains. The goblins fight to survive just like the humans. We see them struggle to survive in combat, clawing, running and desperately trying to live. We can’t point to one specific goblin but as a whole they must be recognized as acting heroically in battle, for they may be foreign but they are warriors.

Barbara is one of the leaders of the Thieves Guild and the sadistic trainer of Haruhiro. At first she seems to be a calm person, the respected leader of a guild. She is a well-endowed woman who seems to be older than the most of the characters we meet. Her age is a sign that survival is a possibility and that there is a way to move up in the society. We see that Barbara is almost manic with mood swings that take her from calm to hyper and sadistic. She is a skilled thief and trainer to members of her guild. Barbara must care for her guild members, or at least sympathize with their plight, because she’s apparently gone through it herself. Her heroism comes from her ability to be the rock for her students to stand on to keep their heads above water as they acclimate to the violent, bleak world.

Shinohara is the leader of the powerful Orion party. He is a calm, centered individual with a reputation as a trustworthy leader. He seems to serve as a guidepost for a lot of the newcomers to the world of Grimgar. Shinohara doesn’t coddle the newcomers, either. He is willing to dispense some advice, but believes there are many things they have to figure out for themselves. The stories that are told about his party are filled with heroic deeds. You don’t get to be one of the strongest parties without heroic accomplishments. He is heroic for his leadership ability and his mentorship of those who need it.

Manato is another member to the core cast, and he plays a pivotal part in the story. He helps form the original party and becomes the leader. We never see him chosen as leader; he’s one of those people who people naturally turn to for leadership. He becomes the priest of the party despite being a capable fighter. He is able to cast spells of healing on his comrades while fighting in the fray with them. Manato also risks a lot by exposing himself to danger to save his party members. The goblins they fight know that the priest is the one who heals the others, and that makes him a target. The self-sacrificing nature of this born leader eventually becomes his downfall. He gets shot with an arrow and ignores the pain, not wanting to worry or burden the party. Manato dies because of his need to ease the burden on his party members. Manato leads battles from the front like a true hero. 

Mogzo is a warrior and a cook. He is by far the most soft-spoken of the party, but is also the largest and strongest member. He fights the vanguard position clad in heavy armor and wielding a large sword. He feels that his size and strength naturally puts him in the role of warrior, knowing the more of the enemy he can take out as the vanguard, the fewer his party mates will have to. We also find that he likes to carve wood into shapes of things he remembers, things we haven’t seen in this world.   Mogzo is the first into the fray. He is the one, though heavily armored, who is the most exposed to the dangers of combat. He takes this role without losing his humanity. He never uses his strength and power for his own gains. Mogzo could also join a larger party, one with more experience and resources, but chooses to stay with his comrades (living in what appears to be a stable) due to a sense of responsibility. His heroism comes from putting himself on the line for his friends, even when he would have the option to play it safer with a more talented party.

Yume is funny with an outgoing personality. She took the role of hunter in this world. She fights with a bow and (at first) is a terrible shot. She adapts by learning to fight with a knife, often partnering with Haruhiro who also fights with a knife in close quarters. She commits herself to practicing hour after hour, understanding how important her ranged attacks will be in the future. Yume seems to be the moral center of the group. Her ability to be outspoken for herself and others is one of her best traits. She also brings a positive vibe to the group; in a bleak and depressing world she is a ray of sunshine. She lifts everyone up. Put simply, her words are heroic.

Shihoru is a short, shy girl with purple hair and purple eyes. She is not very strong and the least sure of herself in the party. Shihoru took the role of mage, learning how to use magic. We find out that she also had little experience with dealing with males. She barely talks to the male members of the team, instead using Yume, the other girl, as her conduit for communication. Shihoru is probably the most overwhelmed with the world she has been thrust into. She must have been absolutely terrified. She hasn’t learned protection magic yet, only offensive spells, leaving her completely vulnerable in battle. When you face situations that scare you and force your fears down like Shihoru you are heroic.

Merry is a member of the party who comes along to replace a fallen member and serves as the priest. She is depicted as having long navy blue hair and blue eyes. She is quiet and seems disinterested in other members of the party. Merry is the only member to of the team who lives on her own. Her personality is reserved, hesitant and reluctant to get close to others. She also plays the role of priest very differently than Manato; she sees herself in a supportive role and uses her healing powers only to treat severe wounds.   Merry was once very different from the Merry we’ve gotten to know. She was a cheery, outgoing member of her previous party, fighting much like Manato did. She’d use her magic to heal any cut or scrape to keep them in the fight. Her need to help ease the even slightest pain of others was her downfall as she used too much of her magic and didn’t have any left when it counted. She has fought alongside and lost members of her party. She has picked up and moved on. She has faced her PTSD and pushed forward. The ability of the traumatized to continue on and face the heartbreaking past is truly heroic.

Haruhiro is rather nervous and unsure of himself. Haruhiro is also a thoughtful person, sensitive to others’ emotions. He is also a classic introvert, sitting in the back, studying situations and weighing his options carefully before acting. He is average height, with brown hair and brown eyes.  He joins the thieves’ guild and gets the nickname “old cat” because of his tired (though we would say thoughtful) eyes. Haruhiro shows his heroism in stepping in and becoming team leader after a tragedy. He takes it upon himself to bare the mantle of leadership even after the loss of his best friend. He never imagined himself as the leader of anything. He doesn’t have that natural charisma most leaders have. On the other hand, he does have the respect and trust of the people around him. The party trusts and respects him to make the best choices for the welfare of the team. We think the act of stepping outside of your comfort zone and leading well, especially in a crisis, is very heroic.

Ranta is a bit of a hothead. He is loud, thoughtless, and a bit full of himself. You might even classify him as a tsundere. He took the role of Dread Knight or Black Knight and seems to revel in the role. In this role, he must take a trophy from his kills for a demon that aides him. He also seems to have a problem with girls as he seems to go out of his way to insult them. He isn’t nearly as big as Mogzo, yet takes one of the vanguard roles. He uses his agility and the terrain to gain advantages over his opponents, finding opportunities to slash and stab.   We also see a different side of this Dread Knight as the story progresses. He understands that he is not well liked by the party. Ranta once says he does that intentionally so the others have something to bond over. We also see a very heroic moment when they are down in the mines fleeing for their lives and he has to make the choice to fight the rearguard action and possibly die to let the others escape. Ranta tells Haruhiro that the team can’t afford to lose him as their leader so it would be better if he fought the lycanthropes and the monster Death Spots to buy time for their escape. In his willingness to sacrifice himself for the good of others, Ranta is truly heroic.

Ready to get stabbed in all the feels to the point where it feels like you will never ever be able to recover? Welcome to Clannad: After Story. Picking up where the first season, CLANNAD, left off, Tomoya and Nagisa graduate from high school and Tomoya lands a job working to support his new wife aka Nagisa. They struggle a lot but together they are able to persevere with each other and Nagisa becomes pregnant. They push forward to have their child Ushio, but at what cost? Keep a box of tissues nearby because this one will make you cry. When comparing these two, some people are thrown off. Itazura na Kiss is a bright anime while Clannad After Story is very serious. Ah ha! This is where you have to look beyond the surface and first impressions. The stories are actually quite similar, high school romance that turns into something more which leads to marriage. The struggles that Nagisa and Tomoya go through are very similar to what Kotoko and Naoki go through as well. The growing pains of growing up. No one is a child forever. There is, of course, central themes like romance, and really anyone can enjoy these series. The final major thing to note is that both of these anime actually show what life is like DURING and AFTER romance. So many shows end too soon! But don’t take our word for it, check out the PV yourself!

Ready for dem good feels after bawling your eyes out? Great! Kimi ni Todoke is about Sawako Kuronuma who has a heart of gold. She just has one problem, everyone thinks she is actually super evil! People even call her Sadako, from The Ring, due to her quiet personality and long black hair combined with her scary demeanor. Till one day when she is drawn to a bright and upbeat boy named Shouta Kazehaya. Sawako though looks up to him because of his refreshing personality. Hoping to become friends with him, Sawako makes friends with unlikely classmates and Kazehaya, before suddenly things are moving in a new direction for her. Itazura na Kiss and Kimi ni Todoke are actually very very similar. Both are sweet and upbeat though the personalities are a bit dialed back. Unlike semi-aggressive Kotoko and cold Irie, Sawako and Shouta are much easier to take. If you are looking for concrete solid lines, both Shouta and Irie are super popular in their classes and the relationships that develop between the girls and the boys of the respective series are between two very unique personalities. Kimi ni Todoke will also calm you down and help you refresh and relax after bawling your eyes out at Clannad After Story.

Hikari Hanazono met Kei Takishima when she was six years old. Their fathers, both wrestler aficionados, introduced them. Hikari challenged Kei to a match and promptly lost! They became friends regardless, but Hikari was determined to beat Kei in something! Anything! She just needed the chance! So she is enrolled in an upper crust of society high school called Hakusenkan. Unfortunately, or rather, fortunately, for her, Kei is there too! He is the top student in the school and she is the student right underneath him. Completely KY, she does not realize Kei’s feelings until she begins to challenge him as her rival… Where these two shows are similar is there is that upbeat feeling and Special A also plays to its comedic elements. The upward battle of Hikari to reach Kei is much like how Kotoko pushes herself from the bottom class upwards to try and get closer to Naoki. Speaking of Naoki, he and Kei are both at the tops of their respective grades. Kotoko is quite the klutz much like Hikari as well. This is supposed to appeal to a Shoujo audience, but anyone can enjoy it!

Misaki Ayuzawa is the most terrifying student council president at her school. Why? Well, the school used to be an all-boys school, she is the first female president, and… a deep secret. She works at a Maid Café! Complete with a maid uniform, she works to help support her family who is struggling to pay their bills. Misaki is doing a fantastic job of juggling her lives until one day, the most popular boy in school just strolls into the maid café where she works! Takumi Usui could say something and watch her burn, or keep her secret. What will he do? For Misaki and Kotoko, the struggle is real – a common theme here. Kotoko has to dig herself and her grades out of a hole while Misaki has to keep juggling everything and now deal with Takumi knowing her secret. Much like with Special A, Naoki from Itazura and Takumi from Kaichou both are calling the shots at their schools from the top. The clumsy humor is also rampant in both of these series. The enjoyable difference here is that Takumi chases after Misaki while Kotoko chases after Naoki. You gotta keep things slightly different!

Chiyo Sakura is a young high school girl with a crush. In love with a boy named Umetarou Nozaki, she confesses her feelings. Umetarou is so out of it, that he hands her an autograph? Umetarou is actually another KY character who cannot realize how other people feel because he is actually a massively big shoujo manga artist! Chiyo then somehow becomes an assistant to Umetarou. She decides that she will do her best to help him while getting him to notice her feelings. Much like Itazura na Kiss, Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun has an aloof male protagonist. While Naoki refuses to engage, Umetarou is just out of it. Stoic in nature they are hotly pursued by an upbeat girl who wants to be noticed by the male counterpart. Rolling in gags, they are also a bit on the comedic side while Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun is actually shonen and Itazura na Kiss is Shoujo. Regardless of the target audience, fans of either will enjoy the other!

Ore Monogatari is how you properly write a romcom. Sweet and kindhearted Takeo Gouda looks nothing like the previous two adjectives. Extremely tall for a tenth grader and covered in muscles, he is the stereotype of “masculine” to a T. Takeo can never get a girlfriend though because all girls are terrified of him and they always confess to his best friend and pretty boy, Makoto Sunakawa. One day, though, Takeo saves the cutest little girl named Rinko from a train groper and through a series of mishaps, actually starts to spend time with her. Suddenly, Takeo’s love story begins. Unconventional love is a theme between these two shows. Naoki would never go after a girl so beneath him, but he eventually does. Rinko, a delicate little girl, and Takeo, a hulking brute of a man, are the last people that would get paired up in people’s minds. From day one, you are in a sea of emotions with these two as you support them and they grow together. The best part too is as you watch, the comedic jokes and the little things make you appreciate these two series even more. This is DEFINITELY one that you will want to catch!

Yuta is known to always be in the company of girls, especially girls who fawn over his appearance. As per his social sin, The Cunning Normal, he can be often seen with a fox-like smile, especially when he’s egging on Maki Honoka’s “terrible personality.” He’s a good-looking hot guy, but he wasn’t always. Having been chubby as a child, Yuta-kun made his hot guy debut in high school and is still self-conscious about his former image. The fragility of his confidence is exemplified when he loses his de facto bishounen title of the Kiznaivers after Hisomu’s appearance in Episode 3. We would expect Yuta to be protective of his image and abide by face-saving principles. Well, then we would be wrong, especially when it comes to helping Maki Honoka. After sharing Honoka’s emotional pain, Yuta starts to drop his hot guy act, culminating in Episode 7, when he runs off into the ocean to answer Honoka’s wish. Let’s just say, even though he’s a cool guy, his running form is endearingly poor. Nonetheless, Yuta-kun is way better when he’s not putting up an act. Being able to see his not-cool sides is what makes us what to root for his crush to become love, even though he looks a little desperate.

Chidori is a good-natured busybody that matches her social sin perfectly. She has both the looks and the personality of a female lead in an anime. Even though she’s a goody-goody, she doesn’t necessarily hesitate when it comes to Kacchon, her nickname for Katsuhira. From the first episode, Chidori is willing to throw herself into danger for Katsuhira, even though she tends to show much more restraint in her daily life. Chidori can also be a little violent, contrary to her sin assignment. Her emotions are always bursting at the seems because of the Kiznaiver experiment, and these emotions lead her to physically attack Katsuhira or Tenga, regardless of their shared pain. In a wonderful twist, the emotional and romantically confused young girl is not the most volatile of the group! This should come as no surprise, as unrequited love and unresolved feelings are more or less normal in anime. Nonetheless, the sheer strength of her adolescent emotions is enough to let the Kizuna system upgrade from simply sharing physical pain to also sharing emotional pain and even hearing each other’s thoughts. Although not too unpredictable, Chidori’s volatileness is shown in her hair-trigger blushing and/or violence.

Gomorin is the semi-friendly and creepy-looking mascot of Sugomori City. Unlike most cities, there are way too many Gomorins roaming the streets. Both city workers and Kizuna System employees are in the Gomorin costumes. Still, these weird-looking guys wearing S&M rope aren’t just soft, squishy mascots. They are the muscle-for-hire for the Kizuna experiment. When they are chasing after our protagonists in huge mobs, they can be downright menacing, wielding cleavers, chainsaws, and other weapons. When they Kiznaivers go off to a summer camp together, it becomes clear that the Kizuna Committee will purposefully hire Gomorin part-timers with murderous intent. Be it mob mentality or cult mentality, Gomorin definitely doesn’t seem human. Hiding behind a Gomorin mask certainly doesn’t help the unhealthy thinking. Thus, it’s no surprise when the black Gomorin show up when everything starts going crazy in Sugomori City.

Yamada Kazunao is a researcher in the Kizuna Committee, known as Yamada, and also the homeroom teacher of our seven protagonists. Yamada is not very teacher-like, but he’s very dedicated to the Kizuna experiment. He’s so dedicated that he won’t hesitate to push the students too far, leading to the rain-covered sadness in Episode 8, after his experiments led the seven protagonists to face their emotions directly. Along with an obsession to push the Kizuna experiment forward, Yamada also shows pleasure in tearing down his students’ relationships. His teacher/researcher partner Urushii comments that he’s playing with people like they’re toys. We later learn this obsession is rooted in an obsession to fulfill all of Sonozaki Nori-chan’s wishes, and he’s willing to go to the extreme to follow her.

From the beginning Tenga-kun is plenty volatile, throwing his butt in a guy’s face to stop bullying, or full-body slamming into Gomorins chasing his classmates. As The Muslce-Headed Thug, Tenga tends to hit first and ask questions later. From the very beginning, he develops an attachment to Katsuhira and ends up inviting himself to live at Katsuhira’s house. Loud and quick-to-anger, Tenga is the exact opposite to Katsuhira in personality. Even though he’s painted to be not much of thinker, Tenga does go against his muscle-headed title and even shows a clear understanding of Chidori’s emotional states even before they share emotional pain. Tenga has a tough guy image and will usually do things that are considered manly, such as sending Katsuhira to chase after Chidori, even though Tenga has feelings for her. Soon, however, we learn that Tenga is still in fact a teenager, as he loses to his own emotions and lets it all out on Katsuhira’s face. Strength may be Tenga’s greatest quality, but much like a Greek tragic hero, this strength also becomes the source of regret. Nonetheless, his quick temper that sticks with him to throughout the series is the source of a lot of crazy happenings in Kiznaiver.

Agata Katsuhira is The Imbecile because he is unable to understand the feelings of others. Katsuhira is generally shown to be indifferent to everything and everyone. Since he was young, Katushira was bullied because other children couldn’t identify with him and instead ostracized him. His indifference worsened and looks very much like a certain kind of depression. Rather than gloomy, Katsuhira is simply disinterested in both himself and social aspects of everyday life. After hearing that Chidori liked him in the past, Katsuhira realizes that he wants to be able to connect to others and change himself. Because of his calm nature, Katsuhira’s sudden actions appear unpredictable. When the first six Kiznaivers are trying to chase down Hisomu, Katsuhira suddenly jumps off a bridge into moving traffic, even after Tenga balks at the idea. As his character development continues, Katsuhira moves become bolder, and the bridges become bigger, as he desperately tries to save Sonozaki Nori from self-destruction.

Maki Honoka, The High-and-Mighty, tends to look down on others and holds onto her “terrible personality” with pride. She easily puts down Yuta and will give the harshest insults. As parts of Honoka’s past come to light, we learn that this hard outer shell is to keep others at a distance. Honoka deeply regrets how she abandoned her friend Ruru, who was suffering from a terminal illness. Since then, Honoka avoids relationships and even avoids reading Ruru’s last message to her. She is haunted by the regret and believes that she had killed her best friend. After the Kiznaivers are able to feel each other’s emotional pain, it becomes clear how much pain Honoka is living with everyday. The other six members have a constant pain in the gut. Even after the Kiznaivers learn about Ruru and believe they have saved Honoka, we soon learn how fragile her trust in relationships really is. In Episode 9, after Yaamada’s heart-wrenching experiment on love triangles, the Kiznaiver’s friendship falls apart, and Honoka drives the last nail in the coffin of their friendship as she laments, “We can’t be friends.” Honoka’s deep-seated dislike of becoming close to others would take more than simply her past getting revealed. Honoka’s friendship flip-flopping has extreme effects on the group as a whole.

Niiyama Nico is a cute and bubbly girl who claims to believe in fairies. She quickly outs herself as a fake eccentric who doesn’t really believe in fairies, but she’s still pretty eccentric. Niiyama seems to be competitive with Hisomu Yoshiharu, proclaiming that she’s a big weirdo too. Overall, Nico shows that she likes to be different and unique, but she still wants to have connections with others and desperately wants friends. We can always count on Nico to overreact with the perfect timing, and her hair is out of control. While Nico’s archetype can usually lead to an annoying character, there is both deepness and unnerving unstableness to her personality. She accepts that she is just pretending to be eccentric, but then we see true eccentricities that she herself genuinely doesn’t notice. Maybe it’s truly “fake it until you make it,” or just maybe, we all need to be a little careful around this one.

Hisomu Yoshiharu’s immoral nature is based on his extreme masochism. He is in love with pain, but Hisomu is very specific in the type of pain he enjoys. Rather indifferent to emotional or psychological pain, Hisomu almost exclusively loves physical pain, especially if it comes as a surprise. As a result, Hisomu will put himself into dangerous situations and is often absent from school for his injuries. After being connected by the Kizuna System, Hisomu takes a particular liking to Katsuhira, because Katsuhira gets injured so frequently. He’s a constant source of danger for the other Kiznaivers, because he actively looks for situations in which an accident could easily occur. While he will go off rambling about his love for surprise injuries with visible displays of sheer bliss just thinking about them, Hisomu shows very little patience when someone takes verbal cheap shots at others, leading him to butt heads with Honoka. In Episode 8, we see him take direct stabs at Honoka’s trauma and relish in the emotional sting from the Kizuna System after doing so. Conversely, Hisomu shows more emotional understanding to Katsuhira and Nico, who are earnestly trying to get along with others. Despite being a big weirdo, he does get other people, and will give honest commentary at opportune times.

Except for a few geniuses out there, we didn’t really expect Sonozaki Noriko to top this list until the whole season was said and done. Although not one of the seven social sins, Sonozaki is a mysterious girl who is devoid of emotion. We later learn that this is because the girl is heavily medicated. As a member of a childhood experiment, it turned out that Nori-chan was keeping all the pain to herself out of love and desperation to stay connected to her peers. This, however, made the other children lose their sense of pain, some even becoming just shells of human beings. Nori-chan needs medication to endure the pain she continues to hoard from the nineteen other children. Taking “All I really need to know I learned in kindergarten” a little too seriously, Nori-chan’s childhood took a huge turn when she first got friends thanks to the Kizuna System. From then on, she dedicated her life to the Kizuna experiment. Urushii later explains that the Kizuna System (read: anime scenarios) will never be able to replicate true connections between people, because people do not only connect over pain. Nori-chan, unfortunately, never learned that and was certain sharing pain is the only way. In Kiznaiver’s final episodes, Nori-chan, along with a gang of black Gomorin, start making everyone around them Kiznaivers. Go crazy, girl. Go crazy!

We'll start with an oldie but goodie. You Asakura is a boy who can see and interact with ghosts. One day, his friend Manta is beaten up by a gang and You comes to his aid. You teams up with a samurai ghost whose tomb the gangsters had broken and wins the day. After that, You finds out about the Shaman Fight, which is a millennial contest in which people like You, who can control spirits, battle to find who can contact and control the Great Spirit and become the next Shaman King. As Shaman King, one would have power and control over everything. While Shaman King may not have as many of bishounen running around, it does have comedy, action and supernatural duos. You is able to control all kinds of spirits, but his partner is Amidamaru the samurai ghost. And much like Kuro in Servamp, Amidamaru has a really cute form he reverts to half of the time! (And he's pretty sexy when he's in his samurai form too). There is a struggle for power like in Servamp and teams with the same type of supernatural powers confronting each other in battle.

Death City is ruled by Death (Shinigami-sama) himself. He is also at the head of Shibusen Academy, where hybrid children who can transform into weapons, train to become full-fledged Death Scythes after consuming 99 evil souls and one witch's soul. These scythes pair up with their wielders or Meisters and work together to become the best. One such pair is the very serious meister, Maka Albarn and Soul Eater Evans who is a Demon Scythe. They are complete opposites, but are a powerful duo when they learn how to work together. Many battles and interesting pairs will keep you watching and rooting for your favorite team. Soul Eater is the first thing I thought about when watching Servamp. The pairs are formed by two people, one of whom is able to transform and/or be used as a weapon whose strength is directly related to the wielder and the connection the two have. And just like Kuro and Mahiru, our main protagonists are complete opposites. Soul Eater also brings us quirky characters like Servamp does and quite a few laughs. Like the previous recommendation, it's more on the Shounen side for sure, but can still be enjoyed by all. Also, Soul Eater has a cute mascot form as well!

Humans live peacefully in Septpia, until Majins invade after losing a hundred-year long war in their world of Tetraheaven. ALCA is a special police force that battles otherworldly “foreigners” that attack the human world. ALCA is formed by Logicalists, who have a special power called “Logic”, that allows them to enter into a trance with Goddesses from the other realm. They can use the goddesses' powers as their own, to attack and protect. Yoshichika Tsurugi doesn't have Logic, but when he runs into Athena while helping civilians, she gives him the Logic he needs and they become a force to be reckoned with. In Luck & Logic, we are also presented with paired up teams in which one of the members is a supernatural being, in this case goddesses, and the other one is a human. These goddesses, like the servamps, can be used in battle by their partners in one way or another depending on their connection. And in Yoshichika's case, like Mahiru, his partner and new found powers come to him by coincidence and as a big surprise. Another thing these two anime have in common is that the bad guys are somehow related to those fighting them! This one's more of a Harem, but it has the same feel to it if you don't mind that there are way more cute girls than hot guys in it.

There is a realm where there exist millions of gods and spirits both benevolent and wicked. The gods make use of some of these spirits when they become their Regalia. Regalia can transform into weapons, armor or other items useful to their divine masters. One of these gods is Yato and he is a feral god of sorts. One with no shrine, no followers and no true name. He is forced to do odd jobs and solves people's troubles for 5 yen each to try an build a following which causes his regalia to leave him. He must now find a new one and confront the other gods and their Regalias while making a name for himself and building new relationships. Noragami has quite a few similarities with Servamp. There are teams in which one of the partners is similar to a servant and can transform into a weapon or shield and basically be used in battle. The relationship between both team members is crucial to the way they fight, and there are many beautiful characters! Male and female alike. (Though my fave has to be Yato). There's also some serious “family issues” involved in the Noragami storyline, as there are in Servamp. Oh and there are two seasons! (so far...).

After a misterious virus kills all humans below 13 years of age, vampires take over and abduct the surviving children to feed on them like cattle and use them as slaves. Yuuichirou (Yuu) and Mikaela (Mika) Hyakuya are two orphans who are held captive along with the rest of the kids from their orphanage. One day, Mikaela hatches an escape plan to save everyone and it fails miserably, leaving only Yuu alive and as the only escapee. Now, years later, Yuu seeks his revenge as part of the Imperial Demon Army, which is dedicated to exterminating vampires. Here we go! TONS of Bishies in this one! That's similarity one. Then we have vampires! Bam! (That explains the sexiness). There is also an internal conflict among the vampires and there may or may not be some collaboration and or betrayal between races. And while there are human + supernatural servant/weapon teams, these are a bit different. In this case, the humans like Yuu, have a weapon within which resides a demon that aides them in battle. Again, their relationship is very important to the outcome of their battles, and oh so much more. If you enjoy Servamp, you'll definitely get behind Owari no Seraph. Just keep in mind it's more of a drama, so you won't be chuckling as much as you do while watching Servamp.

After his entire family dies in a fire, Shirou is adopted by Kiritsygu Emiya, a Magus and who trains him in the magic arts. Every 60 years, there is a battle between seven magi to obtain the Holy Grail. Each Magus or Master has their own Servant. Servants are reincarnated souls with superhuman powers and powerful weapons and attacks. One day, Shirou finds himself attacked by a couple of Servants and summons his very own to fight. And just like that Shirou is pulled into the Holy Grail War where he must battle and compete along with his Servant, Saber. If you didn't already know, Fate / stay night was originally an eroge, so you can be sure there are plenty of pretty boys and even some cute girls too. And there's a boy of each type just like in Servamp! Besides that, we of course have the Master/Servant relationship as well as the fact that the Servant fights for their Master and alongside them using supernatural powers. And again, there is a struggle for power within a specific group who use their servants in order to come out victorious.