As one of, it not the most popular anime from the turn of the century, Pokémon continues to be one of the most recognized and iconic anime around the world. While the popularity of the trading card game has died off, Pokémon merchandise and games continue to be popular across the world and generations. Pokémon go, anyone? Pokémon follows Ash Ketchum as he travels around a fictional Japan collecting creatures called Pokémon, in his attempt to become the best Pokémon trainer. Pokémon trainers collect and fight their Pokémon against other Pokémon trainers. Trainers prove their strength by battling against Gym Leaders and earning badges. During Ash's journey, he attempts to beat the gym leaders and earn badges to allow him to compete in official Pokémon tournaments. Throughout his journey, he befriends many Pokémon and humans alike with his tenacity and charisma. Pokémon and Beyblade both feature naively strong main characters. They often find themselves running head-first into situations without much of a plan, only lead by their desire to do what's right and help others. Both Ash and Tyson from Beyblade gain valuable experiences from their losses and friends from fellow competitors as they strive for their goal of being the best. Despite these losses, with their friends they both continue to participate in tournaments on their road to being the best.

Another Saturday Morning Cartoon classic, Yu-Gi-Oh! is another show that took over the world by storm. Not too long after the debut of the show, a Yu-Gi-Oh! trading card game, which still sees international competition, was launched. Yu-Gi-Oh! follows young Yugi, a game lover, who solves an ancient Egyptian puzzle called the Millennium Puzzle. Upon completion of the puzzle, Yugi's body serves as the vessel for an ancient spirit. With the help of this spirit, Yugi competes in Duel Monsters battles and tournaments to save his friends as well as thwart diabolical plots. Duel Monsters is a card game played out on a holographic field, allowing the creatures on the cards to come to life. In both Yu-Gi-Oh! and Beyblade there is a strong focus on spirits, which help the characters along their journey and in their battles. In Beyblade, these spirits are represented by the beyblades' bit-beasts; in Yu-Gi-Oh! the spirits are found in the Millennium items. The creatures are brought to life in Yu-Gi-Oh! with the use of a holographic field, while it’s the spirit of the bit beasts that help make the battles come to life.

Angelic Layer tells the story of Misaki Suzuhara, a seventh grader who moves to Tokyo to live with her aunt. Upon arriving, she learns of the popular game Angelic Layer, in which players mentally control and battle dolls called "angels." As she adjusts to her new life in Tokyo, Misaki also finds herself involved in the competitive Angelic Layer scene, as well as learning about her past. Angelic Layer is a bit darker and more mature in nature than Beyblades, due in part to it being more of a drama than straight-up shounen. Like Beyblade, it features a young protagonist who finds themselves challenging themselves and beliefs. Likewise, their skills and personalities help them make friends. While Angelic Layer doesn’t feature a journey as in Beyblade, it is at school that Misaki is able to form bonds with her fellow players.

Crush Gear Turbo follow Kouya Marino, a 5th grade who is an avid fan of gear fighting, an imaginary sport in which players compete with custom built cars called "gears" to battle one another. Kouya has dreams of becoming a World Champion gear fighter, however, he has a lot to learn and big shoes to fill, as his late brother, Yuuya, was a legendary gear fighter. Crush Gear Turbo sees Kouya trying to earn a name for himself as a gear fighter, as well as restore his brother’s gear club to its former glory. In both Beyblade and Crush Gear Turbo, there's a large focus on teams; the drama revolving the Bladebreakers deals with many of its members and their former teams, while the Tobita Club is the team that loses its members. The battles in Crush Gear Turbo features a lot of 3D and CGI animation, but are just as exciting as those in Beyblade. Those who enjoyed the real-life idea of strengthening and improving your skill through customization will be happy to know that it is just as prominent a part of Crush Gear Turbo.

Another series with real life merchandise, this time, one which inspired the show, is Gundam Build Fighters. Inspired by the success of the Mobile Suit Gundam series, Japan saw the rise of Gundam model kits, a.k.a gunpla, in the 1980's. In Gundam Build Fighters, the gunpla makers are able to participate in Gunpla battles with their gunpla. Sei Iori dreams of becoming a Gunpla Battle World Champion, much like his father. Unfortunately for Sei, his skills lie within making the models, and not with piloting them. As a result, he is never able to take his skills past the first round of tournaments. That is until he meets Reiji, who's piloting abilities may help Sei achieve his dreams of being a Gunpla Battle World Champion. Due to its source material, Gundam Build Fighters' fights are a bit more exciting and action packed than Beyblade, but the overall theme of the show is the same. If you enjoyed the way that Beyblade made a common household toy into a customizable battle item then, you should definitely check out Gundam Build Fighters.

Another card based anime Cardfighter Vanguard follows Aichi Sendou, a junior high schooler, who after having his prized Vanguard card, Blaster Blade, stolen is forced into the world of cardfights. Aichi's desire to become stronger and earn his idol Kai's praise has him playing more and more games and eventually joining a local tournament where he forms the team Q4 with Kai and several other fighters. With the team, Aichi travels Japan playing in tournaments with the goal of becoming national champions. There are a bit more fantasy elements in play in Cardfight!! Vanguard, than Beyblade, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. The added fantasy is what helps to separate Cardfight!! Vanguard from all of the other game based anime. Aichi's team like in Beyblade is made of previous fighters he's battled and friends.

You already knew that this one was going to be coming. Now, that being said, this is for the FIRST SEASON ONLY. Sword Art Online follows Kazuto Kirigaya or Kirito as he plays the beta of a new and upcoming popular VR-esque game, Sword Art Online (SAO). In SAO, gamers know that they are in a game but something goes wrong with the beta when they are all told by the creator that they are now trapped in the game and if they die in the game, they die in reality. Accepting this new reality, Kirito teams up eventually with Asuna Yuuki who is leading a team to try and escape this cruel game they are now trapped in! When looking at obvious similarities, they are both set in games or game-like worlds where the understanding and functionality is just like a game. In SAO, Kirito and the gang have more to work with in the sense of menus and item drops, but the way Bell levels up in Danmachi is also similar to a video game. This also includes the systems of magic and stronger weapons etc. There are also the themes of floor bosses as Bell tries to go down in the dungeon, while Kirito & co. go up. OP Protagonists are also a recurring theme that you will see in this article and between the shows. Bell grows with the character while Kirito is essentially OP throughout the whole show. The fun and final similarity about this is that Kirito and Bell share the same seiyuu in Japanese!

Will write for more Konosuba… Will share for more Konosuba… Spare change? It’s all for Konosuba… Ah Yes… what has to be one of the funniest and most interesting shows of Winter 2016, and possibly the year (we still have half a year to see new shows but we digress), Konosuba brought us Kazuma, a “dirty shut-in NEET” as Aqua refers to him, who has just died from fear of being run over. Aqua, a goddess, offers him a choice to be reborn in an RPG like world or go to heaven. Naturally, if he chooses to be reborn, he will get a rare one of a kind item to help him. When prodded as to what he wants, and Aqua clarifies that he can have anything, he says “Okay. I choose you.” Sucked into the new world, Kazuma finds out fast that Aqua is not only an idiot but useless as well! They have to work to get money… but they need money to gear up. Introduce a useless Mage who can only cast one spell a day before collapsing, and a knight who is a defensive wall but also a massive masochist. This series will leave you in tears. When looking at Similarities between Danmachi and Konosuba, there are plenty. Both are set in an RPG-esque world that allows them to be unique and learn skills as need be in the cases of Kazuma and Bell. Both also lay in heavily into the mission aspect and boss battles, though DanMachi is more adventure while Konosuba is more comedy. Also, Kazuma serves Aqua, a deity (he’s kinda forced to due to his circumstances) and Bell serves Hestia. The world settings themselves are also fantasy worlds that you will love to get wrapped into. Don’t take our word for it, though! Check it out below!

Hai to Gensou no Grimgar opens with characters who know nothing but their names. Grimgar is now the world that they live in and they must work to survive. A team comes together to form a group in this kill or be killed, world. Together they work, filling various job classes such as a priest, a thief, a hunter, a mage, a warrior, and a dark knight. Going on missions in Grimgar, they now struggle to learn more about each other, themselves, and what to do. Characterized by unique art, many people have enjoyed this adventure show! Right off the bat, there is the danger of death. Kill or be killed in Grimgar and Danmachi. No, Do overs. The worlds too are much like RPGs. Grimgar takes it a step further and has job classes that are specific. Everyone is poor in both series as well so you get to watch them grow! DanMachi, however, is a bit lighter hearted while Grimgar takes life by the horns! Finally, between these two is the theme of existing within a game-like world while not being conscious of it; a common theme in this article. If you are looking for something a little more serious than Danmachi, but still heavy on the same themes, go for this show for sure!

Subaru Natsuki is buying dinner when he has a flashback or is it a flashforward to himself dying? Then he wakes up in a world where nothing makes sense. Suddenly someone is robbed and he helps her and she helps him. Trying to get the item back, he negotiates to get it… until someone else was in wait for it. Then suddenly he feels pain, sees blood, and then wakes up again in the same scene as if nothing has happened? Once again, his life seemingly starts from zero…. Danmachi and Re:Zero have so many similarities such as a fantasy world setting, and both Bell and Subaru serve some beautiful women who dote on them a bit. There is a clear mystery as Subaru is killed over and over just to be incarnated again, and Ais is a mystery to Bell for a long time. There is a slight magic system that Subaru can harness, much like an RPG-like job class, while Bell is in a full blown job class. There are some differences, though. Subaru has no idea how he got to this world where Bell is just living in his world. So don’t worry. While both are great, you are not watching the same show, so you can enjoy both for their similarities while enjoying the differences as well.

Kuuhaku is undefeatable. Made up of a pair of shut-in NEETs, Sora and Shiro are unstoppable until one day, they are challenged to a chess match by Tet, the god of Games. They then are plunged into a world called Disboard where the rule of the land is that major issues will be solved via games?! Not only that but these games are high stake due to the rule where in order to play, both parties have to wager something of similar value to what the other party wagers. Suddenly this adorable Onii-san and Imouto are in a race to meet and defeat this god of games, Tet. A Fantasy Adventure is here on the table again. Much like video games, Sora and Shiro play high stake games that could cost them everything while Bell risks his life in the Dungeon to level up and bring home more funds to Hestia. Both take place in medieval cities and settings. Instead of crashing into dungeons like Bell, Sora and Shiro face their trials within the city. However, they still face harrowing trials. The romance is slightly there as well actually with the way that Shiro cares for Sora is similar to how Hestia cares for Bell even though she wishes that he would chase after her.

If there was ever an argument for a Protagonist that was OP from the start, then it’s ya boy Momonga. The story opens with a popular VR game called Yggdrasil in its final server hours. Momonga is the most powerful wizard and master of a crazy strong guild Ainz Ooal Gown. He decides to stay in the game until the servers shut down. The time passes and… well… nothing happens! He is still in the game but the clock goes away, and all of the NPCs have personalities?! Suddenly Momonga has an amazing yet unknown new world to explore and understand with Albedo at his side. Another anime similar to games is where we start. Clearly, both are in a game setting. The difference is that badass Momonga knows that he is in a game while Bell does not. Momonga is OP from the start and eventually Bell gets there considering how his strength rapidly rises. Bell is a sweetheart to the core and Momonga is actually a massive softy even if he has to hide it for fear of what could happen. Adventures abound for these two protagonists while they both learn more and more about their worlds. The best part too is that Albedo chases after Momonga like Hestia chases after Bell and it’s so cute to watch. The other part is that Albedo and Hestia will offer to go to extremes for Momonga and Bell respectively. Don’t take our word for it. Check out this kickass OP protagonist who would take out Kirito and not even flinch.

Mawaru Penguindrum follows Kanba and Shouma as they try to follow fate and find the Penguin Drum in order to save their sister. Not only do we get to see them be awesome brothers to their ill-fated sister, but how many tests their relationship with one another can withstand. Even though each brother desperately wants to save their sister Himari, it becomes clear that they don’t agree on the methods to do so. Kanba believes that the end justifies the means and at the end decides that he must burn Ringo’s diary. Shouma disagrees with such methods, which ultimately leads to a break within the family. Despite this monumental conflict between the two, as well as the fact that they are not (SPOILER) brothers by blood, the ties that they share from growing up as a family is shown to be strong enough to keep some semblance of family together. This is heavily represented with Kanba and Shouma walking together and discussing fate as kids, after sacrificing themselves for the ones they care about.

Even with Sesshomaru being one of the first antagonists in this anime series, the relationship between the two is one of the strongest subplots of InuYasha. From before the story begins, these brothers have a rather distant, if not volatile relationship, with Sesshomaru viewing InuYasha as a lesser being for only being a half-demon. The first time they meet on screen; insults are thrown, swords clash, and an arm is cut off. Not the kindest of reunions. However, as the series continues, the relationship lightens and the two begin to take on their respective roles, somewhat planned out by their father. Through this slow transformation, Sesshomaru becomes to respect, at the very least, tolerate InuYasha as well as aids greatly in the final battle against Naraku.

Even though Takumi and Isami are not part of the main cast in Shokugeki no Souma, they are two highly regarded characters within the series. Why is this so? Well, to begin Takumi is definitely one of the top rivals for Souma and thus a lot of time is spent detailing his specific skillset and how he has attained status as a culinary genius. Though there are moments when his rivalry with Souma shows different sides of him, it’s really his interactions with Isami that help his character become realized. This has a lot to do with the fact that Isami’s personality is extremely different from Takumi’s. Where Takumi is hotheaded, Isami is gentle and able to make friends. Due to this cool approach, Isami is able to enjoy friendly relationships with his rivals and is better able to gauge the extent to which Takumi’s rivalry is actually a type of friendship.

In many anime, twins alone are more than enough to cause havoc. Now what happens when there’s a total of six identical people. These brothers have essentially created a self-imposed commune of insanity. Nothing is normal in this family of proclaimed “idiots,” who each have a specific function of entertainment. We have the oldest, the leader, Osomatsu, who can fight just about anyone and then we have Todomatsu, the youngest, who will willingly stab his brothers in the back. Truly the range of interactions the show is able to capture with its large cast is its strongest point. As viewer’s we get an up close and personal look at the ridiculous banality that goes along with family members, especially brothers. Nothing is off-limits when it comes to brothers and this group proves it as they defecate on tables and joke about enemas. Within their home asylum of sorts, anything goes, and the show follows them through just about everything and anything.

Fruits Basket sends viewers on an emotional ride as it follows high schooler Tooru Honda into the complex Souma house with Shigure, Yuki, and Kyou. Considering that the whole family shares a curse of transforming into one of the animals of the zodiac when hugged by a member of the opposite sex, you would think the family is rather tight knit. Indeed they are to a certain degree close as the family has isolated itself from most of the society. However, when you have two brothers, one being a prodigy and the other being the outcast of the family, tensions are sure to rise. After all Yuki is the rat and Kyou is the cat, and the rat in myth tricked the cat. That’s why in almost episode you’ll see some type of fight. Generally, it’s with a pretty good-natured rivalry, but other times it borders on hate.

The most intimate of brothers to make their ways on the list, the twin duo of the host club offer some of the best moments in the show. Not only do their constant antics, which range from teasing Haruhi to inciting the jealousy (or paternal wrath) of Tamaki, provide immense relief throughout the series, but their personal relationship is one of the most touching. As identical twins most people can rarely tell them apart. This circumstance has created quite a narcissistic and cynical attitude in each of the boys. Exploring this world that they have created where only they exist is definitely a plus of the series. They also, share some of the best taboo moments of brotherly love and like to play up the part for their adoring fans. Finally, any fan of the show must admit to swooning slightly when Hikaru shows genuine concern towards Kaoru after a vase almost fell directly on his head.

You know your brother loves you when he’s willing to headbutt his boss for you. That’s practically how Uchuu Kyoudai begins with Mutta Nanba knocking his boss to the ground with a vicious headbutt, after his boss had less than kind words to say about his younger brother Hibito. Now Uchuu Kyoudai is extremely heart-warming tale of brotherly love and rivalry. It takes its time developing both Mutta and Hibito to show how linked they are by their common dream and just how well the two push each other to achieve it. In order to demonstrate such a strong relationship, Uchuu Kyoudai balances well the arcs of both Mutta and Hibito, showing just how interconnected every single one of their actions are. Almost every action Mutta takes has some type of invisible line to his brother. Either out of a desire to best him, protect him, or be with him; Mutta always moves with his brother in mind and the same goes for Hibito.

Acting as FOILs of one another, the Okumura brothers are one of the best examples of brotherhood that the anime world has to offer. They are competitive, caring, and constantly putting everything on the line for one another despite some tremendous differences. Together the two take on some incredible odds in their efforts to protect Assiah. As stated above, one of the most defining aspects of their relationship is how different the two of them are. Rin is extremely volatile and quick to get into a fight. He acts mainly off of instinct and impulses, which contrast heavily with the collected and thoughtful perspective of Yukio. They even have some heated moments when they turn their weapons on each other, albeit momentarily. Nonetheless, when a 7-year-old Yukio starts secretly training to become an exorcist in order to protect Rin, it’s impossible to deny their care for one another. These two brothers prove that nothing is thicker than blood.

One of the most beautiful and at the same time heart breaking arcs of brotherhood is covered between these two. From the beginning, we are setup with an intense, rage-fueled relationship between them as Sasuke desires to take revenge on his brother for murdering their clan. In fact, it’s the main reason why he pushes away from Konoha in order to become stronger through Orochimaru. However, Sasuke’s point of view on the whole disaster is a purposeful misrepresentation by one of the most thoughtful, caring, and powerful ninjas in the series. Yep, his older brother Itachi, who is a master of practically all jutsu, but especially genjutsu and can control Susanoo with the Yata Mirror and the Sword of Totsuka, sacrificed everything in order to protect Sasuke and Konoha. Watching the final fight between these two, when so much is revealed during their last embrace, is one of the most memorable scenes in all anime. Albeit, it could have done without taking up to episode 137 of Naruto Shippuden to get to that point.

Did you expect any other tale of brotherhood to truly top the Elric brothers? Few series have been able to capture the essence of brotherhood and keep it a main aspect of the narrative for so long. The premise of the show, Edward’s desire to retrieve his brother’s body back, is enough to bring heartache. After all, he literally paid an arm and a leg to bring his brother’s consciousness back into the world. Separately, each brother is a dynamic character with their special quirks and behaviors. While Edward’s a bit more of a prodigy when it comes to alchemy; he is fiery, loud, and often a bit narrow-minded in terms of his pursuits. Alfonso, on the other hand, is a bit more accepting and polite despite being the better fighter of the two. They tend to play off each other well, with Alfonso being the voice of reason and trying to calm Edward down when someone calls him a pipsqueak. From beginning to end, the Elric brothers grab you and bring you into the world of alchemy. Their relationship and bond is explored in full, detailing the trust and doubts that each of them carry.

Bouncy and bubbly, Ochako is so positive and lively that her enthusiasm alone can push others into action. Despite her outgoing and often silly outward persona, when she needs to be Ochako can be incredibly serious and determined, as demonstrated in the Quirk Apprehension Test and attack on USJ arcs. As someone who's kind of whacky, it's interesting to see her go up against and work with some of the more solemn and mature members of 1-A, and somehow manage to match their level. Ochako does not come off as being naturally cool, although her hero costume does look somewhat like a pink Megaman. She does get some really awesome moments, though, when she's not floating away somewhere or throwing up. She uses her powers incredibly well, like using a pillar as a baseball bat and destroying robots by just dropping them from the sky. Although not a natural bad-ass like some heroes Ochako is a pretty cool gal for someone so silly.

Cute, wide-eyed Tsuyu is the quick-witted frog girl of the class. While at first Tsuyu doesn't stand out quite as much as some characters, it quickly becomes obvious that she's got a good head on her shoulders and is a pretty capable fighter. On top of that with her skin tight hero suit and large chest, she's already built up quite a significant fanbase. Tsuyu's sociable attitude and common sense when it comes to fighting make her a really cool person just to be around. As she doesn't have the intense, colder personality that some other characters have, she's really easy to get on with and generally just a very likeable person. The fact that she comes off as normal and sensible considering here Quirk and the people around her is one of the things that makes her stand out most.

Always playing by the rules, Tenya is the goody two-shoes president of class 1-A. With his tendency to do things by the book, Tenya is proficient at getting on the some of the more laid back students' nerves, although he does prove to be incredibly useful in times of panic. His calm and calculating demeanor make him the perfect leader type, he just needs a little more self-confidence with the role. Although starting off as the nerd of the class and very rigid, Tenya loosens up as the series goes on and he gets used to the rest of the class, realising how he also has a lot to learn. His logical thinking and desire to lead, turn him into a figure of authority among the other students and someone to look to when everything goes tits up. Apart from his personality, his knight-like hero suit is very cool, and perfectly reflects his personality, as well as his Engine Quirk turning him into some kind of kick-ass mecha-knight.

Proving to be by far the most battle-ready of the girls, Momo is incredibly versatile in the field due to her Creation Quirk allowing her to create any non-living object. As long as she's had enough to eat anyway. Momo's hero suit's main purpose is to reveal as much skin as possible, allowing her to use her Quirk more easily, though it does feel like there may be an ulterior motive to that. Momo's fighting style is truly impressive to see given that she generally uses basic hand held weapons against opponents with much stronger physical Quirks than her. In fact due to her strategic thinking and intelligence, she managed to rank first in the Quirk Apprehension Test. With her strength as a hero, along with her warrior princess like attire, Momo is the coolest girl in 1-A.

Sadly Fumikage hasn't had much screen time just yet, though what we have seen has been pretty nice so far. Like the other more powerful heroes, Fumikage remains calm under pressure and seems to possess a quick mind and combat experience, allowing him to easily take enemies down from the shadows. His appearance as a mutation-type Quirk user is also very interesting, with his bird head making him the class member with the least human appearance. With a serious and cooperative manner, as well as powerful defensive and offensive capabilities with his Quirk Dark Shadow, Fumikage is an amazing teammate to fight alongside. He's not just cool, but respectable a person and as a hero. More importantly his dark, raven like visage with his bird head and dark cloak looks sick, his Quirk completing the ensemble. Seriously the dude summons a raven shadow from his body for crying out loud.

Katsuki is the explosive rival and polar opposite to Boku no Hero Academia's lead, Midoriya. Despite his bad attitude and overwhelming arrogance, he desires to become a hero more than most, with his fervor constantly pushing him to reach the top. His explosion Quirk perfectly matches his explosive and chaotic personality, as well as packing a seriously powerful punch for a hero-in-training. With his unrelenting, almost berserk-like fighting style, along with his ever destructive Quirk, watching Katsuki wreak havoc is always awesome. Although he can come off as stupid or rather lacking in common sense at times, Katsuki's will to keep pushing forward is seriously cool, with no foe able to break his hardened resolve. Whether it's buckets full of self-confidence or plain old insanity, Katsuki is a bad ass on the battlefield.

Wielding the opposing powers of fire and ice, Todoroki is likely 1-A's most powerful member, though he hasn't received a whole lot of screen time just yet. Todoroki is one of the most relaxed members of the class during lessons, probably due to being so powerful that even the villains can't touch him. Though maybe relaxed isn't quite right, rather he keeps to himself, and tends to only speak when he feels it's necessary. Todoroki's powerful, lone wolf aura coupled with his intense appearance makes him instantly cool without him really having to do anything. His power itself is awesome as well, or rather powers, with two in one ice and fire that wrecks most of his classmates. What makes him really stand out amongst his peers though is the authority he holds when he speaks, as if others being weaker than him is to be expected.

Boku no Hero Academia's short and weak protagonist Midoriya is most certainly the person who wants to become a hero most of all. With his new Quirk having fairly limited uses at the moment, Midoriya is simultaneously the weakest of the heroes and one of the strongest, a very odd position to be in. The fact that his power is so all over the place, however, is what makes it so interesting, which part of Midoriya's body will break today? Okay so in many ways Midoriya is both very cool, and very lame at the same time, as is the curse of shounen protagonists who must rise to the top. Much like his teacher All Might, Midoriya's drive to be a hero and help people is the coolest thing about him, pushing him to perform awesome feats to save his friends and classmates. So despite his internal whining and crying, Midoriya's courageous side always shows through when the time is right.

Both a dedicated teacher and overwhelmingly lazy, in Aizawa's opinion, you either do something well, or you don't do it at all. When not being be a sleeping bag caterpillar, Aizawa is one of the city's top heroes, Eraserhead, with his ability to temporarily erase other people's Quirks being both unique and powerful. Despite his uncouth appearance and harsh attitude, as a hero, Aizawa still prioritises his students safety above all. When he's not just being straight up tired, Aizawa looks like a total badass, with his crazy long hair, cloth covering half his face, and that sick visor. He's got the "looks like a bad guy but is actually a good guy" vibe going on which is always cool. Aizawa's cold determination to look after the kids is impressive as well, and although he doesn't give pretty speeches about heroism or being the good guy, he fights until he's literally crushed into the floor to keep everyone safe.

The ultimate hero, always brave and righteous, reassuring the world that it's in safe hands, All Might. Super fast, super strong, super handsome, All Might's powers may not be as weird or interesting as some of the other heroes', but they're powerful enough to make him number one. Even now with his powers fading, All Might remains a symbol of justice and safety among the public and heroes alike, and someone for villains to live in fear of. All Might's crazy powerful Quirk by itself makes him come off as one of the cooler characters, but what stands out most is his personality. Despite seeing his weaker side and the problems he now faces due to his injury, All Might never stops fighting for what he believes in and protecting people. Even when he can no longer move, he still stands between evil and the defenseless till the very end, one of the coolest things a hero can do.

Whenever you tune into your favorite show, there's always likely to be a scene where you burst out in laughter because two people just go back and forth with each other. Insults are thrown, fists go flying, and someone gets hit on the head for their foolish antics. This is the pure essence of Tsukkomi, where humor is shared between two individuals, who both display two types of comedy. On one hand, you have the more direct and hard hitting humor, and on the other you have someone who acts aloof and somehow gets away with everything. This spectacular teamwork is what creates the rib splitting laughter in many anime because, you're getting the best of both comedy worlds in one package. There's never a dull moment since every scene is filled with some random event that has both characters picking on each other for attention. One fantastic example that we'd like to share first is the extremely funny anime called Lovely Complex. This anime demonstrates what Tsukkomi means as two people are in constant bickering over the most unusual things, which makes you laugh so much because of how much we can relate to everything that's happening throughout the series.

What makes Tsukkomi so great is that you never know what to expect, and so every scene creates more and more excitement along with laughter to keep you engaged. The story of Lovely Complex follows Risa, who just wants to find romance and live out the fairy tale dream, and show off to all of her friends. She initially falls in love with one of her classmates but their relationship was short lived, which left Risa on her search yet again. As fate would have it, she comes across Atsushi, a very short yet handsome boy who at first she claims to not have feelings for. Over time the two grow much closer and begin a romantic comedy-duo, all the while trying to overcome the stereotype of their height difference. Lovely Complex is a fantastic example of Tsukkomi because you have two characters who compliment each other with their contrasting personalities, Risa is the more straightforward, while Atsushi is all over the place causing Risa to go nuts. This is what makes the two so funny to watch, because they constantly go back and forth with each other, spewing out insults or hitting the other in punishment. This all comes from love of course, since their personalities are what glue their relationship together, while making the humor very effortless when we watch it.

One Punch Man bleeds Tsukkomi in every way since you have two characters who are always constantly bickering about something which always has some random outcome. One Punch Man follows Saitama, who started off as your typical salaryman, but was having none of it since his true purpose was to be a hero. Through this determination he became the One Punch Man, who is able to destroy any foe with just one powerful blow. He comes across a cyborg named Genos who decides to tag alongside Saitama as his student, while the two fight to save humanity from evil. One Punch Man is full of humor at every corner, not just between Saitama and Genos, but every interaction Saitama has with an enemy. Tsukkomi just flows naturally throughout the entire series, as you always see random encounters where Saitama throws punches at his foe in a very dry manner, while his opponent rapidly fires back with their own funny rebuttal. This, of course, leads Saitama to obliterat his opponent, but not before we all laugh at his stoic appearance and straightforward punchlines. Genos adds more of the relaxed humor as he tends to be a little air headed at times, which usually gets him into trouble. This nice subtle balance is what really creates a nice environment and honestly makes the action that much more satisfying.

Binbougami ga! invites us into a world where contrast is everything, and is what really forms the explosive laughter we all look for in anime. The story looks at two individuals, Sakura, who comes from a very wealthy background, while Momiji, comes from a poverty stricken upbringing. The two are in constant battle between fortune and misfortune, with a barrage of dirty jokes and verbal jabs to keep you coming back for more. With so many anime references throughout the show, such as in Episode 7, where both characters disguise themselves as Hokuto no Ken characters, you're always in for a treat. This is a great example of Tsukkomi because both Sakura and Mojimi come from different backgrounds which help to strengthen their humor driven antics throughout the series. One sees the world as this perfectly balanced world where everything is spoon fed to her, while the other sees it in a more realistic fashion and expresses it with vigor and purpose. There's so much over exaggeration in the show as well which really emphasize the essence of Tsukkomi. The jokes aren't meant to be personal, but used more to create a climax and emphasize major flaws in each characters dispositions. The crude humor mixed in with the very tact and direct jokes blend well to create an abundance of excitement at every turn. Sakura's flavorful and heartwarming character creates an excellent dynamic, and teaches the viewer the values of life pertaining to sharing, respecting, and caring for others all the while throwing in humor to unify it all.

Nicknamed “Mob”, Shigeo Kageyama is a second-year middle school student with super psychic powers. He can make things move with his mind, bend spoons and exorcise spirits! So what can’t he do? Read between the lines. Mob is at that awkward age where he is still finding out what he likes and wants to do. He knows, though, that there is one thing he wants to do; he wants to confess his feelings to his friend from his childhood Tsubomi. You know, Tsubomi? The girl from the first episode who is not busted beyond all reason and has her face replaced with a vegetable? Yeah, that Tsubomi. The only other thing to complete everything is the fact that Mob is used by his “tutor” a phony, useless fraud of a psychic named Reigen. When things get too hot, which seems to be all the time for Reigen, he calls Mob in to take out the spirits. One thing, though, push Mob too far, and he’s likely to explode. When his emotions hit 100% he will do just that… Explode! Right off the bat, there are very blatant similarities about these two series. Both have protagonists that are psychics. This allows them to have all sorts of unique encounters and acquaintances. While Mob cannot read people’s thoughts, Saiki can. This show is very much about slapstick comedy. While Saiki is avoiding situations, Mob is helplessly thrown into them leaving you in stitches. The good thing and the fun thing about both of these series as well is the viewer is able to see into the thought process of both of these characters as well. Albeit it does seem like there can be a central plot lacking, both are quick to pull you back in. Do we even really need to say the last one? Both are overpowered beyond your wildest dreams. Even if they do not consciously think about it. When you watch Saiki, load up Mob Psycho 100 afterward to keep the laughs and good times rolling.

Smooth, perfect, pristine, cool, no wait, cooler, no we had something better for this… Ah right! The COOLEST high schooler has transferred into high school! His name is Sakamoto. Perfect and flawless, he effortlessly does everything with grace. From taking a part-time job to help his friend, counseling a mother with love issues, assisting the class when their project is sabotaged, Sakamoto is able to do everything and be cool while doing it! Full of gags, Sakamoto is here to lend a hand and look effortless while doing it. Where to start with these two shows… Both Saiki and Sakamoto both are visibly unbothered by almost everything and able to handle anything thrown at them. While we can see and hear Saiki’s inner dialogue, Sakamoto is always expressing what could possibly his hesitations with his expressed “Goodness gracious” (Yare yare in Japanese). Saiki and Sakamoto both do not speak too much which allows for some hilarious scenes or inner dialogues. Both set in schools, they both have a girl pursuing them hotly. Aina-chan is after Sakamoto with a fervent passion, much like Kokomi is with Saiki. Both fail constantly in their endeavors much to the delight of the readers. One final thing to note is much like Saiki appears to his peers, Sakamoto is flawless.

Kazuma Satou is a bit of a shut-in NEET. He even has it confirmed when the goddess of reincarnation, Aqua, calls him that. He’s just died a hilarious death of a fear/adrenaline induced heart attack. Aqua gives Kazuma two options, go to heaven, or be reborn in a fantasy world with a bonus of his choice that will lead him to success defeating the Demon King. He asks if he can have anything and dismissively she tells him “Yea sure whatever. Just hurry it up.” He points at her and says, “Okay then I choose you.” Revenge is sweet! A goddess on his side means that he will be ruling from on high within no time. Till he reaches the new world and finds out that not only is Aqua an idiot and useless, he has two new party members. One is a mage that can only use one type of magic once a day and then she collapses, and a knight who has terrible accuracy and has some questionable interests in BDSM! What is going on? Watch to find out! Normally people would be surprised to find that Saiki Kusuo no Psi Nan and Konosuba are related. However, they are. The main thing that comes from is breaking the fourth wall. Saiki and Kazuma both seem to address the audience repeatedly bringing about some of the greatest moments between both series. Some of the best moments are their internal dialogues. Of course, it’s loaded with other comedic aspects. People close to the protagonists are idiots as well. Aqua is about as dense as a sack of bricks much like Saiki’s parents who abuse his powers to help resolve issues or make one look better than the other. Kazuma starts out useless in the game, but he becomes gradually more useful much like with how Saiki reveals in flashbacks that he was not always able to control his powers. Regardless, Konosuba is a show that you do not want to miss.

Dense yet optimistic Kafuka Fuura is walking home one day when she sees the cherry trees in full blossom. Enjoying their beauty, she suddenly realizes that a man has a noose around his neck and is getting ready to commit suicide. Running to save him, it turns out to be her homeroom teacher and her polar opposite, Nozomu Itoshiki. Why is he doing this? Because Japanese society has put him in despair and the only answer is suicide! From strange discussions about Japanese society to encouraging his students to commit lovers suicide via pills and a Best of Enya soundtrack, Nozomu is quite the unique character. Join him and his classroom as they learn about society and encounter unique characters like Kiri Komori, the girl with mysterious injuries, Chiri Kitsu, the girl obsessed with conformity, Kaere Kimura, a returnee from abroad who is dealing with DID and the fact that she wants to sue everyone for looking at her inappropriately, Ai Kaga, a girl who is constantly apologizing for irrelevant issues, and Harumi Fujiyoshi, whose name, if you take out the “i” reveals her nature as, you guessed it, a Fujoshi! Where to start with the similarities between these series are the voices actually. Saiki and Nozomu’s Seiyuu are the same. Kamiya Hiroshi voices both of the protagonists in these comedies. His voice really lends to the overall comedic aspects. Ridiculousness, much like what is also perpetuated in Sakamoto Desu Ga? is also very prevalent between these two series either making you flat out laugh or snicker.

Chiyo Sakura has a crush on her classmate Umetarou Nozaki. She finally gets up the nerves to confess and bursts out “I’m a fan!” Umetarou signs a placard and hands it to her. He leaves and she’s confused… what just happened? The signature is from someone named Sakiko Yumeno… that name rings a bell! It’s Chiyo’s favorite manga artist! Confused out of her mind, she finds out that Umetarou, while dense, does not see her as a girl or anyone for that matter. He lives and breathes for his work. Somehow Chiyo ends up becoming an assistant! Now she has to find a way to not only work with him but also find a way into his heart! Chiyo has her work cut out for her. Of all things, on the exterior, both Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun and Saiki Kusuo have a seemingly unaware protagonist, while at the same time being aware of everything going on around them that directly affects them. This lends even further to comedy. About half of these series, too, take place in schools and both Umetarou and Saiki avoid connecting with girls on an emotional level. Umetarou does not because he is dense and focused on work, while Saiki does not because Kokomi is legit a stalker and needs to have several seats. That being said, take a look below and get ready to laugh!

Kou Ichinomiya is doing good for himself. He is the son of an upper crust businessman and he lives his life so that he will never ever owe anyone anything. Until one day when he accidentally falls from Arakawa Bridge. He is saved thankfully… but… this leaves him indebted to the girl who saved him! He promises her anything. Nino, the girl who saved him who literally runs around in a tracksuit all day long has but one wish, to fall in love. Whoops! Kou now has to live under the bridge with her as her boyfriend. Kou begins to meet the other locals and that is where things get hilariously odd… Hoshi is named Hoshi because of the star on his head. A failed musician, he is the love rival to Kou. Billy is a bird-headed yakuza member. Sadist Maria provides dairy and produce to the village while being verbally eviscerating. Sister is a “nun” who has mysterious scars and is a former mercenary. Finally, you also have Stella, the only cute little girl who can turn Sister into a killing machine again. What? They all live together under the Arakawa Bridge. Welcome to another anime where the main character is also voiced by Hiroshi Kamiya. Coincidentally, Kamiya is now married to the creator of this series and they met on the set of this anime! Much like Saiki, Arakawa relies on those humorous characters around the main character and what he thinks of them. Both of these anime are also parodies. Saiki is a little more underhanded with the OP protagonist who has no use for his powers but most of the characters in Arakawa are parodies of characters from other manga!

Aired: June 2014 Let’s start this list with one of the most recent movies, shall we? Saori Kido has to learn a shocking truth: she is the reincarnation of goddess Athena and responsible for bringing love and peace to earth. Her job would already be difficult enough, if it wasn’t also for the fact that there are some people out to get her. Can Seiya, a Saint of Athena, protect her life before it’s too late? Saint Seiya: Legend of Sanctuary divides the audience; some seem to love it, others hate it. Of course, it’s a big step to turn the original artwork into 3D animation and at first, it might not feel like an original Saint Seiya. But soon enough, you will notice that the character design is solid and the action scenes are more than just nice to look at. This movie caters to all fans of the original series, so if you are looking for more Saint Seiya then check out this addition to the franchise.

Moving on, next up is a franchise most of you should be familiar with: Resident Evil. In this action thriller, special agent Leon infiltrates a European country to find out the truth behind the actions of the local government. On the search for illegally used biological weapons, Leon doesn’t back away from danger to fulfill his duties. So far, so good, but how does modern animation support this action-filled storyline? Let’s just say that a lot of viewers were positively surprised at how much the art has improved from predecessor Resident Evil:Degeneration. And they are right! The movements are fluid, the setting looks nice and the characters are actually presentable. Thumbs up for Resident Evil: Damnation!

There was no way we would talk about Resident Evil without also mentioning Final Fantasy. It’s time for Advent Children! Sephiroth has been defeated and the world is trying to recover. In a newly built city, the remaining survivors are moving on and working hard to forget the past. Cloud and Tifa, too, are hoping for a quiet life, but their hopes are being destroyed when new enemies are trying to resurrect Sephiroth. Another fight is about to begin. This is the first movie that we have already mentioned in our original list, but our opinion hasn’t changed: Final Fantasy belongs to Japan as much as sushi and sumo and this movie doesn’t disappoint fans of the well-known series. The story is engaging and, more importantly, the animation works perfectly with the Final Fantasy franchise. It looks good without trying to be too realistic and sucks you right into the action. A must-watch!

What would be the most suitable genre to combine with CGI? Science Fiction of course! It’s the near future and mankind has decided to leave its bodies behind to relocate to virtual reality. Life would be easy if it wasn’t for the imminent threat of a hacker who wants to take control over the system. Time for law enforcement forces to step into action and take justice into their own hands. Expelled from Paradise looks great without slapping you in your face with their CGI. You get quick-paced action followed by stunning sceneries and then some battle scenes again. This diversity not only keeps the story interesting, but also gives you some time to appreciate all the aspects of this movie’s animation. Expelled from Paradise’s story might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but you should at least give it a try for its 3D animation.

Did you know that Japan has produced their own version of Alice in Wonderland? No? Then listen up as we tell you about Oblivion Island. Where do your childhood treasures go after you’ve grown up and forgotten about them? With the help of a mythical fox called Teo, girl Haruka finds her way into the world of forgotten things that looks like it has just jumped out of a fairytale. On Oblivion Island, Haruka is about to go on a great adventure that takes her back to her own childhood. This movie is so charming, you cannot help but simply enjoy it. True, it might not be the best choice if you are looking for an action-filled adventure, but it is perfect for a quiet evening in. Its 3D animation is one of the best you can find when it comes to Japanese movies and perfectly depicts the magical world of Oblivion Island. Check it out if you haven’t already!

An infamous story and one of the best known 3D anime movies - next up is Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence. Based on a chapter of the original manga, this movie takes place in the Ghost in the Shell universe. A serious of mysterious deaths involving “sexaroids”, androids designed for sexual pleasure, is troubling the local law enforcement. Police officer Batou and his partner Togusa are up and about to solve the mystery. First of all, we need to clarify something: Ghost in the Shell 2 doesn’t use 3D exclusively. Rather, traditional 2D animation builds the foundation while 3D is used to enhance the viewing experience with well-chosen details. This unique approach is the reason we had to include Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence on this list. Rather than trying to completely venture into unknown territory, the producers have used CGI in reasonable doses that do not distract from the main ideas of the movie.

Sci-Fi? Check. Pirates? Check. 3D animation? Triple check. Mankind has succeeded at moving into space, but resources are limited. The people left on earth now have to protect their home from the threat of other humans trying to reclaim the land. Coming to their rescue is Captain Harlock and the crew of his spaceship Arcadia. He is ready to risk anything to win this fight, but can he succeed? Watch Captain Harlock to find out! With a CGI-animated space setting, action-filled fights and a theme song performed by famous rock band One Ok Rock, it becomes obvious that this movie only tries to be one thing: epic. And it succeeds! What might sound like a run-of-the-mill space adventure turns out to be actually interesting. Even if you are not a fan of Sci-Fi, you ought to watch Captain Harlock for its great animation that really brings outer space to life.

We are moving into our Top 3 and first up is Vexille. Once again, we find ourselves in the future - the year 2077 to be exact - in the midst of an ongoing battle between mankind and technology. Japan has established itself as the main manufacturer of new technology, but it has done so at a big price. To continue futuristic research programs it had to distance itself from the rest of the world and go back into seclusion. A series of mysterious events involving banned technologies might force the country to re-emerge. If you are a fan of attention for details, cyberpunk elements or simply engaging visuals, then we can definitely recommend Vexille to you. It is a solid Sci-Fi story that combines an interesting idea with good animation and music. As with the previous recommendations, CGI is used to support the action and create a certain atmosphere that fits the overall style of the story. If you like Ghost in the Shell, chances are high you will also enjoy Vexille.

Our next recommendation comes from the mind of mangaka Masamune Shirow, internationally known as the creator of Ghost in the Shell. It’s time for AppleSeed! After a long and gruesome war, humanity is looking for peace in a futuristic city called Olympus. Here, humans and bioroids - genetically created clones - live side by side. Former soldier Deunan Knute doesn’t believe in the seemingly perfect world everyone thinks they live in, so she sets out on a quest to find out more about the fate of bioroids. We are the first ones to admit that AppleSeed might look a little bit old-school at times, but keep in mind that it is already more than 10 years old. Still, while the fashion choices of the characters might be questionable, the overall animation definitely stood the test of time. The backgrounds and futuristic design of the city are great to look at and make for a fun viewing experience.

You’ve been waiting patiently, and now it’s finally time to reveal our top pick for CGI/3D anime movies. A round of applause for Short Peace! For this movie, four different directors have come together to create short stories that will drag you right into the action. “Possessions,” tells the meeting of a mysterious traveler with strange spirits. “Combustible” is a tale of love written by the creator of Akira. “Gambo” introduces you to a white bear of the special kind and, lastly, “A Farewell to Weapons” brings you right back to an apocalyptic version of Tokyo. The concept of Short Peace is unique in the way that it tries to combine completely different stories that have all been created with the theme of Japan in mind. Each short film differs greatly from the other ones - and not all of them use 3D animation - but the end result is still astonishing. Not only do these stories look great, but they are so rich in details and thoughtful storytelling that you cannot help but fall in love with them. Short Peace is our final recommendation!

Starting off our top ten list of powerful anime snipers is Chaika from the entertaining Hitsugi no Chaika series. Chaika is a 14 year old sorceress who is on a mission to collect remnants of Emperor Gaz, who she suspects to be her father. She carries a coffin with her at all times which is where she holds her deadly weapon of choice: The trusted sniper rifle. Now this rifle isn't like your typical sniper rifle that shoots bullets, this rifle casts a variety of magical spells that can create huge explosions, and create random portals at any given moment. She's incredibly adorable with her inaccurate grammar, and speaks in broken sentences that just make you want to hug her. Unfortunately if you're a bad guy and not Tooru then attempting to hug her may result in a large gaping hole in your stomach. Your friends may nickname you the doughnut after the whole ordeal, which isn't so bad. Her rifle is so versatile which makes her even more threatening since you're never really too sure what to expect from it, and so you're never prepared for what's to come. Chaika’s rifle is also spell based as mentioned earlier, and so she has the benefit of killing you with special powers than actual natural talent. Nonetheless Chaika is not a character that you should sleep on, let alone encounter on the battlefield since she's more than likely to send you to the next dimension one way or another.

High School of the Dead is another fantastic anime that made headlines when it released back in the summer of 2010. A deadly virus has broken out which has created a society of flesh eating zombies, and it's now become the responsibility of Takashi and Rei to band together with other students to uncover what created this incredible pandemic. One of the students that they come across on their journey is the otaku and firearm fetish character that is Kohta Hirano. This young boy may behave like your ordinary geek that you'd find in the streets of Akihabara, but when you place a sniper rifle in his hands, he turns into the terminator with the hunger to kill. We chose Hirano for number nine because he is just a very colorful character who not only snipes his enemies out with one shot, but he adds humor to the show when times get serious. He is an outstanding marksman who uses a plethora of firearms to get the job done, but loves his modified AR-10 Rifle which he holds close to his heart. Whenever you're in need of firearm information, he's the one to call since he is simply a gold mine of information that can lead an entire brigade to victory. Out of all the supporting characters in the series, Hirano is the primary gunslinger and does so with prowess.

Black Bullet is an action packed anime that stars Enju and his promoter Satomi, as the two work together to destroy the growing threat that is Gastrea, and to ensure the peace and well being of the world they live in. The Gastrea is a virus that effects humans, slowly devouring their cells and transforming them into blood thirsty monsters. Along the way Enju and his comrade come across various supporting characters, and one of them is the very adorable and incredibly deadly Tina Sprout. This tiny powerhouse is someone you shouldn't shrug off, as her exceptional sniping skills can pop an enemy head like a pack of gushers, leaving nothing but a pile of stained red clothing as a lethal reminder. Tina Sprout makes her way to number eight because unlike other snipers on our list, she is a mech soldier which basically means that her skills weren't necessarily earned, but rather built within her mainframe. Despite that, she is no joke and when you taunt her you're basically done for because she doesn't take too kindly to that type of thing. When she has her enemy in sights, her eyes turn a crimson red which in layman's terms means you're pretty much dead. There's no other way of escape once she sees you, so your only plan of action is to duck and hide, otherwise the next time you pop your body out from the shrubs like the ducks from Dunk Hunt, it's checkmate for you.

The Gundam franchise is typically known for its fast paced, mech battles that always end up in huge explosions. It's a sight to see however, when a sniper is introduced into the series who truly specializes in that category. A lot of Gundams do come with certain tools that resemble sniping, but nothing that truly stands out as a true sniping machine. So we searched through our database and came across Lockon Stratos from the Gundam 00 series. Lockon is one of the leading protagonists of the series and is not someone you want to trifle with when he's fully loaded. Lockon earned his name for good reason, as he is basically a walking encyclopedia when it comes to firearm usage, and knows just about everything pertaining to the art of stealth tactics. Before earning the rank of Gundam Meister, Lockon scored extremely high in sports marksmanship making him an all around beast when it came to long ranged combat. Being a well trained sniper gives Lockon the upper hand in a world where mechs rule, since not only does he have a flying mech under his control, but also a sniper that can pierce through any armor that a Gundam is wearing. Good luck fighting this guy on the battlefield if you aren't prepared.

Detective Conan is such a nationwide phenomenon here in Japan, that he's featured in so many television shows and is seen on at least one billboard across the city. His popularity comes from his tactical thinking, sharp presence of mind, but more importantly his childlike appearance that makes him so cool among children. Be that as it may, our focus however is on one of series FBI characters in solving crimes, and that's sharp shooter Shuichi Akai. Shuichi is quite popular himself in the cosplay world, as many take to the stage dressed up as the skilled marksman and show off his incredible skills. Shuichi is ranked number five for a number of reasons, but more importantly this man is no joke behind the sights of a loaded rifle. When there's a crime to be solved and an enemy to take out, Shuichi is right there on the spot to knock out any unsuspecting threat with very little effort. He plays a major role when up against the Black Organization, ensuring that no enemies breach the safety zone. He is so skilled at sniping that he can take out a piece of gum from 700 yards away, which is unfathomable. Just imagine if you were that piece of gum for a moment, you'd probably be stuck to the wall also after being struck by one of Shuichi's armor piercing bullets.

Sword Art Online sprung out of nowhere in 2012, and with so much hype behind it all the team decided to make a sequel to the series. The anime was very unique in that, the anime took place in a video game universe where all the characters must use their skills to ensure survival, since whatever mistake they make in this world will effect them in real life. One death in the game means the end for them in real life, so every shot counts, and every heal must be taken with caution in this action packed anime. With so much popularity surrounding the anime, we now see the series taking a new approach in the video game world which is bound to generate even more hype. Shino Asada makes her way to the top five spot of our list, and for good reason. Better known to the world as Shino, she is an expert marksman who takes her job very seriously. She makes every shot look so easy, as if her targets were just test dummies who were designed not to move. Her quick precision and insane reflexes make her a remarkable threat to anyone who tries to stand in the way of her sights. Her rifle of choice is the PGM Ultima Ratio Hecate II which is a standard in the French Army, and she never attempts to play with her food when served a plate of enemies to take out.

Yoko Littner makes her first appearance on the Honey's Anime chart, dropping in at the top four spot on our anime snipers. Gurren Lagann has been a crowd favorite anime for many years, and to this day you'll still see various cosplay at events for the well known series. Yoko along with Simon and Kamina, set off to explore the many wastelands in order to eliminate the threat of Beastmen, who station themselves in powerful robots called Gunmen. The three must use their unique skills and abilities to take out these creatures before they erase all of humanity, and take over the universe. Yoko is no laughing matter in this series, as she walks around with the very famous Barrett M82 Rifle that can be seen in numerous films such as Robocop, and the very popular Call of Duty series. This gun packs a ton of heat as one bullet from this rifle can turn an enemy head into a nice bowl of red kool-aid, and take off a limb with relative ease. In the anime, we see that Yoko utilizes the gun much like any sniper should, with a calm cool and collected approach. Each shot she fires always makes sure to hit the target, leaving no breathing room for the enemy to even think of escaping. Her adorable and innocent appearance make her that much more terrifying as you suspect her to be just an ordinary girl, that is until she wields the rifle in front of you and you're pretty much done for. Be on the look out for this girl as well as the Gurren Lagann series when you have an opportunity!

Ghost In The Shell's popularity never seems to dwindle, with movies being released along with a fantastic story to stay hooked on. Releasing back in the early to mid 90's, Ghost In The Shell has made waves with its great artistic direction, and remarkable character development that will keep you coming back for more each time. It stands the test of time as a futuristic action thriller that throws numerous philosophical questions at you about one's own existence, gender and human identity. With so much to learn from the series, we felt that it was well worth a spot on our top ten list of anime snipers. With so many characters to choose from, Saito was the marksman of choice that we decided to go with. Saito is one of the leading members of the section 9 squad, and has been the least altered in terms of cybernetic abilities. Saito can handle a wide range of weapons but truly shines when he's armed with a tactical sniper rifle. What makes him so deadly as a sniper is that his left eye was replaced with a prosthetic one named 'Hawkeye', which gives him the ability to interface with satellites to allow for shots of extreme accuracy. Not only is he a natural born killer, but someone decided in the office to just make him more overpowered than he already is by giving him an eye that can snipe a man from two football fields away. Just be careful not to get on Saito's bad side, otherwise you may just end up on the wrong side of his sniper.

Rolling in at number two is Riza Hawkeye from the Full Metal Alchemist series. Riza is no laughing matter as she plays the sexy sniper who protects Roy Mustang, never missing a shot when it matters. Full Metal Alchemist is the story about Elric and his younger brother Alphonse who must work together to discover the truth behind the philosopher's stone, and to restore their life back to what it used to be. The two both encounter great hurdles along their path, and must team up with other characters throughout the show to ensure the world's safety at all costs. One of the characters they come across is Riza, who aids them along the way, but also shows us how fierce of a woman she is when behind the sight of a bolt-action sniper rifle. Riza deserves her position not because of her attractive looks, but because of how sharp she is when in the midst of combat. Her laser like focus is unparalleled, with every shot she takes hitting the target exactly where she wants it. There's no question of her ability since she makes everyone else around her look like day one plebes, using outstanding patience and tact to ensure that nobody gets in the way of both her and Roy Mustang.

Diving into the number one spot is none other than Duke Togo from the popular Golgo 13 series. Golgo 13 released way back in the late 60's and still continues to shine on throughout the anime universe. Duke Togo is just an alias for a man of many skills and traits, and his mysterious aura makes him a hard target to track down. The world's most elite intelligent agencies use every ounce of strength to ensure his capture, but even they too find it extremely difficult to endure. There's one thing for sure though, and that's Duke is no laughing matter when it comes to his extraordinary marksmenship. Duke is so versatile in everything he does, making every assassination clean, efficient, and effortless. Every contract that is given to him, he looks at it, then proceeds to take out the enemy with quick precision with just enough time to go home and make love to a woman. This man was and still is the James Bond of the anime world, simply because he is so suave in the way he maneuvers himself, keeping his tracks spotless at all times. Armed with a custom M16 and black aviators, Duke takes no prisoners and leaves no evidence to be apprehended, driving around in lavish cars to ensure not only his aim is sharp, but also his style.

In contrast to Shiki, Another has no problem showing exactly how the blood splatters everywhere. With gruesome visuals, gory deaths, and the perpetrator sitting quietly among the ranks of the victims, Another makes for a stomach-turning watch for any horror fan. Another is the story of a small town with a curiously unnerving air about it. Kouichi Sakakibara finds himself transferred into the village, and particularly, into Yomiyama North Middle School’s class 3-3. He becomes interested in classmate Mei Misaki, and thus the gruesome deaths begin. Or, continue that is—what does the village’s history have to do with the disturbing occurrences? Like Shiki, in the midst of calamity, Another sets up a group mentality gone terribly wrong. Though it’s more gruesome than its counterpart, it keeps the themes of mystery, suspense, and the human and its other—strikingly to the point of referencing the theme in its title. The series explores the dirtiest, grittiest sides of humanity, and it’s hard not to come face to face with the ultimate moral question: what would you do in that situation?

Keiichi Maebara moves into a quiet village, and as expected, the horror anime begins. The village, Hinamizawa, is a charming countryside and in a deceivingly innocuous seeming harem-esque development, he’s able to make friends with a group of cute girls. Unfortunately, that’s where the harem stops and horror rears its ugly head. The village has been seeing mysterious deaths, connected to a traditional festival and the village’s patron God, Oyashiro. However, as Keiichi finds out more about the deaths, the village lifts its idyllic veil and what comes forward is a geniusly written combination of complex characters, ugly secrets, and sheer horror. Keeping a high suspense, high pay-off pacing, Higurashi no Naku Koro ni explores the dark underbelly of humanity, just like Shiki. It delves into the psychological aspect of its characters, thoroughly exploring how fear, societal pressures, and human selfishness can create utter madness. It’s dark, and offers an honest look at just how extreme human instability can get. It offers a great story for any fan who enjoyed Shiki’s exploration of the human condition.

Tokyo Ghoul starts with the oldest trick in the book. Average college student and protagonist Kaneki Ken finds himself the object of an extremely attractive woman’s attention, and it turns out to be painfully too good to be true. As in, Kaneki will never be able to look at a hamburger again too good. As in, he’s always tempted to eat his best friend too good. Attacked by the woman, and waking up hours later with an insatiable craving for human flesh, Kaneki finds himself turned into a Ghoul. Thus begins a story of friendship, struggle, and manipulation as Kaneki is brought into the dark world of what it means to no longer be human. Gory, fast paced, and featuring lots of battle sequences, Tokyo Ghoul is different from Shiki because of its shounen battle anime draw. However, Tokyo Ghoul is not to be underestimated. With complex characters and dedicated development of their stories, relationships, and motivations, Tokyo Ghoul offers a deep exploration into desperation, loss of humanity, and the instability of a clear cut morality.

Kenzou Tenma is a doctor, and Monster, begins with the ultimate moral question a doctor must face. There are two patients that both need immediate medical care, and one must be saved at the expense of the other. Who will you choose to save? Faced with this question, Tenma chooses to save a young boy at the expense of the town mayor, unwittingly becoming the epicenter of a chain of gruesome murders. With all evidence pointing to the young boy as the perpetrator, Tenma is wracked with insecurity regarding his choice. But the plot goes deeper. Exploring child abuse, sociopath psychology, brainwashing, and a host of other dark human behaviors, Monster quickly becomes about more than just an exploration of the ethics of medical practice. It spreads its roots into the disconcerting corners of the human condition and makes for an addicting, suspenseful watch. Monster has a lot to offer any viewer who enjoyed Shiki. Teetering at the edge of insanity while running the gamut of tragedy, fear, and revulsion, it swiftly pulls aside the curtain on humanity in a state of exceptionally indecent undress—and the product is blood-curdling, upsetting, and undeniably compelling.

Yakumo Saito is a high school student who was born with a mysterious red eye that allows him to communicate with the dead. In a fresh change from unwitting male protagonists, Yakumo has been exposed to death, murder, and the twisted motivations of men his whole life. Joined by Haruka Ozawa, whose daily life has been more than disturbed by a series of deaths, the two form an odd detective duo, listening to the tales that dead men tell and uncovering the horrific secrets of the living. Yakumo’s character, though tortured, is quite a bit more stable than protagonists who are suddenly thrown into elaborate horror plots. He knows how ugly things can get, and his character provides the viewer with a sense of agency. In contrast to being dangled in suspense and entirely unsuspecting of what will happen next, Shinrei Tantei Yakumo offers the viewer a chance to conjecture at what happened, why it happened, and who did it. However, it’s precisely this active viewing that allows the show bring watchers in as participants—disconcerting and spine-chilling when the show explores the motivations and psychology behind gruesome murders, suicides, and other unnatural deaths. Shiki viewers will find the well paced mystery and suspense of Shinrei Tantei Yakumo appealing. Yakumo’s mysterious eye and his ability to talk to the dead run parallels with Shiki’s inclusion of the undead, and art and music production lend both shows a similar ambiance.

Subaru Natsuki is living an average life when he meets a beautiful girl named Emilia and then finds himself dead. And then alive again. Bewildered, and suddenly thrown into an inexplicable new world, Subaru must unravel the mystery behind his on again off again deadness, and also come face to face with the darker forces at play just beyond the horizon—or right behind him, as is often the case. Featuring some dark themes and character motivations, brutal murder, and a complex plot Re: Zero is more of a dramatic thriller than it is standard horror. That being said, considering that the plot involves the main protagonist dying again, and again, and again the show offers the same kind of terror and thrill a Shiki viewer may be looking for. The show is artfully executed, well-paced, features a set of entertaining characters and is wrought with twists and turns that any mystery viewer will be able to appreciate.

【 Blue Winter Dress 】 Something great about Fairy Tail is that the characters periodically change their outfits. One of the girls with the classiest dresses is Juvia Lockser. This particular one is a winter outfit. It’s a simple blue princess line dress (in what I imagine is a wool-cashmere blend) with long sleeves and furry trim. Notice the high slit. You don’t have to sacrifice sex-appeal just because it’s cold! The accessories are important to complete the look. The short cape in a darker tone and fur trim makes the dress; and you must have the over-the-knee boots. The belt adds a nice accent and the hat is totally optional. As long as it’s cold, you could wear this anywhere! Juvia wears this outfit during the second half of the Grand Magic Games, but she always has conservative, yet sexy and stylish outfits! Check her out!

【 Little Black Dress 】 Here’s one that you could definitely rock on a night out. Utau might be a pop idol, but this little number could be worn by anybody! First of all, we all need a LBD and skater dresses like this one are flattering to every body type so it’s a perfect combo. The crisscross panel on the sides is playful and sexy as is the crisscross halter tie. Add some cute black heels and you’re set for a night out! Utau wears this dress several times during her performances throughout the series, along with a plethora of other cute, sexy and badass outfits, so if you want to see more, check out Shugo Chara!

【 Black and White Gown 】 Asuramaru has a great sense of style for a demon that’s trapped inside a sword. Asuramaru wears a black and white long princess line dress with a halter top and a very high slit. The halter cut accentuates the shoulders and clavicles and the high cut skirt is sexy without being too revealing. This outfit is elegant enough to be worn to a formal event. And though Asuramaru doesn’t wear shoes with it, the accessories are perfect too! A headband is perfect day or night and you can keep the gloves for a classy night-time event or keep your arms bare for a mid-day shindig! Definitely, wear shoes, though…

【 Purple High Collar Gown 】 Boa Hancock has a very sexy style that doesn’t let you forget she’s a powerful, confident woman. But out of all of her dresses, this has to be my favorite. The purple is beautiful, and the single, large Kuja pirates’ design makes it stylish without going overboard. The high Chinese-inspired collar is flattering to everyone and even without Boa’s attributes, any woman would look sensual and classy at the same time. And once again, we have a very high slit on the bottom that shows a lot without really showing anything. This is definitely a dress to stand out in. It’s regal, sexy and stays classy at the same time. But no matter where you wear it, wear it with confidence! That’s a key part of the look. Boa wears this in the 15th Anniversary Special One Piece 3D2Y if you want to see it in action.

【 Pink Gothic Lolita Dress 】 Chii has a sweet, innocent look that was made for pink or white Lolita dresses. If you’re into the frilly Harajuku doll look, this pink Lolita dress has to be one of the best ones in anime. The hi-low skirt accentuates its frills making it cute, flirty and extremely feminine. The corset waistline is very detailed and delicate as are the sleeves and bust. The innocent flirtiness continues with the bare shoulders and a daring décolletage. And that huge bow in the back is just icing on the cake! This beautiful dress is perfect on its own, as you can see on Chii, but if you wanted to go all out, you could add all sorts of accessories to it! And if you’re into this style, you could really wear it anywhere. Chii wears this dress when she gets it from Ms. Hibiya in episode 17.

【 Black and Red Gothic Lolita Dress 】 The gothic Lolita look will never go out of style. You simply like it, or you don’t. Rory goes for the Lolita look, but not the sweet, innocent defenseless one, her look is sexier and dark, while still looking as cute as can be. Rory’s dress has a defined waistline and a short but full, frilly skirt mostly in black with red ruffles that peek out at the bottom and the front. The square neckline keeps your cleavage covered and the giant red bow in the back adds color and cuteness. And while you can add all the accessories like Rory, you could also easily pair this dress with some simple heels, knee-high boots or other add-ons of your choice to make it more versatile and wearable for different events or seasons!

【 Long White Empire Line Dress 】 This is one of those classics I couldn’t leave out. Princess Serenity’s dress is a perfect combination of femininity, simplicity and elegance. The empire cut at the bust makes this dress flattering to all body types and the little cap sleeves give it an air of romantic innocence, as does the bow in the back. The double tier skirt makes the dress look ethereal and light and perfect for gliding in. This would make (and has for some!) a lovely wedding, sweet sixteen or quinceanera dress. Any event where you wish to look like a pure, innocent princess, Serenity’s got you covered! Serenity was first shown in her beautiful gown in episode 34 of the original Sailor Moon series. But you probably already knew that.

【 White Plunge Bodycon Dress 】 In Kill la Kill there is an abundance of cool, sexy and out-of-this-world outfits. But if there is someone who is at the top of fashion in that universe, it’s Ragyou Kiryuuin. This is just her standard dress, mind you, and it is certainly not for shy girls. This red-carpet worthy gown is made to be the center of attention with a neckline that leaves little to the imagination, fabric that hugs every curve and a metallic cincher at the waist. The feathers at the bottom are a great touch and while you could wear the dress without it, they go really well with the feather stole! This is certainly not a dress to wear just anywhere, maybe for a giant birthday bash, to host an event or something like that. I can definitely see celebrities wearing this down the red carpet, though. If you want to see more of Ragyou’s amazing sense of style, check out Kill la Kill! She wears this dress in several episodes, but you can see it in episode 11.

【 Purple Geisha Kimono 】 Show by Rock has a lot of cute and cool outfits, but one that really stuck with me was the stylized Geisha look worn by Daru Dayu from the group Tsurezure Naru Ayatsuri Mugenan. While a kimono is its own type of clothing, I chose it because it is one piece and open at the bottom, like a dress! This heavy-looking purple kimono with momiji leaf print has extra-long sleeves that reach the ground and pink lining. As with all kimonos, Daru wears an obi but tied at the front in a big bow shape. The best part of this outfit is the way she wears it. Her shoulders and most of her back are exposed, as well as her legs, which is normally not acceptable while in a kimono. And of course, she wears platform style Japanese sandals. Perfect! I really don’t know what you’d wear this to, but I really want to wear it! Maybe a Japanese-themed party… Though she’s usually hiding her gorgeous self inside a giant daruma-cat, you can see her sexy outfit in episode 4!

【 Blue Princess Ball Gown 】 Even though Mercedes was once a commoner, she is now a Countess and dresses like one too. This gorgeous blue gown is most certainly unique. Not only is it a color that will make you pop, but the intricate (embroidered?) designs, which are different in the bottom layers than in the top, add more elegance and depth to it. More of a typical ball gown, it is modest and keeps you covered with delicate long sleeves. The pointy shoulders and detail in the back add even more to its already unique design. The only thing about this dress is, unless you’re literally attending a ball, I don’t see where else you‘d wear it. But it’s still one of the most unique and elegant dresses I could think of. She wears it in episode 4 of Gankutsuou. One of the things that makes this anime dress unique is that it was designed by a real fashion designer!. Most of the outfits were designed with the collabotation of top fashion designer, Anna Sui. Anna drew herself all the patterns and the fabric prints of the outfits, and they were animated as a collage, that is why the characters move but the prints of their outfits remain still.

Spiritomb is what happens when you take the Odd Keystone and put it in a well on the route right before Solaceon Town. You then have to go underground in the fourth version and talk to 32 people that are not the hikers. Once you do, come back up and boom, there it is waiting for you. You can actually do this over and over and over again and make a whole team of Spiritomb if you wanted! In generation four it was a pseudo legendary because it was a pain to get like all the legendaries in that game, but its stats were not anything to write home about except for that it is slightly bulky. It has 485 combined base stats with a 108 in both defenses and a 92 in both attack stats. However, the HP is a terrible 50 and the speed is worse at just 35. However, it has one benefit that drives people nuts; the typing. Spiritomb is Ghost/Dark which means up until generation six, it resisted three types while halving another. It resists, normal, fighting, and psychic types while halving poison. With the introduction of fairy types, it is now weak to fairy but that is it. Spiritomb is here for its unique typing and what it can do while using it’s unique ability infiltrator. This allows it to reach past things like Reflect, Light Screen and Substitute. Will-o-wisp is a great move while sucker punch and foul play will allow you to get those stab moves in. Pain Split is a great health option if you don’t want to use leftovers, but then you lose out on access to Taunt or Pursuit which overlooks its abysmal speed. Regardless, though, it’s still great even if it’s only in UU tier.

Bisharp is a dual Dark and Steel Type with a 4x weakness to fighting, and normal weakness to fire and ground. So… where is the merit when it’s 4x weak? Bisharp is actually a fan favorite falling into the OU tier for its massive 125 in attack and 100 on defense. These two stats, however, do not outweigh its 70 in speed which is why it is here. Steel naturally gives it plenty of bulk which allows it to take out many OU tier and Uber threats. Of course it is not perfect, however, a swords dance and pursuit or sucker punch will really help it out. What Bisharp really needs is what all Pokemon trainers hate more than arena trap or shadow tag, Knock off. All good plans are for naught if you get hit with knock off. Couple that with its ability defiant, and bisharp may not even need a good swords dance to raise its attack. Iron Head for STAB with Sucker Punch as well and you have a lot of types that don’t like you including the new Fairy types! Life Orb if you choose to use it will also help you immensely by raising Bisharp’s attack even further!

Hydreigon looks like a plant that came to life and flies. It legit can be the stuff of nightmares and that is why it’s rolling in eighth on our list! Hydreigon was first brought to us in the fifth generation and is a very unique Dark and Dragon type. Unfortunately, this does not give it some sort of amazing coverage as it is 4x weak to fairy (again), while being 2x weak to ice, fighting, bug, and dragon. It does, however, resist quite a bit. It resists fire, water, electric, ghost, and fellow dark types so there is that. Hydreigon can fall into UU and OU tiers and today we are looking at the OU setup. Hydreigon with its three heads roars in at a whopping 600 base stats. Boasting a very good 125 in special attack, it has a 105 in attack as well and a nice 98 in speed. While the speed is not amazing, it is above average allowing it to sweep with many diverse moves from its movepool and be an excellent wallbreaker. If you are willing to take the stat hit, the Draco Meteor is a perfect STAB move. Levitate means that ground moves and all forms of spikes do not hit it. This does, however, mean that it can learn roost to heal! Just remember though that using it will make Hydreigon viable to those moves again. Flashcannon is there for those nasty fairy sweepers while Fireblast will give you more coverage. The only real downside to it is that it can still be taken out by many fairy types in OU. So beware.

Weavile is dangerous. With a great typing and stats, it can hit just about everything for at least normal damage if not more. Weavile is a Dark/Ice type Pokemon and seventh on our list! When you look at Weavile, it looks like it is just wearing a weird hat. All you need to get one is make a Sneasel hold a sharp claw and level it up at night and boom. Weavile town. Weavile is 4x to fighting, while being 2x weak to Fire, Bug, Rock, Steel, and Fairy. What can a Weavile do for you? Physical STAB sweeper is the way to go. A cool 125 in sped and a 120 in attack, Weavile is hated by many. Pressure is the default ability because why would you even bother with Pickpocket in Battles? You can boost its power with Life Orb if you want to but know that that 70 HP stat is not doing you any justice. Knock off is a staple here to piss off everyone while Icicle crash is a fantastic follow up because it has a 30% chance of making your foe flinch if they are not holding an item because you just knocked it off. Ice shard is there to hit fast threats as well as help against threats that maybe have boosted their speed/stats. As for your final movepool move, the choice is yours. Low Kick will help you with steel types that will wall you while Poison Jab will stop those fairy types coming for you in their tracks. Let’s keep it going!

Hoopa was brought to us via a Pokemon movie, while also appearing in the anime, and in the manga! Hoopa-unbound however, is a beast. 170 in special attack, 160 in attack, and a 130 in special defense, this….is a Pokemon you do not want to go up against. Hoopa-unbound is Psychic/Dark in typing and has a 4x weakness to bug, a move rarely, if ever seen in battling, and 2x weak to fairy. So… how do we handle it? LIKE.A.BOSS. 680 is its total base stats. The speed is a, meh, 80 and the defense is a terrible 60 so you do need to be careful when using it. Thankfully, though, if you move EVs into speed, special attack, and attack, Hoopa-unbound makes a terrific mixed sweeper. Hyperspace fury and Hyperspace hole will get you those STAB. Protect will help but substitute is also a viable option. Gunk Shot will help you get those fairy types. Happy battling in the Uber tier with it!

Sableye was a Pokemon that was often looked over due to its average to subpar stats. Thankfully Nintendo showed it some love in the sixth generation and gave it a mega evolution, fixing most of its stats, as well as, its run of the mill abilities. Magic Bounce means that every single move that is a non-attacking move, is bounced back on the foe. All statuses, taunts, etc. are sent back to your foe. The mega evolution as well comes with a fixed 480 stat total. Let’s take a look at this team changer. Mega Sableye has a place on every single stall team out there because it is the true stall breaker. It is Dark/Ghost which means it really only has to be concerned with fairy moves while psychic, fighting, and normal moves do not hit. One thing to note though about magic bounce is that all secondary status effects can still hit. Thankfully, it can learn recover. This is essential since it cannot hold leftovers. Calm mind is a great way to crank up the 125 defense and 115 special defense further. Or, if you want to do some work with a move, nasty plot is there too. Will-o-wisp is a must to make any and all stallers hate you even more. Knock off is there for stab and to piss off your foes while Shadow ball will give you that second STAB. Just beware fairies.

Greninja came in the sixth generation as the final evolution of the water starter Froakie. Water/Dark in typing, it has an impressive matchup but ultimately carries those pesky water weaknesses of Electric, Grass, Fighting, Bug and Fairy. What is commendable is that this Pokemon has a combined base stat of 530 and beats out many legendaries in the uber, that’s right, UBER, pool. Not to mention, anyone can catch him! You can choose him in the beginning. So… what do those stats and moves look like? Protean is a unique and cool ability that allows Greninja to change its Water/Dark typing to whatever the type of the move is. So… say you used toxic spikes, Greninja is now poison type. It has a very nice 122 in speed with a 103 in special attack and a 95 in attack. Other than that, its HP and defenses leave it hurting where it counts. What makes it so good though is that Greninja is perfect for what is called a suicide lead. It is going to be taken down, but it is going to cause a lot of problems in the meantime. It has access to two moves that will help it out a lot. Those are toxic spikes and shadow sneak. This will drive most leads insane. Couple that with Taunt to save yourself from statuses, and then spikes to really drive it home before something takes it out. The really important thing about Taunt too is that it prevents defog which will cancel out those spikes aka no good.

Yveltal is the legendary figurehead Pokemon from Pokemon Y. A legendary if there ever was one, Yveltal has a very very nice 680 base stat total like Hoopa-unbound. However, for better or worse, its stats are a bit more evenly distributed. What is critical, though, is that 99 speed. This allows it to outspeed plenty of Ubers and even pokemon in OU. A pretty 131 in both special attack and attack do not hurt it either. It has a 126 stat in HP and its defenses are 95 or higher. Yveltal is a flat out beast. It can be a nice sweeper or it can be a tank actually. Dark/Flying gives it a unique typing as well on this list and allows it to do a lot. If you are going for sweeper, Dark Pulse is your STAB move of choice along with Oblivion Wing.You still need something that will help you out though for non-type matchups. Sucker Punch, Heat Wave, and Focus blast are all good as well, but if you really want to have some fun with Yveltal, we suggest a tank version over a sweeper. Why do you ask? Let’s see…foul Play for starts because a Dark Aura, its ability, boost makes everything hate it. But in order to be safe, Sucker Punch is also something you could consider. With it’s flying typing, what makes it so good is the fact that it has access to Roost. You can heal. Even better, since it is so fast, on the turn it uses it, it becomes a pure dark type losing those pesky Electric, Rock, and Ice weaknesses. Taunt keeps you safe while Toxic is another way to really drive it home with those nasty types that will try to switch in on you.

Tyranitar was already a pain to deal with, but now that it has a mega evolution, it’s even more difficult to deal with! Tyranitar is Rock/Dark in typing which means a 4x weakness to fighting with a 2x weakness to water, grass, ground, bug, steel, and fairy. Do not let that discourage you, though, a whopping 700 in base stats is no joke! Ready to make this even more fun? Other than speed, it’s pretty solid. Fitting into both the OU and Uber pools, Mega Tyranitar has a 164 in attack and a150 in defense. Nothing to sneeze at, it also has a 120 in special defense. The speed, unfortunately, is a 71. It does have Sand Stream as its ability which means that just about everyone is taking damage. Support or sweeper are your choices. Support wise, HP and Speed are where you need those EVs to be. Stealth Rock, along with Roar to force switches, or thunder wave to even the playing field are the way to go. Pursuit lets it get pokes that switch in to absorb something to get back out While you can go with Stone Edge for power or Rock Slide for more accuracy. Now if you want a sweeper, you need Dragon Dance. Then murder everything. Stone Edge, Earthquake, Crunch, Taunt (to save yourself), and Payback (since he is a bit slow) if you get hit by defog or something.

The final winning Pokemon for this dark type list is yet another Fourth Generation Pokemon! Darkrai is what nightmares are made of in battling; literally. 600 base stats but that 125 speed allows it to outspeed most things. Put everyone to sleep and then let Bad Dreams, its ability, chip away at their health for a few turns. We could gush about how powerful this Pokemon is regardless of what setting you put it in but that would bore you so let’s talk stats and moves for the #1 Pokemon on our dark Pokemon list! As stated above, that 125 in speed is nice. Couple that with a 135 in special attack and you need not worry about anything. Pure dark type, and the only pure-dark type on this list, anything you do with Darkrai will be a problem. Dark Void has an 80% chance of putting the foe to sleep. That is 20% more accurate than Hypnosis! Dark Pulse for STAB and then while your foe is sleeping and you are letting your ability chip away at its health, use Nasty Plot to make that special attack even more astronomical! Finally, you need something that will allow you to hit something the Pokemon that resist, or cancel, dark moves with, and that is sludge bomb. You can risk it with thunder, but then you gamble with accuracy, so the choice is yours!

Clannad is a wonderful story about how one man's influence can have a major effect on those around him, while causing a stir of entertainment for the viewer. The story takes place in a small rural town where Tomoya just isn't enjoying himself as much as he'd like to. Tomoya’s boredom leads him down a troublesome path until one day he meets a young girl muttering words to herself. Curious about why she behaves that way, he confronts her and the two engage in conversation. He learns of her illness and that her repetition of food words are to boost her confidence, but also that she wants to re-open the drama club at school. From here Tomoya's journey takes a different direction, as he now must get to know all of the other members of the club, but more importantly overcome his conflicting emotions. Both male protagonists are somewhat confused as to what direction they want to take in life, but are then given a second chance by joining a club they never knew existed. One very important thing to note is that, both of these anime are made by the fantastic developer Key/Visual Arts, and so much of the story takes on more of a visual novel approach when telling the story. Both Tennouji and Tomoya are sort of rebellious in nature, always seeking out new paths in their once stagnant lives. The great aspect about them however, is how they manage to help influence those around them in such a remarkable way. Each behave like teachers to a large group of females who are also trying to discover just who they are, and work together to create a better environment within their respective clubs.

Jun Maeda and his team at Key never fail to impress the masses with their incredible artistry and provocative story telling, with Little Busters being one of the more creative. The story takes us on a journey with Riko as he and four of his close friends decide to make something of their remaining youth. Their goal isn't to claim the highest prize or rebel against the world, but rather to practice and play baseball together. Unfortunately due to a team needing more than five players, his friend Rin decides to help out by recruiting more females on board as she is currently the only girl. Suddenly Rin finds a mysterious letter attached to her cat and is unsure of what to do with it, until she realizes that there's an assignment she must fulfill right away. What makes Rewrite so compelling is how deeply connected each character is to each other, and Little Busters follow that very same route. Each character throughout the show feels polished, and are very entertaining whenever they make foolish mistakes. No one feels contrived in their ways, as each encounter that's made feels a lot like a deep rooted friendship that continues to blossom over time. Masato shares some resemblance to Tennouji where both put on this fake comedic bravado to play tough guy in front of the girls, but deep down the two are such great mentors to their friends it's so hard not to like them. Both lack brain cells and always seem to find themselves in a tussle with one of the female casts, usually with a footprint embedded in their chest after all is said and done. This great comedic blend along with real life lessons really bring the show to life, and is simply what Key is best known for.

Charlotte begins as Yuu discovers that he has an incredible ability to read the minds of others, but due to this power he tries not to let anyone know of it. Through many uncertain events Yuu eventually gets called out by some students who convince him not to use his power, and that he should enroll into their school where individuals with supernatural powers can feel at ease. Yuu is then forced into joining the school council which then places him in a position to now come to terms with his unique ability, while having to assist others on their journey as well. So perhaps if you haven't noticed by now, the biggest similarity between these anime thus far is that they're all made by the creative genius that is Jun Maeda. We can only thank him dearly for creating such a brilliant cast of characters that somehow all relate to one another so well, that it's so hard to tell whether they just met or have known each other for years. One thing to point out is that much like Rewrite, is that both main male leads have a secret ability that they try to keep hidden from the rest of the cast, but eventually confess to their colleagues and must share their knowledge with everyone. Yuu and Tennouji behave like the student and the teacher, where they have the responsibility to interact with everyone on the council, helping them to remove their dark inner secrets and learning about their past. Each time they try to get too close, they get punished severely for it which is where the comedy starts to build up, and we get to see a tighter relationship being formed.

Before we go into the synopsis of Kanon, we want to stress that before you switch on your PC to watch the 2006 version of this show, we highly recommend watching the 2002 original to get a better feel for the story's flow. The story looks at Yuuichi as he returns back to his hometown after several years, only to remember nothing about it due to a traumatic experience. Yuuichi desperately tries hard to recite exactly what took place seven years ago, and fortunately comes across a red headband that reopens a path in his conscience which helps him to put together the missing pieces to his past. As more uncertain events take place, Yuuichi must now rely on his new female colleagues in order to link everything together and restore his memory of his troubled past. Jun Maeda and the team at Key never fail to create a series that makes you burst out into tears in both a comedic and heartfelt fashion. In the 2002 version of Kanon, you'll more likely want a box of tissues nearby because of how touching it is, but keep them there because you'll crack up in certain moments where Yuuichi acts out of hand. Rewrite blends the best of both worlds also, with great storytelling that keeps you engaged throughout each episode, and brilliant character development that just makes you feel connected to everyone on screen. Both are about a young boy with a troubled experience, but somehow overcome it with the help of a group of girls who change their lives forever. These female leads also have stories of their own, all of which tie into the main characters path, and so all of them must work together to put everything back together but also find solace within their souls.

Angel Beats! is another hit title from Key and looks at the life of Otonashi. After a surprising turn of events Otonashi comes to realize that he's dead but doesn't seem to remember why. The only thing he can remember clearly is his name, and female lead Yuri explains to him that he's now residing in the afterlife. Yuri explains in detail as to what her duties are, and that she is about to wage war against a female enemy. Otonashi doesn't seem to be sold on the story that her rival Tenshi is in fact evil, and so he tries to get in touch with her which ends up a lot worse than he imagined. Not entirely convinced, Otonashi then joins the Afterlife Battlefront to learn more about Tenshi and her intentions. His mission however becomes even more challenging as he now must confront an even bigger problem: his growing interest in Tenshi and regaining all of his memories pertaining to the mysteries of the afterlife. Tennouji and Otonashi are living in two worlds which don't seem to add up very well in their minds. Tennouji is attacked, stalked, and killed by a cute girl with a long red ribbon, while Otonashi is killed and is unsure of himself as to why. The two both join an organization that has them surrounded by adorable females, who all share a small piece to the puzzle of their lives. All of the females too however have their own deep dark secrets, and so both boys need to put their differences aside and get to know each individual one by one to uncover more behind what's unfolding. The shows do showcase some great action in certain scenes, but the important thing to note is how both shows emphasize the relationship between boy and girl, and its significance in building stronger connections over time. A lot of the interactions are quite dramatic, while chirpy humor is used to create a balance within the story's compelling adventure. We have to highly recommend this one as it's one of Key's most exciting works to date.

The story of Ano Hi Mita Hana no Namae wo Bokutachi wa Mada Shiranai, also known as Anohana, revolves around dealing with the death of a friend, and embarking on a journey of self discovery to live a better life. Yadomi sits in his room on a hot summer day enjoying his video games, when he is pestered by his childhood friend Menma to grant a wish for her. To his knowledge, Yadomi thinks he's going nuts due to the severe heat and decides to ignore her, already knowing in his mind that she had passed away several years ago. Failing to believe that Menma was actually there, he is then confronted with something that convinces him that Menma had actually reached out to speak her mind. The story now leads Yadomi to reform his relationship with past friends in order to lay her spirit to rest, while also reliving the pain and guilt they received from what transpired that fateful day. Rewrite doesn't really touch on the real life aspect of death and how much of an effect it can have, but what the two share is a story about an individual who is trying to seek answers to discover more about their past. Tragic events both occur in each characters lives and must now come to learn of the realities that life can bring at the most inconvenient time. Friendship building is where much of the similarities lie because Tennouji joins a club to help his colleagues overcome their dark pasts. While Yadomi relies on the help of his friends to bring closure to a past incident that changed their entire lives. These stories do have a lot of emotion behind them which can create very dramatic scenes and make you cry every now and then. We can relate so much to every character that we can laugh at their experiences and at the same time, learn to appreciate just how willing they are to make a difference to the people around them.