Erratic and irrational; if there was ever a reason to maintain your distance, these telltale signs are barely brushing the surface. Someone whom can’t maintain their own directive is about a few miles off and counting from someone worth lending your trust to. A sickened state of mind is lethal poison and Love-pon is its incubator. Right at the turn of the page, Love-pon is off the rails. Her reason for going to Nanaki Village? to protect her identity. For someone whom is first to petition murder and torture as a means of settling a situation, the idea of her still having things other than her murderous intent worth hiding just makes the hairs on your neck stand up. She’s a rigid obstacle that needs to be hurdled over, but not before we shake her clean of all her misaligned secrets. What makes her even more worth the spotlight, is the fact that throughout the series, seemingly, no one cares. She’s a little devil in plain sight and would only make sense for her to kick start our hit list of Top 10 Suspicious Mayoiga Characters.

Beware of those who tout rationalism. Elevating oneself above the populace’ way of thought, believing you are separate from the primates, can often be nothing short of a bold cry of instability from within. From the beginning, he introduced himself as a person whom is not necessarily restarting his life over because of tragedy, but instead joined the tour because “treading the beaten path” was unappealing. Someone who is supposedly just tired of going through the motions, and yearned for something new. Nothing, in particular, to see here right? In truth, Mikage Yura may be the bread and butter of the type of person worth keeping an eye on. While he often does maintain a sense of logical thinking amongst the group, you just can’t help but question what’s really going on in that big brain of his. Mikage Yura, you may sing the song of a man whose well-intentioned, but you are awfully out of tune.

Living straight out on the edge at all times is like a ticking time bomb without a clock. Untimely spasms hidden amongst the trees of a fragile tranquility. We have a name for these type of people, and that’s “crazy”. With an absence of appearance, it’s worth saying that those whom speak the least, may often have the most to say. Thus, we urge Jack to come to the front of the congregation at once. Clearly logic is not a part of this kid’s daily meal. His response to a life threatening situation? make it even more so. In short, this oddball’s outbursts are rationally deficient; and when followed by, frankly, nothing given his lack of screen time, it makes you wonder what his next appearance might entail. Beware of the quiet ones!

The calm before the storm is a saying that just never gets old. Acting aloof and levelheaded could simply be a byproduct of a struggle to keep the heavy tides from rolling in. Pragmatic at every turn, and fixated on the well-being of his close friend, Mitsumune; but might we ask, why? If looked at in the right light, these may be the only details necessary to breed suspicion, and Speedster, you’re certainly one suspicious character. What is his reason for hopping aboard the bus to the wonderful world of Neverland? To deny its existence. Claiming to be hell bent on deciphering the code behind the myth is the perfect paper to place over a cracked wall. He has overwhelming rationale towards everything he does, but on a bad note, expresses a need to be in control of something at all times. It takes no level of convincing to realize that those whose motive lack reason, are the ones to remain the most skeptical of in the long run.

Body language often screams louder than words. Shut your ears and open your eyes if you want to know what the truth entails. You’d be surprised at just how much can be read from a single expression, as opposed to what one may lead you to believe with their words. Especially, when your first course of action during a heated argument is to gun down on the gas pedal and take thirty lives into your own hands. Driver, we have reason to believe that you may be holding onto more than you're willing to let off, and we aren’t going to let you skate by under the radar so easily. He mocked his passengers for their life changing decisions. He laughed in the face of a ‘new page’; a’ do-over’. He was a hardened individual that believed in facing the devil head on without ever looking away. He called everyone out for trying to escape their problems, until he cracked and let his beaten past show its colors. Now he’s a part of the troupe, and to put it simply, he just doesn’t set very well. His directive feels off, and his aura stained. You are a mysterious person Driver, and that’s all that needs to be said.

A tricky case at best, Lion will have you tight roping on a thin line between whether to trust her or suspect her. The youngest of the bunch, Lion usually appears to be the most mature. She tends to remain very balanced throughout most situations, but can be condescending simply for her own amusement. At first look, there’s not much to question here, but peep through the keyhole of this locked door and maybe there might still be something worth finding. “I see dead people, all the time”. Maybe not iterated in those exact words, but it’s the thought that counts. Her childish back and forth claims of seeing ghosts, and knowing when someone’s clock is about to expire has creepy written all over it. She may be small, but little dogs can carry a big bite too, so it’s best to keep the safeguards up. Rule of thumb when playing detective; never overlook the calm ones, never ignore the quiet ones, and certainly, don’t assume innocence towards the young ones. Oh me, oh my! Lion fits the shoe just perfect.

Right off the bat, if this nonchalant, dry sponge of an attitude character doesn’t rub you the wrong way, then your survival skills are at absolute zero. A longtime resident of Nanaki Village, Reiji is a cork board for all your most endearing questions. There’s hardly a story to him, and that just helps fit him into the suspect suit even more. Sorry partner, but you’re not eating at the same dinner table as the rest of us. Your questionable character raises eyebrows at the least, and unfortunately for you, we’re here to pick people like you apart. Court is in session Reiji, and before this podium, you will be stripped bare.

Kamiyama Haruomi. Clad in a white lab coat, a once upon a time resident of the foggy mist that is Nanaki Village, this old man is ripe to be up to something. We talk about the mad scientists of the world in dozens of made-up stories every day. A genius, apt with knowledge, expertise, and is always well-grounded, simply going off the ledge. Intertwined within the strings of their own obsession. A reluctance to pull away and open their eyes to the surrounding world. A sickness, that births a lunacy capable of turning them deadly. Kami-sama put his career on the line. Trading his current reality, for the sake of a spoken legend; a myth. His mistake; finding what he was looking for. Perhaps Nanaki Village is but the playing surface for his ever wicked games, for in the world of science, ethics is easily overlooked in favor of the “betterment” of mankind. So long as the end justifies the means right? Every experiment needs its lab rats, and thirty people willing to throw away their old lives seem like perfect candidates for the job.

Knowledge is power, and power, can often be abused. Trapped in a strange village that makes the world feel as though it’s spinning without you. Eager to find a way to repair a broken attempt at a fresh start. You have questions that need answers, so why not ask the person who knows the most. Koharun… The one behind it all. Responsible for tracking the untraceable village of Nanaki; and turning legend, into reality. When you truly read between the lines, you’ll probably wonder why she wasn’t marked with a bullseye much sooner. If there are fingers to be pointed, then Koharun is definitely a target. Touted as an expert in folklore and mythology, this walking encyclopedia is one shred of information away from digging her own hole six feet under. There’s a thing as knowing too much, and while most of the characters may have set their sights elsewhere, we caution you to keep one eye peeled on this sneaky lady at all times.

The era of choosing either to drown to death or burn at the stake in order to prove your innocence; nowadays, is but an old text read only in the history books. However, those who don’t learn from their past are bound to repeat it. But could you blame those in fear of the worst? Shaded underneath the umbrella of Nanaki Village, one’s extreme obsession with superstition and its negative offset is nothing but gasoline prepped for a flame. Need we say it? Masaki, you’ve been holding a flame over your head for quite a while now. It’s only a matter of time before it slips from your grasp and sets everything ablaze. Masaki is ‘odd’ no matter how you view her situation. Her skewed sense of fortunetelling often leads her to become jittery and quite eccentric. She seemingly can’t be straight-forward as every answer that comes out her mouth is shrouded with around the bush wording and sidestepping vagueness. It was only a matter of time before everyone began noticing that there’s just ‘something about Mary’ and eying her as the odd one out. Masaki is well overdue her turn to be held under oath, and it’s about time she was brought in to have a word or two.

Kurihara Yuki just asked out the boy of her dreams: Momo. Momo thinks Yuki is cute, but Yuki is just one letter short of a stalker since she never misses a Momo opportunity. Their relationship was based on cuteness, but can they fall in love like that? Momokuri is another anime that features a cute romance between a slightly older girl and a slightly younger boy. Of course, the age difference--mental and numerical--is not quite as large as Hatsukoi Monster, but their relationship is just as fun. While Kaho and Kanade are odd because of their difference in age, Momokuri explores a strange relationship between a boy who is fairly innocent and cute and a girl who pretty much stalks him. Watch as Yuki stalks Momo while keeping it a secret. This is a romance that you just can’t forget!

There’s nothing like joining your favorite club. In art club, the members can be pretty eccentric; such is the case with Many of the members of this art club. Subaru only likes to paint 2D waifus, Colette causes nothing but trouble, and the club president just can’t seem to wake up! Usami is the only one who is even a little normal, but just can’t get anyone to take art seriously! Kono Bijutsubu ni wa Mondai ga Aru! is a slice of life anime with plenty of comedy to go around. The main character is definitely Usami and her crush, Subaru, but what do you do when your crush only cares for 2D waifus? Combine that with silly club activities that have nothing to do with the club and people who just seem to do as they please and you have got yourself a great anime! Not only is this anime romance--if you can call it that--as goofy as Hatsukoi Monster’s, but the characters can all be pretty ridiculous. How do they even function as a club? Kono Bijutsubu ni wa Mondai ga Aru! sure figures out a way to hold an art club together.

Kyouhei, Takenaga, Yukinojo, and Ranmaru are all living in a grand mansion for free on the sole condition that she make the landlady’s niece a proper lady. Well, it looks like rent is about to go up because Sunako, the landlady’s niece, is a scary-looking horror fanatic who gets nose bleeds every time she is in the presence of a “bright creature”. How do you turn someone who looks like Sadako into a proper lady?! There is no need to question Yamato Nadeshiko Shichi Henge as a choice for this list. As Yamato Nadeshiko Shichi Henge is a reverse harem like Hatsukoi Monster, but all of the guys in Yamato Nadeshiko Shichi Henge are full of goofy antics and stupidity. They are almost always getting into trouble. While most of the boys in Hatsukoi Monster tend to act their age--so they are immature and childish--the boys in Yamato Nadeshiko Shichi Henge usually act very immaturely, especially when they are at home. They cannot even figure out how to do their own chores! How do they function?! If you are looking for a semi-sweet romance, you will not find it in Yamato Nadeshiko Shichi Henge, but you will no doubt find plenty of goofiness and stupidity. Sunako may not be like Kaho, but you are almost guaranteed to like her even more since she is not your stereotypical shoujo heroine. Love gore or not, you will love Sunako and definitely enjoy Yamato Nadeshiko Shichi Henge!

When you’re a student who relies on scholarships to attend school, you take your grades seriously! That is why Fujioka Haruhi ended up at the Ouran High School Host Club; she was just looking for a place to study! However, Haruhi finds herself acting as the club’s dog after breaking a valuable vase prices at an impossibly high about of yen! But wait, Haruhi is turned into a host when the other hosts find out just how pretty she is. Now, if only they knew she was a girl... Some may question the presence of Ouran High School Host Club on our list of six anime like Hatsukoi Monster, but are they really that different? Much the same way Yamato Nadeshiko Shichi Henge relates, Ouran High School Host Club is yet another reverse harem that does comedy well. Ouran High School Host Club features a cast of boys who just can’t fathom what it is like to be a commoner and do the silliest (wasteful?!) things as rich boys. Then you have Fujioka Haruhi who just cannot relate, much the way Kaho cannot relate to the other primary school boys. Kaho spends a lot of time trying to hide her relationship with Kanade from Kanade’s father and people who may disapprove while Haruhi spends much of the anime hiding her gender from the other students. However, they both face a lot of stress from those who do know their secrets! Kaho is constantly fighting people who oppose her relationship or want to steal her away while Haruhi just has to deal with people who either fall in love with her, regardless of gender, and threaten to expose her secret, or the Host Club boys who more or less want her to embrace her female side without wanting her to reveal her gender. Oh, the craziness that goes on in this anime!!!

Usa Kazunari is moving into a new housing complex with tenants who are all a bit quirky. But it’s all in the name of independence, right? Well, let’s just see what happens after he meets the shy Kawai Ritsu who really changes his life. Is this the start of a new love? If you are looking for a dorm-like romance, then you have got Bokura wa Minna Kawaisou. This dorm room romance will definitely give you the same feel as Hatsukoi Monster. The romance has its own fair share of difficulties which can be expected. Not only that, Bokura wa Minna Kawaisou has its own fair share of oddball residents that make it unpredictable and funny!

Shirakiin Ririchiyo has a sharp tongue and difficulty communicating what she really means, but she wants to change herself so that she can be more independent since she has grown up in a rich family. To change, Ririchiyo has moved into the Maison de Ayakashi, which is a high-security housing complex with many odd residents who are actually half-human and half-youkai, just like Ririchiyo! On top of that, as is required for all residents, Ririchiyo finds herself in the care of Miketsukami Soushi who will act as her Secret Service agent. Oh, if you want yet another dorm room romance, Inu x Boku SS has you covered! Although this romance is a little unusual as everyone is a youkai with their own problems! Much like Hatsukoi Monster, you get to see different odd relationships between other tenants while the main character seems to struggle with her own. Inu x Boku SS isn’t quite as silly as Hatsukoi Monster, but it is a cute love story that you will find yourself loving.

Takeshi Gouda is commonly referred to as Gian in the Doraemon series. His large build means that he is easily stronger than the average kid in the neighborhood, so he reigns over them with his forceful, violent personality. Nobita often becomes his favorite victim, upon which Nobita would often seek help from Doraemon. Gian’s hobby is singing and he thinks of himself as a great singer, but he actually has terrible singing skills. He would often force his friends to attend his concert and have them praise his singing. With such despicable personality, why does Gian even appear in this list? Well, firstly, there aren’t many characters in Doraemon anyway. And despite his brutish behavior and often unkind attitude towards others, he is shown to be loyal to his friends in times of trouble. As Gian is physically strong, he is useful during difficult situations.

Suneo Honekawa belongs to a wealthy family and he often likes to show off the expensive things that he can get. He is always seen hanging out with Gian and teams up with him to bully Nobita. Suneo acts like a yes-man to Gian and would lie to please Gian to avoid him from getting angry. Suneo is a narcissist who likes to look at the mirror and praise his appearance, but he is insecure about his height. Suneo may be a bully like Gian, but at least he does it on a lesser scale. This is mainly attributed to his weak physical strength. Suneo may seem like a coward as he always gives in to Gian, but he will demonstrate his bravery when his friends are in desperate situations. Therefore, he is ultimately a nice person inside despite his rich spoiled brat personality.

Tamako Nobi is the mother of Nobita. She is always concerned about Nobita’s test results and would often scold him for scoring 0 marks. Hence, Nobita is afraid of her and would always try to hide his test papers, but they often get found out by his mother. Tamako is conscious of her weight and would try various diets to lose weight. She is also secretly jealous of Suneo’s mother due to her wealthy lifestyle. It can get annoying when a mother always nags and scolds but a mother always does that out of love. Tamako always scolds Nobita for being lazy and not doing his homework because Nobita is seriously a hopeless brat who needs to be pushed a lot. We doubt the soft approach would have worked for Nobita so Tamako is doing a great job in scolding her son.

Along with Doraemon, Nobita is the main character of the series. He does poorly in school, often does not finish his homework, and always comes late to class, so he frequently gets punished by his teacher. He is lazy and would often take naps after coming back from school. Besides that, he is terrible in sports. Due to his good-for-nothing personality, Doraemon came from the future to help Nobita. Nobita may not do well in exams, but he is shown to be creative and have a great imagination. He has many unfavorable characteristics, but he is a very nice person who would show pity on stray animals or even his bully, Gian. Most importantly, the existence of Nobita leads to Doraemon showing us many of his wondrous gadgets, and also illustrates a zero to hero theme which many fans love.

Shizuka is the main female character in the Doraemon series. She is the love interest of Nobita and both of them will get married in the future. She is smart and studious, so she is a very responsible student. As she is a kind person, she aspires to become a nurse or an air-stewardess in the future. Shizuka is remembered as the chick who likes to bathe in which she does several times a day. Although she always exhibits a prim and proper personality, there are instances when she would act lazy and unladylike at home, such as stealing her mum’s lipstick, and eating and sleeping at the same time. Therefore, this quality makes her an interesting character that many of us could relate to.

Dekisugi is the polar opposite of Nobita which makes him the subject of envy or admiration by many students. Dekisugi practically excels in everything. His intelligence leads to him getting perfect scores in tests every time, making him the archetypal son an Asian father would be proud of. He is also great at sports so he is not a weak nerd. Usually, people would associate a person with high intelligence to look like Nobita who has the appearance of a stereotypical geek. However, Dekisugi is the perfect prince who is blessed with everything including a handsome appearance. Even though he has all the great qualities, he does not boast and always treats everyone kindly. There is nothing to dislike about this character unless you are jealous of him or a person like him in real life.

The younger sister of Doraemon is named Dorami, a yellow robotic cat. She lives in the future with Sewashi, the great-great-grandson of Nobita. She would occasionally travel back to the past to visit Nobita, especially when Doraemon is “off-duty”. Her favorite food is melon bread and her major weakness is that she is scared of cockroaches. She has a boyfriend called Dora the Kid. Dorami is a more advanced robot than Doraemon which is malfunctioned. In addition, she was the smartest student in school. Therefore, Dorami is a way cooler robot than Doraemon. She is better in using gadgets so she could actually be a better companion for Nobita. However, a perfect robot would have made the story dull!

The titular character, Doraemon, is a blue robotic cat that is considered a malfunctioned product. As a result from a lightning, Doraemon lost a screw in his head which affects his performance. He also developed a fear of mice after his ears were chewed away by a robotic mouse. His love for dorayaki allows Nobita to manipulate him sometimes. In the pocket of Doraemon lies a slew of futuristic gadgets which he often uses to help Nobita. He may be a robotic cat but he gets along well with other cats in the neighborhood and often organizes a party with them. We love Doraemon because we all want one! Imagine how easy our lives would be, maybe we should be as hopeless as Nobita so a Doraemon would appear in our lives. Doraemon may be a malfunctioned product but he is still greater than anything or anyone in this era. The fact that none of us have a Doraemon means that our descendants don’t care about us enough or there are sadly no time travel machines invented in the future.

These little guys are actually one of Doraemon’s gadgets. Mini-Doras are useful in various cases, such as entering into the body of Doraemon to fix the internal mechanism. They are available in a variety of colors such as green, red, and yellow. Therefore, it is difficult to pick a favorite one. What’s even cuter than Doraemon? The Mini-Doras! These tiny versions of Doraemon are clumsy and can cause a mess. They can use gadgets but they don’t know what they are for. Even though they are essentially gadgets, they have the ability to think, feel, and communicate using their own language. Hence, they can be considered as characters!

Piisuke is a dinosaur owned by Nobita and it appears in the first Doraemon movie. Due to Piisuke’s ability to bond with humans and it being a dinosaur, there are many parties who are interested in it. Despite several attempts of negotiation for Nobita to sell Piisuke, Nobita refuses to sell his dinosaur as he does not trust the others to treat Piisuke well. Piisuke is such a memorable character due to it having a sad story. The ending of the first Doraemon movie is expected as there is no way Nobita could bring the dinosaur to live with him in his timeframe. Piisuke exhibits qualities like a sweet, loyal pet in which it would go and find Nobita at his house even after it was left to stay at the lake. Piisuke is such a cute, lovable pet which we wish to have too even if it does not have cool gadgets like Doraemon!

This is a very old and curious rendition to the adventures of the Three Musketeers, a series of novels by the French writer Alexandre Dumas. It was a Spanish and Japanese production where the characters are animals. The protagonist is Dogtanian, a young dog from the countryside with a great ability with the sword who travels to Paris to become a Muskehound. We can notice a dab of comedy that does not exist in the original literary version, but all the happy spirit of the Musketeers adventures while protecting and serving the French King Louis XIV was left intact. Teamwork and friendship are highly valued in this anime! A second season called The return of Dogtanian was released on the nineties, following the adventures of the quartet of Musketeers 20 years later, just as in the novels. So, if you are looking for a nostalgic anime that leaves you with a good mood, this might be the option for you.

Loosely based on the Chinese classic “Romance of the three kingdoms”, this story by the studios Picture Magic take us to a tale of intrigue, war and betrayal. These are the adventures of Rikkuson, the guardian of a Seal with magical powers that counts with a magical arm himself. Rikkuson is a pacifist, but the Seal he is guarding is desired by more than one ambitious foe. For being a shounen style anime, Koutetsu sangokushi contains a good dose of emotions and sensibility, reflected on the high quality of its art. If it is not higher on our countdown is because the original work was much longer and complex. Unfortunately, on terms of adaptation, the very old anime version from the eighties is superior. Nevertheless, if you are looking for a small bite of Chinese style legendary action, this anime might be perfect for you.

The Queen of Crime is one of the best selling authors of all time still to date, so it is somewhat rare that anime has not exploited her works that much. So, to straighten things out, OLM studios adapted several of the most loved stories about two detectives created by Christie: the belgian detective Hercule Poirot and the old but wise Miss Marple. The protagonist of the anime is Mabel West, a young kawaii girl who dreams to be a detective and becomes a helper for Poirot under the condition of spending some time with her great aunt Miss Marple. Thus, Mabel functions as a bridge between the two characters. Although the style of the animation is rather simple and infantile, the show works due to the interesting storylines. Perhaps the only flaw of these adaptations was to add Mabel and her duck mascot, which were unnecessary for the plots. Anyway, if you are a fan of mystery and who-dun-its, you can not pass this anime.

Let´s continue with another anime inspired by Chinese epics, shall we? Saiyuki Reload is Studio Pierrot’s rendition to the classic Journey to the West, attributed to Cheng En Wu. Originally a collection of oral stories about a supernatural monkey, Saiyuki Reload recovers the main characters, although with a different personality (more into the anti-hero style) and much better looks. We have the monk Genjyo Sanzo, the monkey king Son Goku, the half demon Sha Gojyo and the demon Cho Hakkai, bestowed by Buda for a dangerous mission. They will make a journey to India in order to stop the resurrection of the demon king Gyoumao, with a lot of adventures and some dry humor on the way. The characters of Saiyuki Reload were truly updated in a cool, upbeat fashion without losing the premise of the fight between good and evil. Don’t miss it out!

Perhaps all of us have heard those old fashioned lines of “Romeo, Romeo”, etc. The work of the genius stage writer William Shakespeare is among the ones with most adaptations, so, of course there had to be an anime version. Romeo and Juliet, members of rival families, meet on a ball and fall in love at first sight. They get married in secret but everything gets complicated and they end up, well, dead. Yet, there is a key difference that contributes to make the story more enjoyable to modern audiences. While the original can be considered a tragedy-parody about love and rivalry, the adaptation left out the comical and satirical part. Studio Gonzo fleshed more Juliet’s backstory, making of her a masked heroine pursuing vengeance for her demoted clan. Add some fantasy and sci-fi details plus great animation and music to the tragic romance, and you get a great animated rendition of Romeo and Juliet.

This is another immortal staple of literature that people simply can not forget. The French Victor Hugo wrote it from the point of view of modest and persecuted people that find a way to redeem themselves. Jean Valjean, convicted on his youth for stealing food, tries to rebuild his life. He rescues a girl under the name of Cosette from her cruel masters. They become a family and get out of poverty together as father and daughter, although they are caught in the middle of the French Revolution. The anime covers all that makes the original work great: the drama, the romance, the regrets, and the daily fight of common people to keep their noble principles on a cruel world. Nippon animation was in charge of this anime, thus, the final product is not the latest cut in effects or style. Nevertheless, come on, it is Les Miserables. It works!

The base material for Arslan senki is a mix of the Persian epic poems about Amir Arsalan, the poems of Shannameh (considered a national treasure of Iran), and the real antique history of the region. So, welcome to an imagined Middle East! The world of Arslan is full of epic battles and falling empires. Our protagonist is the young and kind prince Arslan, who is on the run to get allies and recover the kingdom his father lost. Will it be possible for such an inexperienced warrior? With a great use of CG, music combining the best of classical and up-beat modern rithms and a varied set of characters, Arslan senki promises to keep you at the edge of your seat.

We definitely have to mention this curious OVA as a top literary anime work. The french writer Honore de Balzac has a long collection of stories, novels, essays and ideas collectively titled “The human comedy”. Toei animation enlisted the help of the painter Takeshi Fukazawa and a literary expert from Meiji University to create around 70 tempera paintings. Together, they retold one of the short stories from de Balzac’s opera prima: La Grenadiere, the sad and inconclusive reflection of a mother trying to protect her children in the France of the 19th century.

This is an adaptation of what is considered the first psychological novel in the history of mankind, written in the Heian period by lady Murasaki Shikibu. Genji Monogatari Sennenki is a coming of age history about the prince Hikaru Genji and the women who surround him throughout his life, as he tries to succeed on his career at the court. We can find not only romance, but a whole era recreated with its customs, beliefs, art and poetic sensibility towards nature. Artfully produced by TMS Entertainment and Tezuka Productions, the only rather frustrating flaw of this anime is that it’s way too short to make justice to the original material. That is why our number one is…

Alexandre Dumas made it to our Top 10 twice! This writer was simply great into creating adventures. This time, the story is about vengeance. Our protagonist, Edmond Dantes, had everything he could have wished for in life... until his so called friends plotted how to implicate him in a crime and sent him to jail for long years, meanwhile they were having a good time. Dantes eventually came out and became a rich man, targeting everyone who had a hand on his demise and getting close to Albert Morcerf. This young and rather naive man is none other than the son of Dantes’ lost love and one of his former traitor friends, so get ready for the vengeful ride! What Studio Gonzo adds to this great story is a futuristic environment, groovy stylish animation and a combination of classical and electronic music. That is why this anime is the perfect mix of literary pleasure and modern entertainment. You won’t see it coming!

“Do you like green peppers?” has become my favorite pick-up line. If you know what I’m talking about, we can be good friends and enjoy watching Shin-chan together. In spite of the main character being a child, Crayon Shin-chan is not for kids, the humor is mainly adult-targeted and a little bit nasty. Shinosuke (Shin-chan) is a pervert, naughty and barely bearable, but there’s some childish innocence in him that makes him look cute. This isn’t a common anime, many times while watching it you may feel you’re watching a soap opera. The plot is about the daily life of 5-year-old Shinosuke, Misae and Hiroshi, his parents, and Himawari, his baby sister. The show is hilarious, full of awkward moments caused by Shin-chan’s mischievousness; like the “elephant” gag. Being everyday life humor, you can somehow connect with the Nohara family and eventually, they’ll become part of your family too. The characters aren’t superheroes with superpowers. They’re just humans living their daily life. Shin-Chan came to my life when I was living in Japan, since the anime wasn’t aired in my country, even though it was dubbed into Spanish many years ago.

The 4th place goes to the anime starring the best butler you’ll ever find: Sebastian Michaelis. He’s the coolest, sexiest, and most stylish character in all anime history. Ok, I’m probably overreacting, but I’m a big fan of Sebastian. Ciel Phantomhive is “the Queen's Guard Dog” being in charge of investigating many strange events occurring around her majesty. He and his loyal butler will do anything to accomplish their job. But the relationship between Ciel and Sebastian is far more complex than a simple butler and his lord. A few years ago, Ciel sold his soul to Sebastian, who is actually a demon, in order to get revenge for those who killed his parents. I wouldn’t recommend it if you are just looking for fun or killing time watching anime. From the very beginning, the atmosphere is so dark, and the plot is so twisted and deep, that you’ll need to pay attention to every detail, and trust me, it isn’t hard to do because it’s captivating.

This anime marked my debut in the anime world in my adulthood. I discovered Neon Genesis Evangelion in the mid 2000s, almost 10 years after its release. But it took me only three days to completely watch it. It was like a drug, and I liked it. With Evangelion, I reached a point of no return. The anime is set in the year 2015, when the world is about to be destroyed. The only hope of salvation lies on the agency NERV, and their Evas. The Evas, giant robots controlled by compatible pilots who must synchronize with them, are the only ones capable of defeating the Angels. Shinji is a 14-year-old boy who receives a call from NERV to be a pilot of an Evangelion, which actually can only be controlled by certain chosen 14-year-old pilots. This is the initial premise, and you can say that it isn’t very original. But starting from here, things get more and more complicated. Even though the most spectacular scene of every episode is the Eva fighting an Angel, this part sometimes is relegated to the background, because the most interesting is the characters’ psychology. Shinji really doesn’t want to be a hero; we can see and feel his daily mental struggle. The end of the anime is a little bit disappointing and confusing, but thankfully, the OVA titled “End of Evangelion”, rectifies it. It basically tells what actually happened during episodes 25 and 26 but from a point of view placed outside Shinji’s mind.

If we are talking about josei anime (anime aimed at adult women), Nana is a must. I can tell that Nana is THE josei anime. Nana Komatsu has moved to Tokyo to be closer to her boyfriend, with whom she has been with in a long distance relationship for a year. On her way to Tokyo by train, she meets Nana Osaki, a young woman who, although she shares her name, is almost her nemesis. While Nana K. (called also Hachiko) is innocent, naïve and insecure, Nana O. is a cool punk rocker with a strong character. Looking for a place to live, the paths of both women cross again and they decide to share the floor. Soon they begin a friendship that will change their lives forever. The series of 47 episodes was aired until March 2007, but due to the author’s illness, both manga and anime were canceled and remain inconclusive. Thousands of fans have been left with a bittersweet flavor in our mouths, wanting to know more about Nana and Hachiko’s lives.

This is the newest anime on the list, and you may wonder how it managed to rank in the 1st position. The answer is easy: it’s an ecchi anime about food… god made this anime for me! Not only is it about food, but also about cooking, and in addition provides the recipes for the dishes. Yukihira Soma, a 15-year-old boy, has been working in his family’s restaurant since he was a child. One day, his father decides to close the restaurant for a while and go to work around the world. Before departure, Soma’s father enrolls his son in an elite cooking school named Tootsuki Culinary Academy. Overconfident about his cooking skills, Soma warns the rest of his classmates that he’ll defeat all of them. But he doesn’t know that all of them want to be the best. The art and the animation of the show are just brilliant. The way the food is presented and displayed is magnificent, you can follow the whole cooking progress and feel the passion for food just like the characters do. Another particular feature of this anime is that the main character is not the typical shounen protagonist. Yukihira is determined to be the best, he is arrogant, and by far, he doesn’t seem to show any love interest for any of the female characters. Speaking of which, the two main female characters are like day and night. Megumi Tadokoro is clumsy, shy and tries to go unnoticed. At a first glance there is nothing special about her. However, she perfectly completes Yukihira, and together they make a good team. As the anime progresses, she will become confident about her skills and begin to stand out from the other students. Erina Nakiri on the other hand, is the typical tsundere girl, also known as “God Tongue”. She is the granddaughter of Tootsuki’s director, and a high level chef. She’s the perfect rival for Yukihira, and every time they meet, you can breathe the tension in the air. But without a doubt, the best of this anime are the “foodgasm” scenes. Those are the characters’ reactions when tasting delicious food. If you remember Meg Ryan in When Harry met Sally, that was nothing compared to Shokugeki no Soma. I highly recommend this anime if you are a food lover, and if you aren’t, at least give it a try. This is an anime that offers something different.

Earth has been decimated. With nothing left to survive on due to a war between planets, humanity has been forced to expand into the stars and try to find more hospitable locations. Idols, however, are banned. That does not stop a group of young and upcoming idols from bringing back deculture or music! Fighting against the regime that pushed for music as being a source of evil, these girls form AKB0048 and attempt to bring music back to life. Holding concerts on planet after planet, they run from the law in space producing music based on the original AKB48 members in order to bring back music! As shocking as this may seem yes, these two shows share similar elements. Both Macross Delta and AKB0048 are bother sci-fi, mecha adventures set into space. Take it a step further that both use music as a core theme, and even deeper is that both are surrounded by the concept of idols. Yes, Walkure are idols. Space travel occurs as well as the theme of the healing power of music. One of the other great similarities is that different planets are showcased as well! Don’t take our word for it, though, check out the trailer below!

Often maligned as an Evangelion copy, RahXephon is anything but! In 2012, Japan was invaded by the blue-blooded, human appearing alien race, the Mu. Though, three years later in 2015, Tokyo is attacked by a Dolem. Ayato Kamina, the main character meets a mysterious girl who becomes the source of his affection, or obsession, Reika Mishima. Then strangely, in the same day, he meets Haruka, a woman from a rebellion who tells him there is a world outside of Tokyo. While the Dolem is attacking with his MOTHER on top of it, Reika leads Ayato to a room with a giant egg? A Dolem within, hatches. Ayato meets RahXephon, enters into this robotic Dolem and fights back. The aliens must be taken down! This one is more for the action fans. Macross Delta is doing well with the action scenes, but the complaint is that they are a little too sparse. RahXephon can help with that! Music as well here is more about tuning in RahXephon while Delta leans more towards catchy beats and idol choruses. Music regardless, though, is a heavy underlying theme. Of course, too, RahXephon is heavy as well on the mech and fight scenes too. Much like how Delta is as well. In both series as well, romance and feelings do intrude with some of the main characters and Tokyo/Earth is under duress.

Just like Delta and the first entry on this list, in Kakumeiki Valvrave, humanity has finally reached out to the stars and sought to live on them. The combined efforts of the nation's JIOR, Dorssia, and ARUS house approximately half or more of humanity. However… just because they have reached space does not mean that humans have overcome their issues. Haruto Tokishima was a student at Sakimori Academy within ARUS enjoying his student life until one day. Dorssia attacks and is mercilessly in pursuit of machines called the Valvraves that will break the stalemate that these two countries face while at war. Now, Haruto and his classmates must make the ultimate sacrifice; they must give up their humanity to fight against the Dorssian’s with the Valvraves. Joined by a tactician L-elf, they begin to challenge the status quo. One minor similarity that we must point out right out of the starting gate is that while Macross Delta is about ½ idols, Valvrave has it’s own, yet retired, idol in the form of Saki Rukino. Naturally, both of these shows are jam packed with action and both take place in space and time, post-earth. Once again, the struggle is real here, but the roles are slightly reversed. In Valvrave, Haruto and company struggle against the Dorssians who are invading for help in this war while in Macross Delta, the Delta Platoon and Walkure struggle against Windermere who is fighting back, or rather, rebelling against the rule they have been placed under. However, we cannot say more or it will become spoilers! Check out Valvrave below!

Ah yes, back when shows were given two cours or more frequently and we were not punished with a quick 13 episode season. iDOLM@STER Xenoglossia (IX from here on out) is what gave rise to the iDOLM@STER franchise and is set almost 107 years into the future. More than a century past, the moon was destroyed into billions upon billions of asteroids. Where were they going to go but Earth? Science stepped in and developed iDOLs, or robots powered to divert asteroids from striking Earth and causing damage. Present day Haruka Amami suddenly hears something about an idolm@ster project audition and thinking that she is going to become a singer, something she wants to be, she auditions. Much to her surprise, she is selected but not to be a singer; she is selected to learn how to pilot an iDOL mecha. The agency behind everything seems a bit fishy, but from the moment that Haruka hops into her iDOL, she senses that maybe these robots are more than just robots… So many places to begin here as well with similarities. IX and Macross of course again, are centered on themes of fighting and singing idols. Haruka Amami is much like how Freyja is portrayed, clumsy, a bit silly, but lighthearted. Meaning well and sensing a connection with things around themselves, Haruka and Freyja both can feel this connection. With Freyja, it is the Song of the Wind while Haruka has the connection with Imber. We cannot go too into these because we do not want to spoil you! Not to mention finally, these shows have their emotional rollercoaster moments while still touching on the Mecha, Action, and Sci-fi elements. Even if you are not a big idol fan, fans of Macross Delta should not miss out on this one.

Now for something a bit less in your face, but yet still good, engaging, and a classic. Full Metal Panic! Follows around Sousuke Sagara who is following around Kaname Chidori. Why do you ask? Well, he’s not a stalker, Sousuke works for a military organization called Mithril. What is Mithril? Well, it is a privatized military organization that has been established to protect “whispered” or individuals who have incredible knowledge and the ability to create locked within them. Mithril protects these individuals from falling into the wrong hands and you guessed it, Kaname is a whispered. Sousuke, who has never known anything other than the battleground now has to adjust to being in a Japanese high school with a girl who is not crazy about him in her life, to begin with. From A to Z this show is fantastic. Plenty of action coupled with plenty of comedy makes Full Metal Panic! a great watch. Now in this series we obviously can see themes of mecha and action, but also of Sousuke trying to protect Kaname much like how Hayate is protecting or fighting for Freyja in Macross Delta. Tie that in with the fact that you now have a “rival” in love and suddenly there is Teletha Testarossa in FMP! and Mirage in Macross Delta. Ooh the plot thickens! Combine that with subsequent seasons and an evil force chasing after Kaname and it will only get better!

This is the show that never ends~ This is a show for all our friends~ Oh right… Inuyasha. Kagome Higurashi was actually just your average girl who loved to hang out by a cursed will on her family’s temple grounds. The mother and father are where? One day, though, a demon pulls through time for her and pulls her back 500 years in time. She was born in the modern era with a jewel of limitless power called the Shikon Jewel. Well knowing this series, nothing is easy as our new friend Kagome shatters the gem while taking out the demon. She then takes the next brilliant step to enlist half human and half demon InuYasha to help her find the shards so that they do not fall into evil. They are joined by the lecherous monk Miroku, an orphaned fox-demon named Shippo, and the Youkai hunter Sango. They now must deal with the rising threat of Naraku, a powerful demon, and more as they attempt to piece together the shard. Ironically, this one is meant to tug at your heartstrings a bit. InuYasha and Macross Delta do share similar action themes. One just takes place with Mechas and fight scenes while in InuYasha, this can take episodes. The real hard line of similarity between these two are the vicious love triangles in these series. Kikyo, a former partner/lover of InuYasha’s detests Kagome and actually tries to remove her on various occasions. We really cannot say more without spoiling you to the moon and back, but the same is true in Macross Delta when it comes to the Freyja-Hayate-Mirage setup. What also makes these both unique is that in love triangles, is that these are not as common as you think. Most shows almost always go cannon or harem with a very obvious female protagonist, but here, you see real competition between Kikyo and Kagome, mostly Kagome just trying to survive, but we digress. We are cheering on Mirage though to see if she will do more! One final warning! InuYasha is a commitment. You will not be able to shotgun it. However, it is well worth it.