Saeki Koshiro is living with his father after a divorce that separated him from his mother and younger sister. A few long years later, Koshiro now works as a wedding planner, but unfortunately, his personal love life wasn’t planned very well because his girlfriend left him. On his way to work, Koshiro met a young high school girl on the train and after talking to her purely out of chance, something sparked within him. Is this love? And to his shock, he soon finds out the girl he met is actually his sister, Nanoka, and she is planning on staying with him and their father. Talk about awkward. Let’s start things off with an anime that’s focused more on the love than the sex. The relationship between siblings started out very awkward (grown man hanging out with a school girl in the park) but slowly developed into a less awkward story of a guy falling in love with his sister. The similarities to Aki-Sora are thin like there are no intentional panty and boob shots and no constant sex, and the act of cutting off a man’s private, but the siblings do end up falling in love and eventually the two had sex, though it wasn’t explicitly shown.

Himenokouji Akiko, 16 years of age, has moved in with her brother, Akito, after 6 long years of living apart. Over that 6 long years of being separated from her sibling, Akiko has slowly developed incestuous feelings towards her brother and it’s no surprise Akiko confessed her feelings after both were reunited. To make things a bit more complicated, Akiko loves to speak her mind and it’s not before long everyone in school knows her incestuous love towards her brother Akito. While the anime isn’t as, let’s just say, boisterous as Aki-Sora, the main story of OniAi is focused on the love between siblings and our lovable Akiko who wants more from her brother other than hugs and kisses, much like Aki wanted (or did) with her brother Sora. Unfortunately for Akiko (aside from numerous girls also aiming for Akito), her brother Akito doesn’t see her as someone romantically being with, but eventually their relationship soon develop as the story progresses.

Suminoe Keita has new step-siblings, Ako and Riko, after their parents remarried. As it turns out, the twin sisters find Keita attractive in a sexual way, but Keita disliked the idea of getting romantically involved with his new step-sisters. All that changes when the three siblings entered the same high school and Keita couldn’t stand seeing the boys making moves on his beloved sisters. Keita wants Ako and Riko for himself and the best part is their parents totally approve! “Don’t worry and go for it!”, right!? Yeah, Keita isn’t related to the twins, but the two sisters make out a few times in the anime, so that’s incest of the yuri kind. Still, Keita at first considered the twins to be his siblings because they’ve been together since childhood, but like any growing boy of his age, priorities change, and man, things don’t let up in Kiss x Sis. If we’re gonna nitpick, Kiss x Sis is similar to Aki-Sora in a lot of ways such as both shows involving a love triangle, Ako and Riko are twins just like Sora and Nami, and all are in love with each other and they’re sexually aggressive about it. But the biggest similarity is both shows are very perverted and lustful. There is no sex in Kiss x Sis, but in terms of the number of lewd things they do every single day rivals that of Aki-Sora where Aki dresses Sora as a girl, gives Sora a blowjob out in the open and have sex in the school’s tool shed.

On the outside, Kousaka Kyousuke seems to be the luckiest brother on Earth for having a sister who is smart, athletic and is a professional model. Aside from her impressive resume, Kirino at home is a bratty girl, a hardcore otaku who collects figures, likes little anime girls, and reads erotic visual novels, and suddenly, both siblings stopped talking to each other like they don’t exist. During one quaint afternoon, Kyousuke found out his little sister was reading pornographic stuff and in that very moment, their silence broke for the first time. Kirino then convinced Kyousuke to help hide her double life from her friends and everyone else, including their parents, while helping her do some otaku stuff. Your mileage with this anime varies due to a lot of factors. First, is Kirino is one insufferable girl, like an overpowered tsundere that you may find unlikable. Secondly, you’re gonna hate this show because you were rooting for Kuroneko to win. If there’s a third factor, it's that the incestuous part won’t show up for a while, as in wait until the sequel. That aside, the story is centered around Kyousuke helping out Kirino. Initially, Kyousuke is helping cover Kirino’s otaku tracks but slowly turned into Kyousuke emotionally supporting Kirino like any big brother would do. For the actual incest, things develop around the 2nd season with the two getting married, kissed and the heavy implications that they had sex. According to the light novels, at least. Though not as sexually explicit like Aki-Sora, the story of two siblings ending up together and having sex is still pretty similar to Aki-Sora. Sorry, Kuroneko, fans.

Iku and brother Yori are very close twins since they were young and, at one time, Yori told his parents that one day he would marry his sister Iku. His declaration of marriage may sound playful and innocent like any other kid, but that declaration came back to his teen years and it’s been haunting him since. He can’t stand looking at Iku without any romantic or even sexual thoughts, and it reached the point that Yori no longer sees Iku as a sibling. Yori began avoiding Iku by all means, but things are getting way worse because not only can Yori, still, not control his emotions, he ended up hurting the feelings of his one and only sister. So what happens when your twin sister is one hot girl, clingy towards you, both of you sleep in one room, steals your top bunk once in awhile for a snooze as you just hit puberty? Raging hormones, that’s what! Boku wa Imou—let’s just call it “BokuImo”—tells a more serious side of incest romance and it’s more realistic than Aki-Sora’s pacing, plus a dab of religion. However, the fundamentals are still similar: two siblings fell in love and while there are some ups and downs, like questioning what is moral or immoral, the two sealed that forbidden love with one intimate night together.

Twins Kasugano Sora and Haruka are returning to the countryside to start a new life after their parents died from a freak car accident. There they meet with childhood friends and their new life begins, but little does everyone know, the twins carry a secret and forbidden relationship behind closed doors. Yosuga no Sora tells the story of a pair of twins’ bond, love and sexual discoveries. Like Aki-Sora, the story is centered around incest, and again like Aki-Sora, there are a lot of sex scenes. In addition, Yosuga no Sora isn’t categorized as hentai. At first, the show typically starts off with the twins settling in their new home, meeting new friends, and Sora finding new love among his classmates, etc. Before the story progresses to a typical romance story, the anime grinds to a halt and retconned itself to divert the story focusing on the twins. Things start getting crazier as the twins begin lusting for each other’s bodily fluids and at one point when they couldn’t contain their lust, they ended up getting caught by one of their friends!! Yosuga no Sora really defined the phrase “F**k like rabbits.”

Have you seen the music video or even heard the song “MEMEME” by TeddyLoyd feat. Daoko? Well then, that music video was an episode of Japan Animator Expo just like Hill Climb Girl. Japan Animator Expo features original animations by different creators that were released weekly on the Japanese video sharing site called NicoNico. All of the anime that are featured here are fairly short, showing different kinds of unique storylines, artworks, and visuals. If you want to watch Hill Climb Girl, it is in episode 2 of the collection. The story of Hill Climb Girl is very short and simple. A high school girl, Hinako, races every morning with her mama chari bike against a boy on their way to school. She always losses in the process, but nonetheless, she never gives up. After her recent loss, she gets a chance of winning with the help of her inspiration, Bradley Wiggins. The animation is in CGI which is done quite well. It exhibits wonderful bright colors that give off a very refreshing feeling. A very well done anime short that can be watched at anyone’s leisure.

Unlike our other selections here that feature road racing, Idaten Jump focuses more on BMX racing. Yamato Sho and his friends love MTB riding (Mountain Bike Riding) and they practice in the X-zone. However, another MTB group named “Shark Tooth” challenges Sho with the winner having claim over X-zone. On the day of the race, a dark smoke surrounds Sho and his friends, and they realize that they were transported into a different dimension. In order to get back home, Sho must collect 10 pieces of emblems by winning the so-called “Idaten Battle.” Now, Sho embarks on a journey as he tries to win the battles in order to get home. The beginning of Idaten Jump might surprise viewers because of its bizarre, unexpected start, but as you progress along, you will be rewarded with amazing action revolving around cycling. Even though cycling is the main center for the action of the series, Idaten Jump spices the sport even more by adding unconventional road tracks with superpowered bikes to boot. It’s a good old show that will remind viewers of their childhood days.

The same director as Ghibli’s Spirited Away, Howl’s Moving Castle, and Princess Mononoke comes with another memorable piece, Nasu: Summer in Andalusia. The story revolves around Spanish cyclist, Pepe Benengeli, as he competes in the Vuelta road race. He faces emotional turmoil along the race because of the wedding of his ex-girlfriend to his brother and the pressure that was put upon him by his sponsors to win the race. Same as some of our selections here, Nasu: Summer in Andalusia unveils the workings behind the wonderful sport that is cycling. Cycling is simply not just pedaling your way through the finish line, it involves regulation of one’s breathing, the immediate response to one’s surroundings, great teamwork, and an ample number of strategies to win the race. The movie teaches the viewers all of these, while the protagonist reflects on his relationship with his family, teammates, and his hometown. Usually, when a person’s mind is divided, they cannot concentrate on the matter at hand. Well, not for Pepe, as he uses this to fuel himself to reach the finish line. Being one of the oldest show in this list, Nasu is well written and is a very solid anime in general. If you want to see more of Pepe, watch him in the sequel Nasu: Suitcase no Wataridori.

Shinozaki Mikoto is just your average timid teenage boy who has a big crush on Fukazawa Yuki. Unexpectedly, Fukazawa suggested that Shinozaki join the high school cycling club, thus leading him to the world of competitive cycling. As he discovers his love for cycling, he dreams of one day being able to race in the biggest bicycle tournament in the world: The Tour de France. But before that, he has to face the ultimate hurdle of all, learning how to ride a bike. Over Drive definitely shows you what it’s like to be an underdog. It is presented before us through the eyes of our protagonist, Shinozaki Mikoto. During the first half of the series, it is shown to viewers how Shinozaki trains hard to attain his dream goal. Towards the other half of the series, we’re shown how Shinozaki’s training has paid off. Overall, the show was amazingly good in that it focuses more on an individual’s development. That everyone at some point will find something that they are good at and can inspire others as well. Shinozaki is a prime example of a person who works hard and was rewarded by the surprising satisfaction of doing something great. The show has a nice touch of romance, comedy, and drama mixed together, earning Over Drive the number 2 spot on this list.

Speeding its way to our top list is Yowamushi Pedal. When Bicycle anime is mentioned, the first to come to mind is Yowamushi Pedal. Spanning 2 seasons, spin-offs, a movie and a 3rd season on the way, Yowamushi Pedal indeed gave a new fresh viewpoint to the sport. Onoda Sakamichi, a first-year high school student in Sohoku High School, is an Otaku by heart. He plans to join the anime club, but to his dismay, it closed down due to lack of members. Determined to reopen the club and fulfill his dream of having a friend, he searches for a potential member, and there he meets Imaizumi Shunsuke -a cyclist who has taken an interest in Onoda’s hidden potential in cycling. Just like Shinozaki Mikoto from our previous selection, Onoda Sakamichi is what you may call a “lame” character from the first impression. They are characters with low self-esteem who found a new perspective because of Cycling. Unlike Shinozaki who started at the very bottom to harness his skills, Onoda already has the talent and only improves it to make it better. While Over Drive focuses more on individual growth, Yowamushi Pedal, on the other hand, focuses more on teamwork. Despite the large array of characters, Yowamushi Pedal never fails to flesh them out. It gives us little glimpses and hints on why these characters choose to race with their bicycles. The races are long but very entertaining, it puts a mix of drama and comedy along the sidelines to keep the viewer’s attention. It also features amazing music that will surely make you fired up for the show.

Starting off with one of the closer related series, we have Ore no Kanojo to Osananajimi ga Shuraba Sugiru, or for short “Oreshura”. Here we meet Eita, similarly to Yuuta, he’s a young man who just began his first term in high school, leaving middle school and its “8th grader” embarrassments with it, or so he thinks. It doesn’t take long before he meets the beautiful transfer student Masuzu Natsukawa who has found out about his past, and forces him to pretend to date her to stop other guys from asking her out. Oreshura offers a similar dynamic between the main characters to the one in Love, Chunibyo & Other Delusions!, where their innocent stories hinting at love are concealed by the silly antics only found in the relaxed club environments during high school afternoons. The series also involves a lot more backstory than Love, Chunibyo & Other Delusions! early on. With the main character having a pretty rough situation at home after being abandoned by his parents, as well as having the motivation to do whatever it takes to repay his caretaker by studying hard at school. While Love, Chunibyo & Other Delusions! breaks off the characters’ antics with occasional silly drama, Oreshura features more harem and romantic themes to spice up the setting a notch, giving it a slightly more mature feeling. Needless to say, the series is a great alternative for someone who is looking for a slightly less superficial high school club anime, while still keeping the silly antics and lively relationships!

Let’s rewind the tape a bit and go back to a more classically drawn anime as in The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya! This critically acclaimed and hugely successful anime, shares a lot of similarities to Love, Chunibyo & Other Delusions! As the story begins, the main character, Kyon, has given up on his belief in the supernatural. But when high school starts, he is placed next to the eccentric Haruhi Suzumiya, who introduces herself with “I have no interest in ordinary humans”. Being intrigued, Kyon starts to talk to Haruhi, despite her middle school classmates advising him not to. Not long after that, she is inspired to make a club known as “the SOS Brigade” with him, to investigate the supernatural. One of the more interesting aspects of this anime compared to the others, is its different emphasis on tropes, and how the characters act a bit different to what we are used to now, after 2010. Kyon, the main character, is more of a calm and collected person who is neither ditzy nor clumsy. Although he gets dragged around like the main characters in the other anime mentioned, he doesn’t really seem to mind, and is more open to the antics that Haruhi is up to. This is evident by the thought narration by Kyon, which sort of sounds like an early take on the style of narration present in other anime series, such as Bakemonogatari. The calm pacing and the different style of narration is what really sets The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya apart from the other picks in this list. With a lot of series in general being very high energy lately, The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya is a great choice to just kick back and relax to. So if your energy got depleted after watching Rikka’s epic battles versus her sister Tooka in Love, Chunibyo & Other Delusions!, this one is definitely for you!

Aren’t there any series that actually feature supernatural beings!? Well, moving forward to our next pick, we take a look at Ground Control to Psychoelectric Girl. The series features Makoto Niwa, a young high schooler who has to live at his aunt's place while his parents are staying overseas. When moving in, he meets a strange cousin he never knew he had, who claims to be an extraterrestrial life form. Usually, more could be said about the plot in these kinds of series without spoiling too much, but Ground Control to Psychoelectric Girl is a series that keeps you guessing along with the main character which we will let you do too! As in Love, Chunibyo & Other Delusions!, the main character leaves his middle school life behind to start anew. However, it’s slightly different as Makoto never sported a shameful “8th grader syndrome”. He also doesn’t seem to believe in the supernatural, at least from the start. Ground Control to Psychoelectric Girl is also a bit different from Love, Chunibyo & Other Delusions! in that it has a mystery feel to it and separates the antics from schools and clubs. Yet it keeps the dynamic of the two main characters between the two cousins and their antics. Well recommended for anyone that is looking for a series with more mystery!

What about an anime where they ACTUALLY have superpowers? Well we got you covered there too! When Supernatural Battles Became Commonplace, is an anime which throws you right into the action without any explanations. Which is great for the ones who rather skip that long tedious setup for all the characters. Or perhaps for those who just don’t have the time to watch anime very often. The story starts with Jurai Andou, the only male in the literature club, who’s trying to convince all the girls in the club that he has a power surging from his hand. This works as a good jump start to show the relationships between all the characters. And sure enough, to everyone's surprise (even Jurai himself), dark flames start to emit from his hands shortly thereafter. Eventually all the club members develop their own powers and their afternoon antics become somewhat different. “Somewhat” as in they don’t really change what they are doing, but now they look 10 times cooler. The series handles the, perhaps overpowered superpowers, in a nice way as the characters don’t chase a dream of changing the world like the common superhero stories. Here, they rather just play around with their powers amongst their friends. Jurai is a lot more outgoing and eccentric than the other main characters on the list, and blends in more with his other chuunibyou clubmates, as he takes the spot of the “weird one” instead of the girl. So if you’re looking for some “same same, but different” action, this one is sure to please!

If you don’t have the time to binge watch an entire season or two, there are other options too! Aura: Koga Maryuin's Last War brought the “8th grader syndrome” and its chuunibyou themes onto the big screen. Ichirou Satou is a high school student sporting the same type of “8th grader” condition as Yuuta, and is asked by his teacher to take care of the strange and delusional Ryouko Satou, who walks into school wearing a mage costume. Ichirou, ashamed of being similar to her previously, turns down the teacher's request. But after seeing her getting bullied, he makes it his mission to free her from her “8th grader syndrome”, with the help of his alternate persona. As there is only one movie connected to this world, it’s densely packed with love, action and drama, with no time for that filler fluff! And with that said, the story also features a more real and cruel world with less comedic relief than the other picks on this list. Its believable characters and the character development in this movie is what really takes the crown, as it takes you through a grand story in less than one hour and a half . If you’ve ever felt like a series is going too slow, or are just waiting for that lingering romance to become something, this here is your pick for the weekend!

Stepping outside the comfort zone of high schools, literature clubs and fantasy styled delusions, we arrive at our last, and possibly cutest, pick for this list! This Art Club Has a Problem! is about a middle school art club, where the main character Subaru Uchimaki is trying to find and draw his 2D soulmate. As expected, this series takes a bigger step into a more innocent and lighthearted world of middle school life, with dynamics between the characters being a bit different than the rest on this list. For starters, the series focuses a bit more on the girl who has a crush on the boy, and this time around the male character is actually skilled at something(!). So without further ado, This Art Club Has a Problem! is a great series which makes you smile and is perhaps a bit more relaxing to watch than the intense dialogues and battles seen in Love, Chunibyo & Other Delusions! Oh, and if you didn’t notice, the anime is still airing! So it’s fresh of the prints for this summer's batch of new anime series!

Don’t get fooled by the art and those pretty bright colors as this Mahou Shoujo is more than that. Drosselmeyer, wanting to give an ending to the fairytale “The Prince and the Raven” decides to take an actual duck to continue on with the story. Now, as a human, Ahiru learns that she can transform into Princess Tutu, at which point she can dance to relieve any disturbances of the heart. As time goes by, she finds out that she needs to find the broken pieces of the Prince’s heart in order to make him whole again, but not without being stopped by the Raven’s daughter, Princess Kraehe. Simply, Princess Tutu’s whole premise is “story within a story”. The beginning of Princess Tutu may not differ from some Mahou Shoujo clichés, but once you watch along, you’ll notice a darker turn of events, making the show more unique and very original. The visuals were stunning and the music was great, but the real gem of this anime is the great writing and execution along with its memorable characters. The complexity of the characters is superb. They are very believable and very likeable. I like how their beliefs and feelings are constantly played with and tested by the crazy Drosselmeyer who wants a tragic end for the characters. It’s wonderful to see that these characters break away from who they were supposed to be and create their very own “happily ever after”. The overall anime was good. But it was so unexpected that when the ending finally came, I felt betrayed and happy at the same time. Until now, every time I remember that ending, it still gives me that bittersweet feeling. I’m not saying the ending was unsatisfying, it is actually one of the best endings I’ve watched in an anime. The show incorporates ballets and gives off that fairytale atmosphere. It might put off some viewers at first, but give it a chance, and you’ll see the beauty of this majestic anime.

Air Gear focuses on the adventures of the hot-headed teenager Itsuki “Ikki” Minami as he aims to be at the top of the Trophaeum Tower by using air treks - high-end motorized roller skates -. I actually kept on pondering if I should put down Haikyuu!! for this selection or Air Gear. But as you can see, Air Gear won me over. I will admit that Haikyuu!! is my most favorite sports anime as of now, but after remembering Air Gear, I felt that this anime should be on my list! Call it feeling nostalgic or whatever, Air Gear takes this 4th place. As for some who know me personally, they would know that usually for me anime+harem+excessive fanservice= dropped anime. Well, surprise, surprise! This is one of the few cases where this simple rule wasn’t applied. Yes, there was a lot of fanservice here and there and to make things worse, this anime has a lot of typical shounen anime clichés. Weirdly enough, I didn’t notice it, well, sometimes that is. The fan service hasn’t really bothered me that much and as for the clichés, they were utilized in a different manner, developing it more to keep things interesting. I’m sure the main point that made me fall in love with this anime, is the concept behind those roller skates, and of course its quirky characters. Every time I see Ikki Minami riding on those air treks, I feel like I am flying with him. It’s funny, but this is one of those shows that I was so immersed in that I wished air treks were real. Not only that, I also like the idea behind the sport. It was well thought out. The show was so fun to watch! The moment I finished the anime, I immediately went straight to reading the manga. It’s an entertaining show that gives you a lot of that adrenaline rush. Just don’t expect any logic when it comes to the physics and science behind this anime.

The anime that opened the Horror and Psychological genre for me was Psycho Pass. Without this anime, I wouldn't have known titles such as Tokyo Ghoul, Ajin, Parasyte, Monster, Aoi Bungaku, Shingeki no Kyojin, Zankyou no Terror, and many more of the like. In a futuristic Japan, the country implemented the Sibyl System as a way of enforcing the law. It scans a person’s mental state to determine if said person could commit a criminal act. Join the new rookie officer, Tsunemori Akane, as she begins to unfold the truth behind the Sibyl System’s “perfect judgment”. As I have said earlier, Psycho Pass was an eye opener to other anime that didn’t really quite attract me before. The premise alone was enough to captivate me. Couple it up with nice soundtracks, animation, and distinctive characters and this show was a gold mine for someone like me who was new to this kind of genre. Although almost all of the main characters are captivating as they are, Makishima Shougo, the main antagonist of the show, really stood out for me. Makishima’s actions are indeed ruthless and inhuman, but once you hear his side of the story and his intentions, he does make a point. And then we have Kougami Shinya who has a great sense of justice but doesn’t believe that Sybil System is just. Because of that, he is ready to take justice into his own hands, albeit at the price of becoming a criminal. Lastly, we have the female lead, Tsunemori Akane, who is too idealistic. Her character drastically develops from an inexperienced officer to a more mature and solid character. Psycho Pass is a good watch, it shows us that even the so-called “perfect system” can have its flaws. There is also a thin line between good and evil that makes you question yourself about what truly is “Justice”.

Natsume Yuujinchou was written and illustrated by Yuki Midorikawa which was also known for the wonderful story behind Hotarubi no Mori e. Because of his ability to see youkai, Natsume Takahashi has isolated himself from people. He inherited the book of friends from his grandmother, which contains names of youkai that his grandmother bullied and teased. It is said the one who holds the book of friends has the control over the youkai, whose names were written in the book, thus the reason why Natsume is being constantly chased by these beings. Until the day he accidentally unleashes a powerful youkai named Madara, who then declared to act as Natsume’s bodyguard. Madara’s true intention is to get the book of friends, but as times goes on, he becomes so attached to the boy that even he begins to help Natsume on returning the names of the youkai albeit with its power diminishing. Natsume Yuujinchou is very simple. It is very episodic but each episode holds a beautiful meaning that can be reflective. When this anime was suggested by someone I knew, I was skeptical about it. I thought I might get bored of this and just sleep away. Fortunately, that didn’t happen, all thanks to our protagonist Natsume Takahashi. Natsume’s development as a character was absolutely captivating. As he interacts with different youkai, he becomes more open and becomes accepted for who he really is. This anime holds a special place in my heart because I somehow relate to Natsume on a personal level. Watching it really gave me some insights about myself and gave me a new, fresher perspective about family and how I need to open up to other people too. It’s really hard to explain how phenomenal this show was, but once you’ve begun to watch it, it’s hard to go back. A very emotional and inspirational anime for me to enjoy anytime.

Even before the anime came out and had gained a lot of fans, I was already a fan of its manga back in the day when it only had 12 chapters. Magi is very special to me because this was the 1st Shounen manga that I’d read. I also watched it grow, and really, I didn’t expect that Magi would someday become an anime with a fairly large fan base behind it. You could say I’m very proud of the author, Ohtaka Shinobu, who has come a long way. The story is loosely based on the classic tale of Arabian Nights. It centers around Aladdin and his adventures of being a Magi. Magi starts off very slow, but it uses this to introduce the abundant world of Magi and how these characters are woven to meet each other. Unlike other Shounen anime, Magi has this realistic tone despite it being a fantasy, supernatural anime. It discusses real issues like slavery, corruption, politics, and wars. Conflicts are usually nicely presented and resolved in an excellent way. Sometimes they can be solved through action packed fights, or some can be solved through diplomatic talks. Just like with my previous selections, the most endearing part of the anime has been its characters. Even with its wide array of characters, Magi never fails to flesh them out and give importance to them. Everyone has their own convictions, and really, it’s hard to follow who is good and evil when all of their ideals do make some sense. Magi is simply magical to me, It really is hard to pinpoint all the good things Magi has one by one because it has a lot! Of course, it has some minor flaws here and there, but I believe there are only a few. Though I admit that the anime did miss some important key elements in the manga and changed some scenes, nevertheless, I still enjoyed it. It has everything I want in an adventure anime. For me, Magi deserves to be my number one on this list.

First up on our list is one of the most recent shows which - similar to Angel Beats! - was able to gain a big fanbase in a very short time: Charlotte. There are people on this earth who are more than they seem to be. Yuu Otosaka looks like a common high-school student, but he has the ability to take over the minds of anyone near him for a couple of seconds. Too bad that he uses these amazing abilities only for his own good. His selfish days might be over after he meets the mysterious Nao who wants to recruit him for an organization that supports special kids just like him. Is the fact that both Angel Beats! and Charlotte are written by Jun Maeda reason enough to include Charlotte on this list? No? Okay, then let us list a couple more similarities. Both shows have school settings but revolve around supernatural themes that force the main cast of teenagers to become more mature than they are. All of them are part of organizations where they combine their strengths to make sense of what’s happening to them. Lastly, both shows are definite must-watch anime that every anime lover needs to give a try, regardless of preferences. So what are you still waiting for?

Finding yourself trapped in the afterlife is already bad enough, but imagine waking up in a world abandoned by God where people are unable to die. This scenario becomes a reality in Kamisama no Inai Nichiyoubi. In a world without God, people are neither able to die nor produce new life. Only so-called Gravekeepers have the power to grant the dead eternal peace through a burial ceremony. Usually, these Gravekeepers are austere individuals which demand your utmost respect, but 12-year-old Ai seems to be an exception to the rule with her innocent face and cheerful smile. This is the story of Ai who travels the world to put people to rest and question how and why God has abandoned them. Just like Angel Beats!, this show seems pretty cheerful at first glance. Ai is a cute heroine who travels in a beautifully designed universe. However, both shows have more to offer than that. Their storylines become progressively deeper and make you question the meaning of life, what happens after you die and the existence of God himself. If you like deep and thoughtful shows while also having a little bit of humor to keep you from becoming too depressed, then Kamisama no Inai Nichiyoubi should be on your must-watch list.

We already mentioned Clannad in the previous list, but we need to say it again: Clannad is a great show and definitely a must-watch for fans of Angel Beats!. High school is tough for most students, but it is especially tiresome for Tomoya Okazaki who’d much rather just skip school and stay at home. It’s only by chance that he meets Nagisa, an adorable yet absent-minded girl. Tomoya decides to help Nagisa out and soon enough he not only grows close to her but also some other girls at his school. Who would have guessed that these encounters might change his life forever? We simply couldn’t resist including Clannad on this updated list as well. After all, if you are truly looking for a show similar to Angel Beats!, then Clannad should be one of the first shows to look into. Not only was it also directed by Tatsuya Ishihara, but it is equally dramatic and emotionally touching as Angel Beats!. Both shows rely on their main cast and put the relationship between each character above other parts of the story. As a result, you will grow attached and share the characters’ pain as if it was your own. Fans of thoughtful and touching stories need to watch Clannad, no matter what.

Next up is Rewrite, the most recent anime on our list which is based on a visual novel of the same name. Kotarou Tennouji cannot stay out of trouble since the arrogant high-school boy likes to get himself involved in other people’s business. As a result, he gets closer to a group of girls at his school and learns more about the fates of each one of them. Mysterious things start happening in his otherwise peaceful city and in his private life and soon enough Kotarou has some big decisions to make. Rewrite was produced by Key which also took part in the creation of both Angel Beats! and Charlotte, so you could expect this show to be at least somewhat similar to Angel Beats!. Sure enough, we have another high school story that becomes increasingly more mysterious and thought-provoking as the story moves on. Rewrite sets itself apart from Angel Beats! by having a stronger harem aspect, but you still have similar action, school and romance elements. Fans of Clannad’s art style will also certainly enjoy this little gem.

You’ve already cried your eyes out with Angel Beats! and Clannad left you feeling empty inside? Then brace yourself, because Anohana has made more than just a few people bawl like babies. Jinta and his friends are enjoying the best part of youth together: fun, freedom and friendship. But when one of them dies, the group of friends falls apart and each one of them continues living alone. They would prefer forgetting about the past, but when the ghost of their lost friend suddenly appears they have to find back to each other once again. Just like Clannad, Anohana was part of our first list but had to be included again since it is so relevant. This show will take you on an emotional rollercoaster similar to Angel Beats!. You’ll first grow to love the main cast and enjoy watching their carefree adventures, only to be smacked in the face with a big baseball bat named “feelings”. Both shows combine the innocence of youth with something as dark and depressing as death and in the process teach you about the power to move on from your past. Grab a pack of tissues and watch Anohana if you haven’t already!

In Angel Beats!, life after death takes place at a high school. In Death Parade, the afterlife is depicted as a bar where you gamble for a chance to be reincarnated. Welcome to Quindecim, your establishment of the supernatural kind! After your death, you will find yourself inside a mysterious bar where a white-haired man awaits you. His name is Decim and he is a game master who decides your ultimate fate. He challenges every lost soul to a game where winning means reincarnation while losing will lead to your ultimate end. Life after death has never been this entertaining. We’ll be the first ones to admit that Death Parade is way darker than Angel Beats! and lacks its uplifting school or comedy aspects. However, it shares the core concept of Angel Beats!, namely the question of life after death. Both stories are set in the afterlife and mainly revolve around the backstories and previous lives of the main cast. If you enjoyed Angel Beats! for its thoughtful aspects and interesting premise, then you should definitely check out Death Parade next.