A.D. 2010. The Holy Britannia Empire declares war on the rest of the world, confident in its military strength due to their devastating mechanised weapons, the Knightmare Frames. The aftermath of the war saw Britannia establish itself as one of the world’s most powerful nations, with several territories claimed and renamed “Designated Areas”, Japan being Area 11. As a result of colonisation, the emergence of Japanese radicals caused several politically-motivated conflicts, and exiled Britannian Prince Lelouch Lamperouge found himself caught in the middle of such a conflict between Japanese rebels, who were in possession of a dangerous weapon, and the Britannian military. With his life in mortal danger, the weapon reveals itself to be C.C, a young woman who grants Lelouch “the Power of Kings” – the Geass; an ability which grants him absolute obedience. With this new power and a score to settle, Lelouch takes advantage of the political situation in Japan to finally exact revenge on the Empire. Having main themes of war and loss, as well as rebellion, Code Geass and Guilty Crown bear outright similarities. Granted, the settings and protagonists are vastly different, the very prevalent theme of war in order to achieve independence stand out in both anime, the rebellion stemming from Japanese resistance in both Code Geass and Guilty Crown. Armed with a special power which gives the side to which they are affiliated a great advantage, both protagonists become trump cards in the game of war. On a more superficial level, Code Geass and Guilty Crown have a large amount of combat happening between the pilots of giant mechanised weapons, which creates highly explosive, highly enjoyable high-tension fight scenes with stunning animation. If you really enjoyed Guilty Crown and would like more of the same, be sure to try out Code Geass – that is an order.

1. In 2021, the world went to ruin after the emergence of the devastating Gastrea Virus, an infection which turned humans into bloodthirsty monstrosities. The few surviving humans live under the protection of the Monolith Walls, which are made of Varanium – the Gastrea’s sole weakness. In order to combat the Gastrea, young girls whose bodies contain trace amounts of the virus are employed alongside highly trained individuals and they are known as Initiators and Promoters respectively. The series revolves around one such Initiator-Promoter pairing: that of Aihara Enju and Satomi Rentaro of Tendo Civil Security as they protect the citizens of Tokyo from the Gastrea threat. Black Bullet is a turbulent, large-scale action-packed monster hunt with some adorable characters (a major contrast, considering just how dark the show is) and bears many easy-to-spot similarities with the turbulent, large-scale action-packed rebellion that is Guilty Crown, the most obvious similarity being the fact that both anime have a plot driven by the presence of a highly infectious virus that ruins everyone’s lives. With that being said, Black Bullet and Guilty Crown also share a similar futuristic, post-apocalyptic setting. On a much more superficial level, the protagonists of both shows have female companions who become highly important factors in their lives. Enjoy Black Bullet on a hot summer night, just don’t let the Gastrea bite.

During the Industrial Revolution, the emergence of a mysterious and devastating virus which turns the infected into flesh-eating zombies called Kabane, who have strange steel cage-like structures around their glowing hearts – a feature that has made them very difficult to kill. In order to protect themselves from the Kabane threat, residents of the island of Hinomoto have managed to build a walls around their various settlements, accessible only by heavily-armoured trains. Ikoma, an engineer who services these trains, has been working on a weapon which will give humanity the upper hand against the Kabane, a weapon he had to employ soon after completing it, because on that day, mankind received a grim reminder… Seeing that they’re set in a dystopian setting with the guillotine of the end hanging firmly over the world’s hypothetical head, Koutetsujou no Kabaneri and Guilty Crown are cut from the same highly infected cloth. That’s not to say we don’t love them, we’re just able to see that both shows share striking similarities in setting and in major features of the plot, mainly the viruses which send the world into chaos. Like Guilty Crown, Koutetsujou no Kabaneri boasts absolutely incredible animation and artwork, crazy action sequences and of course… a female companion to the male protagonist. It must be difficult finding the right item to silence your noisy flesh-eating neighbours – Koutetsujou no Kabaneri just made the search much, much easier.

14-year-old Igarashi Ganta’s middle school class has a scheduled field trip to Deadman Wonderland, a prison which doubles as an amusement park where prisoners participate in sadistic death games for the entertainment of the general public. Unfortunately for Ganta, on the day of the trip, his entire class was massacred by strange entity dressed in red. Being the only survivor, Ganta was accused of the crime and sentenced to death, serving his sentence at the infamous Deadman Wonderland. Determined to clear his name, Ganta has to survive in a brutal world no 14-year-old has to endure. A fairly dark title, Deadman Wonderland is a gory rollercoaster where, much like in Guilty Crown, a young and weak protagonist is thrown into a turbulent world, in possession of a power they barely understand. Where Ganta possesses the “Branches of Sin”, a power that allows the user to bend their own blood to their will and form weapons, Ouma Shu has the “Power of Kings” which lets him draw out people’s “Voids”. Another similarity between the two shows is the presence of a female protagonist and companion leagues stronger than the show’s main character.

In a world where the Japanese Government was saved from financial collapse by an entity known as the Sovereign Wealth Fund, the lives of Japanese citizens have not improved much and the general outlook on life is bleak. 19-year-old Yoga Kimimaro is a college student who is one day approached by a strange man who offers him a deal: he will offer Kimimaro a large sum of money if his future can be used as collateral. When Kimimaro accepts the deal, his normal life is changed forever as he is exposed to the realm known as the Financial District, where people compete in weekly tournaments using avatars in order to keep earning money and maintain their futures. A largely unknown gem from 2011, C: is the brilliant story of a young protagonist who, with the help of his female companion, finds himself aligned with an organisation the nature of which he does not completely understand – much like with Ouma Shu in Guilty Crown. While both protagonists do not deal with the same types of problems, they are both pressed to make decisions that will, in the long run, be either to the benefit or the detriment of scores of people. Artistically, both shows exhibit vibrant colours and awesome fight scenes, and both shows bring to light various questions on human nature. Whoever said “money makes the world go round” probably had C: in mind.

14-year-old Renton Thurston lives with his grandfather in the small uneventful town of Bellforest, where he spends his days daydreaming about becoming a member of the rebel group Gekkostate, a faction which is the subject of his intense admiration and obsession. When a beautiful girl called Eureka, piloting a mech known as the Nirvash TypeZERO, crashes into his house, Renton is caught between living up to his grandfather’s wishes and becoming a mechanic, or joining up with Gekkostate. Tired of his boring old life, Renton decides to join Gekkostate as the co-pilot of the Nirvash, a decision that changes his life forever. Probably the closest to Guilty Crown as you can get without actually having Guilty Crown, Eureka Seven is a story bearing so many of the same elements, from having a similar snot-nosed protagonist, similar stoic heroine with very odd tendencies, an emphasis on warfare fought through the use of robots and mechs, both anime have a futuristic setting and come in packing quite a bit of romance. It is safe to say that a lot of what Guilty Crown has, Eureka Seven has in abundance. Both are incredible anime with immense character development in the protagonist himself and in surrounding characters, and the biggest similarity lies in the protagonists: both come from fairly mundane lives in order to rapidly become central figures in the worlds in which they live. Long story short, if you loved Guilty Crown at all, fate dictates that you leave your mundane lives behind and join up with Gekkostate in Eureka Seven.

One of the many students to attend the distinguished Tristain Academy for young magicians, Louise is also potentially their biggest failure. Set in the country of Tristania in a fantasy world, Zero no Tsukaima follows Louise and her newly summoned human pet Saito through breakfast, magic classes, and wars. Despite being from a highly regarded noble family, though, Louise's non-existent abilities have earned her the title of "Zero", although non-existent isn't quite accurate. Thankfully her fiery and brash attitude seems to be enough to keep her going regardless of what anyone says. Louise's volatile and quick-tempered personality is more or less identical to Taiga's, although while Taiga is feared throughout her school, Louise is considered to be hopeless. On top of that, they both, of course, share the iconic tsundere attitude we want to see, as well as a passion for punishing their boy-toys. Next, we have the loli aspect, with both Louise and Taiga being terrifically short and flat as a board, with wonderfully wavy hair going down to their waist, a couple of real cuties. You might find Louise's voice sounds familiar as well, with her and Taiga sharing the same voice actress, Rie Kugimiya, known for her feisty tsundere roles. Along with one other girl, Louise and Taiga are considered part of the Tsundere Trinity of three almost identical flat and fiery girls, so if you like one, you're bound to love the other two as well.

Part of a secret war between Flame Hazes and Crimson Denizens, Shana is one such Flame Haze, charged with protecting the balance between our human world and the Crimson Realm. Starting off with a cold attitude, Shana seems more like a weapon than a person, her emotional development coming second to her duty as a Flame Haze. As she becomes friendlier with her companion Yuuji however and starts attending school, the young girl within Shana emerges and she quickly develops into a much fuller character. Along with Louise and Taiga, Shana is the final part of the Tsundere Trinity. Her appearance is very similar to Taiga, being incredibly short and cute, with absolutely nothing going on in the chest area. The main difference here being that Shana's hair goes from black to red, and is much straighter than Taiga's. Both also have Rie Kugimiya as their voice actress, whose voice is perfectly suited to this type of character. Shana also shares Taiga's aloof and strong personality, along with frequent outbursts of "urusai" and a rarely seen cute and flustered side. Shana is basically Taiga if she were to be put in a very different story setting, with a real katana instead of a bokken.

A story about a group of friends who are all slightly whacky in some way, Tsumiki is the main girl of the series, with most of her days, spent following around her indifferent friend, Io, in hopes of garnering his affection. Being overwhelmingly quiet and nervous, however, as you can imagine this is fairly difficult for her, on top of which she often gets involved in ridiculous occurrences and schemes caused by her friends. With an amazing ability to stay inside her own head, it's always lovely to see Tsumiki stop sniffing Io's clothes, or bleeding profusely out of her nose, and actually talk to him. Although given her personality Tsumiki might seem like the opposite of Taiga, she actually perfectly captures Taiga's most dere side, permanently. Her approach to Io is just like Taiga's approach to Kitamura, being virtually unable to say or do anything in his presence except sit there with a red face. In fact, Tsumiki is basically an ultra cute version of Taiga all over, from her personality to her even longer and more colourful hair, dopey eyes, and ridiculous ahoge. She also takes the whole tiger thing literally, sprouting kitty ears and talking like a cat during the cutest moments. If you wanted a 100% dere version of Taiga, Tsumiki is the girl.

Heir to the Sanzenin family's absurdly large fortune, Nagi is the ultimate spoilt rich girl, with a seemingly limitless bank account at her disposal. While incredibly smart for her age, as well as fostering numerous otaku hobbies, Nagi is really just a foolish young girl at heart, made obvious by her inability to be honest with her new butler, Hayate, about her feelings. Instead, she expresses herself through anger and locking herself in her room, which doesn't seem healthy no matter which way you look at it. Far more on the tsun side than dere, Nagi is potentially angrier than Taiga should such a thing be possible. Much like Taiga's idea of Ryuuji, Nagi considers Hayate to be a beast despite liking him and wants to protect her closest friends from him. Although looking a fair bit different to Taiga, Nagi is a total loli too, with no chest to speak of and standing at an adorable 138cm tall. It's impossible to not mention as well the return of high pitched tsundere voice actress Rie Kugimiya, who's angry and cute voice you can look forward to hearing once again. Though a bit less so than Louise and Shana, Nagi is all over another tiger in disguise.

Rough and tough, Ryouko is the muscle of Otogi High School's Otogi Bank, a club responsible for trading favours with students. As Ryouko deals with the more dangerous requests, she spends most of her time in the gym training to become stronger and owns a pair of specialty made Neko Neko Knuckles that pack quite a punch. Despite her tough exterior though Ryouko is still very much a girl on the inside, something which few see, bar her admirer Ryoushi. Think of Ryouko as an older, taller version of Taiga, with her bokken traded for a pair of fists. Thanks to both Toradora and Ookami-san being produced by J.C.Staff, the two quite literally look like the same person too, with both series having the same art style. Both girls share a very strong desire to hide their feminine side as well due to traumatic events in their past, using their tough, angry act as a shield. This, of course, leads into Ryouko's all too familiar tsundere personality, with her best friend Ringo (I.e. Minorin) being the only person she shows her warm side too. Stronger and more mature than Taiga, but not quite as short and cute, Ryouko is one for those of you who are after a woman more than a girl.

One of only seven level 5 espers in Academy City, Misaka is an electromaster ranked number 3 among them. Nicknamed "The Railgun" after her signature move, where she fires coins using her electricity the same as a railgun, Misaka has few qualms using her powers to stop troublemakers, often aiding disciplinary committee Judgement as well. Despite being one of the top espers in the city and attending Tokiwadai Middle School, one of the top 5 schools, Misaka is not nearly as high class and lady-like as many consider her to be, having a ludicrously short temper, violent tendencies, and an overall very tomboyish personality. Though with all that said, she also remains a girl that likes cute things, and the boy who tries to protect her. As another series produced by J.C.Staff, you may once again find something about Misaka familiar, particularly those big brown eyes. Apart from that, though, Taiga and our Misaka look a fair bit different, bar, of course, their pitiful chests. For it's within their personalities the main similarities lie, as we once again meet with the tsundere archetype, a running theme with these waifu. Although Touma, Misaka's love interest, is thankfully able to shrug off her electrical outbursts, others are not quite so lucky and effectively act as human stress balls. Her dere side is what you would expect as well, with her becoming a red-faced, blabbering mess whenever she gets embarrassed. Another short fuse bomb waiting to blow with a secret sweet side, fans of Taiga should definitely check out Misaka's electrical antics.

Yukata are supposed to invoke a feeling of coolth and relaxation, not murderous rage and sadism. That, however, is exactly what you get with Shira. Shira is an "immortal" sadist who derives pleasure from torturing and killing his victims. So then, how is that a man who turned his own bones into blades, made it onto this list? His yukata of course. Shira wears a pale yukata with a red sun on the shoulder, and bottom. The bottom of his is tattered and torn, taking from his nature. Shira definitely doesn't represent the cool and relaxing nature of a summertime yukata, but his simple, yet distinctive yukata has allowed him to slice his way onto the list at number 10.

What is it with criminals and yukata? Yaichi is the leader of a gang of criminals called the “Five Leaves.” Despite this position, he still manages to live a relatively carefree life. Yaichi lives in a brothel and is usually seen smoking a pipe. Yaichi’s past, however, is shrouded in mystery, partially due to the fact that he doesn’t like to talk about it, but also because he prefers to live in the present. Yaichi is easily recognizable by the pink yukata he is often seen wearing. Yaichi’s yukata stands out from the other members of the cast. His light hair and tanned skin also help to make the pink of his yukata pop. There’s no discerning feature to Yaichi’s yukata, but its unique color and his personality stand out enough to earn him the number 9 spot on the list.

Shichika also doesn't possess many characteristics reminiscent of summer. He's a highly trained fighter; a swordsman without a sword. What's worse: he prefers to be half-dressed, finding clothes to be a hassle. Yet somehow he has made it onto our list. That is because the one time that he does wear a yukata, he creates an outfit that goes well, and is brought together with the addition of the yukata. Shichika's aesthetic is red and black, and the seven-pointed maple. Shichika wears a unique one-sleeved yukata that allows his red and black adorned arm to show. The primarily red yukata is the exact inverse of his hakama, which is black with red maple leaves. For someone who doesn't like to wear clothes, Shichika rocks the yukata well enough to sneak into the number 8 spot.

J.J. Robinson is the benefactor of the G-Crew and guardian of Earth. With his powers, he chooses people he feels are worthy of a NOTE to become a Gatchaman and member of the G-Crew. Very little is actually known about J.J., but he is fond of origami and is often seen making origami birds. In addition to his love of origami, J.J. Robinson is also a very calm person. J.J. Robinson wears an extremely nondescript yukata. It's just blue. That's it: plain blue. J.J. does a good job of making it fashionable, however. J.J. accessorizes his yukata with a red and black scarf, and a golden hair pick. His fashion choices, along with his uniquely darker skin work together to create a look that is wholly his own and cements him into the number 7 spot.

The King of Hell has to stay cool somehow, right? One way to achieve this is by wearing a yukata. The other way is by just keeping it, and with his stoic nature, Hoozuki has no problem keeping his cool and composure. He does seem to lose his cool on a few occasions but is generally able to keep calm at all times. Hoozuki's red and black yukata isn't too special of a yukata when seen from the front. The red and black yukata when paired with Hoozuki's very distinct physical appearance, however, does provide a unique and memorable look. The truly remarkable feature of his yukata is the Chinese lantern on the back, which is representative of his name. It is this small, personal touch that makes Hoozuki's otherwise simple black and red yukata worthy of its number 6 position.

Honey makes the list despite a yukata not being his usual choice of garb. In fact, his yukata isn't even one of his most distinctive looks. Honey does capture all that it means to be a yukata guy, however. Honey, the oldest member of the club at 17 years old, is a boy lolita, an older guy who is cute and child-like. As such, Honey gets to live life as if it's Summer every day by relaxing, enjoying sweets, and living a life free of most responsibilities. Honey has worn a yukata on two occasions in the show: a simple blue at a garden party themed event, and the more memorable and vibrant pink during a traditional Japanese themed event. The custom pink yukata is worn over a bottom layer of green and is adorned all across the fabric with yellow flowers. Honey, showing that he's able to wear a diverse assortment of yukata and maintain his cute charm, comes in at number 5.

On the surface, Shungiku, with his muscular build and frightening visage, doesn't quite represent the cool, carefree nature that one thinks of summertime and a yukata. Combine his appearance with his murderous history and Shungiku is not someone you want to cross paths with, even during a Japanese summer festival. Shungiku does, however, enjoy slacking off and drinking sake, which helps to add a bit of summertime vibe to this otherwise murderous yukata wearer. Shungiku wears his yukata in a manner that goes well with his nature: halfway off and draping from his elbows. Though this is probably not the best style for combat, he makes it work for himself. In addition to his way of wearing his yukata, Shungiku also has a very unique and recognizable black yukata with red flames on the edges. Shungiku does a great job of inserting his personality into his yukata, earning him the number 4 spot.

Sabato is the easy-going, half-shinigami father of Rinne, and owner of the Damashigami Company, an illegal soul collection business. Sabato is the CEO and President of his business, but hopes that Rinne will take over someday, allowing him to retire and enjoy a carefree life. Sabato hates working and his way of speech reflects his easygoing attitude. With the addition of a blue haori, Sabato wears the same white yukata as Rinne. The yukata's most defining feature is the Red Wheel of Samsara towards the bottom and the flame near the left breast. An additional touch that makes the yukata stand out from others, is the black obi, which also features flames from the wheel of Samsara. The yukata is representative of shinigami and the underworld and, along with his nature and his ability to accessorize, earns him the number 3 spot.

Is it any surprise that Gintoki has made it onto the list? I sure hope not. Gintoki is everything that is expected of a yukata wearer. Even his half closed, "dead fish eyes" convey a sense of laziness which is very befitting of Gintoki. He spends most of his days idly reading Jump Magazines and has a love of sweets, which again, goes along with the cool, carefree image that a yukata portrays. Gintoki has one of, if not THE, most recognizable yukata in all of anime. Gintoki wears a white yukata with blue swirls at the bottom and end of its sleeves. In addition to his yukata, Gintoki has a very distinctive manner of wearing his yukata as well. Gintoki only wears the left sleeve of his yukata, with the right side hanging down over his obi. Gintoki's demeanor, distinct yukata, even more distinctive, lazy way of wearing his identifiable yukata captures the very essence of this list, but is still only good enough for the number 2 spot.

The top spot just barely goes to Shunsui Kyoraku, the former Captain of the 8th Division. Shunsui has all the qualities of Gintoki, but takes them to the next level. Shunsui is an extremely lazy and laid-back character, often found relaxing, drinking sake, and taking naps. Even as a high-ranking member of the Gotei 13, he doesn't like fighting, preferring a peaceful route. Shunsui wears a characteristic pink flowery yukata draped over his shoulders, which is the most effortless way to don the garment. In Bleach, the captains all wear the same black and white uniform, with a colored underside being the only distinguishing feature. His straw hat, yukata, and laid back attitude allows him to stand out among the other captains, as well as snag the number 1 spot.

Hunter x Hunter follows the adventure of Gon Freecss, a 12-year-old boy from the Whale Island and son of legendary Hunter, Ging Freecss. Gon seeks to find his father, who has been absent from his life for its entirety, as well as to match his father’s incredible achievement of becoming a Hunter at just 12 years of age. In order to do this, Gon needs to pass the Hunter Exam, a feat which would allow him to claim a Hunter License, granting him a vast array of opportunities all over the world. Meeting his friends, Killua, Kurapika and Leorio in the process, Gon’s quest leads him into a life filled with adventure and hardship. Will Gon ever pass the Hunter Exam and find his father? Palm is a highly unstable woman with the power of clairvoyance through a crystal ball, a power she uses to stalk the love of her life and master, Knov. Given her unstable nature and his constant, yet subtle rejection of her advances, Palm is often angry, impatient and sometimes even violent towards the people around her. Her psycho-stalker girlfriend personality, coupled together with her erratic nature cause the people around her to be very wary of her – with good reason. Palm is crazy. She harboured a short crush on Gon Freecss and on one occasion, Palm chased Gon and Killua, armed with large kitchen knives in both hands and in her hair. Her power allows her to be a Class A stalker and when put together with her strength, skill with knives and highly volatile temper, Palm is a dangerous, dangerous woman.

When Okajima Rokuro, a Japanese salaryman, is sent on a job to deliver a certain data disc to a client, he thinks it is a routine task and nothing worth noting. However, having this trade occur in the South-Asian Pacific, it became a target of pirates from the Lagoon Company, called Black Lagoon. Having caught wind of the attack, Rokuro’s employers choose to abandon him, sending mercenaries to kill him and destroy the data disc, erasing any evidence of the trade ever taking place. At this point, the Lagoon Company, who had held Rokuro hostage, become his protectors as they successfully hold off the mercenaries, who told Rokuro that his employers had already declared him dead. Attracted by the prospect of experiencing the same level of exhilaration he felt during the attack, Rokuro joins Black Lagoon and begins life in the crime-riddled Thai city of Roanapur. Naturally, most of the members of Black Lagoon are fairly capable in combat. That; however, is a gross understatement for the hot-headed sharpshooter, Revy. Nicknamed “Two Hands” for her adept dual-wielding ability, Revy is the main female protagonist and the guns of the Lagoon Company. Her sadistic, trigger-happy personality and prowess with a gun make her one of the deadliest characters in the show and from time to time, she suffers bouts of “Whitman Fever”, where she kills literally anything in sight. Revy shows no remorse for killing any of her enemies and even gets excited at the prospect of battle. Revy is physically strong, athletic and she even dodges bullets. Revy is quite literally a danger to anyone and everyone. Careful around her, she could turn you into Swiss cheese if you so much as look at her funny.

When off-duty military officer Itami Youji set out to attend a doujin convention in Ginza, Tokyo, he never could have expected what he’d find on his way there. A mysterious gate opened up in Ginza and forth come various creatures and warriors from another realm, causing chaos and destruction everywhere. Having kept a cool head throughout the entire incident, Itami saved many lives and with the help of the rest of the military, controlled the situation. Three months after the Ginza incident, Itami is tasked with leadership of small group sent in to explore the other side of the gate, a space they have dubbed “The Special Region”. The Special Region turned out to be straight out of a fantasy RPG, with magic, elves, dragons and other entities. One such entity is the demigoddess and apostle of Emroy, Rory Mercury. Known across the Special Region as Rory the Reaper, Rory has built herself a quite reputation, as she is widely known for mercilessly slaughtering her enemies with her extremely large halberd. Rory is an expert in battle and can cut down large numbers of foes with ease. In addition to her abilities in combat, Rory is also immortal, allowing her to terrorise her enemies in several eras, a fact which may feed into her sadistic nature. Long story short, priestess or not, Goth-Lolis who walk around with weapons the size people are dangerous. Rory is dangerous, stay away.

Needing no introduction, the Dragon Ball story continues with Son Goku, all-grown up, with his son, Gohan. The Dragon Ball Z story begins by delving into Goku’s past, when his older brother Raditz, a Saiyan warrior from Planet Vegeta, locates Goku and tells him all about his alien heritage. Having been raised as a mild-mannered and good-natured little boy, Goku highly resents his brother for bringing him to the realisation that he was meant to be a cold-hearted planet conqueror. Goku now has to fight Raditz to save the world and his son, Gohan, who was kidnapped by Raditz earlier in order to serve as a bargaining chip in negotiations with Goku. This, of course, is the start to the wildly successful Dragon Ball Z. In a later battle to save the world, the main antagonists are androids created by the Red Ribbon Army, Goku’s enemies from a much earlier time. In a separate timeline, Goku dies and the androids 17 & 18 wreak havoc on the world, murdering every Z-Fighter except for Gohan and Trunks. Android 18 is a very powerful and highly sadistic killing machine whose fighting capabilities eclipse even those of a Super Saiyan. Her sheer power is intense, the almost complete destruction of the world in the Future Trunks Timeline being testament of Android 18’s strength. Given the fact that she was able to defeat Vegeta in his Super Saiyan form, at that point in time, Android 18 was easily one of the strongest Dragon Ball Z characters. Android 18: capable of completely ruining your future.

Tatsumi and his friends, Sayo and Ieyasu left their village for the capital in order to find work in the empire’s military so they could send money back home. Unfortunately, they were separated, and a series of events caused Tatsumi to realise the extent of the corruption, decay, poverty and despair which remains prominent in the empire, prompting him to join the Revolutionary Army and Night Raid, a group of assassins whose cause is to overthrow the empire and create a better future for the empire’s citizens. As one would expect, a member of Night Raid would not be so without appropriate abilities. Introducing the titular character, Akame, who wields the Teigu Murasame, a katana with a cursed blade which enables Akame to kill her enemies with just one slash. Not only is her weapon an absolute hazard, but due to her past as a home-grown assassin for the military, Akame has keen senses and incredible speed and strength. Akame also displays rock-solid resolve in combat, not stopping until she has eliminated her target. When an assassin is almost guaranteed to be able to kill with just one slash, it isn’t surprising that they’re considered one of the most dangerous.

Current day Tokyo. Humanity’s natural predator has emerged and can seamlessly integrate into human society: the Ghoul. In this dangerous world, 18-year-old Kaneki Ken is a normal university student who had his entire world turned upside-down when his date with a woman with the same taste in literature as he turns out to be one of the Ghouls humanity so fears. Luckily for him, soon after she injures him at a nearby construction site, steel beams fall from above, crushing his date turned assailant to death. He awoke in hospital, an organ transplant happening to be the only course of action the doctors could take in order to save his life. Only one problem; however: his new organs have turned him into a Ghoul, the very same entity which nearly ended his life. Next on our list is the very woman who started it all, Kaneki’s date on the day when his life was changed forever, Kamishiro Rize. Known in several wards in Tokyo as “the Binge Eater”, Rize has a voracious appetite, even for a Ghoul. Her appetite brings her much contempt from other Ghouls in the wards in which she resides, due to the large amount of attention heavy consumption brings from humans. This being said, her influence and the damage she causes is widespread, due to her nomadic nature. Rize is very strong, even among Ghouls, sporting a very powerful Rinkaku kagune, capable of summoning six claw-like tentacles which she uses to skewer enemies and prey alike. Rize also features above-average regeneration abilities, making it very difficult to defeat her. All in all, Rize is a sadistic killer whose boredom has created a very prominent Ghoul. Such is the result of blind dates.

The Diclonius are a special breed of human capable of advanced telekinesis made possible with mysterious invisible appendages known as “vectors”. Lucy is a diclonius who escapes from a scientific facility which had been conducting an array of torturous experiments on her. During her escape, she endures a serious head injury which knocks her unconscious. She is discovered by two college students, Kouta and his cousin Yuka; however, due to her head injury, her personality has been split into two: her dangerous and murderous personality taking a backseat to a docile and helpless one, causing Kouta and Yuka to take pity on her and allow her to stay with them, not knowing what they brought into their home. Lucy is sometimes referred to as “the Queen”, due to her ability to reproduce and create more diclonius through the spreading of a virus which is distributed when she uses her vectors. Lucy’s ability to use her vectors is second to none and she can use them with deadly accuracy. Given her extensive killing history, Lucy is capable of killing without feeling a shred of remorse. At times, Lucy gives in to intense murderous urges she believes are “the voice of her DNA”. Her vectors allow her to dismember anyone in her path and she does so without warning. Her kill count is immeasurable and due to her instability and very difficult childhood, Lucy can sometimes exhibit sadistic tendencies. It is very difficult to injure, let alone fight on level terms with Lucy and it goes without saying that she is one of the deadliest anime characters. Always lookout for horns.

Long ago, mankind was driven to the brink of extinction by large humanoid predators known as Titans. As a countermeasure against the titans, humanity built a concentric circle of large walls and lived in relative peace for the next 100 years. However, one day, a 50-meter tall titan appeared and tore a hole in the wall, allowing the other titans which hadn’t attacked in over 100 years to enter the outermost human settlement of Shiganshina, the protagonist, Eren Jaeger’s home. After seeing his mother die at the hands of the titans, Eren vows to join the military and kill all the titans, vowing to place his life on the line in order to help in humanity’s fight for survival. As it turns out, humans capable of transforming into titans exist and they are known as the Titan Shifters. Annie Leonhart, the enigmatic blonde from the same military graduating class as Eren, turns out to be a Titan Shifter herself. To make things worse, even in her regular state, Annie is a force to be reckoned with. A very skilled fighter with strength to boot, that quality is also reflected in her titan form. Her intelligence seems to shine through when she is in her titan form, a frightening trait when one considers that Annie is capable of moving with a specific purpose even in titan form as she is able to recall certain significant bits of information, which has on a few occasions, allowed Annie to shield herself from attacks on the nape of her neck.

Amano Yukiteru is a high school student who spends most of his time alone, keeping track of events which happen around him in a diary on his cell phone, or sometimes spending time with his imaginary friend, Deus Ex Machina, the God of Time. Deus Ex Machina grants Yukiteru a “Random Diary”, allowing Yukiteru to see information on events occurring around him. Deus Ex Machina turns out to be real and is searching for a successor. The successor will be chosen through an 11-way death match with other diary users. Will Yukiteru come out on top and become the God of Time? Gasai Yuno is the unstable and psychotic girlfriend of the protagonist, Amano Yukiteru. Her insanity is a result of the abuse she suffered at the hands of her mother. Despite her somewhat unstable personality, Yuno does not enjoy killing and opts to do it out of what she deems necessity. However, her obsession over Yukiteru is the driving force behind her most brutal moments, as Yuno feels incredibly insecure about her relationship with him, meaning that if it has anything to do with Yukiteru, Yuno can become a killing machine. Yuno is the Yandere Queen and her psycho-girlfriend personality is the type nightmares are made of.

Kyon, a normal high school student who once had an interest in all things supernatural, meets Suzumiya Haruhi, a girl intrigued in all oddities. When she comments on the lack of interesting clubs in their school, he inspires her to form her own club – the SOS Brigade is born, with the goal of finding supernatural occurrences, time-travelers, aliens and other oddities. Now forced to become members of her club, he, Asahina Mikuru, Nagato Yuki and Itsuki Koizumi experience very wacky adventures due to the leadership of their eccentric Club President. What exactly makes a high school girl the most dangerous female anime character? Unbeknownst to her, Haruhi is actually a deity who reigns supreme and the members of the SOS Brigade are there to observe Haruhi and keep her happy in order to avoid large-scale changes to the world. Being a god makes Haruhi the most powerful character on this list – she governs the laws of physics, although she doesn’t know it and it is this ignorance of hers that makes her truly terrifying. As eccentric and wacky as she is, the SOS Brigade have their work cut out for them trying to prevent Haruhi from falling into a foul mood, which could cause her to make highly undesirable changes. Haruhi is literally almighty and due to the high possibility that she could do any number of things to the world in a fit of rage, she is our most dangerous female anime girl.

Our first recommendation is a returning entry, Kamisama Hajimemashita, an anime about a high school girl named Nanami Momozono. She wants a normal life but becomes homeless due to her father’s gambling problem. One fateful day, she saves a man from a vicious attack and in return he offers her to stay in his house. Without any other choice, Nanami accepts but soon finds out that the man she saved was actually a god, and by accepting to live there she has to take on the duties of the shrine. Nanami meets a powerful fox demon named Tomoe whose job is to help her become a deity, however their relationship isn’t as easy going as you’d expect, as they hate each other. Hoping to gain his trust and learn the ways of becoming a deity, Nanami soon begins to fall for Tomoe as they spend more time together. Kamisama Hajimemashita has a lot of similar qualities to Fruits Basket, which is why we had to include it back into the new list. The main quality of which is that they both center around a girl who has nothing and ends up finding a new home with special beings. It has a similar art style and light-hearted atmosphere; Nanami also looks similar to and has a personality that resembles Tooru’s. Both series have similar romance and involve the male characters looking after the protagonist, who develops feelings for them after initially not caring at all about them.

Our second choice on this list goes to Kobato., an anime series based on the manga by CLAMP. It is about a clumsy but sweet girl named Hanato Kobato who has a wish to go to a certain place, but in order to do so she must fulfill a mission. She has to fill a bottle with ‘healed hearts’ from people who have had their suffering hearts healed in-exchange for her wish. Kobato has no memories of her past and she is forbidden to fall in love with anyone she heals. A spirit named Ioryogi, a dog plushie that is tasked with helping Kobato, is being forced to help her in order to save his own friends held captive in the spiritual world and to return to his true form. Kobato sincerely tries to help everyone she meets to gain their love and admiration, and ultimately their ‘heart’. Kobato is quite similar to Tooru’s character because of their optimistic personalities and naivety. Both series have similar elements, touching upon fantasy, romance and drama. There is also an element of a curse in both series, which both protagonists have a strong desire to help the other characters relieve. Kobato. has a similar feeling to Fruits Basket that you just have to watch to understand, this is definitely a must watch if you enjoyed Fruits Basket.

The next similar anime on our list is Ouran Koukou Host Club, following the story of a high school student called Haruhi Fujioka, who enters a prestigious academy known as Ouran High School after receiving a scholarship. Upon entering the school, one day she finds herself accidentally encountering the Ouran host club in music room #3 whilst trying to find somewhere quiet to study. Haruhi gets mistaken for a boy because of her short hair and appearance, and when Haruhi tries to leave, she accidentally stumbles into an antique vase worth eight million yen. She becomes forced to do the duties of an errand boy to pay off the huge debt. The club has six male students that participates in club activities that include entertaining female ‘clients’. In time, Haruhi’s androgynous appearance lands her a promotion in becoming a full time male host. This way Haruhi can pay off her debt faster, though the deeper she dives into the glamorous life of a host, the more she is in danger of others finding out about her true identity. Ouran Koukou Host Club is similar to Fruits Basket in the way that it is a story about a normal girl protagonist surrounded by handsome guys. It also touches on very similar themes of comedy and love, and has the same kind of light-hearted feel. Both series have a similar art style and have many heartwarming moments. They both also feature many male side characters, each with their own problems that the protagonist tries to help with. If you enjoyed Fruits Basket, then you will most likely like Ouran Koukou Host Club.

Coming next is an anime called Starry Sky; this anime follows the story of a heroine named Tsukiko who enrolls at Seigetsu Academy where she is the only female in the entire school. This is because the school was formerly a boys-only school with an exclusive curriculum catered only for boys. Tsukiko happens to be the first and only girl to have joined the school. During her time at the academy she meets twelve boys who are actually the twelve zodiac animals personified into young men. During her time there, she learns about each of their stories and their unique personalities. This is represented through episodic arcs, where each couple of episodes focuses on Tsukiko’s interaction with a single character. Starry Sky also has a relaxed slice of life kind of atmosphere as with Fruits Basket. They both have a strong zodiac-related theme, and both feature protagonists that have a pure and innocent personality. With many sweet moments, Starry Sky is a unique kind of anime that is different from most; it has its own style in portraying the story that may not appeal to everyone’s taste.

Our second to last recommendation is Special A, which is an anime about a girl named Hikari Hanazono, who since a young age has been competing against a boy named Kei Takishima. When they were 6-years old, Hikari challenged Kei to a wrestling match, but lost. Ever since then she has sworn to beat Kei in everything they do, from school grades to sport competitions. In order to stay in the same league as Kei, Hikari follows him and enrolls into an elite school known as Hakusenkan. Kei holds the top place in the school rankings followed shortly by Hikari at second place. Though Hikari thinks of Kei as just a childhood rival and friend, she doesn't realise that Kei actually loves her and wants to have a different type of relationship with her. Whilst Hikari is constantly trying to defeat Kei in everything they do, Kei tries to find love within the madness of the relationship they have. Special A has a similar style to Fruits Basket in terms of romance and comedy. Hikari's personality is also quite similar to Tooru's in the sense that they are both hard working people who never give up and would wish for others’ happiness before their own. Both series are also quite alike in terms of the similar feeling that the story emits and the many sweet moments they show. They both center around a female protagonist that is oblivious but is essential to everyone else’s happiness and brings everyone together.

Our final recommendation is the anime Gakuen Alice, which is about a 10-year-old girl named Mikan Sakura who transfers to a prestigious school called Alice Academy, after following her best friend, Hotaru Imai, who transferred there. Mikan discovers that the school is actually an elite academy that specializes in training ‘Alices’, gifted people who have supernatural abilities. The school was built to train and protect individuals with powers, and only people who have the abilities may enroll. Mikan discovers that she too has an ability that allows her to enroll into the academy to see her friend once again. Mikan makes new friends with other ‘Alices’ and together with Hotaru, they uncover the secrets and mysteries behind some of the students, and within the academy. Gakuen Alice is unique in its story but has many elements that can be found in Fruits Basket, such as involving magic and romance. The protagonists in both series are the optimistic type but have a naïve side to their personality. Gakuen Alice is a sweet and heartwarming anime that also has a mixture of drama and emotional situations that will make you want to watch more.

Let’s start this list with some unique characters from Maplestory. Let us introduce the slow snails, who are introduced since the first chapter of our story. They are a big red snail and a small green snail. Their rounded shapes make them look comfortable and cute. The personality of these pair is easy-going. Although they are snails, they can move pretty fast if they want to. They also try to do what is right. Unfortunately they are not shown a lot in the anime, that is why they are low in our Top Ten.

Taking into account that Maplestory develops in a fairy like world, we need some flying little critters around. And the best ones have to be cute, right? That is why we have a winged companion among the cast of this anime. Harp-kun has blond hair, white skin and adorable pink butterfly wings. So, her looks are perfect, but how about her character? Well, this girl is outspoken and kind of a sub-commander of the Archers in Maplestory. Harp-kun can be very brave, although impulsive sometimes. Her voice is also cute, but you have to watch out when she is in duty mood!

Meet the cool guy in the town, everyone. Barrow resembles a detective blue wolf with stylish glasses, cream colored elegant shirt, the classical hat, etc. He looks lean and tall, but not so much that he loses the comfortable proportions most of the characters of this anime have. And let’s not forget the rounded shapes everyone has. Barrow also has other points to emphasize his cuteness. This guy is a master of weapons, being the boss of the Archers in the anime. But Barrow shows off in such a relaxed manner, that we can not say he is petty or vain. He looks absolutely cute when he shows us his abilities! Plus, Barrow’s disciples tend to be cute as well.

Cute stories need rabbits. Period. Maplestory was not going to be left behind. That is why we have a tribe of pink, fluffy rabbits here. And look at those shiny little red eyes! But remember to not judge a book by it’s cover. Besides their obviously cute looks, rabbits on this world can be dangerous. They are the disciples of none other than Barrow! But taking into account the coolness of their leader, that just adds to the rabbits cuteness. Their training movements are simply adorable! And have we mentioned when they are performing on a concert with their impeccable military uniform?

Meet one of the villains in Maplestory! Lady Krone is a good looking lady with white skin, slim proportions and purple colored hair. She also has bat wings on her head for some reason… and pointy teeth. Maybe Lady Krone is some sort of vampire with a taste for candy. This little characteristic of her points to a not so evil side of Lady Krone When later (in chapter 24) Zakteman reveals that he wants to plunge the world into darkness, she has second thoughts about being by his side. And thus, she ends up joining the heroes side! Truly speaking, Lady Krone might be a villain just because she enjoys playing jokes on other people, which is also a reason for her being cute.

Just look at these fluffy creatures! The yetis live on the exotic island of Victoria Island. Some are like small, rounded hairy snowballs and others have plump arms and legs, plus minute shiny eyes. They can be easily overlooked in the snow, but here in the island, they are easy to spot. Legend says the Yetis are dangerous. Poor cute yetis! When they make their debut on episode 11 (Gill appears), everyone is scared of them. But the tiny ones have such cute childish like voices, how come people are scared of them? It is only when one giant Yeti rescues and heals Al that our protagonists find out they are inoffensive and generous creatures. This just adds up points for the yetis’ cuteness.

This little, cute and plump pink pig with a red ribbon around his neck is introduced in episode 2. Puudou is Nina’s pet, a role he does not like too much at the beginning. In fact, he is running away when our protagonist Al finds him. Although we can not say Puudou has the cutest of voices to match his charming looks, he has had several adorable scenes. For example, when Al tries to make Puudou not yell that he is a human, the poor pig gets all red in the face and moves his legs all over the place XD Puudou has been seen cleaning Nina’s place with a broom too. And how about when he sits over Nina’s head? A good anime has to have cute pets like Puudou, definitely.

But let us talk about Puudou’s owner a little, shall we? This dark skinned, purple haired and green eyed girl looks all cute and skinny. Nevertheless, she is the strongest witch in her village, thus she is the leader of the place! That is why at first she is rather shellfish and a little shallow. Yet, we must admit that Nina earns points on character development with time. After travelling with Al and company for a while, she learns the importance of team-work. Nina also treats Puudou better, plus uses her magic to do good things (in short, to help save the world). Her sassy attitude and those little moments when she is flying on her pink cloud make of her one of the cutest characters of this story.

We finally arrived to our protagonist! Al is an enthusiastic dark skinned guy with straight brown hair and eyes. He wishes to become a hero, but he also trains rigorously to achieve that dream. Al also has a secret, at first he hides that he is a human with a fake tail and elf ears. That is kinda cute. Nevertheless, the strongest point of Al is his character. Our protagonist always stays positive. He never blamed anyone for the problems of their world and tried to achieve peace by uniting all sorts of races. Al’s belief on friendship and his will to never give up make of him a great role model, plus make of him a cute character.

Who can’t resist Kino? Just look at him! An oversized yellow and orange mushroom with white spots and tiny, black, shiny eyes. Kino is first seen collecting jewels in the first chapter of Maple Story. We could think he is an adult because he looks so big, but the truth is that he is still a child. Kino is, in fact, collecting jewels to make a present for his mother (aw!). Anyway, Kino is fond of Al and becomes some sort of sidekick for him. He is not considered a pet, as Al does not “enslave” him or anything, as Nina did at first with Puudou. Kino almost always looks cheerful, but we can notice immediately when he is troubled or sad, as his face is so easy to read. He is the most perfect, cute character of Maplestory!