“SMASH” In a world where most normal human beings bear a superhuman characteristic and superheroes are commonplace, 15-year-old Midoriya Izuku has had the misfortune of being a human without a “quirk”. Despite this, Izuku has always dreamt of one day becoming a hero like his idol, the all-powerful All Might, and later sought to attend the prestigious superhero school, UA High. His obsession with superheroes led him into a precarious situation involving a supervillai and Izuku’s childhood friend, where they were saved by none other than Izuku’s idol, All Might. With this turn of events, Izuku’s pipedream was steered down a path of possibility as his hero uttered the words that he’d longed to hear: “You can become a hero”. All Might invests much time in Izuku in order to prepare him for the U.A. entrance exam and at the very end of his training, All Might passes a fraction of his quirk, One For All, to Izuku, granting Izuku incredible strength and of course, a Midoriya-version of All Might’s signature move, the Detroit Smash. Izuku’s first attempt at the Smash is during the practical aspect of the U.A. entrance exam, where in a potentially fatal situation, Izuku sprang into action, without thinking about the consequences, to save Uraraka Ochaco, another aspiring hero – Izuku’s Smash on that occasion was guided and intense, so intense that he broke his own arm doing it. Our hero.

“Sekki” With dreams of having millions of worshippers, minor god Yato has his work cut out for him as he barely manages to stay relevant to the human masses through his odd-job business, from which he earns 5 yen a piece. He believes he can invest the money in the construction of his own shrine, a surefire way to keep him fresh in the minds of humans, but his dream seems far-fetched when his weapon partner grows tired of their mundane way of life and deserts him. One day, Yato is “saved” from getting hit by a vehicle by 15-year-old Iki Hiyori, an incident which sees Hiyori’s soul become loose and allows her spectre to leave her body. She demands that Yato get her back to normal, but in order to do so, he needs to find himself a weapon partner. Hiyori reluctantly decides to help Yato in his search and perhaps, what seemed like a setback, may turn out to bring Yato several strides closer to his dream. Yato finally finds his weapon partner soul mate in the form of a troubled teenager he later names “Yukine”. In order to use the weapon in combat, Yato must call it by the name he gave it, a name which doubles as an activation phrase. “Sekki”. Upon hearing this word, the blonde-haired teenager Yukine becomes an exquisite blade wielded by Yato himself – a divine and dangerous duo that may one day help Hiyori’s soul stay affixed to her body, and help Yato build the shrine of his dreams.

“Who the hell do you think I am?!” Simon and Kamina were born in the underground Jeeha Village, with no real knowledge of the world aboveground. One day while routinely digging, Simon came across a strange object which was actually the key to activating an ancient war relic – a weapon Simon and Kamina call the Lagann. In possession of the Lagann, Simon and Kamina, with the help of surface-wandering redhead Yoko, successfully stave off an attack from the surface. The battle leaves the village in ruin and the sky in plain view, prompting Simon and Kamina to join Yoko on a journey to explore the surface, later joining the fight against the “Beastmen”, creatures that, with the use of robots known as “Gunmen”, terrorise the remnants of humanity who still dwell on the surface. Now fighting back-to-back-to-back, Simon, Kamina and Yoko fight the Beastmen with other survivors in order to take back the surface. Kamina being the self-assured, ambitious and spontaneous person that he is, seeks to make a name for himself and go down in the annals of history. Perhaps it is this ambition that gives rise to his famous catchphrase and battle cry, a line that is forged in pure self-belief and confidence. At times, it’s a phrase that seems almost outrageous when given context, like when, while piloting the Lagann, Kamina executes a beautiful “Who the hell do you think I am?!” kick, using his catchphrase to name the special move on the fly. Who says battle cries can’t be versatile? Just who the hell do you think we are?

“IIIIIIIIIZAAAAAAAAYAAAAA!!!!” In Tokyo’s district of Ikebukuro, strange things have been occurring recently, from the inception of anonymous gangs to multiple sightings of a mysterious headless rider dubbed the “Black Rider”. With so much happening in one part of town, Ryuugamine Mikado, who’d longed for the excitement of city life, couldn’t turn down his childhood friend’s invitation to move to Tokyo. Within a day of his arrival in Tokyo, Ryuugamine witnesses the Black Rider for himself, and with a plethora of other supernatural occurrences in Ikebukuro, Ryuugamine will have a hard time getting bored with his new life. Boasting a moderately-sized roster of interesting characters, Durarara is capable of showing various themes and relationships between characters, which brings us to the most beautiful relationship ever, the one between Heiwajima Shizuo and Orihara Izaya. Izaya claims to love the entire human race except for Heiwajima Shizuo, a person whom he had framed for several crimes, and places in tedious situations regularly. Because of this, Shizuo has a burning hatred for Izaya, and despite disliking violence, whenever he sees Izaya in public, Shizuo loses himself in comical fits of rage where he yells “IIIIIIIZAAAAYAAA!” or any of its variations, displays ridiculous strength, picking up vending machines, fridges or other heavy objects and throwing them at Izaya. Did we mention that Shizuo hates violence?

“BAN…KAI!” 15-year-old Kurosaki Ichigo has, for as long as he can remember, been able to see ghosts. One day, a woman dressed in a black kimono, armed with a sword appears in his room and later introduces herself as a Shinigami – a grim reaper-like entity whose purpose is to guide pure souls to a place known as Soul Society, and to purify evil spirits known as Hollows, that threaten peace in the human realm. One such Hollow attacks Ichigo’s home and the Shinigami suffers heavy wounds while trying to defend Ichigo from its attacks. With their deaths almost certain, the Shinigami suggests a plan to transfer her Shinigami powers to Ichigo so they may have a fighting chance, a decision which changes Ichigo’s life forever. The Bankai, the main requirement for anyone to become a captain of any of the squads in the Gotei 13, as well as the ultimate manifestation of a Shinigami’s Zanpakuto and their power. Ichigo, with the help of Shihouin Yoruichi, achieves his Bankai in less than 3 days. The Bankai is also one of the flashiest abilities in the Bleach anime, with several different forms and activation phrases, what is common to all of them is the simple utterance of the word. “Ban… kai…”

“Moon Prism Power Makeup!” 14-year-old crybaby Tsukino Usagi’s life changes when she meets Luna, a talking cat with a crescent-shaped mark on her forehead. Luna tells Usagi that she is destined to become Sailor Moon, a warrior who must fight against evils from another realm and grants her the power to do so. Now burdened with another responsibility, Usagi must juggle the day-to-day struggles of being a teenage girl, as well as the otherworldly forces that come to ruin the day. In order to activate her powers, Usagi undergoes an extensive transformation which both hides her identity and gives her access to various devices which allow her to subdue her enemies. Her transformation is set into motion by her epic exclamation of the famous phrase “Moon Prism Power Makeup!” and with her powers in full effect, Usagi springs into action and in the name of the moon, punishes evil.

“Kogarasumaru… KILL ‘EM DEAD!” Air Trecks, also known as ATs are motorised roller skates that have become increasingly popular with the Japanese youth, especially in the town where the delinquent Minami Itsuki, or “Ikki” lives, people have formed gangs and compete against each other in various events. Ikki was never really interested in ATs until his gang, the East Side Gunz, were wholly humiliated by a Storm Rider gang known as the Skull Saders. He discovers a pair of ATs at home, previously used by a Storm Rider gang called Sleeping Forest. Ignorant of the history those ATs bear, Ikki takes to the streets, ready to form his own gang and make a name for himself. Starting out as a trio with his childhood friends Onigiri and Kazu, Ikki established Kogarasumaru and with time, assembled a formidable team of Storm Riders with different strengths. Given his experience at the helm of the East Side Gunz, Ikki takes quickly to being the leader of Kogarasumaru and even comes up with an awesome battle cry for whenever they roll out: “Kogarasumaru… KILL ‘EM DEAD!”

“I’m getting fired up!” In the land of Fiore, magicians and wizards are commonplace, in fact, they’re so rooted in society that they have formed guilds where members can earn a living completing various jobs for clients. One such guild is the infamous Fairy Tail, a guild of powerful magicians and the place where 17-year-old Lucy Heartfilia sees herself in the near future. While searching for the guild, Lucy runs into the Salamander, a legendary member of Fairy Tail. Drunk on excitement, Lucy feels that luck has finally turned in her favour, but her adventure has just begun. The Salamander, real name Natsu Dragneel, is one of the most powerful wizards in Fairy Tail and due to the fact that he is a First-Generation Dragon Slayer; that is, that he learned Dragon Slayer Magic directly from a living, breathing dragon, he boasts incredible strength. As homage to both his personality and his “dad”, the fire dragon Igneel, Natsu begins almost every beatdown with the phrase “I’m getting fired up!”. It’s also great to note that he says this, on many occasions, before causing widespread destruction and torching everything in sight. Natsu gets so fired up that everyone else does too.

“Bird, GO!” One day, the ever-spunky high school girl, Ichinose Hajime, receives a NOTE; a device which allows her to become one of the Gatchaman, a group of warriors who exist to protect the world from the MESS - aliens that bring ruin to everything they touch. With her newfound knowledge about the Gatchaman, can Hajime and her new team work together to prevent worldwide destruction? In what seems like a Japanese Power Rangers, Gatchaman CROWDS manages to capture the themes of planetary destruction and heroism, and, much like the Power Rangers, the Gatchaman have flashy moves and transformation sequences that are awesome to watch every single time they happen. With NOTE tucked firmly in hand, the Gatchaman shout “Bird, GO!” and undergo a transformation the Power Rangers could only dream of.

“Rokkon Shojo!” During the industrial revolution, the emergence of a mysterious virus on the island of Hinomoto which turns people into bloodthirsty flesh-eating zombie-like creatures known as the Kabane forces the majority of human settlements to build tall walls; accessible only via highly fortified locomotives called “Hayajiro”. With steel cages surrounding their glowing hearts and fairly robust bodies, the Kabane are almost impossible for humans to defeat with the weapons they currently possess. However; Ikoma, a train engineer, has spent a substantial amount of time crafting a weapon capable of piercing through the Kabane’s hearts. Little did he know that he’d have to use it so soon after its completion… Ikoma’s invention sets the stage for various human triumphs over the Kabane and this brings the attention of Princess Yomogawa Ayame aboard the Koutetsujou, a Hayajiro en route to Aragane Station. Before, during and after certain battles against the Kabane, the combatants as well as civilians exclaim “rokkon shojo!”, a battle cry which rallies the troops and prepares everyone for the impending battle. The meaning of the saying is somewhat unclear in the context of the anime, but in certain circles, “rokkon shojo” refers to the purification of “the six roots of perception” and the establishment of a “pure state” in one’s heart, which, albeit very loosely, could mean that one is prepared to “cut off their contact with the world”, making it easier for them to kill. Rokkon Shojo!

The younger brother of Gohan and Goku’s second son, Goten’s childhood was completely different from Gohan’s. Unlike Gohan, who by age 7 had lived in the wilderness by himself, watched his dad’s friends die in combat, traveled to a completely different planet, and watched more people die by at the hands of Frieza, Goten spends the first 7 years of his life living carefree with his mom and spending time with his best friend. It wouldn’t be surprising to the audience if Gohan somehow felt cheated out of a normal childhood and hated Goten for having one, but rather the opposite happens. Because of Goten’s almost identical appearance to Goku as well as acting exactly like him, he ends up being a source of inspiration for Gohan for reminding him about his dad, and even surprises him later on with his achievement of becoming the youngest ever to go Super Saiyan. There may only be a few moments that the audience sees where they get to spend time together, but it’s pretty obvious that Goten’s identical mannerisms to Goku makes Gohan feel happy.

The main protagonist, Haru begins the series as the younger brother of Cattleya Glory. Cattleya ends up being an important figure in Haru’s life early on before the events of Ravemaster begin; after the death of their father, Cattleya was the only family Haru has left, resulting in her having to step up to be the one to raise him. However, Haru ended up developing what would become his passion for justice through the need to protect her as he got older; this is best seen when Shiba is led to Garage Island and Feber attacks the group. Even though the interaction between Haru and Cattleya is short-lived and only really takes place at the beginning of the story, their relationship serves as a solid base for Haru to begin his worldwide adventure.

The younger Nanba brother born on the day Japan achieved victory in Major League Baseball, Hibito was chosen to be the first Japanese astronaut to go to the Moon. Even though his older brother Mutta is competitive and always trying to stay one step ahead in school, Hibito respects his younger brother a lot, even recommending that he join the astronaut recruitment tests since they shared the same dream of becoming an astronaut. Hibito’s relationship with Mutta shows that even though there’s a competitive aspect, they ultimately respect each other having pushed each other to reach further and further.

The second son of Inu no Taisho, Inuyasha’s relationship with his older half-brother Sesshomaru is…complicated. Sesshomaru hated Inuyasha due to their father dying to protect Inuyasha’s human mother and Inuyasha himself as well as not giving his best 2 swords to Sesshomaru for not having anyone to protect them with. Ultimately, because Inuyasha was given Tessaiga, Sesshomaru hated him, resulting in Inuyasha not only hating him back, but also cutting off Sesshomaru’s left arm in combat as they fought. However, Inuyasha refrained from using his full power to kill him, and over time their relationship develops from being rivals to ultimately being brothers who respect each other…even if they refuse to admit it.

The younger brother of Shimura Tae and one of the 3 main protagonists of the series. Shinpachi begins his adventures learning how to be a samurai from Gintoki through his initial encounter with him as he and Shimura struggle with running their father’s dojo after his passing. As things take a turn for the crazy, we soon learn that despite Shinpachi’s appearance and his need for improvement in the way of the samurai, he’s willing to risk his life in order to save his sister due to everything they went through together. However, his commitment to her results in Gin constantly joking at Shinpachi’s expense that he has a sister complex. Nonetheless, Shinpachi certainly plays the family role of younger brother rather well in regards to his relationship with his older sister.

The younger brother of Seto who luckily has a personality completely opposite of his. Mokuba often acts as Seto’s moral compass whenever Yugi and his friends need Seto’s help, as he’s more likely to listen to reason and not be blinded by revenge or grudges. Having said that, however, Mokuba very much looks up to Seto and firmly believes that his older brother is the best duelist throughout most of the series. Even though it’s easy to joke about how it seems like the relationship is often one-sided, some of the bigger moments in the series involve Seto risking everything in order to rescue Mokuba, such as what happens to him in his duels with Pegasus and Noah (although the number of times Mokuba gets himself kidnapped is somewhat excessive). Nevertheless, Seto’s promise to Mokuba at the orphanage that they’ll always stick together is something that can’t be ignored, and Mokuba’s innocence is certainly something that helps Seto strive to do what he does best: kick ass at a children’s card game.

The son of Satan and the elder, fraternal twin brother of Yukio Okumura. However, you would never know that Rin is actually the older brother between him and Yukio due to how often Rin is immature and headstrong, both in contrast to Yukio’s personality. It also doesn’t help that Yukio becomes a teacher at True Cross Academy and ends up having to teach Rin, something that Rin doesn’t take too kindly to at first. That being said, their connection to Satan as well as looking out for one another has resulted in a tight brotherly bond between the two, and with Yukio’s help, Rin will be more than ready to face whatever comes his way.

The younger brother of Matt and one of the original Digi-Destined. T.K’s relationship with Matt was his defining characteristic in the 1st season of the series as he constantly wanted to spend time with Matt due to their limited contact after their parents’ divorce. As a result, T.K. was the stereotypical younger brother that really idolized their older brother who couldn’t see any fault in them whatsoever. Plenty of scenes involved Matt trying to protect and/or rescue T.K. from danger, enough to where T.K. began to mature enough to where he had to start fighting his own battles. This is definitely best seen in the 2nd season where he’s actually leading the 2nd Digi-Destined group from time to time and coming further into his own. A very good example of seeing the younger brother at a very early age mature over time.

The younger half-brother of Portgas D. Ace, Monkey D. Luffy spent his childhood idolizing and getting into all kinds of shenanigans with Ace and their best friend Sabo. It’s very clear from their adventures together as kids that those were some of the best moments of Luffy’s life. It’s also very clear to Luffy’s pirate crew when they first meet Ace that Luffy holds him in a high regard, something they were not expecting to see. All the more reason why Ace dying at the hands of Akainu in order to protect Luffy was so devastating to him. For one of the biggest anime series ever to have a moment between brothers like that just goes to show how important the younger brother/older brother dynamic can be. In this case, it certainly made things more real for Luffy, and even though we’ve seen him go back to being the usual goofball that fears absolutely nothing, we’ve also seen a fundamental change in Luffy as well, as he has to live with the fact that his older brother had to die in order for him to live. A great example of seeing a younger brother taking a major step in maturity.

The perfect combination of innocence and naivety and maturing over time when it comes to younger brothers is best exemplified by Alphonse Elric. At the heart of the series is the goal for Alphonse to get his body back after losing it in his and Ed’s attempt to bring back their mom. Yet despite everything that’s happened to him, Al serves as the calm and approachable of the 2 brothers as they travel the countryside despite his initial appearance as a giant suit of armor skilled in alchemy. Al usually serves as the voice of reason as he (and Ed) help other people with their problems as well as to calm Ed down in both humorous and serious situations. Some of Al’s key moments, however, are when he reverts to being a normal young boy scared of the unknown as opposed to being wiser than his years, reminding Ed (and the audience) that he is just a kid after all. In the end, Al displays in multiple ways throughout the series why he’s the go-to younger brother most anime fans think of.

Naruto Uzumaki is a young ninja with big dreams. He wishes to one day become the greatest ninja and leader of his village and makes grand proclamations of his intentions. However it’s not his silly antics that have people keeping their distance, but that the great Kyuubi, or Nine-Tailed Fox, has been sealed inside of Naruto since he was a baby. This gives Naruto heightened abilities but also a sense of isolation from others, who fear he may one day bring disaster down on the village. Naruto must steel his heart against the cruel words of those that fear him and the Kyuubi’s own cynical voice that encourages him to destroy everything. While the anime mostly focuses on Naruto’s path to becoming Hokage and the lives and battles of the other ninjas he becomes acquainted with, the kitsune inside him plays a huge role in how his life turns out. His incredible power is what sets Naruto apart from others and invokes respect, fear, envy, and hatred. As the series goes on (and on and on) the Nine-Tailed Fox plays more of a role in the story and we are able to see more of his power. Because we don’t get to see much of the kitsune considering how long the anime is, Naruto is our number 10 choice.

Though a descendant of the powerful and prestigious Kawahira clan, a family of Inukami (dog god) tamers who protect the world from evil, Keita fills his time thinking about girls. He doesn’t let his family’s disapproval discourage him and often complains the work doesn’t interest him. It seems fitting then that the Inukami he’s made a contract with is emotional, selfish, and quite a troublemaker. Unlike the other Inukami, Youko cares more about forcing Keita on dates with her or punishing him for his womanizing ways. She uses her powers to punish malicious spirits and her troublesome owner at her discretion. While Youko is pretty transparent in her love for Keita, she harbors a secret she fears may tear them apart. Based on this show’s inclusion on the list, you’ve probably realized that Youko is not actually an Inukami! Her secret is that she is, in fact, a kitsune, and she attempted to trick Keita into thinking she was an Inukami so that the two of them would be forced to grow closer. Just as foxes are rumored to be in legend, Youko is secretive and delights in using her powers for fun. While a good example of a kitsune with great powers, the slow reveal of her true identity takes Inukami down to number 9 on the list.

Sweet but shy Inari can’t seem to catch a break when she is running late to school and happens upon a fox pup in need of help. Unable to ignore the poor thing, she rushes to save him and ends up falling in a river. She resigns to being late at that point and brings the pup safely to the Inari shrine she’s named after and ends up winning the affection of the God that resides there. Uka-sama gives Inari the power to transform into another person and the little pup Inari saved becomes her familiar. However, having the powers of a God may prove to be too much for her. Inari Kon Kon has a ton of kitsune, though they mainly just stay in a single fox form. They are able to talk and float and serve as guides and mediators between Gods and people. Uka-sama does occasionally make them transform into video game consoles in order to play dating-sims which she seems to be very fond of. We mostly get to see Kon, Inari’s kitsune familiar, as he tries to give her advice about both love and her transformation power. Since the focus of the story is more on the human than the kitsune themselves, Inari makes it to number 8 on our list.

A misunderstood and secretly lonely young girl named Ririchiyo decides to leave her affluent family’s estate and live on her own in a special apartment complex where the tenants must be chosen. She wants to become a more honest and kind person and until she can talk without hurting others, she’s resolved to live in solitude, not intending to get close to her neighbors. When a man shows up claiming to be her servant and wishing nothing more than to take care of her every whim, it’s enough to shake her resolve. Ririchiyo finds it hard to keep the warmer and welcoming tenants away especially when they share something in common… being descended from various youkai (demons/spirits). Inu x Boku features a lot of different youkai with Soushi, servant to Ririchiyo, a kitsune. In order to stave off a large number of both human and supernatural attackers, Soushi often utilizes his transformations and swordsmanship. It isn’t revealed until later, but he has an element of trickery which is a key characteristic in fox spirits. However, since Soushi is technically not a full-blooded kitsune, Inu x Boku SS is our number 7.

Kohina, a self-proclaimed living doll, decides to test the legend that playing Kokkuri-san by yourself you will be haunted by the spirit. Sure enough, a fox-eared man with white hair appears during Kohina’s incantation… but he’s appalled at her living conditions! Thus, the fox spirit takes on the role of a housekeeper and tries to help Kohina lead an ordinary childhood. For a girl who happens to attract a lot of spirits, however, a normal childhood just isn’t in the cards. While fox spirits are rumored to value their freedom above everything, Kokkuri-san wasted no time devoting all of his efforts into taking care of the hopeless Kohina. It is later revealed that Kokkuri-san use to be revered as a god, but as people began to forget, Kohina remained the only one to continue visiting his shrine. Kokkuri-san is content however in remaining Kohina’s guardian rather than returning to his former glory as a worshiped kitsune. Despite this, he does frequently make use of his powers of transformation much to Kohina’s paw-pad-loving delight!

With the rise of Westernization in Japan, tensions between humans and youkai have escalated. The youkai’s homes are being destroyed and they are now being treated as subhuman creatures. A coalition is created between members of the army and several half-kitsune daughters to investigate and mediate problems that arise as a result of this. Kei is a human that is terrified of youkai, and Zakuro is a proud half-kitsune that can’t stand how people so easily replace their traditions with newer Western ways. When they become partners, they must learn more about each other if they are to achieve their goals of peace for their kind. Otome Yokai Zakuro has multiple fox girls which already is a huge plus for the show. This anime shows a more spiritual side to kitsune and youkai in general, despite the girls themselves lacking the trickery and mischievousness associated with their kind. This can be attributed to their human side, however. This is a great show that's a bit more serious than some of the others on this list and the spiritual aspect to how the girls fight is really captivating.

Gintarou is the kitsune herald of the Saeki family shrine, but only young Makoto can see him. She affectionately calls him Gin and often implores his help in telling fortunes and helping her friends. Though an ancient and revered spirit through her family line, Gintaro and Makoto share a close bond. Together they work to keep the community’s faith and help those that seek wisdom from the shrine. Gingitsune shows a great example of a kitsune in the role of messenger of the god Inari as in the legends. He is able to fly and predict the future with the use of his fox fire. He resides at the temple as a messenger of God but his words can only be known through the oracle Makoto. As Makoto is only a teenager she often selfishly demands Gintaro’s help. However, having such a strong bond, not limited to just hate or reverence, is refreshing for him. Gingitsune follows the lives of these two as they strive to fulfill their roles.

Kouta and Chizuru are absolutely inseparable, and their whole high school knows it. What they don’t know, however, is that while Kouta is a normal human boy, Chizuru is a kitsune. She hides this even from Kouta at first, for fear he will reject her, but Kouta proves Chizuru’s love for him is not unrequited. In fact, Kouta’s far less worried about her hurting him and far more concerned she’ll steal his innocence while they’re still high schoolers! Things become much more complicated when Kouta finds out Chizuru is not the only youkai at the school… nor is she the only one after his heart! Kanokon features the fox spirit Chizuru, who showcases many of the powers associated with kitsune. She's mischievous and sneaky, she goes exactly for what she wants, and she possesses strong spiritual powers. She can transform her appearance and also transform with Keita into an even more powerful being. Throughout the series, we get to meet more kitsune and even other youkai. Kanokon makes number 3 on our list due to the many examples of a kitsune’s abilities.

When Nanami accidently becomes the new Land God of an abandoned shrine, she has some trouble getting used to her new home life. To make matters worse, the fox spirit that's supposed to become her familiar hates her and runs away. Eventually, Tomoe and Nanami come together and try to make the best of a situation neither of them asked for. Everyday, Nanami must balance her life as a student and her life as a God. Even after she manages to seal a contract with Tomoe to become her familiar, things are not easy for the two of them. Some are displeased with Nanami as a God, and others hint of a past Tomoe, more cruel and cold than he is now. Tomoe is a powerful kitsune who is forced to become Nanami’s familiar, and expectedly, he doesn't take kindly to this. A common trait of kitsune is to fiercely protect their freedom and this we see clearly when he leaves his home upon discovering he has a new master. He also possesses many of the powers and skills associated with kitsune. He often uses his fox fire to locate what he needs and uses his charm and trickery to manipulate people. Despite his griping, he serves his role as familiar and eventually, friend.

Toru and Noboru are decedents of the Mizuchi bloodline, a family associated with spiritual powers over the element of water. They have bound and defeated youkai through the centuries, and they have always depended on a female to fully wield its power. However, the last priestess has died and her two sons become a youkai’s targets. A powerful kitsune named Tenko Kugen is unbound and granted freedom in exchange for protecting Toru and Noboru. Kugen has her work cut out for her as these two boys seem to attract all kinds of trouble. Wagaya no Oinari-sama is a fantastic kitsune anime because it really portrays the kitsune as more than just a person with fox ears and super powers, or simply the herald of a God. Kuugen makes use of her transformations all the time, often switching between male and female, a fox, and even mixing her fox and human forms. Her archaic way of speaking helps to remind you she is of a different time and her marveling at human technology and customs further serves to show her as a different entity. She often does what she wants with regard to humans, but still shows some reverence to benevolent spirits and Gods. That is why Wagaya no Oinari-sama is our number 1 kitsune anime.

The self-confident and handsome Seishuu Handa is a calligrapher who sees his world full of certainties going down crumbling when his award-winning piece is labeled as “unoriginal”. While his world of self-confidence is broken, his father decides to punish him: he is exiled to the Goto Islands. Truth is, his father wishes for him to find a brand-new inspiration by experiencing hardships, and to learn how life isn't all about calligraphy. Torn apart and lost, Handa hopes to find at least peace on the Goto Islands... but little he knew about its inhabitants. His new life on the Goto Islands starts with a boisterous child called Naru that will revolutionize his life completely. As for the similarities Barakamon shares with Fune wo Amu, we can start by saying that both are slice of life shows. The two protagonists, Handa and Majime, have to face a new environment, with new people and so they will have to put themselves on the line and struggle. Both these shows revolve around two uncommon themes, for Barakamon it's the world of calligraphy. There's a pleasant feeling while watching these shows, and you can see how the main character grows step by step, getting to know himself better. Even though Handa and Majime are characters on the opposite sides, they share a determination that will bring them to give their best. These two shows depict the reality and nice vibes that make you want to ask for more. It's not a stretch to say that if you are enjoying Fune wo Amu, you'll enjoy Barakamon all the same!

The five members of the Kaminoyama High School animation club have to do their best on their first amateur work. After showing their work at the cultural festival, they make a promise to one day find a job in the anime industry and move to Tokyo. After two and a half years, Aoi Miyamori and Ema Yasuhara, two of the former five members of the Kaminoyama High School animation club, have turned that dream into reality. Hired by the Musashino Animation, nothing could seem to turn for the bad, they thought... and yet these two girls will face all the hardships to realize that the road toward your dreams is not always easy. With Shirobako we are in front of another rare gem in the anime world. Exactly like Fune wo Amu, this anime teaches about the creation of something through sweat and efforts. While Shirobako talks about the creation of an anime, Fune wo Amu talks about the creation of a dictionary. Different subject, but the same basic idea. What's more, both these shows describes the awesome and sometimes harsh realities behind the process, so even with Shirobako we are once again in front of a show that doesn't stray from reality. If you are enjoying Fune wo Amu, but you'd like to see some female protagonists struggling like our Majime Mitsuya in Fune wo Amu, you will love Shirobako for sure!

Yotarou has just stepped out of prison and begging Yakumo Yuurakutei to become his apprentice. That is because during his time in prison, Yotarou had the time to fall in love with Yakumo's performances of Rakugo – a comedic Japanese story telling. With Yotarou's pleas which don't seem to stop, Yakumo has nothing left to do than to accept an apprentice for the first time. That is a good chance for Yakumo as well to revisit his past and remember a promise he did to his greatest rival and biggest friend – Sukeroku Yuurakutei. Even though the period is different, these two anime share the same atmosphere. For starters, they both have mature themes and a similar art. In both, we find struggling industries, the Rakugo and the dictionary-making and the pace of both shows is slow and yet very smooth. The two main protagonists are also similar; we find in both shows two men who are on opposite sides. While one is easygoing and open, the other is awkward and shy. Yet, they help each other through everyday matters. These two shows share a realistic setting, with realistic happenings and relationships. If you are enjoying the atmosphere surrounding Fune wo Amu, you'll have the exact same feeling while watching Showa Genroku. Yes, but with more drama.

Moritaka Mashiro – an aspiring illustrator – and Akito Takagi – an aspiring writer – have one dream. They want to create a manga, and so they decide to join forces and fight for their dream. Mashiro wants to follow his uncle's steps and become a famous mangaka, what's more he wants that the girl he loves – who is an aspiring voice actress – will someday voice one of the characters he drawn. Takagi wants to help Mashiro, and wants to see his own stories take form from Mashiro's pen. But little they knew about hardships; facing other artists, going against the tide, they will struggle to finally realize their dreams. Bakuman and Fune wo Amu share a lot of characteristics. First of it all, both these shows describe all the efforts hidden behind the creation of something that all of us enjoy/use in the daily life. Their strong point is that all the processes are depicted in a way that never make the viewers feel bored, but they keep the curiosity set to high instead. Bakuman has a big range of different characters, who interact in a very realistic way; it's the same with Fune wo Amu. These shows are realistic and display in a very actual way how, step by step, what creating a manga, or a dictionary, feels like. If you like non-conventional protagonists, slice of life shows, and the feeling of reality, Bakuman must be the next step.

Chihaya has always lived in the shadow of her sister. It's the fated meeting with Arata Wataya that changes her life. Arata introduces Chihaya to the world of karuta, which is a card game involving physical and mental skills. When Chihaya falls in love with karuta, she realizes she has a goal: to become number one in Japan. Together with Arata and her friend Taichi, the three of them spend their childhood playing karuta, until their roads split. Years after, during high school, Chihaya is once again stuck with karuta and has one dream: to create a karuta team and aim for the Omi Jingu Championship. Chihayafuru and Fune wo Amu share an unusual theme, the dictionary-making and the game of karuta. Both these shows are oriented toward a mature audience, and the story develops slowly but surely. The main protagonist, Chihaya, is hardworking and focused on her goal, exactly like Majime in Fune wo Amu. Step by step, the relationships among all the characters develop and evolve, in a very realistic way. Even the atmosphere these two shows share is the same; they are both relaxing, but at the same time able to make you stick on the screen craving to know if our protagonists will manage to realize their goals. If you still haven't watched it, and right now you're loving Fune wo Amu, it's time for you to catch up.

Stressed by his parents, tired of trying to live up to their expectations, Yuugo Hachiken decides to enroll the Ooezo Agricultural High School in the Hokkaido countryside. Confident, and certain that he could make it, reality crashes onto him the moment he meets his new classmates. In fact, all of them are people who have been living in farms way longer than him, so they’re talented at everything, from waking up early to dealing with all kind of animals. That's how Yuugo's struggles start, and his journey will lead him to know himself better and find his path and, eventually, love as well. These two shows share the realistic taste we mentioned before. Both the main protagonists, Yuugo and Majime, are thrown into a world they aren't used to. Still, with determination and devotion they manage to blend very well in the new setting. These two shows are slice of life anime that stick to reality, even though in Gin no Saji the comedic moments are far more. Both these shows' pace is slow, and yet they never bore the viewers. We can see in both how the main characters struggles to adapt and, eventually, to change, and grow up. Once again, if you are enjoying the non-conventional Fune wo Amu, whose themes are realistic, with Gin no Saji you'll find the same nice vibes and good atmosphere.

Sakai Yuuji is put into a precarious situation right from the start. He’s surrounded by denizens on all sides trying to slaughter each other and he’s doing all he can just not to crap himself. So he’s pretty afraid at the start because he discovers a whole other supernatural world of existence eating monsters. Okay that’s fine, we’d all be scared, too, right? But episode after episode, Yuuji remains completely useless and can only seem to hide behind the skirt of Shana. He always seems to get stronger whenever they put him through some sort of training, but that always goes to waste and the day is once more saved through a deus ex machina once more. Even at the end when he finally becomes one of the most powerful characters of the series, Yuuji goes through a whole pointless song and dance to achieve his goal instead of actually “talking”. Yuuji is only at the bottom of this list by virtue that he actually gets strong at some point so he’s not entirely useless, except when he is.

Freezing follows the same pattern as Infinite Stratos; elder sister was insanely powerful back in some war way back when and her useless brother is now joining the academy that trains people like her. Like all protagonists, there’s something that sets apart Kazuya from other people right from the start. In this case, it’s that his freezing ability is way beyond the capacity of a normal guy and can freeze countless amounts of people. So what does he do with this amazing ability? He doesn’t use it nor train it. If anyone else had this amazing talent at their disposal, you’d most probably hone this purely for fear of your life because of that amazing alien invasion coming right at your doorstep. And if you were put into a situation where countless girls are fighting and you want them to stop, would you shout at them to stop. Or…just use that damn freezing ability?

Now to clear things up, we are talking about TV Shinji. Rebuild Shinji is a badass with a damn backbone who does what he needs to. TV Shinji can be really annoying to watch at times. The show really tries its hardest to justify why he is the way he is. He’s been through some pretty tough depressing times. It’s perfectly normal for anybody to become as timid and wimpy as he is after all that shit. The problem is that this isn’t real life. If we wanted the ballad of a depressed person, 1/10 of the show’s audience can already look to themselves. Shinji is supposed to be the man of the hour. He’s an anime character. Real life logic shouldn’t apply themselves so strictly to him. That’s why it’s such a shame that he becomes so…normal. And a normal person in an extraordinary situation is just useless.

Kazuma has obtained the dream that each of us shut-ins wants. A chance to reincarnate in a fantasy world with some extra help given by the goddess of the world. He can choose any ability or special magical item to aid him on his way to defeat the demon king. Unparalleled magical power and Excaliburs abound, but what does he choose? The useless goddess who was reincarnating him. And what does he do once he gets there? He stays in the starting town to grind for an entire season simply because he’s so weak from not choosing any special powers when he was given the chance to. In fact, he only defeats his enemies through sheer stupidity because his enemies are equally retarded. It definitely makes it for a laughter filled watching session, but for a guy meant to defeat the demon king, he’s certainly useless.

Throughout the academy training arc of SnK, the various characters show-off their strong points to the audience so that it’s easy for them to be characterized no matter how minor they may seem. We know Sasha is the big eater and Mikasa is the tough one. Armin shows off that though he is weak, he is the smart one of the bunch and is able to think up suitable tactics to pull through a situation. So he’s supposed to be like Shikamaru, right? Wrong. Apart from the one badass scene with the guns in the lift, Armin has contributed very little to the overall efforts of the titan slaying team. Mikasa kills things like a badass. Levi attracts fan girls to buy merchandise and Eren has his Titan transformation thing going on. Armin, the supposedly smart one, spends most of his time having mental breakdowns on the battlefield. When the fearful soldiers want to fire upon Eren, Armin…gives a speech and bangs his fist on his chest. Not very inspiring.

Claymore is a dark series filled with serious badasses like Claire who have to contend with the toughest of Yoma in order to survive their sordid world. Normal people just get in the way and die, because that’s what the world has become. Enter Raki, the useless cling-on that gets in the way constantly but refuses to die. Right from the start, Raki gets attached to Claire and follows her around like an annoying puppy. When he finds his relatives killed by a Yoma, he tries to attack the Yoma despite being a weakling and has to be saved by Clare. Instead of being grateful, Raki first fears her because her eyes look like that of a Yoma. He was later caught by a Yoma and she saved him at the cost of being injured. The list could go on forever but this guy is basically NTR material and only becomes useful after the 7 year time skip, but that’s in the manga. And it is too late.

Akihisa is the type of guy that we want to throw off a bridge because that’s what he does with his good fortune with girls. Like all harem protagonists, he somehow has captured the attention of all the prominent women around him and remains completely dense to that fact. In his very hands, Akihisa holds the love of the school’s idol, the glorious pettanko and the kawaii trap. But he just remains stupid and blind throughout the series. Even when a girl directly tells him his feelings, Akihisa gets flustered and refuses to commit to everything like an indecisive loser. Unlike most guys, he doesn’t enjoy having the pick of the litter and just remains in his la la land without thinking. Akihisa needs to apologise to all guys for squandering his good fortune.

Do you wanna be the very best that no one ever was? Have you in fact been the very best? Multiple times in fact right? From generation one to generation six, fans of the Pokemon series have travelled through the regions and defeated the elite four plus the champion. Everyone’s been the very best at some point, except Ash Ketchum. Ash is the only guy in the world who can have a level 100 Pikachu and lose to a level 5 Treeko. Instead of training his team from region to region to build a solid foundation that can challenge the league battles, he just tosses his team from each region into the garbage and starts from scratch every time. That’s why you’re losing Ash! While everyone is using a team that they’ve had their whole lives, you’re just building them from baby Pokemon expecting them to stand up to these older ones. Furthermore, he’s the only guy in the world who gets badges without actually defeating the gym first. Did you use a Pikachu against a ground type Onyx who is completely immune to electric attacks? Well, have a badge because of the power of friendship! This coddling leads to him being unable to defeat any of the elite four nor does he ever become the pokemon master even once. Well there was that orange league thing...but that wasn’t even a major region.

One facet of useless guys that is often present is that they try their hardest to be a noble person. Key word here is try, because they are often living in a fantasy land where they can save anyone and end up getting everyone killed. Yuki is not any different. Equipped with a powerful Future Diary and the help of his psychotic but crazy strong girlfriend Yuuno, he stands a pretty good chance of winning the game. But she has to bail his ass out of stupid situations over and over again because he keeps trying to help the obvious bad guys because of his need to be noble. And the worst part is that he doesn’t even contribute that much to the situation other than to stay put where he is like a pouting child, forcing those around him to save him at risk to themselves.

Yamcha is not the most useless guy ever. However, he ranks highly on the list because of how badly his character was man-handled by the creators of the show. He simply reeks of wasted potential. Early on, Yamcha was a main character and he started off by being a pseudo bad guy that eventually turns into a good guy. This has major potential to become a running theme of his character and a motivation for him to get stronger. Instead, he gets shoved to the side and his relationship with Bulma is torn to shreds for a stupid reason like a simple misunderstanding. His power in comparison to the other characters simply gets weaker and weaker to the point that he becomes a simple speck of dust in comparison to them. In fact, he becomes so sidelined that he simply gives up fighting completely at some point because he can’t do anything besides planet busters like Goku and Vegeta. It’s just a damn shame that he became useless, because he was once useful and could have continued to be useful. In fact the writers literally made him into NTR material. That’s just sad.