Bungou Stray Dogs revolves around Atsushi Nakajima. As an orphan, he spent his entire life in an orphanage, but one sad day he was kicked out. The reason is that strange events involving a mystical tiger keep occurring, and Atsushi is suspected to be behind them. Left alone and starving, while lying on a riverbank he happens to save Osamu Dazai – a supernatural detective – from drowning. That's the moment when Atsushi's life is turned upside down: he joins the Special Detective Company and his new, chaotic life begins! Bungou Stray Dogs is a seinen anime show, that's why it's easy to understand why it fits with this ranking. In this show we find a lot of good-looking men and boys, and some of them show an affection toward each other that really spices things up. For example, the way Dazai and Atsushi interact, what with Dazai being touchy-feely at times, while turning serious and showing how much he cares for Atsushi. Like Dazai and Atsushi, even other characters love to show off; Chuuya strikes poses like a male model, and at times all the others happen to become shirtless, too. With subtle yaoi vibes, good-looking men showing off, and a lot of bromance, Bungou Stray Dogs deserves to be mentioned here!

Kae Serinuma is a chubby and funny high school girl with a passion: Boys Love. Her hobby is to keep shipping her hot male classmates, or her senpais. When some circumstances make her lose weight, she turns to a beautiful girl and begins to draw attention. Those male classmates start to look at her differently, but she's a fujoshi to the core: she just wishes to keep fantasizing over her favorite ships. How will Serinuma deal with boys fawning over her, while she just wants to see boy-on-boy action? Watashi ga Motete Dousunda is a shoujo anime with explicit manservice premises. As Serinuma is an otaku fujoshi, the way she looks at the hot boys in her school is screened through her eyes, and so normal events like a basketball match, suddenly turn into something very hot. Serinuma drools on her classmates' bodies, in the meanwhile she imagines BL scenes where they're totally absent. Just like every fujoshi/fudanshi out there!

Those individuals with supernatural powers are the “Kings”, who can choose people for their own clans. Suou Mikoto is the Red King, and is now looking for Yashiro Isana, who is accused of the homicide of a Red Clansman. Yashiro, though, is totally unaware that a video depicting him murder another man has now gone viral. When Yashiro is saved from the Red Clansmen by Kuroh Yatogami, he understands that he needs to prove his innocence. But in the meanwhile, another, bigger conspiracy is about to be uncovered... K was presented as an action anime show, and it's packed with action actually. It is also full of handsome men, though, who like interacting with each other. It's manservice-filled, as it's literally a feast for the eyes. Subtle BL hunches are all over the place; the Red King and the Blue King, who are enemies, and speak to each other spitefully, make the viewers think “Okay, now kiss”. Kuroh is obsessed with Yashiro, who even blushes when one reason or the other bring them close. K was an anime overly appreciated by all the fujoshis and fudanshis, as it is manservice-filled, and spread BL hints, without actually doing it!

Let's go on with our 7th position! Karneval revolves around the “Circus”, which is a government defense agency dealing with those criminals the police can't handle and protect the civilians from monsters called “varuga”. Nai and Gareki are two boys who meet by chance in a dangerous situation, bringing them to face a varuga. When they manage somehow to survive, and escape, the Circus finds them and forces them to join the agency. And that's how their lives suddenly change... Karneval is a josei anime, but we all know that josei doesn't always imply “manservice”. Well, with Karneval it's the case. This show is full of hot boys and men who like to show off and display their beautiful bodies. If this wasn't enough manservice, then there are BL hints, what with Yogi trying to catch Gareki's attention, and Gareki losing his temper, while blushing instead. In Karneval skinship among boys is not rare, and the same is true for the muscular fighting bodies. A wonderful manservice-filled show, that deserved to be here!

Shino Inuzuka and Sousuke Inukawa died when their village was turned to ashes, but some fortunate circumstances, brought them back to life. Both of them share a peony-shaped birthmark which holds a deep meaning; in fact, one day the Church shows up in front of them, asking them to leave in order to search for the remaining other six people with the same peony-shaped birthmark, and the other six mystical gems they already hold. Shino and Sousuke's journey begins, and it will be full of hardships... Hakkenden is a wonderful shoujo anime, full of guys who are tall, well-built and handsome. Throughout the show manservice-filled scene can become real spicy. For starters, Genpachi who is supposed to be the serious one, doesn't hide his affection toward Shino, and sometimes he blatantly tries to hit on him. Then, there's Shino and Sousuke's relationship which is – let's admit it – very ambiguous. Aside from the BL hints, however, Hakkenden's guys love to take their shirts off: beware, as there's too much beauty in one single show!

As menacing dark forces are planning to change the past, Saniwa – a sage with the ability to breathe life into inanimate objects – decides to turn historical Japanese swords into muscular, young men, in order to counter the threat. Yamatonokami Yasusada, who originally was Okita Souji's sword, together with his friend Kashuu Kiyomitsu, spend their time in Saniwa's citadel with the other historical swords. Sometimes they get summoned to fight against the dark forces, sometimes they just enjoy themselves playing games or drinking... Well, imagine this ancient Japanese citadel, in a different dimension, where everything is peaceful and surrounded by green. Then imagine a huge Japanese house, FULL of young men going here and there in traditional clothes. In Touken Ranbu, there's enough manservice to literally suit everyone's tastes, as the range of characters is really huge. Touken Ranbu's men love to show their beautiful muscles while they plow the field, or drink together, or simply train with their swords, while they're all sweaty. It's the show you pick when you simply want to fill your eyes with manservice!

Binan Koukou revolves around five high school boys who have a mission: to cover the world with a shower of love! Initially, these five boys joined the Earth Defense Club only to get to do what they wanted, like reading, playing video games, eating, and so on. Then, things got serious when a pink wombat – named Wombat – gave each of them a magical power, and the possibility to transform. Wombat entrusts them with the duty of showing people what love truly is! Binan Koukou is a parody anime trying to make fun of the magical girls' genre, that's why the magical girls here are magical boys. It goes without saying: here the manservice is to its fullest. Not only these five boys keep taking long baths together at the onsen, but when they transform into princes, they proudly show their bodies. If it wasn't enough, there's a BL subplot going on throughout the show, and it's obvious enough that the viewers could guess the couples. It's worth watching if you enjoy both shipping characters and manservice-filled shows!

Kamigami no Asobi is a reverse harem show revolving around gods. Yui Kusanagi is a high school girl who, waking up one morning, finds herself in a beautiful school. Then, she is suddenly summoned by Zeus, who explains the situation: Yui has the duty to teach six whimsical young gods what love truly means. The task will prove to be much harder that she expected... As a reverse harem, Kamigami no Asobi is full of handsome boys, either as main characters, or supporting ones. The six guys revolving around Yui look like normal high schoolers, and it's already a feast for the eyes. The manservice-filled highest peak, though, is when they turn into gods and show their true appearances: basically, they get naked, and then all their muscular bodies are shown, and their godly clothes leave a lot of naked skin to drool over. Not only that: skin ship and BL/bromance hunches are all over the place, and they like to take their shirts off even when they should be wearing their normal attire!

Haruka Nanase loves swimming free style, and water in general. During elementary school, he and his friends – Makoto, Rin and Nagisa – won a relay race and then went separate ways. Years after, they reunite attending the same high school – Iwatobi – except for Rin who attends the Samezuka High. Nagisa, full of energy and passion for swimming, decides to form the Iwatobi Swim Club, forcing Makoto, Haruka, and Rei – a new entry – to join. This will lead Haru to meet Rin once again, and face him as a rival... The epitome of the manservice anime is Free!, a sports show where high school hotties are almost always wearing only a swimsuit, showing their perfect bodies off. Talking about sexual situations, in Free! you only see hot boys playing with water, staying shirtless and displaying their biceps and quadriceps. Here, too, BL hints are everywhere: Makoto seems to have the hots for Haru, reciprocated; Rin and Sousuke play the wife and husband game; Nagisa clings to Rei. But that's just our point of view, as everyone manages to see different ships according to their preferences. Free! really had to be in this list: manservice and subtle BL are the keywords for this show!

Let's end this ranking with an amazing show that stole everyone's hearts! It revolves around figure skating and Yuuri Katsuki, a figure skater who is about to give up skating after a defeat at the Grand Prix Finale. Upset and brokenhearted, Yuuri simply wishes to go back home in Japan and eat pork cutlets to his heart's content. After his return home, though, he is filmed by chance while performing a routine executed by Victor Nikiforov – a living legend, five-time champion of the World Championship, and idolized by Yuuri – and the video goes viral. Seeing the video, Victor impulsively decides to become Yuuri's mentor, and so he leaves for Japan and appears in front of Yuuri's incredulous eyes... Yuri!!! on ICE brought the viewers to think it was a sports anime like any other, but it hid a treat; a very special one. Talking about manservice, it goes without saying that it was full of well-built, handsome guys shaking their asses on the ice while wearing leotards. Then, the special treat for fujoshis and fudanshis came with Victor blatantly courting Yuuri and proposing by the end of the series. There was even a ring and a “kiss” to seal the promise. And isn't it full-fledged manservice, when the tag “yaoi”, or “shounen-ai” lacks altogether? We really thought Yuri!!! on ICE deserved our first position, as it perfectly mixes what one would expect from a manservice-filled anime!

Food Wars is a show that’s all about spectacle. It focuses on teenage chefs who compete in over-the-top shounen-style cooking competitions, all lovingly brought to life by a well-known hentai artist – so what else would you expect? Its story and characters are interesting in their own way, but the most spectacular part (and the reason why so many people watched this anime in the first place)... are the foodgasms. Whenever someone eats a particularly amazing dish, they enter a blissful dreamland where their clothes fly off and they moan delightedly over the flavor. This happens regardless of the character’s sex, so there’s fanservice for everyone! There’s just nothing more entertaining than watching resident free spirit Isshiki shed his naked apron in ecstasy at the taste of protagonist Soma’s cooking, or seeing Soma and his rival Akira clash as a boxer and a knight in the judges’ minds. Even though the foodgasms are played for laughs, there’s plenty of eye candy for everyone in this imaginative anime.

Who says that manservice is only for skinny pretty boys? For those of us who like our men with a little (or a lot) more meat on their bones, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure is here to serve. This is a series with decades of history and its source material is considered to be one of the best manga of all time, so we’re already off to a good start with that kind of pedigree. JoJo’s characters all have multifaceted personalities and intriguing motivations, but what they have more than anything is muscles. Yes, JoJo’s distinctive art design accentuates each fighter’s swole figure with heavy shading and a larger-than-life color palette. A standout example are the villainous Pillar Men, whose Arabian-inspired clothes are valiantly trying, but failing to contain their massive musculature. Everything is so over-the-top that it borders on comedic, but the sheer passion of this anime keeps you invested until the very end.

How do you know that All Out is a fountain of manservice? Just look at its poster. If those uniforms were any tighter, they’d be too hot for television. And with all of the full body tackling and rolling around in the dirt that rugby provides, it’s no wonder that this anime has caught the eyes of more than a few fangirls. Although it had the bad luck to come out at the same time as Yuri on Ice, All Out still has its own distinctive features. All of the characters are uniquely designed with different eye shapes, body structures, and other small details that emphasize how much of a ragtag team they are. Tying it all together is the odd friendship between pint-sized punk Gion and gentle giant Iwashimizu, as well as captain Sekizan’s turmoil-filled backstory. If you like a little something different in your sports anime, find your tightest polo shirt and check this one out.

What’s so wonderful about Yuri on Ice is that, while there’s plenty of manservice in every episode, it portrays the gay characters as realistic and well-rounded people. From an LGBT perspective, it’s refreshing to see Victor and Yuri actually grow together as a couple rather than have their attraction only be used as titillation for the female audience. And yet, it’s still delightful for women to watch because all of the characters are so handsome, passionate, and athletic. Here, you’ll find a colorful cast of guys from all over the globe who each want to claim the top spot as the best male figure skater in the world. The gorgeous animation gives them bright eyes, full lips, flowing hair, and gracious movement during their complicated ice skating routines, as well as when they’re getting to know each other better. Yuri on Ice is a show to binge whether you enjoy digging deep into character relationships or you just like watching beautiful boys skate their hearts out.

As you can guess from the title, Cute High Earth Defense Club Love doesn’t take itself too seriously. It’s essentially a standard magical girl show, but with the genders reversed. There have been magical boys before in anime like Shugo Chara and Kore Wa Zombie Desu Ka, but this one is the be-all and end-all of the genre. Even searching online for “magical boy anime” turns up more results featuring these color-coordinated cuties than anything else. Yumoto and the other members of the Earth Defense Club use sparkly transformations and weapons granted to them by a giant pink wombat to vanquish the evil forces threatening their world. It’s all very tongue-in-cheek and the story isn’t particularly deep, but it accomplishes its goal of being a manservice version of a genre that’s been delivering female eye candy for decades. Topped off with some lighthearted antics and a dose of good old-fashioned gay subtext, Cute High Earth Defense Club Love is a perfectly silly little romp to indulge in.

The realm of idols is traditionally dominated by adorable girls and their moe exploits, but this anime is determined to show that guys can rule the idol-sphere as well. Based on the multimedia franchise of the same name, B-Project brings us a huge lineup of men who’ve been working all their lives to be the best idols ever. Their character designs come courtesy of the same artist behind Uta no Prince-sama, so, of course, they’re bishounen perfection. But the wish fulfillment doesn’t stop there. The guys are constantly flirting with their new manager Tsubasa, who stutters and blushes at their charm, but understands them at their core and ultimately brings the group closer together. And after the credits of each episode, the boys whisper sweet nothings directly to the viewer while lying undressed on a bed. B-Project’s manservice techniques may be obvious, but we can’t doubt that they’re effective.

Ah, boys love. Where would manservice be without it? Gakuen Heaven is an adaptation of a visual novel from the far-flung year of 2002, so it sports a more old-school shoujo art style that complements its story of love in a school for the impossibly rich. The anime significantly tones down the sexual content from the original game, but luckily, there’s still plenty of aristocratic romance to be had. Taking place at the cheekily named Bell Liberty Academy, Gakuen Heaven focuses on average kid Keita and his quest to prove himself worthy of the stunning and sophisticated men he meets at this luxe all-boys school. The plot reads a bit like a soap opera with all of its kidnappings, amnesia cases, and mysterious backstories, but it honestly fits well with the premise. It’s melodrama to the bone, which is sometimes exactly what we’re in the mood for.

Okay, we’ll be the first to say it – it’s still a better love story than Twilight. Vampire Knight is a supernatural high school love triangle romance that takes its deeply ridiculous plot way too seriously, but it’s so earnest that you can’t help but get sucked into its dark world of vicious vampires and those who hunt them down. Main character Yuuki’s two suitors are Kaname, a longhaired princely pureblood with a strange connection to her past; and Zero, a tattooed half-vampire who resents his own kind and hunts them down with a magical gun called “Bloody Rose”. These impossibly handsome men are constantly at each other’s throats to win Yuuki’s heart, perfectly feeding into our own self-indulgent fantasies. Kaname or Zero – whose team are you on?

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Continuing with the theme of gorgeous men fawning over a woman’s every desire, in comes Miracle Train. As possibly the most shameless anime on this list, Miracle Train’s gaggle of guys exists only to solve troubled women’s problems. And since the female protagonists change every episode, the focus is much more on watching these charming lads work their magic to make these ladies’ lives a bit better. It’s kind of like Makura no Danshi, but without the creepy undertones. Each of the six men represents one of the stations along the Oedo subway line, which runs through Tokyo. There’s a boy for every taste, plus a cute dog and little girl to round out the cast. Give it a watch if you’re enraptured by the idea of falling in love with a kind and beautiful stranger in the unlikeliest of circumstances. As the narrator says, will you be the next passenger on the Miracle Train?

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All rise for the prince of pecs, the earl of abs, the sultan of swimwear and undisputed king of all manservice anime – Free! When this sports anime exploded in popularity after just one promo video, it laid the groundwork for similar shows like Haikyuu and even All Out!! to expand on the “gorgeous young guys playing sports” niche. And although Free certainly wasn’t the first to dip its toe in those waters, it’s definitely the one selling the most merchandise at anime conventions. Free! is the number one manservice anime because it delivers exactly what girls want while still having value outside of that. Everyone can appreciate the expertly crafted animation and emotionally resonant story of this group of swimmers who all have something to prove. Their diverse personalities also make it easy to choose a favorite who appeals most to you so you can follow their journey to success. And maybe write some fanfiction about them while you’re at it, too.

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The Fate series is rather complicated. In layman's terms, each incarnation happens in an alternate universe that is interconnected but should be taken on its own. The same faces tend to appear in every version, but their behavior, importance, and personalities might differ. Fate/kaleid liner Prisma☆Illya is a substantial departure from Fate/Zero or Fate/stay night, with a heavier focus on comedy and a magical girl theme. Fate/kaleid liner Prisma☆Illya Movie: Sekka no Chikai serves as a prequel to Silver Link's four season series, just with Shirou Emiya elevated from supporting to main character. When it comes to the tone, Sekka no Chikai is closer to the darker final two seasons. The story goes through Miyu's origin story, starting from when she was rescued by Shirou and Kiritsugu Emiya, before detailing her initial encounters with the series' other main characters. As this is a prequel, it is accessible for people who have not followed the anime. There is quite a bit of worldbuilding, as the film briefly mentions the fourth Holy Grail War that left humanity on the brink of destruction. Similarly to Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha, Fate/kaleid liner Prisma☆Illya Movie: Sekka no Chikai avoids talking down to its audience by introducing an easily identifiable villain. Even though Shirou and Miyu go up against a dangerous foe, the latter is motivated by a desire to save the world. Everyone is desperately trying to rediscover something they have lost.

Trinity Seven is an action harem largely set at the magic school Royal Biblia Academy. After his hometown is destroyed, Arata Kasuga uses a magical Grimoire to artificially recreate it. As a consequence, he is visited by Lilith Asami, a magic user who threatens to kill Arata if he does not relinquish the Grimoire. Deciding against either option, the protagonist joins Lilith's magical school, which contains six other mages who want to separate Arata from his book. Trinity Seven Movie: Eternity Library to Alchemic Girl brings Arata's story to an end, as he is forced to save the world from the powerful White Demon Lord. The antagonist is revived due to Arata accidentally touching Lilith's Grimoire and transforming the book into a magical girl. At a short 55 minutes, Trinity Seven's conclusion moves at an insanely quick pace. As the series was mostly known for its ecchi comedy, the first half of the film is dedicated to Arata's misadventures with the magical girls. Once the White Demon Lord enters the fray, Seven Arcs ramps up the action. As Trinity Seven is made by the same studio that created Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha, the animation is nearly identical and the fight scenes are just as exciting as the studio's previous film.

Puella Magi Madoka Magica is a must-watch anime. As a subversion of the magical girl genre, Shaft's franchise is suitable for fans and haters of these type of stories. Rebellion brings the narrative to a conclusive end, but it really should not be watched without knowledge of the television series. Taking place after the events of Mahou Shoujo Madoka★Magica, things seem oddly perfect. Supposedly dead characters are back among the living, as Homura Akemi and the remaining magical girls continue to free people from their nightmares. Despite the general pleasantness in the air, Homura cannot shake the feeling that something is terribly wrong. Following in the footsteps of its predecessor, Rebellion allows the characters and the audience to feel comfortable before viciously pulling the rug from underneath their feet! Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha: The Movie 2nd A's tackles some serious issues, including sacrifice and mortality, but Seven Arcs' anime never approaches the Rebellion's morbid darkness. Shaft's animation is gorgeous, which is especially true during the trippy and violent fight scenes. The characters go through a ton of character development and nobody is presented as a straightforward hero or villain. For those who appreciate Nanoha's action and darker moments involving the antagonists, Puella Magi Madoka Magica should be the first name on your list.

As a franchise, Mahoutsukai Precure! could act as the poster child for the magical girl genre. It follows the adventures of Mirai, a teenager who finds a powerful artifact granting magical powers. Inadvertently, she is dragged into a conflict between good and evil magic users, with both sides yearning to get their hands on Mirai's artifact. Precure All Stars Movie: Minna de Utau♪ - Kiseki no Mahou takes the anime's typical formula and adds a touch of music. Putting aside the songs, Precure All Stars' story plays it relatively safe. While visiting the human world, Mirai is attacked by a witch named Sorciere, who wishes to activate a dangerous spell by acquiring the tears of the 44 Precure girls. In a bid to save the world and themselves, the girls came together to challenge Sorciere. Precure All Stars Movie's animation is easily the film's crowning achievement. Toei crafted a vibrant product filled with whimsy and charm. While the story is serviceable, the film is mostly worth watching to see all the girls working together. Precure All Stars Movie sticks close to the genre's conventions, but it is a fun and magical ride.

So you thought adapting a series into a film was hard? Try doing the same with two completely different mediums! Anime based on video games are relatively common, especially when referring to Japanese RPGs. Considered one of the best entries in the franchise, Tales of Vesperia follows the adventures of the vigilante Yuri Lowell, who left the prestigious Imperial Knights due to the rampant political corruption seeping through their ranks. Rather than stuffing a massive storyline into a couple of hours, The First Strike serves as a prequel to the events of the game. It is set during Yuri's time with the Imperial Knights and establishes why he turned his back on their cause. Accompanied by his friend Flynn Scifo, Yuri is stationed at Ceazontania, a peaceful town that is slowly being taken over by monsters. Despite their captain asking for reinforcement, the Imperial Knights' political agenda delays the process and puts the lives of many at risk. Like the game, Tales of Vesperia: The First Strike presents its cast as three-dimensional characters. Flynn and Yuri have their own reasons for joining the Imperial Knights, with neither of them being presented as right. Similarly to Nanoha, Tales of Vesperia's fights are explosive and bloody, but they tend to take a backseat to Production I.G.'s world building and character interactions.

Apparently, the life of an anti-virus comes with a few challenges. The "Box of Wisdom" is a strange entity housing multiple worlds and timelines. In order to maintain order, Dual and Dorothy exist to weed out any potential threats and delete them. Whenever a virus shows up, the affected world is erased to avoid an epidemic. Dual and Dorothy's programming is interrupted by the arrival of a young girl named Rimo who wishes to return to the flower patch. As a standalone story with barely an hour on the clock, Glass no Hana to Kowasu Sekai has a tough task on its hands. A-1 Pictures' sci-fi film has to establish a complex and unique universe, introduce multiple quirky characters, and deliver a compelling narrative. Surprisingly, Glass no Hana to Kowasu Sekai accomplishes its task with minimum fuss. The plot can be convoluted, but the gorgeous animation and likable cast pick up the slack. While described as anti-viruses, Dual and Dorothy are practically magical girls. While they serve a vital function, their actions result in the deaths of countless people. Like Nanoha's antagonists, Dual and Dorothy are caught between a rock and a hard place as they are forced to choose between sacrificing the few to save the many.

Wolf Children is the story of Hana, who during her studies in college, falls in love with a very mysterious and handsome man named Ookami. Hana and Ookami start dating, developing a deep, romantic relationship. Later on, Hana finds out that Ookami is part human, part wolf. When the pair begins a family, having a lovely girl and boy, Ookami tragically dies. Unfortunately, Hana is now a widow left to care for her young, who have also inherited his trait. We observe in Wolf Children that taming the animal in these kids isn’t an easy task. Furthermore, we see the unbreakable family bond, having the ability to overcome any obstacle. Wolf Children and You Are Umasou discuss the matter of family and how the definition isn’t as narrow as we perceive. Both anime films express how our characters choose to live their lives with the circumstances they are dealt. In Wolf Children, it is the choice of living as a human or animal, and in You Are Umasou, it is whether to live as a carnivore or a herbivore. The overall messages in both films are heartwarming and engaging.

Tokyo Godfathers follows the lives of three homeless friends, a cross-dresser named Hana, a burly, hostile man named Gin, and a runaway teen, Miyuki. Tis the season for the holidays, as it is Christmas and these friends have chanced on their very own Christmas miracle. As luck would have it, Hana, Gin, and Miyuki find a swaddled infant in a dumpster. The trio has decided to take on caring for the baby, naming her Kiyoko, which means “pure one.” Unfortunately, it dawned on the them that they can’t sufficiently provide for the baby. So, with what little clues Kiyoko had with her when found, they set on a quest to find her mother, becoming entangled in a myriad of bizarre occurrences. Tokyo Godfathers and You Are Umasou convey the idea that it is possible to make a home anywhere as long as one feels the warmth and belonging a home should provide. Setting in different time periods, this important concept is one that resonates throughout the ages. Furthermore, both films cast characters that include an infant. Tokyo Godfathers and You Are Umasou express the ease of togetherness, how both family units naturally mesh well and fit together. Their thoughts and attitudes are from the heart, and that’s what really counts.

Arashi no Yoru ni captures the story of a unique friendship between a goat named Mei and a wolf named Gabu. On a dark and stormy night, Gabu meets Mei in a barn. With little visibility, Gabu befriends Mei, giving him his word that he won’t harm her. Over time, Gabu must fight his natural instincts to keep Mei safe from himself and his pack. As the pack later challenges their friendship, the two take on a journey to find a place that won’t disturb their companionship. Arashi no Yoru ni and You Are Umasou are both excellent children films that deal with the animal hierarchy of predator-prey relationships, and herbivores and carnivores. Highlighting the unusual friendships of Gabu and Mei, and Umasou and Heart, these creatures fight the laws of nature to reveal what’s honestly in their hearts. Portraying similarly brilliant animation, Arashi no Yoru ni shares with viewers a little more intense action than You Are Umasou.

An oldie, but a goodie, Chirin no Suzu follows the story of a little lamb called Chirin. A bright and energetic little guy, Chirin is unaware of life’s danger until it flashes right in front of him. Wor, a ferocious black wolf, kills his mother, along with other sheep surrounding his home in an ambush. Succumbing to grief, Chirin wants revenge on Wor, going after him in his home in the mountains. Chirin comes to realize that it would be wiser to be the hunter instead of living in fear as the hunted. While watching Chirin no Suzu, its story and premise significantly remind viewers of You Are Umasou. Chirin and Wor, and Heart and Umasou are diverse characters who are very opposite to one another. As the predatory Wor and Heart treat their would-be prey Chirin and Umasou as their own, the underlying message in both shows that it is possible to break free of societal restrictions.

Puka Puka Juju is an anime short film capturing the story of innocence. Mika is a young girl with an adventurous spirit. She wants to go to the beach over the weekend, but her father is always busy working as well as harboring a fear of the sea. Thoroughly disappointed, Mika is cheered up by her inflatable manatee companion named Juju. Puka Puka Juju and You Are Umasou are similar because they are both kid-friendly films that showcase excitement and imagination. Friendship is found in surprising places. With happiness and gratitude, Umasou and Mika find their confidant by unlikely means, trusting in them when the world around them seems to have failed to fulfill their hopes.

Anata wo Zutto Aishiteru centers on the story of Toron, an infant Tyrannosaurus Rex who lost his parents. An orphan but an optimist, Toron is on a journey to fill the solitary void in his life. Toron seeks to meet exciting new friends, learning about the true meaning of living. Existing on this planet isn’t just about necessary sustenance, but the value in experiences and interactions gained from all walks of life. Dinosaurs! is a notably common trait appearing in both Anata wo Zutto Aishiteru and You Are Umasou. The conflicts that arise in each film are not identical, but what both movies show viewers is that there are qualities of vitality and new experiences emanating when one opens themselves to diverse friendships. Moreover, Anata wo Zutto Aishiteru and You Are Umasou are high-spirited, kid-friendly anime movies enjoyable for all.

Along with being left-handed, Elsie happens to be one of those “well, actually, she's a 300 year old demon” anime characters. Despite looking nothing like Ryuk of Death Note fame, Elsie is a shinigami (god or spirit associated with death) who has been sent from Hell on a mission to capture evil spirits that have escaped into the human world. Enlisting the help of dating sim “god” Keima Katsuragi when he unknowingly accepts the challenge, the two work together to conquer real-world girls who have been possessed by these spirits. This begins a long series of adventures full of parodies of character archetypes where Keima must put his gaming skills to the test with actual girls or else literally lose his head! What makes Elsie such a great character is that she is very much unlike what anyone would expect of a demon from hell in both personality and looks. Akio Watanabe's iconic cute character design makes this little hell spawn look more like a magical girl than a death god. With her frequently beeping skull-shaped hair clip, pink, cloud-like scarf, witch-style flying broomstick, bubbly, child-like personality, fascination with fire trucks, and sporadic cleaning spurts (before becoming a spirit hunter she was a cleaner!), Elsie's antics make her a very lovable character and good contrast to the gloomy, brooding Keima. Her left-handedness is also showcased as the left-handed bassist for Chihiro's band, the 2-B Pencils!

Lucky Star is a slice-of-life comedy that follows the lives of four high-school girls: the short, obsessive otaku Konata Izumi, the bespectacled, polite and smart Miyuki Takara, and fraternal twin sisters Tsukasa and Kagami Hiiragi, as they go about their daily lives and discuss facets of Japanese tradition, the proper way to cook and eat foods, academics, specifics of nerd culture and more! Tsukasa and Kagami could be described as “sugary” and “spicy” or as different sides of the same (left) hand respectively with Tsukasa being much more outwardly sweet, caring, and a little bit of a klutz, while Kagami is a classic tsukkomi character, prone to being grumpy and tsundere when she does show affection. We chose Kagami as our #9 on this list, but if this were a ranking of shows, Lucky Star would have to be our #1 with all of the main characters being left-handed except Konata (who is ambidextrous) and most of the supporting cast as well! Kagami is our pick for her relatable frustration at not having a lot of common interests with the other girls, her cute bouts of tsundere shyness, and the special moments when we get to see her smile.

Code Geass takes place in an alternate history where the British Empire maintained control of the American colonies and continued to expand, becoming known as the Holy Empire of Britannia. Set in 2010, the tyrannical Britannia is fighting off the last of the resistance forces in District 11 (a renamed Japan), Code Geass chronicles the story of the titular Lelouch Lamperouge, the exiled crown prince of Britannia. Lelouch receives a magical power called Geass from mysterious immortal girl C.C. and embarks on an action-packed quest for revenge against Britannia as his masked vigilante alter ego Zero in a story full of political intrigue and awesome mechs! Like Lelouch, Kallen Stadtfeld has a double life. Seemingly demure and frail, she attends the prestigious Ashford Academy where she is a member of the student council with outstanding academics but she is also secretly part of the guerrilla resistance forces fighting against Britannia. Kallen is an awesome lefty, a fiery redhead fighting for what she believes in with her badass Guren Type-02 mech specially designed for her, left-handedness included!

FLCL or Fooly Cooly or Furi Kuri is a bizarre 6 episode OVA produced by legendary studio Gainax about 12-year-old Naota Nandaba. Living in his suburban town of Mabase, the cynical preteen hates his boring town. Living in the shadow of his older brother who moved to America to play baseball, he is obsessed with trying to act mature to hide his loneliness. His ordinary life is violently interrupted when our #7 lefty Haruko Haruhara crashes into him with her Vespa scooter and then proceeds to bash him in the head with an electric blue Rickenbacker 4001 bass guitar! It only gets weirder from there when strange things start popping out of Naota's forehead, beginning with an oddly-shaped horn. Thus begins the wild, nonsensical, reference-fueled coming-of-age adventure that is FLCL! Pink-haired, hyperactive weirdo Haruko Haruhara (or maybe Haruha Raharu if you ask Amarao) is quite an enigma. She claims to be a 19-year-old alien working for an organization called the Galactic Space Patrol Brotherhood and seems to be after the power of the “Pirate King” Atomsk, but otherwise, her intentions and backstory are completely unknown. With her bizarre powers, unique sense of style, and over-the-top personality, Haruko Haruhara is an extremely memorable character who gets bonus lefty points for using her right-handed guitar despite being left-handed and being amazing at baseball in classic lefty fashion. “He who conquers the left side conquers the world” might just hold true for Haruko.

K-On! is about the members of the all-girl Sakuragaoka High School's Light Music Club. Freshman Hirasawa Yui has zero experience playing instruments or reading sheet music and mistakenly joins the club believing that the “light music” in Light Music Club means “easy music” like humming or whistling. When she meets the other girls, Ritsu Tainaka, Tsumugi Kotobuki, and Mio Akiyama, she finds out that the club is in danger of disbanding because of a lack of members and she ends up joining anyway. The girls name their band Ho-kago Tea Time and work together through their school studies and daily lives while Yui tries to learn guitar as they get ready for their debut at the school festival. Mio Akiyama tries really hard to act mature, calm, and collected around others but is also really shy and afraid of most anything that could be considered macabre or gross like ghosts, blood, haunted houses, injuries, and even barnacles. She's a model student with excellent grades and is often strict with others, especially in tsundere ways towards the immature Ritsu. She writes most of the songs for Ho-kago Tea Time, plays a left-handed, 3-color Fender Jazz Bass, and also provides many of the vocals alongside Yui, but tries not to be the center of attention because of her shyness. She is easily excitable when she sees rare, left-handed instruments. Another great lefty bassist from a Kyoto Animation classic!

Based on the 2004 KEY-developed visual novel of the same name, CLANNAD follows school delinquent Tomoya Okazaki. With a troubled past, Tomoya has pretty much given up on having a future and frequently skips school, idling his days away with his fellow delinquent friend Youhei Sunohara. That slowly begins to change after he encounters a strange girl named Nagisa Furukawa who he overhears exclaiming words of things she likes in an attempt to motivate herself. This begins an unlikely friendship of sorts where Tomoya tries to help Nagisa achieve her dream of reviving the school's drama club. As things progress, Tomoya meets more girls, each with their own problems, who he assists in this emotional drama speckled with bits of comedy and supernatural elements. Tomoya Okazaki is well-loved for his strong character development across CLANNAD and CLANNAD: After Story. While initially coming across as an aimless delinquent cynic, as we learn more about his traumatic childhood, we start to understand his frustrations in life and as the story moves on and you can't help but want to cheer him on as he develops a compassionate understanding of what it means to be friends and family. Through the emotional rollercoaster that is CLANNAD, Tomoya's growth and persistence is inspiring. He's also left-handed!!

Konohagakure, the hidden leaf village, is attacked by a gigantic nine-tailed fox demon called Kyuubi. In a desperate attempt to save the land, their leader, the Fourth Hokage, seals Kyuubi inside the newborn Naruto, sacrificing himself in the process. The main story follows the socially outcast Naruto, who dreams of becoming the next Hokage, from his ninja training to fighting many different opponents, to making friends, exploring new lands, and discovering himself in the process. Naruto, to many, was a gateway anime and continues to be a very popular shounen series. One of the people that Naruto meets early on in his journey is Sasuke Uchiha, another student living in the hidden leaf village who trains with Naruto and others. Sasuke has an immense drive for revenge against his older brother Itachi who murdered nearly the entirety of the Uchiha clan when Sasuke was a young child. Sasuke is matched with Naruto and Sakura Haruno, forming Team 7 in the Chunin Exams where Sasuke begins to form a bond with Naruto, one of the few people who can relate to his hardships. Ninjas are trained to be ambidextrous when possible but Sasuke's natural inclination is towards his left, likely another way to express his wayward character.

Ryuuji Takasu's scary face labels him as a delinquent by the students of his high school despite his actual kind, housework-obsessed personality, while fellow student Taiga Aisaka's small frame and doll-like features hide an often violent, feisty demeanor that gives her the nickname of “Palmtop Tiger.” After the two find out that each has a crush on the other's best friend, Yuusaku Kitamura and Minori Kushieda, they form an unlikely bond as they try to help each other get together with their respective crushes. Based on the award-winning light novel series, Toradora! is one of the best romantic comedies of recent times largely thanks to its memorable characters. The titular Taiga Aisaka (tora means tiger) is often seen brandishing a bamboo sword around school. Her explosive personality and aggressive antics makes her a sight to behold, especially coupled with her tiny stature. In reality, Taiga is a troubled girl with a history of family issues that have caused her to lose trust in others, save for her best friend Minori, who she calls Minorin, and Ryuuji who she slowly warms up to over the course of the story. As we learn more about Taiga throughout the story, she becomes more and more of a sympathetic character, which makes her tsundere shows of kindness even more beautiful.

As one of the longest running anime series of all time, most anime fans have already probably at least heard of One Piece, in particular if they prefer pirates to ninjas (sorry Naruto). One Piece tells the tale of Monkey D. Luffy, a 17-year-old boy who dreams to find the titular treasure called One Piece, a hidden treasure trove left by the “Pirate King” Gol D. Roger, who revealed its existence in his final breath, saying that anyone who could find it could claim it. Now countless pirates cruise the Grand Line in hopes of finding the treasure that can make their dreams come true, Luffy and his Straw Hat crew included. Zoro, as he is described in the infamous 4Kids English dub opening, is like a samurai but not actually one, though he does somewhat subscribes to the tenets of bushido. A master swordsman with a unique style of fighting called santoryu that utilizes using three katana swords at once, Zoro is generally considered the most powerful member of Luffy's crew after Luffy himself and was also the first to join the Straw Hats. Zoro seeks to truly master the art of swordsmanship, aiming to be the greatest in the world; his many battle scars a testament to his dedication. An awesome, left-handed warrior, Zoro carves his way into being our #2 pick!

When brothers Edward and Alphonse Elric attempt the forbidden alchemic act of human transmutation to resurrect their dead mother, they get more than they bargained for. Alchemy abides by the law of equivalent exchange, sacrifices must be made to achieve results. This alchemy gone awry cost Edward a literal arm and a leg and Alphonse his entire body and nearly his life. If not for Edward hastily binding his soul into a suit of armor, he would have been gone forever. Fullmetal Alchemist follows the story of the two brothers in their quest to find the legendary Philosopher's Stone, said to amplify the abilities of any alchemist far beyond what is normal, even bypassing the law of equivalent exchange. Edward's first step in trying to find the legendary stone is to become part of the military as a State Alchemist, which the brilliant 12-year-old achieves as the youngest person in all of history. Edward (or Ed) is also unusual in his stature and appearance, the former being a recurring sticking point with his short stature and the latter, his mechanical arm and leg called automail, being the source of his namesake Fullmetal title, as well as qualifying his inclusion in this list due to him only having a left arm (and hand) of his own. Ed is our number one pick because of his awesome skills in both martial arts and alchemy (and the combination thereof, especially his ability to transform the metal in his limbs) and his undeniable charm in spite of often being an overly stubborn hothead. For those close to him, he is incredibly loyal and capable of great compassion, and it's in these deeper moments that we understand his complex character. A truly memorable character from a fantastic series, and as left-handed as one can get, Edward Elric is surely a character you'll never forget!

There are a lot of anime coming back this season and some have not been on air for years. If you want to see a comeback done properly,, watch Full Metal Panic! Invisible Victory Episode 1. This came right out of the gate swinging and was absolutely spectacular. We get Tessa meeting the villian right out of the starting gate, a quick rundown of major side characters, before diving right into a plot. No, not the plot of a story, but an actual plot when an EMP is detonated. If you don’t know what it is, they kill all electronics within a wide range. Tension builds as Sousuke realizes that Chidori is in danger. They run out and we learn that they spent the night in an empty lot as they were hunted. Help is on the way, but it turns out that the lot is not empty. Hostile agents have closed in on them and the helicopter cannot land. Sousuke needs time. Aaaaaaaaaand credits. Even if you did not catch the previous seasons, there is enough information that you can get hooked and keep watching. Plus a cliff-hanger on episode one? Excellent. Xebec has come out of the gate speeding down the runway and it’s clear that if this pace is kept up, we have a winner that is easily a season front-runner.

If you had asked me last week, I’d tell you that Mahou Shoujo Site was a very psychologically thrilling anime that really taps into the mindset of those who are suicidal and overtly dark. After this week’s episode, I’d tell you that Mahou Shoujo Site seems to have lost sight of what they wanted out of the anime and are coming out of it the same way Child of Chucky came out of the Chucky series: a joke. First of all, the line “take out the trash” is repeated too many times in just a few minute’s time by that gloomy looking blonde, Tsuyuno, and the first time you hear it, you might as well remember Arnold Schwarzenegger saying “I’ll be back.” You cannot take it seriously by how silly it sounds. Then Tsuyuno says it multiple times and that’s apparently their mission as a magical girl. Then too many different things are introduced at once, including a bad guy in the form of the Magical Girl Hunter, who apparently is hashed out immediately in this episode leading to a sense of foreboding about the Tempest, or whatever. Wow, way to be anticlimactic with someone who is supposed to be a murderer. Let’s not forget that our main character, Aya, is some idealistic girl who doesn’t want to kill anyone because she’s got to be pure, yet she’s contemplated suicide? She cannot even kill people who are trying to kill her? You have got to be kidding me. Lastly, I’m appalled by the inclusion of Aya’s brother waiting outside her door restraining himself from torturing his sister due to the presence of a stranger and the brief close up to his tortured face as if it were a scene from Battle Royale. Is this supposed to be humorous in an anime that is supposed to be dark as heck? Do you want this to be funny or dark because making a dark moment funny is just not amusing to me. Figure out your show because this is just not well organized so far and the dark theme shown in the first episode are now lost on me in this episode.

I really like the WIXOSS saga, mostly because I like “competitive anime” when it’s based on video games, card games or just magical girls. To put it simply, for me WIXOSS anime saga is like a love child between YU-Gi-Oh! and Madoka Magika… and yes, I know this might be too much on my part, but I really dig it’s cast of girls and the meta-story behind them. Lostorage Conflated, the third installment, looks more like a tie-in between the others rather than a sequel, and the best part is that it keeps one of the things I like: you can’t keep up with the rules! The main character is Kiyoi Mizushima, better known as the LRIG Piruluk, and this time we get to see one of the duels where she helped her friend and Selector Amika Hashimoto. For me, the battle is one that Yugi Muto himself would be proud of, because of the insane amount of rule-breaking things happening at the same time. If you’re not familiar with the WIXOSS game you’re probably lost with the “level 5” change, but you can’t say Piruluk changing her Selector’s mind to reverse the wish is not a bold, genius and crazy move. Is like saying your life goal is to become the best at something, so you achieve it by “wishing to be the worst at it and purposefully losing 3 duels in a row, thus being punished with the complete opposite”. It’s so stupid you wouldn’t think of it! The best part of it is that it wasn’t Amika’s idea but Piruluk’s, her LRIG! You know, LRIGs usually enjoy when they become human again, using their defeated Selector’s life and body. So here it is, one of the best anime moments this week! You can ship Yugi and Amika now or even Yami Yugi (Atem) and Piruluk. Thank me later...

So in episode 2 of P5, after Ren has released his Persona, Arsene and him and his new friend Ryuuji trap the otherworld version of teacher-bully Kamoshida before making it out of there and being late to school, Kamoshida is proven to be a complete and total jerk, as he constantly bullies many of the boys, especially Ryuuji. He also harasses Ann and immediately targets Ren on his first day at school, hitting him in the face with a ball and making sure everyone finds out why he’s on probation, much to his guardian’s dismay. We also learn that Kamoshida broke Ryuuji’s leg, which is why he can no longer run in the now disbanded track team. Finally tired of doing nothing and allowing Kamoshida to do as he pleases, Ryuuji says he wants to go to the other world and defeat the shadow Kamoshida. Once in the alternate world, the boys come up to a cell, where a cute cat-like creature is being kept. Ryuuji freaks out because there’s a “monster cat”, to which P5’s adorable mascot character replies “I’m not a cat. I’m Morgana! Let’s make a deal…”. *Kawaii!!* With a chibi voice perfect for the mascot, Morgana offers information about the place they’re in if they let it out of its cell. Of course, Ren agrees and lets Morgana out. Immediately, the stoic Ren starts petting Morgana’s -disproportionately large- head and making note of how soft and alive Morgana is! *double kawaii!*. And if that wasn’t enough cuteness, then the spunky Ryuuji says “Let me touch the monster cat too!” Here we have 2 high school boys wanting to pet a cute, soft cat, while the feline in question melts away with joy, what more can a girl ask for!? The moment doesn’t last long, as they are found by Kamoshida’s guards, but Morgana leads the boys and proceeds to explain to them how everything works. Not only is Morgana cute, it’s knowledgeable, tough, and funny! Having never played the game, it was great to finally get to see the cute kitty... er… Morgana in action!!