In the world of anime, if you are in trouble, you don’t call the Ghostbusters. Nope, one of many alternatives is to call the World Welfare Work Association, who will send you some Trouble Consultants to help you out. You have to look out for the team called Dirty Pair, though. These lovely angels will cause collateral damage to everyone, ranging from the enemies, to their boss, to the laughs they cause in their viewers. In terms of female warriors or soldiers, both shows have similar protagonists. The personalities are also the hot spot, like Honey, Kei and Yuri are upbeat. Their uniforms are also revealing, if you know what we mean. The two anime have comedy here and there, and are full of action. The character design is also somewhat similar. The main difference is that Honey is an android, while Kei and Yuri are real girls; and the Dirty Pair tends to bring disaster wherever they are.

The Ghost Sweeper business is run by Reiko Mikami, an exorcist who had trained with a priest of the Catholic Church. Whenever an evil energy or ghost is loose, you can call Mikami to get rid of it. She will do her best with her sword-like exorcist weapons and her martial arts! Her relationship with her assistants High Schooler Yokoshima and ghost girl Himuro will also make you laugh. Cutie Honey was designed to be sensual, and the same can be said about Mikami. It is also interesting that the protagonists have something to do with the Catholic Church and that both have red hair and green eyes when they are down to business, right? Both also have sword shaped weapons and a strong character, although Honey is sweeter. The enemies in the two anime are supernatural, the format is episodic and we have some adult comedy here and there. So, if you like the ecchi aspect of Cutey Honey Universe and the type of comedy and action of the anime, this might be the right option for you.

The protagonist of the Slayers franchise is Lina Inverse, a powerful sorceress who travels around the world having adventures, pursuing treasures and defeating evil forces. In the movies and OVAs, she usually pairs up with Naga the Serpent, another powerful and voluptuous sorceress who can be considered her rival and ally at the same time. In Slayers Gorgeous, a tribe of dragons attacks a village, commanded by a warrior called Marlene. Things get complicated (and hilarious) when Lina decides to side with the village’s chief and Naga sides with the dragon tribe. It looks like animators enjoyed red headed female leads in the eighties and nineties, right? Although Lina is not a magical girl per se, she is the most upbeat, energetic and positive protagonist you could imagine. This cannot be a coincidence as Honey was one of the first heroines with such a personality. We also have an interesting cast of female characters who are hiding something (yes, we are talking about Marlene and Inspector Genet).

Everything seems normal in the life of Madoka Kaname and Sayaka Miki, two middle school students. When they encounter a magical cat-like creature called Kyuubey, he offers them to grant their wishes in exchange of becoming magical girls. Although Akemi Homura (another magical girl) warns them not to accept the offer, Madoka embarks herself in a life of magic and secrets. Expect lots of hope, friendship, sadness and girl power! Honey and Madoka are regular students until they encounter a supernatural power, which sets their adventures in motion. Both characters are happy girls with cute dress ups, while the general color palettes of their animes is a contrast between bright colors and darkness. Their enemies also have supernatural powers. The main difference is that Madoka has a more dream-like and darker tone. So, if you like Honey but find her too lightheaded or comedic sometimes, maybe your magical girl is Madoka.

Yes, we had to mention Sailor Moon in its latest anime incarnation. The adventures of the reincarnated Moon Princess (Usagi Tsukino) and her friends and family have entertained otaku for generations. While going to school and enjoying life by day, Usagi transforms into Sailor Moon by night to punish the evil forces that want to harm Earth. The peculiarity of Sailor Moon Crystal is that both the story and the illustration style are more faithful to the original manga. Honey and the Sailor Senshi are practically unbeatable, and if you have seen their transformation scenes, you will notice they are very similar. Usagi also has the ability to transform her appearance to disguise herself like the protagonist of Cutie Honey Universe. Both shows have a bit of comedy, although there are more adult themes with Honey. And finally, both shows have female enemies! If you loved Honey but would like to see a more romantic version of it, Sailor Moon Crystal will fit the bill.

Our final recommendation is a recent anime that was a pleasant surprise. It combines very well known shoujo anime props with an original flavor and all the girl power. Princess Principal follows the missions of Shirohato, a group of five spies in a steampunk version of England. Hiding in a prestigious college for girls, the five spies will risk their lives while they form friendships and confront enemies. One of the Shirohato spies is a blond light-headed girl who reminds us a bit of Honey. Yes, we are talking about Princess! The show also combines the purest forms of action with a bit of sensuality, just like Cutie Honey Universe. The animation in both cases is superb! And there is a character who reminds us of Inspector Genet here as well. We already mentioned that both anime are all for girl power, so they focus mostly on the female cast. The main difference is that Princess Principal borrows historical elements and is a bit darker than Honey. Therefore, if you are looking for an anime that has the best of Cutie Honey Universe in a steampunk environment, you have to watch Princess Principal.

This was the debut of Kazuma Jouichi as writer, while nauribon has experience illustrating light novels from the seinen genre. Kasou no Ryouiki no Elyson tells us the story of a brother and a sister. Tenryu Taiga is the athletic one and Fuyuki is the genius girl. When they end up living together due to lack of money, the adventure begins! We have a male protagonist and a female protagonist in both Sword Art Online and Elyson. All the protagonists are capable on their own accord. They are set in worlds where technology permits “travel” to virtual worlds. Also, although the first impression of such worlds is amazing, we quickly learn that things get can pretty serious in the game. The style is also kinda similar, although the color is brighter in Elyson. Also, Sword Art Online gets a bit grimmer and sadder sometimes, so if you would like a lighter version of it, Elyson is the option for you.

Wo Ju has authored many light novels in the fantasy realm with a characteristic Chinese flavour. Sha Ya has accompanied them in three occasions as illustrator, including in ½ Prince. In this novel, we travel to the year 2100 A.D., where video games are very advanced. Feng Lang is a female player who plays as a male character in the popular game Second Life. However, her real life gets more and more complicated as she meets her virtual companions in the real world. If you liked Sword Art Online but found it too occidental for your likeness, maybe ½ Prince will satisfy your oriental craves. Both novels are about a highly realistic virtual game. On occasion, the real life gets intertwined with it. Another aspect that is highlighted in both stories is the romantic relationship between the main characters. The main difference is that ½ Prince is more comedic and the character design is more childish. Therefore, if you found Sword Art Online too tragic, now you know what you can read instead.

Usagi Aneko has some experience writing epic style light novels. As for Kyu Aiya, she also has some experience illustrating seinen and fantasy light novels.The protagonist of this work is Naofumi Iwatani, who is summoned to another world in order to become the Shield Hero. After being betrayed on his third day of adventure, Naofumi vows revenge counting only with his shield. Did someone mentioned a MMORPG world that looks European? The protagonists also have to fight to survive from the beginning. The objective in both stories is to escape from this world too. And did we mention the beautiful weapons and accessories found in the two plots? The most obvious difference is the drawing style, which is a bit more adult, detailed and stylish in Tate no Yuusha no Nariagari. If you are crazy about occidental epic themed video games, this might be the novel for you.

This is the debut work of Tarou Tatsunoko as a writer, who has been telling us a few isekai style stories. It was also the debut for Yuu Amano as an illustrator, who has only one other newer light novel under their sleeve. The story is about three people called Izayoi Sakamaki, Asuka Kudou and You Kasukabe. They have psychic powers but are bored with the world. When they receive an envelope, they jump into a new world gladly. The Black Rabbit has summoned them to defeat the Devil King. People bored with the normal world? Check. We also have an alternate world based in an occidental world with medieval imagery, too. The protagonists have to fight for their lives and have the opportunity to level-up as well! If you liked the cute characters in Sword Art Online (particularly the girls), this is your lucky day! The title might be long, but the light novel’s length is just right to enjoy character development and adventure together.

Mushoku Tensei is the debut of the writer Rifujin na Magonote. As for Sirotaka, they have illustrated other recent novels as well. In Mushoku Tensei, we meet a NEET who dies when he is 34 years old. However, he keeps his memories when he is reincarnated into a magic world. Now named Rudeus Greyrat and holding great magical powers, this guy vows to have a better life in this new opportunity. We have an alternative magical world inspired by occident once again in Mushoku Tensei. We also have a normal person who crosses the realm and becomes the unbeatable protagonist. Both characters have to grow mentally above everything in order to overcome what life throws at them. The main difference is that Mushoku Tensei has more comedy and sometimes can be a bit ecchi. Also, the characters in Sword Art Online look a bit more childish and younger. If you felt that Sword Art Online was a bit serious, maybe you might want to check Mushoku Tensei.

Yuu Kamiya is an artist from Brazil who moved to Japan when he was a kid. He has other famous works including his most recent Clockwork Planet. In No Game No Life, the internet is being broken by a gamer known as Blank. It turns out that Blank is made up of two NEET siblings, Sora and genius girl Shiro. When they are challenged to a chess game, they cross the barrier towards an alternate world where their gamer abilities are sorely required. Did you want highly skilled protagonists kicking asses in an alternative reality just like in Sword Art Online? We got you covered. A couple that is not related by blood but pretends to be family is involved in both cases as well, although their relationship is more similar to the one in the novel Elyson. The main difference is that, while the characters in Sword Art Online are trying to go back to the real world, that is not the main target in No Game No Life.

In a dystopian setting, a legend exists which speaks of the gateway to paradise being opened when the world ends, a paradise which will be the only safe haven for the surviving few. However, according to legend, only wolves can find their way into paradise. Long thought to be extinct, there are wolves living amongst humans, relying on illusions to blend in and avoid being hunted by human beings. A lone wolf named Kiba finds himself drawn to Freeze City by an interesting scent. The town is ruled by one Lord Orkham, an unpleasant figure who has allowed poverty to grip the very foundations of the town. Kiba soon learns that other wolves have been drawn to the city; drawn to the fragrance of the “Lunar Flowers”, the fabled keys to paradise. In pursuit of their ideal world, the wolves travel across crumbling cities and wastelands; however, they soon realise that they aren’t the only ones searching… Wolf’s Rain uses the Lunar Flowers as a beacon of hope for the wolves; however, its alluring scent is placed with the dark and desolate backdrops which make up a large part of the show. This effect can be taken as a statement – could the flowers be symbolic of the fleeting conception that is utopia? Perhaps paradise can only ever be like the flowers’ scent: promising and alluring but leading nowhere.

The Takakura siblings live a fairly difficult life after the death of their parents. Twin brothers Kanba and Shouma must take care of their younger sister, Himari, who is constantly in ill health. One day, Himari is given temporary permission to leave the hospital and her brothers take her to the aquarium but unfortunately, she collapses. Strangely enough, Himari is revived by a penguin hat the trio had bought from the aquarium’s gift shop. With her inexplicable recovery comes the strange terrain of having to navigate a whole new entity being in their sister’s body. The entity’s only condition for keeping Himari alive is that Kanba and Shouma find the mysterious “Penguindrum”, going on the wildest goose chase of their lives. The penguin in Mawaru Penguindrum is a symbol which permeates the entire series from the beginning. The absurdity of the show manifests itself in the appearance of three live servant penguins in the Takakura’s mail. The penguin itself can also be symbolic of royalty, which explains the regal personality of the Princess of the Crystal who possesses Himari’s body at particular junctures in the show.

14-year-old Renton Thurston is tired of his boring life living with his mechanic grandfather in his small backwater town of Belforest. Craving some sort of reprieve from his boredom, Renton spends his days riding the trapar waves in the atmosphere in a manner akin to surfing, much like the members of the Gekkostate mercenary group he greatly idolises. His boring life changes forever when one night, a giant mecha or “Light-Finding Operation” crash lands into Renton’s garage. The LFOs are capable of riding the trapar waves in the air. The LFO in question is the legendary Nirvash TypeZERO, piloted by a beautiful blue-haired girl named Eureka, who happens to be a member of Gekkostate. She requests a tune-up for the Nirvash, an interaction which kicks off Renton’s involvement with Gekkostate as he ends up being co-pilot of the Nirvash. Eureka Seven has several motifs which run throughout the show, such as the spontaneous appearance of the show’s in-universe animal, the sky fish. These fish are capable of riding the trapar waves and first appeared en masse when a daring Renton exclaimed “I CAN FLY!” before riding the trapars on his board in a way he’d never done before. Perhaps they are symbolic of his freedom from the Belforest cage, his literal burst onto the scene.

Lucy is a “Diclonius”, a special breed of human being born with a short pair of horns and invisible telekinetic hands. As a result, she is subject to years of torture and experimentation by the government, at least until she escapes, tearing apart anyone who stands in her way. However, during her breakout, she sustains a heavy head injury which leaves her with a split personality: a harmless, childlike side with limited communicative abilities, and her true self. During her period of vulnerability, Lucy is found by two college students, Kouta and his cousin Yuka, who then take her into their care. However, they remain blissfully unaware of the true nature of the stray cat they have decided to let in. Memory is a recurring theme in Elfen Lied and in extended flashbacks in the show, we are exposed to the harsh realities of Lucy’s childhood, one of which being the brutal bludgeoning of a puppy she once had. This memory haunts Lucy as it is both a heavy expression of human cruelty. Later in the series, she is shown to be incapable of harming dogs, a possible reference to her childhood experiences. Dogs are often symbols of loyalty, which resonates with Elfen Lied and the memory which haunts the show, representing Lucy’s own attachments.

One hot summer day, 16-year-old Ariyoshi Juna met her end when a motorcycle joyride with her boyfriend went awry. Her ordinary high school life ended when, in the strange limbo between life and death, she saw vivid visions of the Earth’s desolate future. In death, she meets a strange boy named Chris who offers her an ultimatum: die, as she had been; or gain a second chance at life by assuming the role of the Avatar of Time, the being who is to protect the planet from its unsightly future and guide it towards a better fate. Earth Girl Arjuna is littered with symbolism and imagery inspired by Hindu mythology and various forms of spiritual thinking. This is evident in the form of the Drop of Time placed squarely on Juna’s forehead – a magatama bead as her literal third eye, as well as numerous other elements hinting at inspiration from Hindu cosmogony. The word “Arjuna” in the title is symbolic of the nature of the story – an epic; as well as indicative of Juna’s role in the series: the bow-wielding protagonist. This is a clear nod towards Arjuna, the protagonist of the Indian Mahabharata epic. This is taken as far as making Juna an archer, who wields “Gandiva”, Arjuna’s bow in the mythos. Juna’s mechanical guardian, Ashura, is named after the Ashura, powerful power-seeking deities in the collection of Sanskrit hymns known as the Rigveda.

Third-year high school student Araragi Koyomi narrowly survives a vampire attack. With the help of Oshino Meme, an eccentric living in an abandoned building, Koyomi is able to overcome his vampirism; however, the lingering effects of having once been undead still remain. Irrespective of his colourful past, Koyomi attempts to live life as a regular high schooler, but when fellow classmate Senjougahara Hitagi falls down the stairs, he rushes to catch her. Having caught the falling girl, he realises that Senjougahara is unnaturally weightless. Knowing just who can help, Koyomi insists that Senjougahara trust him, and trust Oshino Meme, an expert in things of this… order. Through his interactions with several characters, Bakemonogatari follows Koyomi as he helps several characters deal with supernatural afflictions. Much of the animation in the Monogatari Series is notorious for instantaneous flashes of text which appear on screen, often contextualising the conversation at hand. Being the dialogue-driven show that it is, Bakemonogatari finds itself in a place where symbolism and meta-references are always on the cards, such as the imagery of Hachikuji Mayoi being a lost snail and her supernatural affliction being the lost snail. Also, her name “Mayoi” literally translates to “lost”, showing a mere glimpse into the type of anime Bakemonogatari can be – a layered experience.

Kuroi Mato’s first day of junior high has her running into Takanashi Yomi, a shy girl in whom Mato takes an interest. At first, Mato’s attempts at forming a genuine bond are avoided until Yomi sees Mato’s blue bird phone decoration, a reference to a book titled “Li’l Birds At Play”. With this common interest, friendship finally blossoms; however, as above, so below. Their actions and the happenings around them affect their interactions in a parallel universe, where Mato is a being known as “Black★Rock Shooter” and Yomi is “Dead Master”. Despite this, the girls remain in the dark with regards to the fate they now share. The symbol of the bird appears in Black★Rock Shooter very often, embedding itself even into the very names of the characters. The blue bird decoration on Mato’s phone being the catalyst for her friendship with Yomi is further indication of this anime’s intent to use the bird motif. In the first episode, the mechanics of Takanashi’s name are discussed, with it being explained that it is written “kotori asobi” – where little birds play, but pronounced “Takanashi” – no eagles, because it logically follows that “Li’l birds” can only be “At Play” where there are no eagles, a Japanese equivalent of the saying “When the cat’s away, the mice will play”. Birds are generally seen as symbols of freedom so you can only imagine how far this has gone.

The Abyss is a large chasm which stretches down to the very pits of the Earth, harbouring all sorts of ancient creatures. People known as Divers risk their lives to enter the deep dark unknown in order to learn more about it. The best divers, known as the White Whistles, are lauded by people who remain on the world above. Riko is the daughter of a White Whistle who went missing and aspires to be like her; to be like Lyza the Annihilator. At her current state, she is a mere novice confined to the uppermost layer of the abyss. One day, Riko has a chance encounter with a robot named Reg, who can’t remember anything before being found. Reasoning that technology this advanced could only come from the abyss, Riko and Reg head down into the deep in order to retrieve Reg’s memories, and learn more about the gaping rift in their world. The giant gaping chasm around which the events of the series occur is a recurring theme used in the anime and the word “abyss” itself ties to it negative connotations. The title, “Made in Abyss”, is a clear nod towards the character Reg, but also perhaps to other discoveries which remain inexplicable to the people on the surface. The word “abyss” also always seems to remind human beings of an interesting Friedrich Nietzsche quote which is often delivered as “And if you gaze long into the abyss, the abyss will also gaze into you.”

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The year is 2015 and the world stands on the brink of ruin due to the appearance of giant alien lifeforms known as the Angels. The only hope of humanity lies in the hands of NERV, a special agency operating under the United Nations who possess giant machines capable of defeating the angels. 14-year-old Ikari Shinji’s life has to change as his father, Ikari Gendou summons him to pilot one of these giant machines, Evangelion Unit-01. Can Shinji overcome fear and bear the weight of the fate of the very world on his shoulders? While generally on a very surface level, Neon Genesis Evangelion throws many different religious subjects into the fray. From the main antagonists of the series being called Angels, to the naming of significant Angels after Adam and Lilith respectively, Evangelion enters the territory of themes inspired by Abrahamic faiths and their lore. The final set of confusing episodes also draws from the primordial soup concept to explore characters’ psyches in… rather memorable ways.

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Tokyo is a city of intense violence due to the existence of humanity’s only natural predator: the Ghoul. Ghouls are bloodthirsty beings which feed on human flesh to survive, using their human-like appearance to blend in with human society. 18-year-old Kaneki Ken’s date with the beautiful Kamishiro Rize goes horribly wrong when the fellow bookworm turns out to be a Ghoul herself. With Kaneki coming extremely close to death, a freak accident causes Rize to lose her life, but the meeting sets into motion Kaneki’s dark descent into the violent world of the Ghouls where the only philosophy is canis canem edit. Tokyo Ghoul is dripping in symbolism and meta-references which truly elevate the experience of watching (or reading) the series once you become aware of it all. The main device is of course the colouration of Kaneki Ken’s hair throughout the series. His jet-black hair is replaced by a snow white, possibly due to the effects of Marie Antoinette syndrome, after his torture at the hands of Jason. This is symbolic of his complete acceptance of his Ghoul side. Throughout the series, there has been heavy emphasis on masks and aliases, which further sends home the idea that Ghouls often have their very individuality as Ghouls come second to their Ghoul status.

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As the term implies, Psychological anime want you to think, and they really want you to think hard. Nothing is as it seems and every step that the main character takes forward only makes the story more twisted and difficult. Let us repeat that psychological anime will NEVER spoon feed you anything. You must either deduce it for yourself or wait for the main character’s exposition where they will rationalize everything for themselves thus cluing in the viewers. Sometimes too, that doesn’t even happen! You are given crumbs as you try to piece together what would have been the loaf of bread that was the story. If you love a good brain massage where you actually have to think and enjoy a story rather than be told everything, then psychological anime are where you want to be. Let’s take a look at a classic.

Paranoia Agent sets us in the popular-to-live-in city of Musashino in Tokyo. When a popular character designer known as Tsukiko Sagi is attacked, the city barely makes note. However, as incidents mount in the city, they all seem to have a similar story: a boy with golden rollerblades and a baseball bat attacked them. His face was impossible to see however, so it’s hard to land a perp, which is the issue facing two detectives Keiichi and Mitsuhiro as they investigate just what the heck is going on. When they try to pump the victims for information, it gets them nowhere as all seem to have had their psyche broken. If things couldn't be any worse, paranoia sets in among the townspeople as they try to make sense of what is happening. Now it becomes a race to see if they can get to the truth behind lil slugger or if they too will succumb to paranoia agent. Paranoia Agent is about as good as it gets when it comes to a quintessential psychological anime that every anime fan should see at least once. Satoshi Kon, the mastermind behind Perfect Blue and Paprika was the director for the series and his skills and talent really shine in this series. The scenes effortlessly flow to the next one leaving the viewer often perplexed as to why it changes so suddenly, but also why, randomly, there is an old man mumbling to himself and writing a massive formula on the sidewalk or why a stuffed animal has now come to life only to stop moments later. There are also great–for lack of a better word–torture moments where say, Sagi will hear something that sounds like rollerblades and panic thinking that Lil slugger is back to get her once again. The ending may just leave you scratching your head, but know that not every anime out there requires a solid conclusion.

Another great aspect that psychological anime enjoy toying with, is the concept of what could be should the task in front of you not be completed. This usually involves dark, grim games or realities that the protagonist will face should they not be able to complete whatever the task is at hand. It could be saving someone from being murdered by exposing the killer, and it could also be something much more simple like bowling or an arcade game. One thing is for sure, we get to watch the main character anguish through exposition after exposition as they struggle to rationalize how to solve the problem at hand. Thankfully though, these almost always make for excellent anime.

Satoru Fujinuma has this strange ability. When some kind of accident is about to occur, he is given the chance to re-do his most recent few moments. He always takes this as a chance to prevent or obstruct whatever incident is about to occur. When he is framed for the murder of a very close family member though, in a moment of desperation, he begins to flee, only to see a butterfly? Suddenly he is back in the past. You see, Satoru didn’t live in a metropolis; he lived in cold, lonely Hokkaido. He realizes, in his young body, that there must be a reason why he is sent back. It must be connected with his classmate, a girl named Kayo Hinazuki, who died when he was his current age. Satoru makes up his mind to pull the curtain back on this masked killer and set the record straight once and for all, but with the killer still trying to kill Kayo, what can a young boy do against cruel fate? Boku dake ga Inai Machi hits the ground running and does not stop till the end of the series. Every time that you think and he thinks that the mystery has been solved, he is ripped back to the present, or the past, in order to try again. The crushing reality that he might not be able to save Kayo from dying is ever present. That and the fact that the further he sticks his nose into things, the more it puts those from his past in the eyes of danger. The real winning psychological aspect is that a lot like Paranoia Agent, there is so little that you are privy to see even though Satoru’s eyes and explanations that you too have to come to conclusions on your own. Married to the thriller genre means that this series is really going to keep you thinking hard while rushing to watch the next episode!

Yuuta Gamon runs a blog mocking the supernatural along with his friend and canon big breasted anime character, Ryouka Narusawa. He runs it wanting to make money, but one day, he happens to stumble across something and investigates. This takes him on a path to meet people who would never have even bothered to read his blog or even care what he has to say. However, fate, ever the cruel mistress, has bound these nine individuals together in a way that is beyond unexpected; it’s flat out outlandish. Yuuta must now confront that something supernatural is going on as he tries to solve the mystery plaguing both the city and their lives. Occultic;Nine is like a puzzle box. It’s a puzzle box that has been mixed with about four other puzzles, or eight if you would like. Somehow at the end of all of this though, the puzzles will all be put side by side and connected, but never in the way that you would expect. To be honest, that is the story of Occultic;Nine. At first, nothing seems to be connected at all and nothing makes any sense. In fact, it just sounds like characters going down a rabbit hole about nothing and nonsense. But then… somewhere along the line something clicks. Two seemingly unconnected pieces connect. Then that leads to another piece and then another. Occultic;Nine is an anime best enjoyed when you have a large amount of time on your hands because there is so much critical thinking and concentration required, that missing even the slightest piece of information will require you to backtrack so as to not be lost. If you really want to exercise your brain, then this dangerous incident is something to get involved in.

When you die, there is no heaven or hell. There is just one thing: a bar. This bar is purgatory and helps find out which of us deserve to move on to reincarnation and which of us are doomed for oblivion. Two people always arrive here and when they do, the meet Decim. After Decim makes them a drink, he proposes a game. This game is much more than it seems as it is actually part of Decim’s job. Through the game, he sees the darkness residing in someone’s heart and will send the one who harbors it to oblivion while the other heads to reincarnation. When a strange woman with no memories shows up through, cracks begin to appear in the foundation. Death Parade caught almost everyone off guard when it came out. The series was adapted from a one-shot called Death Billiards and while the premise seems simple and there are new characters each time, the story is incredibly captivating. One major aspect of psychological anime that is often overlooked is the line of ethical versus unethical. This permeates through many but is often forgotten by the viewer. Death Parade thrusts this into the center spotlight confronting the viewer with many a question or dilemma as they watch things unfold. If you want something that is equal parts dark and oddly satisfying, Death Parade is an excellent place to start.

Tomoya has never been motivated to try his hardest in school, finding the whole process a waste. A chance meeting with Nagisa, a quiet girl with a few quirks, on his way to school one day creates a subtle bond between the delinquent and the wallflower. He finds himself searching for her in the hallways at school as he notices her more and more. Tomoya eventually warms up to the strange girl and becomes her friend. Nagisa, on the other hand, had considered Tomoya her friend since the first day they met. Nagisa, who was held back a year in school because of missing most of the previous year due to illness, desperately wants to revive the drama club. Tomoya decides to join Nagisa and four other girls in their quest. He finds himself involved in the girls’ lives, helping each of them overcome their problems as his romance with Nagisa blooms. KyoAni does an excellent job at creating a character-driven anime. You won’t find any supernatural battles or sinister plans by the student council. You’ll simply find a story filled with subtlety. The episodes at times feel like a slice-of-life but they’re all connected in a narrative of young people overcoming real-world obstacles in the latter days of their youth. The love story between Nagisa and Tomoya is also rated one of the best in anime.

What would you do if you opened your door and the large green face of a dragon was filling up your home’s entranceway? The first instinct might be to close the door and hide in your bathtub. You, however, might just freeze and stand there long enough to see that dragon go poof and transform into a cute girl dressed as a maid. Miss Kobayashi had that exact encounter, chose the second option and that dragon maid introduced herself as Tooru. The previous night Miss Kobayashi got drunk after work and wandered into the woods where she came across a wounded dragon. She, in her drunken state, pulled a sword out of the large dragon Tooru and offered her a place to stay. Tooru decided the best way to repay the kindness was to become her personal maid. We get a bit of slice of comedic life as Tooru attempts to adapt to the human way of doing things, like washing the laundry in the washer and not in her mouth. Tooru’s presence attracts several other human-shaped dragons and one child dragon named Kanna. Miss Kobayashi takes in the younger dragon and becomes her foster parent. She and Tooru do their best to raise the small dragon including registering her for school as Kobayashi’s child. The story continues from there as a slice-of-life with mystical and truly comedic twists as they navigate their daily lives. Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid is a story of love, acceptance, and the meaning of family in a truly modern sense. KyoAni manages to take this quirky slice-of-life comedy and make it a lesson about love. We get that Tooru is a dragon. She has horns on her head and a tail sticking out from under her maid’s skirt as a constant reminder of her otherworldliness. Tooru is also accepted by the community around her as just a girl that likes to dress oddly. Miss Kobayashi’s life before Tooru and Kanna revolved around work and not much more. Tooru, who on several occasions expresses her feelings for the human, is completely in love with her savior. Miss Kobayashi quickly realizes that her life without Tooru and Kanna would be incomplete. We find one of the best episodes is when they take Kanna school shopping and it feels like two moms shopping with their daughter. The greatest statement KyoAni makes is at the end of the season when Miss Kobayashi takes Tooru and Kanna to visit her parents and we are led to believe she introduces them as her family.

Akihito Kanbara is a high school student, a rare half human half youmu, and immortal. Yet aside from that he tends to live a relatively normal life. He spends his days in class and hanging out with friends enjoying life until he is stabbed through the chest by a classmate. He didn’t die, he’s immortal remember. His classmate Mirai Kuriyama is the last surviving member of a clan of Spirit World Warriors that can manifest their blood into weapons. Mirai’s people believe that Youmu are the manifestation of people’s negative emotions and need to be cleansed. The two gradually for a relationship though she keeps attempting to kill him in an attempt to become a stronger warrior. Akihito convinces Mirai to join the literature club which is already home to his friends, two-spirit warriors from a separate clan different than hers. The literature club does spend more time confronting the paranormal than reading, but the bonds they build battling boogiemen prepare them for an uncertain and dangerous future. Kyoto Animation combines fantasy, action, slice-of-life and romance in Kyoukai no Kanata. You get to watch people that should be mortal enemies, Mirai and Akihito, find a friendship and love. The story’s pace is pretty well-regulated, too, by starting out slow and exponentially ramping up to the conclusion. You know from the first couple of episodes despite the slice-of-life feel that the story is building to something big. The character design of the heroine is different than the ordinary in the fact that Mirai is ordinary. She is a bit of a wallflower that doesn’t stand out at all. Mirai is a bespectacled heroine and she doesn’t even look like she’d be good in combat wearing a pink sweater, but she’s quite effective. We find it refreshing that the heroine isn’t the prettiest girl in school or some super-cute loli. Mirai and her truly ordinary character design along with her inventive blood-based power is the reason Beyond the Boundary belongs on this list.

We all, even the loneliest among us, have a couple of good friends from childhood. Nichijou is a slice-of-life story about a group of childhood friends lucky enough to stick together all the way through high school. The story follows high school girls Mio, Yuuko, Mai and a genius named Hakase. A collection of the normal and the absurd mark the daily occurrences in this group of friends. The slice-of-life adventure comedy has classic appeal. The artwork isn’t nearly what you anticipate from KyoAni with its simplistic style. The whimsical appearance seems appropriate for the light-hearted genre. A series of themes appear throughout the school-based series that appeal to the adults in us, too. The first episode is titled “Motivation” and is all about Yuuko and Mio being unmotivated and how to motivate yourself when you’re struggling. We see many of the episodes are simply about finding the interesting and entertaining things in our boring everyday lives.

The first time most of us in the west heard the term “Chuunibyou” was in the title of this particular anime. We were shocked to find that what we simply call an overactive imagination is called a disease. Yet chuunibyou, or second year syndrome, is viewed as one of the most embarrassing afflictions you can have. A teenager, especially one that has moved on to high school, that still believes that he or she has special powers or believes they’re originally from a fantasy realm are looked at as simply crazy. Yuuta Togashi was able to leave his chuunibyou behind as he started his first day at a new high school -- or so he thought. In a moment of stress, he exorcises himself and refers to himself as “Dark Flame Master” and is overheard by a 1st-year girl by the name of Rikka Yakanashi. The eccentric Rikka, still living in her own chuunibyou world, attaches herself to Yuuta. A collection of delusional and not-so-delusional characters quickly enter Yuuta’s life and bring down the normal high school life in a fire of dark flames. The appeal of Love, Chunibyo & Other Delusions! is the characters. Rikka is adorable and her eccentricity only makes her more so. She lives in her own world and is harmless but has trouble fitting in with traditional society. The truly endearing part of the story is Yuuta. He is determined to leave his nonconforming ways behind him and wants to help Rikka adjust to the real world. We find out that Rikka’s chuunibyou is trauma-related and that only makes Yuuta want to help her more. The story progresses and Yuuta realizes that he doesn’t have to leave the world of make-believe completely behind; having an imagination isn’t a bad thing. He, Rikka, and their assortment of friends simply should focus that imagination into something productive. Fantasy and science fiction writers have overactive imaginations and have harnessed their chuunibyou to entertain us. We love this story because it reminds us that this story and most of the anime we watch wouldn’t exist if its creators didn’t have a little chuunibyou left in each of them.

The Whispered are individuals that possess amazing skill and ability to create powerful machinery and technology. Because of that ability, once they’re identified they are considered highly valuable and many government and non-governmental organizations will do anything to secure their talents. Sgt. Souske Sagara, a former child soldier working for Mithril, a paramilitary organization that combats terrorism, has been placed undercover to protect Kaname Chidori, a high school student that may be a Whispered. The adjustments he’ll have to make from the battlefield to high school are nearly as challenging as protecting the high-strung, independent-minded Chidori from being abducted by sinister forces. The Full Metal Panic? Fummoffu season becomes even more challenging as his superior officer Teletha Testarossa decides to take some time off and go undercover herself as Chidori’s classmate. Kyoto Animation took over the Full Metal Panic Universe and breathed some new life into the show. The Fummoffu season was action-packed. Chidori, Souske, and Teletha find all sorts of trouble inside and outside of school. KyoAni seems to do a good job clinging to the chaotic school life setting while filling the story with adventure. The animation of the action scenes is great and when mechanical devices are involved, good attention to detail grounds even the large robots in plausible reality. The ability for Kyoto Animation to take over a franchise and successfully carry it on is one of the reasons this Full Metal Panic? Fumoffu is one of their best.

Haruhi Suzumiya is on the hunt for time travelers, aliens, and espers (people with ESP). She creates a club at school and declares herself its president with the sole purpose of uncovering those interesting people. She enlists Kyon, a boy at her school, to join the club and gains other members like Nagato, an alien; Koizumi, an esper; and Asahina, a time traveler. The most important thing is that she doesn’t have a freaking clue about their actual identities. The more fascinating part is that she herself is a god, she just doesn’t know that, either. The story follows a multitude of crazy adventures as their club, the S.O.S. Brigade, indulges the whims of their leader. You never know what to expect with this series. Haruhi is easily bored and has no idea that she can remake the universe with an errant thought, leaving the people residing in the universe to be weary of constant unexplained change. The creativeness of the story is one of the key elements that draws in viewers. An expressiveness in characters’ faces, even Nagato who is nearly expressionless, is a credit to the artists. You are guaranteed to have a fun trip and feel like dancing along with the opening and ending music when you watch this modern classic.

Violet Evergarden is a soldier. She had been trained since childhood to be a tool of battle. Her life revolved simply around receiving orders and carrying them out during a four-year war. She was placed under the command of a young officer near the end of the war and for the first time in her life she wasn’t treated like a tool. She is nearly killed in a decisive battle near the end of the war and awakes in a hospital maimed, her arms gone and replaced with mechanical prosthetics. The war ended and with it her purpose. The only guidepost she had was the final order from her commander: to live, and some words she didn’t understand: “because I love you.” Violet is taken in and given a job by a former military officer and a friend of her CO who had started a postal company. In an effort to understand her dear commander’s last words, the confused girl becomes an Auto Memory Doll, a typist and transcriber, a popular service in a world with a high rate of illiteracy. Violet begins her journey of human understanding as she puts the feelings of others into words even as she tries to understand her own emotions. We can’t say enough about Violet Evergarden and Kyoto Animation’s brilliant work at bringing a work so complex to the screen. The artwork is worthy of hanging in the finest galleries in the world. You find such attention to detail it seems that each individual strand of Violet’s blonde hair was animated individually. The director’s ability to make each episode about a character Violet meets rather than about Violet’s self-discovery without losing the heroines arc is masterful. You easily put yourself in Violet’s place meeting, caring, and in many cases grieving for the people she encounters. We also get some amazing character development as Violet is wracked with PTSD and survivor’s guilt. She asks several times if after all the families she destroyed by the killing she’s done as a soldier is it okay for her to be happy, to live a quiet, and good life. You don’t often find a show, drama or anime, that truly creates a cathartic response in the viewer but this one does and that is the reason for it landing near the top of this list.

Kumiko Oumae, a euphonist, is a member of her high school brass band. She had once considered leaving music behind in middle school but was drawn into the club by the new friends she made in high school. Kumiko and the band set their eyes on winning the prefectural competition with the hope of being invited to nationals. The quiet and serious Kumiko is the window through which we watch the members of the band, like Hazuki Katou, tubist; Sapphire Kawashima, contrabassist; and Reina Kousaka, trumpeter deal with their lives, romance, and dreams. We witness their dedication to practice, practice, practice to achieve their goal. Music is the star of this story. You can ignore the plot, you can try and forget Kumiko’s irresistible poufy curls, or any of the drama that goes on between the girls and guy in the band, and just listen to the music and you’ll be taken to a place of awe. Kyoto Animation makes the music a character. You hear the conversations between the instruments as the members play in different areas across the schools; the sounds blend together as the notes echo off the walls and create something special. If you want to narrow the reasons to watch Sound! Euphonium just watch episode 13 “Goodbye Competition” watch the performance 14min 20sec into the episode. The animation is filled with incredible detail. We see each breath, key strike, and slide of the trombone match the notes of the music. The brass of the instruments reflects the light and offers a clear yet realistically distorted view of the people around them. You get six full minutes of music in that scene, which stands as a testament to the talent of the artists and directors of Kyoto Animation.

Shouya was an active child, getting into all sorts of mischief with his friends. He felt like a king getting away with all sorts of trouble in his small neighborhood. His world is changed when girl named Shouko Nishimiya transfers to his elementary school class. Shouko is deaf. The school and the class resist changing anything that would help integrate Shouko into the school. The class as a whole makes her life difficult and Shouya becomes the ringleader of her bullying. The whole conflict comes to a head when Shouko and Shouya get into a punches-thrown, hair-pulling, rolling around on the classroom floor fight. Shouko transfers out of the school and Shouya takes all the blame. He is the one suspended and stigmatized as a bully and then takes the brunt of open hostility as he is ostracized by the other students. Shouya’s life turns into one of loneliness and depression. He grows up and comes to identify who he was and how he acted and understand the ill-mannered nature of his behavior; he begins a quest to redeem himself. Shouya, now in his third year of high school, works part-time to save money. He plans to give the money to his mother to repay her for all the trouble he caused in the past. He learns sign language in the hopes that he can finally speak to Shouko and ask for and receive forgiveness in her silent voice. The source material is a seven-volume-long manga. We were surprised when it was announced that it was becoming an anime, it was only to be a feature film and not a series. The idea of taking such powerful source material and boiling it down to a single feature worried us. We were wrong to worry. Kyoto Animation treated the source material respectfully and carefully, not changing the truly meaningful message of the manga and not changing it into some shonen or shojo mass-market tale. The story covers topics like depression, death, bullying, redemption, and suicide and makes them accessible, especially to younger audiences, without feeling stripped of its seriousness or emotional weight. You need an exceptional team of directors and writers as well as a studio that will back them up to make such important film. And in this case Kyoto Animation created a film worthy of the highest praise we can offer; thank you Kyoto Animation for making this film.

Sora no Otoshimono follows the adventures of Tomoki Sakurai after a well-endowed girl falls on him from the sky and begins calling him “master.” A fantasy slice-of-life, Sora no Otoshimono tells a few decent stories, but it falters at giving the audience a well-written overall narrative (although it skyrockets in quality if you read the manga or watch the animated movies). The anime is funny, though, and continues to deliver plenty of lewd jokes throughout its 13 episodes. The biggest problem with Sora no Otoshimono is that it doesn’t add anything new to the harem genre. The anime is good, it’s why it’s on this list, but it doesn’t compare to the likes of High School DxD or Trinity Seven. If bouncing oppai are your thing though, then you’ll love Sora no Otoshimono. Just know that the other anime on this list tell much better stories.

Kiyoshi Fujino and his assortment of guy friends think they’re the luckiest humans on the planet when they become the first boys to join the previously all-girl Hachimitsu Private Academy. Then they discover the school’s dark secret: hidden within its walls is a prison for students who fail to follow the rules. There’s nothing fake about this prison either. It’s run by a real warden, hosts a strict hierarchy, and occasionally breaks the minds of the inmates who find themselves unlucky enough to be imprisoned there. After being caught spying on the girls’ changing room, Kiyoshi and his friends find themselves locked away with some of the most demented women you’ll ever see in any anime. Anyone who’s known someone who’s been to prison has probably heard the stories of sexual misconduct, domination, and all-out rape that occur behind those bars. Prison School is no exception when it comes to that kind of content. It’s why Prison School is so far down on the list. The narrative is a fascinating watch, but it also portrays the sexual abuse that inmates experience as something that’s meant to be enjoyed. It’s not a fun watch if you know someone who has suffered similar experiences in prison, as the anime fetishizes a very real problem. The rest of the anime on this list escape that problem by putting their heroes in fantastical situations or using sex to analyze a societal issue.

Summoned to another world, Saito Hiraga is forced to work as the familiar of Louise Françoise Le Blanc de La Vallière, a mage with zero magical talent. Whenever she tries to cast a spell, all she causes are massive explosions. Saito, a normal Japanese boy, doesn’t seem to match up that well with the other mages’ familiars either. However, after he displays an aptitude for swordsmanship, Louise decides to keep him around. The two are mostly flung from one slice-of-life adventure to the next at first, but their adventures start to take a more sinister turn with the introduction of an alliance of evil wizards hoping to take over the world. In terms of this list, Zero no Tsukaima is pretty tame when it comes to the ecchi. There are still plenty of seminude boys and girls to ogle at, and an elf girl with a bust larger than her head introduced in the later seasons, but this anime is primarily concerned with telling the story between two failures that eventually become lovers. Perhaps if the anime had done a better job finding suitable reasons as to why the nudity was happening, it could have been rated higher on this list.

The anime High School DxD is almost synonymous with ecchi. There are very few anime fans that haven’t heard of this show before. The show stars one of the most lecherous anime protagonists out there; Issei Hyoudou, a high school student who’s killed by an angel but reincarnated as the servant of Rias Gremory, a world class devil and senior at Issei’s school. Issei continues to go to school, but after class, he assists Rias in her devious duties, which range from fulfilling contracts to engaging in magic-infused battles. Rias possesses many other servants. Though two are men, the others are a various assortment of adorable high school girls. The harem only grows as the show goes on, with the newest additions coming into the fold in the show’s fourth season, High School DxD Hero, which is still airing right now. Issei fits into the role of the typical harem protagonist, attracting the attention and infatuation of the many girls surrounding him (friend and foe alike) as a result of his ever-present good nature and willingness to help others. Despite the clichés, there is some strong character development and some surprisingly well written advancements in the plot within the show’s first season. Unfortunately, the show’s plot begins to take a nosedive in the latter half of the second season and reaches an all-time low in the third (most likely in an effort to fit in more boob jokes and panty shots). The fourth season is proving to be a welcome return to form, though, so hopefully this ecchi anime can scoot itself back into the limelight within the coming months.

Freezing doesn’t have the best set-up, but it more than makes up for that with its unique narrative. Taking place in a future where the world is at war against an alien race known as the Nova, Freezing focuses on the interpersonal relationships that form, fall apart, or grow stronger during the “Nova Clashes.” These clashes are battles between the Nova and the men and women who are trained to fight them. Women, known as a Pandoras, possess supernatural abilities that make them a force to be reckoned with on the battlefield, while men, known as Limiters, support their female partners by slowing down an enemy’s speed. How these powers were initially discovered and weaponized is, unfortunately, glossed over for the most part (a more detailed explanation exists in the manga). But the anime does this to focus on the relationship between the anime’s main couple: Satellizer el Bridget, a beautiful and talented Pandora with an icy demeanor, and Kazuya Aoi, Satellizer’s Limiter who initially mistakes her for his deceased older sister. The two grow from strangers into loving partners as they are forced, again and again, to confront an ever-stronger alien threat. It’s a good story, and it’s one that’s filled with battles where clothes are constantly ripped to shreds.

Shinmai Maou no Testament derives its sexappeal through multiple levels of forbidden love. The main couple is a pair of stepsiblings, so there’s a hint of incest. They’re also from two opposing sides of a viscous war. The dynamic of their relationship is also in reverse, as the spell that would bind them as master and servant was cast backwards. Everything about the central relationship in Shinmai Maou no Testament is wrong, but that just makes it all the sexier. The forbidden dynamic of this relationship also makes for a pretty good story. Basara Toujou gets two new stepsisters when his father remarries, but he soon learns that both of his sisters are from the demon clan. They tricked Basara and his father in order to accomplish their own agenda. Unbeknownst to them, Basara is secretly from the hero clan so he is able to resist their power. However, instead of turning against them, Basara decides to aid the two. This puts the trio in an incredibly precarious position, stuck within the political strife and war-like friction of a demon clan that wants Basara disposed of and the hero clan that wants to destroy his two sisters. In order to ensure Basara will always be able to aid them, the younger sister, a succubus, casts a spell that should make Basara subservient. However, the spell backfires and now Basara must sexually satisfy his older stepsister, Mio (who’s also the next ruler of the demon clan) regularly to prevent her from succumbing to an uncontrollable aphrodisiac effect. There’s a lot of boob play in this anime, but it’s hard to judge it when it fits so effortlessly into the overall plot of the show.

The title of this anime sort of explains it all. In Shimoneta to Iu Gainen ga Sonzai Shinai Taikutsu na Sekai, Japan has outlawed anything considered “obscene.” This extends from swear words to pornographic magazines. Tracking collars monitor each individual from birth to help the authorities maintain order over children and punish those who engage in dirty behavior. The hope is that, by keeping them pure, children will grow up with healthier minds. Of course, what happens is quite the opposite. By the modern day events of the anime, high school students are clueless as to how babies are made and can’t fathom the changes occurring to their bodies. Both their mental and emotional growth has become stilted. Students and adults who do give in to lewd behavior are labeled as terrorists and shuffled out of society. Tanukichi Okuma is the son of one such criminal. He goes into high school hoping to distance himself from his father’s shame and sets his sights on wooing the pure-hearted student council president Anna Nishikinomiya. However, he accidentally stumbles upon a secret: the council’s vice-president, Ayame Kajou, is actually Blue Snow, a deviant who’s been spreading sexual propaganda in hopes of teaching students the importance of sex ed! Against his will, Tanukichi is roped into helping Ayame sabotage the government’s restrictive policies so students can learn to handle sex safely and responsibly. Despite his early misgivings, it’s a mission that Tanukichi begins to support. Now a secret sexual terrorist, Tanukichi needs to learn to balance his desire to be with a fair maiden like Anna and his growing passion to see the wild Ayame’s ideals become a reality. Things only become increasingly complicated when his actions begin to have effects on the other students, including Anna, who are discovering feelings of love, desire, and lust for the first time. On the surface, Shimoneta seems like the set-up for some bizarre hentai. Yet, despite the thrill of watching the anime’s continued efforts to toe that line between being simply lewd and being outright pornographic, it’s Tanukichi’s story that’s the true appeal to binging the entire series. He’s caught between a desire to remain unnaturally pure or naturally obscene. It’s a struggle that anyone who’s been a teenager will identify with. Plus, despite the anime’s ludicrous premise, excessive levels of innuendo, nudity, and cum, and constant efforts to crack a dirty joke, it’s a really good story about the importance of educating teenagers about sex. The only place the story actually falters is in its poor execution of its love triangle, pulling it up just short of getting into the top three.

Anime harems and all the tropes that come with them have been done into the ground, so it’s always refreshing to watch one that does something even a little bit different. Trinity Seven’s main character, Arata Kasuga, is no normal harem protagonist. Instead of being a dense idiot or a bashful good guy, Arata is a bit of an arrogant jerk. At least, he pretends to be. He never hides a desire to form a harem, rarely apologizes for his lecherous behavior or speech, and enjoys getting a rise out of the girls. Deep down he’s a nice guy, but that doesn’t stop him from joking about wanting a “very young bride” when asked how young he likes his girls or thanking one of the ladies “for the meal” when he sees them naked. Despite the heavy amount of ecchi and humorous content in the anime, Trinity Seven actually tells a pretty serious story. One day, Arata discovers he’s capable of pulling off powerful magic that creates Breakdown Phenomenons. Each phenomenon destroys everything in its wake, even organic life. His first phenomenon accidentally destroys his entire town, including his cousin Hijiri Kasuga. Learning that it’s possible to save his cousin, Arata enrolls in a top-secret magic school known as Royal Biblia Academy. He’s told that he’ll only accomplish his goals if he manages to acquire the allegiance of the Trinity Seven, the seven girls at the academy who are the strongest magic users of the seven different schools of magic. Each girl is a powerhouse in her own right, but they each also suffer from their own personal sins. Watching Arata grow closer to each one as he helps them push through their own personal demons sometimes leads the show down a haunting path. The overall tone of the anime is comedic, but the show also delves into themes of self-worth, the weight of overbearing responsibility, and the seven sins of man. The show is written with the same level of cleverness and occasional seriousness seen in early High School DxD. Hopefully, it doesn’t suffer the same fate and continues to offer incredible stories in future seasons.

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A high school outcast, Takashi Kimuro’s world is thrown into turmoil after a zombie virus causes most of his classmates and teachers to devolve into the living undead. He’s forced to kill his best friend and escape the campus with his ex-girlfriend Rei Miyamoto. However, upon their escape, they discover the entire city is full of the walking dead. Not knowing if the infection extends to the rest of Japan, the two decide to work together to survive the apocalypse long enough to be rescued. The duo is quickly joined by Saeko Busujima, the cold president of the Kendo Club; Kouta Hirano, a brilliant otaku who’s knowledge of firearms allows him to craft a truly startling array of creative weapons; Saya Takagi, a friend of Takashi who’s the anime’s default tsundere; and Shizuka Marikawa, the school’s nurse who’s only character trait is her ginormous bust. They eventually save a young girl and a puppy too, and together, this ragtag group works together to keep each other alive. This anime takes ecchi to ludicrous levels of ridiculous. After watching a few episodes, you’ll start assuming that a girl’s boobs pop out of her blouse as often as she needs to take a breath. And apparently, she can move them fast enough for a bullet to pass between them like it’s no big deal to defy the laws of physics. The show’s saving grace is its story, specifically its characters. Each of them is introduced naturally and evolves over time in a realistic way. The anime’s main character, Takashi, receives one of the best character arcs of any anime protagonist. Takashi doesn’t wrestle control of the group like most zombie story heroes. Instead, he naturally evolves into the role. As Saya puts it near the end of the season, he’s always been the leader whether he realized it or not. His selfish desire to protect his ex-girlfriend at the beginning of the show eventually extends to his entire adoptive family by the series end, and his actions push the other characters in the group to change for the better. The anime (even with the extra OVA) unfortunately ends on a bit of a cliffhanger, so the show doesn’t earn top billing on this list. However, the episodes we do have tell one of the best variations of the zombie narrative you’ll ever watch.

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Kill la Kill isn’t just an incredible anime that’s sparked a near-cult-like following; the show put Trigger on the map as an anime studio to watch. Despite the near-constant levels of nudity (heroes and villains are typically defeated when their clothes are cut off, ripped, or shredded from their body) and sexual fan service (the battle attire of both the protagonist and antagonist leaves little to the imagination), the anime offers a violent twist on the magical girl formula and tells a compelling story full of rich character development. The show is pretty funny too. Kill la Kill tells the story of Ryuuko Matoi, a vagrant who’s travelling from one high school to the next in search of her father’s killer. She carries with her the only clue to the killer’s identity: half of a giant scissor that’s both sturdy and sharp enough to be utilized as a sword. The killer ran off with the other half. Ryuuko’s travels take her to Honnouji Academy, where she immediately earns the ire of the student council president Satsuki Kiryuuin. Satsuki rules Honnouji Academy as a violent dictator and relies on the skills of the honorable Ira Gamagoori, school idol Nonon Jakuzure, computer hacker Houka Inumuta, and head jock Uzu Sanageyama to keep the other students in line. Deducing that Satsuki hides secrets as to the identity of her father’s killer, Ryuuko decides to fight her way through the entire student body to challenge the school’s queen bee. Mako Mankanshoku, a lovable airhead; Aikurou Mikisugi, Ryuuko’s homeroom teacher and leader of the terrorist organization trying to bring down Honnouji Academy; and Senketsu, a sentient sailor uniform who can transform Ryuuko into a sexy magical girl whenever he drinks her blood, aid Ryuuko on her quest. Kill la Kill is a wild ride of an anime, but it’s one that’s absolutely worth taking and that’s why it gets the top spot.

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There’s a big misconception that girl gamers can’t stand toe to toe with guy gamers. However, we here at Honey’s Anime have played against our fair share of skilled gamer girls and are reminded that gender has very little to do with gaming prowess. That’s why High Score Girl from Studio J.C. Staff has our attention as it deals with our main man Yaguchi Haruo, who just so happens to be an avid gamer, losing to a girl named Oono Akira. We can’t wait to see what this Oono Akira can pull off in High Score Girl as it sounds both hilarious that she whips a guy who thinks he’s the best player ever, and equally looks to be a good series filled with gaming references. Keep your eyes glued to July 2018 as that’s when episode one of High Score Girl drops!

Jashin-chan Dropkick totes itself as a slapstick comedy, and that has us quite intrigued here at Honey’s Anime HQ. Very little is known about Jashin-chan Dropkick, but it seems to focus on a lolita girl named Yurine who summons a demon girl and now must try to survive constant attempts on her life. With a focus on humor rather than serious death/horror, Jashin-chan Dropkick seems to be a solid comedy anime releasing sometime in the summer season. Will Jashin-chan Dropkick be on par with other demon focused anime like Monster Musume or Demi-chan wa Kataritai? Honestly, we don’t know but the synopsis alone has us laughing a bit and we’re going to hope the final product will do the same.

You know what two genres go well together to make truly laugh out loud moments? If you said ecchi and harem then you win a prize because that is exactly the pairing. In Yuragi-sou no Yuuna-san, we already can see a lot of potential fan service with a guy who sees ghosts and a girl who happens to haunt a hot springs inn he now lives at. We have seen enough shows like Yuragi-sou no Yuuna-san and yet we don’t ever grow tired of the possible nosebleed inducing moments. Equally, we’re sure many anime viewers out there don’t hate those particular moments either...for reasons we won’t discuss. Regardless though, Yuragi-sou no Yuuna-san looks to be a pretty humours ecchi themed anime with supernatural themes and some harem bits and that is why it should be on your radar for potential comedy anime this summer 2018 season.