Warning: A bit of ecchi content is ahead. Proceed with caution. Yukiya Murasaki is a veteran writing stories full of fantasy and charismatic female characters. As for Takahiro Tsurusaki, they have some experience illustrating novels from the fantasy gender. On this occasion, they combine their talents to present us the life of Takuma Sakamoto, who is so good with games that he is called the Demon King. When he gets summoned to another world, he recruits some local girls and heads for new adventures. If you liked Overlord because of the protagonist, you are in luck today. Takuma is also a former player who is sent to a fantasy world. Both are skillful with magic, super powerful and are show offs (even if they have their weak side). They also acquire servants throughout their adventures. The difference is that Isekai Maou is darker than Overlord. Also, the story is more centered on the protagonist in this novel… and on his female companions.

Princess wa Barairo no Yume wo Miru was the debut work of Ichiro Sasaki as writer. While they only have another newer project under their sleeve, Marimo has a long experience illustrating seinen novels. In this novel, the protagonist suffers an accident, but far from dying, he is saved by the vampire princess character from a famous game. Now he lives inside an alternative world where everything could happen... besides having a fascinating adventures companion, that is. Another protagonist who is transported to another world? Yeap. Gamers? Sure! Do they command people who are super powerful? You bet! However, the main difference between Princess and Overlord is that the first one has a lighter tone. So, this is the perfect balance for Isekai Maou, if you find that novel too dark for your tastes!

Mamare Touno has had his fair doses of fame with a couple of well written fantasy light novels. As for Kazuhiro Hara, he debuted as illustrator with a cute looking fantasy novel called Wandervogel before he hit the sweet spot in our otaku hearts together with Touno. In Log Horizon, we get transported together with some 30 thousand players to the world of Ender Tales. Nobody can die, the food has no taste… so all this pushes an adventurer called Shiro to find a way out of this place. We get yet another light novel about real people who get transported to a game-like experience, just like in Overlord. The guilds, magic, and many other elements are present in both. And, oh, the sweet thirst for adventure! The main difference between both novels is the tone of “looking for power” in Overlord while Log Horizon’s protagonists only want to get out of the world they have been transported to. The tone is more positive overall, so if you want a light novel that tempts your sense of wonder, look no further than Log Horizon.

Jashin Average is the upbeat debut of Yunaki Kitaseno as light novel’s writer, while Kihiro Yuzuki has some experience illustrating fantasy and particularly isekai style light novels. This story tells us the woes of Anri, a girl who looks as beautiful as a flower, behaves as one… but has a little problem. Yes, this lady has scary eyes. When she is summoned to another world and meets an Evil God, she requests to have average eyes… and the God gives her Average Evil God eyes. So, what will come of our heroine? You will have to read Jashin Average to find it out! Anri is summoned to an RPG-like world just like the protagonist of Overlord. They are very powerful and skillful in their own rights as well. However, their appearance might make us think that they are evil. The main difference is that Anri does not want the power of the Evil God eyes, while Momonga is very happy with his new life and skills. Therefore, if you would prefer a lighter version of Overlord, you can not miss Jashin Average!

We have one more debut light novel here in the case of writer Kogitsune Kagekiro and illustrator Kobayakawa Haruyoshi. Our protagonist in this occasion is Tomokui Kanata, who after suffering death, reincarnates in a weak goblin named Goburou. Thanks to this reincarnation, Goburou has memories of his past life and becomes pretty strong if he eats a lot. Now he will have to put this abilities on test in this fantasy world. So… where have we heard of a protagonist who is transported to another world? Ok, ok, we get it, this is becoming a common prop ^^U The protagonist also becomes more powerful, and then they have to use their abilities to survive and conquer the new world. Even the atmosphere is quite similar on these two stories, so if you miss Overlord, this is the light novel you should be reading.

Tensei shitara Slime Datta Ken was the debut work for Fuse as writer. As for Taiki Kawakami, he illustrated two fantasy manga before working with Fuse. In Tensei shitara Slime Datta Ken, a 37 year old man is killed by a robber, but fortunately for him, he reincarnates as a blind slime in another world. Instead of grieving, he renames himself as Rimuru Tempest and decides to have many adventures in this world, conquering companions along the way. Both protagonists change radically when they are transported to another world, not only physically, but also in matters of power. They do not have strong emotions or needs, and romance is not an important factor in their stories… and they are also the bosses. The main difference is that Overlord has a darker tone and is more focused in mind games. Therefore, if what you want in your isekai is adventure and some good battles, Tensei Shitara Slime Datta Ken has you covered.

Touken Ranbu: Hanamaru follows the life of Yamatonokami Yasusada, an uchigatana who has been called to fight alongside Souji Okita. The sword warrior is starting his first day at Saniwa’s citadel. Reunited with his friend Kashuu Kiyomitsu, the two soon get caught up in the events surrounding the sword warriors living in the citadel. Though the warriors are always ready to fight to protect history, that doesn’t mean they don’t know how to have fun! In a series of individualized episodes, the characters in Touken Ranbu get introduced and show off their day-to-day activities. Though this anime is based on a video game, it still has its own merit as a show, giving each of the characters a small highlight. Touken Ranbu: Hanamaru brings enjoyment through its simple comedy, allowing the serious nature of the franchise to show a more lighthearted take. The story is almost not important, with an episodic nature and slice of life feel. You can watch your favorite characters from Touken Ranbu interact with each other in their down time. And if you’ve never played Touken Ranbu before, this anime is still an enjoyable experience!

Kazuma Hoshino and his younger brother Ayumu are making a drastic move to the country. The two are staying at the Yorozuyo Inn while they wait for their parents to join them – though their first few hours in the countryside don’t end up going as planned! After taking the wrong bus and losing Ayumu’s hat, Kazuma encounters Ui, a girl who attempts to lead him back to the bus. Unfortunately, Kazuma finds himself in a rather awkward situation with both Ui and her friend Ibuki. His situation only gets worse when he realizes that the two girls are both classmates at his new school… Horishizora e Kamari Hashi is similar to many other harem/ecchi anime. Yet, it includes the unique brand of comedy that Doga Kobo is known for, making it that much more enjoyable. By the time you finish the final episode, this anime will surprise you with how different it is from the usual series in its genre. And the art style is well done, giving you the chance to enjoy Hoshizora e Kakaru Hashi for what it is.

A group of travelling performers is hurtling through space. Suddenly, they collide with another spacecraft and find the only survivor from the other ship is a small human girl. The performers decide to raise the girl as their own on a nearby planet, “acting” as a family for her sake. They wait for someone from the girl’s race to come and get her – though some from the group actually enjoy taking care of young Corona. This is the short tale of their unique family! Space Family Carlvinson is only a 45 minute OVA. It was the first production that Doga Kobo made on its own, and still has enjoyment for viewers to this day! You can see the beginnings of the studio, as they figure out how to balance the show’s premise with comedy. The different family members of the Carlvinsons are quite entertaining in their own right as well. Though the animation is a bit dated now, we still highly recommend watching Space Family Carlvinson. The story is rushed, but that is simply the nature of an OVA. The comedy and heart behind the tale still hold up!

William is the genius child of a rich aristocratic family. But one day, his uncle loses everything when his business fails, forcing William to search through his family belongings for anything that can be sold. He happens upon an ancient underground room, hidden by one of his ancestors. William somehow manages to activate a magical seal in this room, which accidentally summons a demon! The devil introduces himself as Dantalion, and tells William that he has the power to choose the next ruler of the demon world. Makai Ouji is a stretch into the supernatural and mystery genres for Doga Kobo. At the same time, it still comes back to the classic comedy that this studio is known for. The cast of demons and William come to life thanks to Doga Kobo’s style – mainly, the laidback, funny approach that lets viewers get to know the characters more personally. The anime’s rather unique plot also makes it stand out from the rest. Although it might feel slow-paced to some that regularly watch mystery or supernatural anime, its plot still gets to the point in a way that lets you see the characters more clearly. This often overlooked addition to Doga Kobo’s works is well worth taking a look at!

In the midst of a war, members of humanity fight wielding “Logic,” a kind of power that allows them to enter a trance with beings from another world. Yoshichika Tsurugi is a normal civilian living in peace, lacking the Logic to do any sort of fighting. But when he encounters Athena, his destiny will be set in motion! Luck & Logic gives viewers an anime focusing on the action and mystical setting. If you’re a fan of Doba Kobo’s other works, this anime is completely different from any of their other series. The only identifying thing about Luck & Logic is its art style, which is the same beautifully detailed animation that Doba Kobo puts into many of their anime. Luck & Logic is an opportunity for Doba Kobo to show that they can focus on other genres of anime. It’s pretty good overall – but we still prefer the studio’s comedic anime!

Mitsuyoshi Tada is a boy who has never known love before, though his attentive kindness seems like the kind of thing that girls would adore! One day, Mitsuyoshi is taking pictures of cherry blossoms, when he runs into Teresa Wagner, a transfer student. Teresa is lost, so Mitsuyoshi takes her to his grandfather’s coffee shop. Where will their story go from there? Tada Never Falls in Love is the most recent Doga Kobo anime on our list, as it is currently airing this spring season. The focus of this anime is once again comedy, although romance plays a big part in the series composition as well. Mitsuyoshi Tada is a compelling main character, especially for those of us who struggle with romance! And with plenty of interesting supporting characters to lean on, Tada Never Falls in Love is looking like it might be one of the best anime this season. Lessons in love and life await you here.

Heaven requires that its angels study among humans for a time in order to become full-fledged angels. Gabriel White Tenma is one such angel, a being at the top of her class with a great destiny before her. However, she quickly becomes addicted to video games and shuts out everything else, including her demon friend Vignette April Tsukinose. As the two traverse their time among humanity, they join up with two other unusual souls – the angel Raphiel Ainsworth Shiraha and the “future ruler of the underworld” Satanichia McDowell Kurumizawa. Together this group will learn what the meaning of life is –maybe… Gabriel DropOut is one of the funniest anime on Doga Kobo’s extensive list, showcasing the studio’s extensive work in comedy. This series deals with the supernatural in a way that seems natural, allowing viewers to easily identify with Gabriel and her friends. Gabriel’s struggle to break out of her hikikomori ways is something all gamers can relate to! And the rest of the hilarious cast contains unique characters with funny, similar situations to our own lives. Gabriel DropOut is well worth your time.

Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun follows Chiyo Sakura, a kind high school girl who falls for an unobservant boy named Umetarou Nozaki. When Chiyo finally confesses, Nozaki hands her an autograph instead… Nozaki is actually a shoujo mangaka with a respectable career, though he publishes under a different pen name. And after even more misunderstandings, Chiyo ends up becoming Nozaki’z manga assistant! A truly hilarious series, Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun is one of Doga Kobo’s finest works, one of few that remains in the memories of viewers long after it is watched. Chiyo and her newfound friends encounter the most uncomfortable and ridiculous situations. Despite this, we still find a way to relate to them! Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun is an anime that everyone can enjoy.

Aoba Suzukaze decides to go straight into the workforce after she graduates from high school, applying to work at game company Eagle Jump right away. She has always loved the Fairies Story game series that Eagle Jump produces, and to her joy, she learns that she will be working on Fairies Story 3! She will also be working under lead character designer Kou Yagami, who happens to be her idol! Aoba has to navigate the brand new territory of designing her dream game alongside her new coworkers. Will they achieve their goals? or will this game be a flop? Plenty of anime exist that give a closer look at the video game industry, but New Game! is different than those series. Particularly when combined with the second season, we can see real character growth in Aoba and her friends. Their struggles to be better and improve themselves are realistic as well. Being a part of video game development is not all fun and games. Yet, New Game! manages to give that sense of realism even while it is lighthearted and full of relaxed comedy, combining Doga Kobo’s talents.

At our top spot on this list is none other than Himouto! Umaru-chan. In this anime, Umaru Doma is known as the perfect high school girl, though that all changes when she gets home. Putting on a hamster hoodie, she loses her responsible attitude in favor of a lazy otaku lifestyle. Umaru leaves all of the housework to her older brother Taihei, while she relaxes and thinks about her own problems. With her friends and her brother to pick up her slack, Umaru’s daily antics are entertaining in their own right! Himouto! Umaru-chan is easily the height of Doga Kobo’s comedic anime, particularly with the release of a second season not too long ago. Though this type of anime has been done many times, Himouto! Umaru-chan just has something special that makes everyone laugh. We love the dynamic between Umaru and her friends, as well as the relationship that she has with her brother. With the adventures that Umaru gets up to, it’s no wonder that she is able to have a seemingly normal life at school! We picked Himouto! Umaru-chan as our top spot for Doga Kobo anime because, between the two seasons, it has been a hilarious and entertaining experience. Hopefully Doga Kobo will only continue to improve upon their success!

Simply put, the Omegaverse is a trope where the characters written in this universe are given specific biological roles based on the hierarchical system originating from animal behavior research. If you feel like you’ve heard the term alpha, beta, and omega before without knowing what the Omegaverse is, it’s likely because you might have read or heard about them in context of animal behaviors. This is also why the Omegaverse trope often involves other animal behavioral elements, despite the characters portrayed in the universe are fully humans. The core premise of the Omegaverse is really quite simple; it is a universe where the characters could be assigned as Alpha, Beta, or Omega. Alphas take the dominant roles, the highest in the hierarchical system, might be able to knot when having sex, and are able to impregnate Omegas. Omegas, on the other hand, are the lowest in the hierarchical system, take the submissive roles, and have the ability to self-lubricate and become pregnant regardless of their sex. Lastly, Betas are the ones who are placed under Alphas and above Omegas in the hierarchical system, and most often portrayed as “normal” humans with no special attributes like Alphas or Omegas. In the Omegaverse, lovers might form a bond when they meet their fated mates, which gives them a heightened connection with their bond partner. The concept of “going into heat” is also largely used in this universe, which is a time where the Alphas or Omegas really, really need to have sex. This simple core premise usually stay the same no matter what Omegaverse stories you read, but the general world-building for the universe itself is very flexible. The Omegaverse largely started as a kink trope—a trope intended to portray non-normative sexual practices or desires. As such, it’s really no wonder that most stories involving the Omegaverse has an intense focus dedicated to portrayal of sexual acts and their impacts on the characters. However, while this trope essentially began pretty much as a porn fodder, through its development in the hands of creative fandom, the Omegaverse also serves as an interesting canvas to explore a wide range of stories and world-building—from human rights issues to social power dynamics, or simply telling stories of a Beta paired with an Alpha or an Omega instead of the usual Alpha-Omega pair? If you dive into the the Omegaverse trope nowadays, you can pretty much find any kind of stories you want.

The Omegaverse trope is said to have originated in the Supernatural fandom, specifically in one of its many kink memes. At that time, the Supernatural fandom was rife with werewolf and knotting kinks, so the Omegaverse trope might have been a natural extension of that. The popularity of this trope spread it out the Supernatural fandom, which is not surprising considering fandom has already had experience with older tropes that are pretty similar or have similar elements to the Omegaverse, such as the Mpreg (male pregnancy) trope, BDSM Alternate Universes, Soulmates, and others. Now, if you’ve been reading slash fanfictions for years, these tropes would be extremely familiar to you. The Mpreg trope is one of the most common and popularly used—whatever fandom you’re in, there would be at least one slash fanfiction utilizing the Mpreg trope. It’s a trope that fan creators had always been very creative with; after all, how do you make a male pregnant? Magic, body-altering science, or turning the character into non-human? It could get sort of tiring having to think up reasons for Mpreg, doesn’t it? The Omegaverse, on the other hand, gives not only a convenient set-up for Mpreg settings, but also offers a much more interesting sandbox for the fan creators to play with relationship dynamics! With this fresh, exciting sandbox, it’s no wonder that a lot of fan creators want to try their hands on the Omegaverse. By the year 2013, the Omegaverse has already become one of the common slash genre tropes in fanfictions, especially in non-anime and manga fandoms. Fandoms for American TV shows and movies, novels, and even RPF are rife with the Omegaverse stories, with, of course, varying responses from readers. The Omegaverse then slowly makes their way to the Japanese anime and manga fandom. What is it actually that made the Omegaverse enticing for its readers? There have been people commenting that the Omegaverse is simply an excuse to have two characters indulge in what basically is marathon sex. Some people like the concept of pair-bond, as it is quite similar to the much older Soulmate trope, especially tied with the tropes such as “going in heat” and “knotting”, and later, male pregnancy. Some others like the endless possibility of world-building, considering how the Omegaverse doesn’t have a specific rule outside of its core premise. Whatever the reason is, it is clear that the Omegaverse’s popularity has a lot to do with the fact that it combines so many older, popular tropes into one—similar concepts, yet still different enough to make it look fresh!

Omegaverse in Japan, much like it is internationally, first emerged in the creative fandom space. Most likely, Japanese fans who ventured to the international fandom brought the Omegaverse back to their own fandom space by producing Omegaverse stories. After an interesting adventure in the pixiv webpage in order to trace the earliest origin of the Omegaverse in Japanese fandom, we found that the earliest Omegaverse doujinshi sample had been uploaded in pixiv on June 2013 for the X-Men: First Class fandom. However, it was only around 2014 that the Omegaverse began to pick up its popularity in pixiv—after a certain pixiv artist had drawn an interestingly detailed explanation on the core concepts of the Omegaverse, a lot of fans began to show interest for it, enough that many of the well-known doujinshi artists began selling the Omegaverse doujinshi of their ships at doujinshi events. By November 2014, Kadokawa released Do-S Kaichou ni Gokaicho!? Alpha wa Omega wo Shihai Suru, followed by Fusion Project starting the monthly magazine Omegaverse Project starting March 2015, which published seven different mangaka’s Omegaverse manga in the span of about half a year. This helped spreading the Omegaverse trope to Japanese BL manga readers, familiarizing the terms and the workings of the trope. This turned out to be immensely popular that other publishers began to publish their own the Omegaverse anthologies. It should be noted though, that while Japanese fans brought back the Omegaverse from the international fandom, they were never a stranger to the core concepts of the Omegaverse. Long time BL manga readers would be very familiar with the title Sex Pistols, a hit BL manga by Kotobuki Tarako, which told the story of a society where special individuals did not evolve from apes, but from other animals. Sex Pistols includes portrayals of various animal characteristics in its human characters, male pregnancy, as well as hierarchical system based on an individual’s breed rarity and desirability. Does it feel like ringing a bell to you? Yup, it has elements that are very similar to the Omegaverse Interestingly, while the international fandom is pretty flexible about the concept and rules of the Omegaverse, the Japanese version of this trope is a little bit more restrictive. Unlike the international fandom who likes to bend the core concepts of the Omegaverse, the Japanese fans tend to stick to the Omegaverse guide, with explanations you could now find on the first pages of every volume of Omegaverse BL manga you read, impressively detailing the reproductive system, power dynamics, “going into heat”, and how pair-bond happens. Because of this, Omegaverse BL manga have considerably less variety in world-building compared to Omegaverse fanfictions and comics written in international fandoms.

Is the Omegaverse really that popular in Japan? Is it really thriving in the Japanese BL manga industry? Well, the enthusiasm for the Omegaverse series is certainly rising very notably for the past few years. In the 2017 annual Kono BL ga Yabai! ranking, one of the immensely popular Omegaverse series by Sachimo, Kashikomarimashita, Destiny ~Answer~, which is a sequel of the similarly titled manga, manages to snag the third place, just after the notable, long-running since 2011 Saezuru Tori wa Habatakanai by Yoneda Kou. Omegaverse BL manga also snagged a considerable number of the annual BL Award held by chil-chil, the must-follow webpage for fujoshi in Japan. Among the titles is the heartwarming Tadaima, Okaeri series by Ichikawa Ichi, Abarenbo Honey by Kevin Tobidase, Sayonara Alpha by Ichinashi Kimi, and Kurui Naku no wa Boku no Ban by Kusabi Keri. Just last week, Kusabi Keri had also finished an impressive, largely successful exhibition for the very same series at Torico, notably getting excited responses for the varied props in the exhibition, including displays of Alpha and Omega pheromone scents. Why has the Omegaverse become such a huge hit in the BL manga industry in Japan? One reason might be because it’s fresh, but at the same time it is also familiar. Readers of BL manga would be familiar with popular series dealing with Mpreg (such as Sex Pistols), or stories depicting a human-animals hybrid (Sakyou Aya’s Kuroneko Kareshi series are immensely popular). So the technicality of the Omegaverse’s world isn’t hard to grasp, even for new readers. Add to that, tropes such as Soulmates or fated lovers has also always been popular in BL manga (Shimizu Yuki’s -ZE-, for example). The good thing about the Omegaverse is that it caters to so many different tastes. You like fluffy, domestic shounen-ai manga that gives you family feels? There’s Tadaima, Okaeri series to enjoy. You want to read one that is sexy, pretty-much-just-porn, full of sexual scenes? There are tons of Omegaverse BL manga catering to that needs. You’re in the mood of reading complicated triangle relationship with dark relationship dynamics? Or perhaps some more of the “forbidden love” tropes? There’s Ai to Makoto or Elite Omega wa Yoru ni Oborete! Even though the Omegaverse is a specific trope, it still gives its readers such a wide variety of genre, which keeps readers for getting bored over the same tropes. From light-hearted BL to the darkest kind of angst, there’s always something for everyone within the Omegaverse, even if the established rules already has a specific setting. Of course, nothing signals popularity much better than sequels published for a previously finished series. This year, one of the most popular of the early Omegaverse BL manga who had managed to rank first on amazon Japan, Sayonara Koibito, Mata Kite Tomodachi by yoha, gets a sequel under the title Sayonara Koibito, Mata Kite Tomodachi Lost Child. This only contributes to the long list of Omegaverse titles getting sequels after their previous successes, including the Kashikomarimashita, Destiny series and the Tadaima, Okaeri series. By the looks of it, the BL manga industry isn’t about to let go of the Omegaverse craze just yet!

This probably was the first anime that presented us the concept of a store with delicious food and handsome men. When Tachibana decides to open an authentic Western style bakery, he ends up hiring Ono, a genius pastry chef who once confessed to him in high school. Together with retired boxer Kanda and Tachibana’s bodyguard Kobayakawa, they will personally serve the bakery customers. However, the personal tragedies behind the smiling four men will spice up their work. We have four men running a shop in both anime, and these four men have different personalities and background stories. The main character is the boss, and the slice of life style is prevalent throughout the episodes. Slow and soothing, the main difference between the two anime is that Antique Bakery is more focused on cakes and the tea hours, while Rokuhoudou Yotsuiro Biyori has a more varied assortment of food and… well, they serve Japanese cuisine, of course! So, if your piece of cake are… cakes, just step into Antique Bakery!

Welcome to Tokyo! One of the most popular restaurants in town is Nekoya, which serves Eastern and Western cuisine of the best quality. Every Saturday, the restaurant is apparently closed… But wait, look closely at the people inside. Dragons, fairies, and all sorts of unique folks visit Nekoya for a taste of good food. They share a piece of their hearts and minds while they eat, and that is how we discover that humans are not so different from them. If you like the concept of people going inside a safe space where they can relax, talk about their problems and have delicious food, then you will find Rokuhoudou and Isekai Shokudou similar. The prepared food is specially thought for each costumer’s needs in both stories. The main difference is that the episodes in Isekai Shokudou are divided in two, with a human shown in one of the halves and a fantastic creature in the other half. Also, the selection of food is more limited in Rokuhoudou. Therefore, if you like fantasy anime combined with the concept of a coffee shop, you may want to give a try to Isekai Shokudo.

How would you feel if your mother had left you when you were small to remarry after divorcing your father? Nicoletta decides to take revenge on her mother by traveling to Rome and presenting herself in Casetta dell’Orso, the restaurant her mother and her new husband own. However, what she finds inside turns her world upside down. Now Nicoletta is a cooking apprentice in the restaurant, where she will interact with the interesting male staff. Ristorante Paradiso and Rokuhoudou Yotsuiro Biyori are very similar because they depict four men who run shops. They are capable of creating an atmosphere of safety and tranquility for their clients, while their cooking skills are amazing. The main difference is that the cast in Ristorante Paradiso is older and their stories tend to be more dramatic as well. Therefore, if you want something more grown up but with the same flavour as Rokuhoudou, maybe you might like to try the food at Ristorante Paradiso.

We visit the sophisticated district of Ginza in Tokyo in this anime. Hidden among the shops, there is a quiet bar called Eden Hall. If you are lucky enough to find it, you will be greeted by the bartender Ryuu Sasakura, a legendary talent in terms of cocktail making. Whoever encounters him will find exactly what they needed in the form of an unforgettable drink. In terms of relaxing atmosphere, there is no anime that can beat Bartender. Yes, the type of customers that we encounter in Rokuhoudou and Bartender are similar. The experience of a good drink or beverage are key in both anime as well, lead by handsome men with great skill. The main difference is that Bartender is a bit more adult, because well, the action develops in a bar. Also, the selection of music involves classical and jazz, mostly in piano. So if you are into classy anime that are all for soothing environment and to find a bright side in life, Bartender is a must for you.

We could not help but mention this cute anime that has had a sequel. The protagonist is Hoto Kokoa, an upbeat girl who moves in with the Kafuu family in order to be able to go to her desired high school. She also enters the wonderfully cozy Rabbit House, a cafe where she will make friends and work as waitress. Together with fellow friends and rivals, Hoto Kokoa will deal with her daily life. So yes, coffee shops rule in Rokuhoudou and Gochuumon. You will be able to find delicious, sweet treats in both anime, where you will feel like you are the customer yourself. A team of friends run the coffee shops in both stories, and they have distinctive appearances and personalities. The main difference is that Gochuumon is more focused onn the silly and light headed style. If you find Rokuhoudou delicious but too formal, you may want to head for Rabbit House, where a staff composed by lovely girls will make sure you feel like in home.

Ok, so maybe cute guys or girls are not your thing. Maybe you are an animal lover? In that case, don’t worry, we’ve got you cover with Shirokuma Cafe. Located close to a zoo and run by a charismatic polar bear, this is a place where animals and humans can interact in a relaxed atmosphere. Also watch out for Penguin and Panda, who help out with the customers and have their own personal and sometimes dramatic lives. Rokuhoudou and Shirokuma Cafe are focused on coffee shops where delicious meals and a relaxed atmosphere are a must. The attendants have distinctive personalities, although well… the differences between them are obvious! There is some drama but also good feelings enhanced by the atmosphere and companionship in the two stories. Therefore, if you liked Rokuhoudou but love animals… or Animal Cafes… now you know what anime to watch!

This little beauty of a hentai features the art style of famous artist Tony Taka (let’s try and forget the adaptation of Shining Hearts: Shiawase no Pan existed), so the two girls Asa and Natsume are very attractive and the main reasons to even watch this hentai. The story is your typical 2 girls sharing 1 guy, with lots of sex. Sora no Iro, Mizu no Iro is as vanilla as you can get--perfect for someone who is new to hentai.

It’s kind of annoying and sometimes disgusting to watch hentai with the main guy being an ugly bastard or just generic-looking (like 99% of the time). As we’ve pointed out in number 5, the beautiful girls are the main reason to watch hentai, so what if we take the guys out of the equation and just watch two girls making love? Then look no further! Reo and Mai are two lovebirds in an all-girls school and they spend their free time having sex. Mai is such a perv, she can’t hold back from releasing her carnal desires to the bedridden Reo. But hey, if transferring fever to another person through sex is a good idea, then let these girls do whatever they want. No, that’s not STD.

Hentai shows come, go, and easily forgotten, but despite its age, Wordsworth’s beautiful art and animation withstood the test of time, and it’s so beautifully made, it puts modern hentai to shame. Wordsworth is set in a medieval world where two tribes are embroiled in a never-ending war, and one prince is destined to stop it. A great cast of attractive women, a good balance of vanilla sex, a bit of bestiality and monster sex, all masterfully animated with the most beautiful art style you’ve ever seen, Words Worth is the complete package and you must start here before you try out the hardcore, like next on this list.

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Now that you’re accustomed to non-vanilla stuff and lots of x-ray shots, be prepared to experience a hentai that is hardcore, but at the same time won’t discourage you to watch it because there’s scat or the girl’s neck got chewed off by a monster. Himekishi Lilia has all the things that make a hentai hardcore: incest, rape, tentacles, monsters with two dicks, tons of x-ray shots all wrapped together with detailed animations and good art appropriate for its content. Lilia is the main character of the story and after her brother forcibly took the king’s throne, she is subjected to unspeaking and horrible things drinking a goblet full of semen, get gang-raped by the townsfolk, and getting raped by monsters. This anime is not for the faint of heart.

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No, this is not a joke, and no we’re seriously putting Boku no Pico as the ultimate hentai for anyone who is on the hentai pilgrimage or looking for the ultimate test of one’s sanity. Hentai anime focusing on Yaoi is very sparse, and you’re more likely to encounter monster sex hentai and hetero ones. Boku no Pico is special and “shock” is probably the best way to describe the anime, and people on the internet use Boku no Pico to deceive the uninformed that it’s the title of the anime they’re looking for or a perfect prank to give your friends on April Fools. A grown man in love with a feminine boy and loves making sex with him? That’s Boku no Pico and it’s more hardcore than the most violent monster hentai out there. And it’s not an exaggeration! Godspeed, dear reader!

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Paranautical Activity is a roguelike first-person shooter where you’re dropped into a randomly-generated room and kill everything that moves while finding power ups to help you survive the next randomly-generated area. With Minecraft-like aesthetic with a you-die-go-back-at-the-start mechanic, Paranautical Activity is gonna test your skills, but you’ll end up raging anyways because of cheap deaths being thrown at you . Remember what we said in the Indie Games article about indie gaming not being the saints we are led to believe? This game and its developer Code Avarice are an example of those with inflated egos, and with little respect for everyone because they’re high above the social ladder. What happened was when Paranautical Activity was published, Valve erroneously labeled the game as Early Access and one of the developers of Code Avarice claimed Valve wasn’t speedy on fixing the issue. What’s the next logical thing to do? Why, go and whine on Twitter, insult Steam, and threatens to kill the co-founder of Steam, Gabe Newell! Valve then later removed Paranautical Activity from Steam’s catalogue and ceased relations with Code Avarice. Paranautical Activity resurfaced on Steam as Paranautical Activity: Deluxe Atonement Edition and the reason the game was accepted by Valve is because Code Avarice has sold the rights to the game to Digerati Distribution. Let’s make things clear here: Valve banned the game due to the developer’s immature outbursts and declaring threats to end the life of Gabe Newell on Twitter, but since Paranautical Activity is no longer owned by the said developer, it was allowed back onto Steam. And that’s for the better because the game would’ve never seen the light of day if it remained with Code Avarice. And seriously, was it really that hard to make one phone call or email to Valve to fix the issue, wait it out, and call it a day?

Considered to be one of the worst, if not, the worst game ever made, Ride to Hell: Retribution is a third-person action brawler and shooter involving a badass biker dude seeking revenge. The game that went through development hell resulting in poor planning, bad writing, broken gameplay, ugly graphics, it’s offensive and is riddled with bugs. The series was planned to spawn 2 more sequels but they were cancelled due to negative reviews and poor sales. The game stayed in Steam for around a year, and it enjoyed a few sales (maybe because one popular gaming critic encouraged everyone to try out this mess of a game) before it was mysteriously removed from Steam’s library. The exact reason for its removal is unknown but popular speculation pointed out that Ride to Hell was so bad, it didn’t meet the quality standards set out by Steam. Or maybe perhaps it was removed because of how the game treated women? But given Valve’s negligence to quality control and police awful “games” that uses reused assets, it’s safe to say Ride to Hell: Retribution wasn’t removed because of poor quality, and it was something else. This is perhaps a mystery that we’ll take to our graves, unfortunately.

Spec Ops: The Line takes place in the once beautiful city of Dubai after it was consumed by massive sandstorms. Millions of citizens are trapped, riots break out frequently and resources like food and clean drinking water are dwindling, Dubai is descending into chaos. The US 33rd Infantry Battalion led by the highly decorated Colonel John Konrad, already stationed at the city, volunteered to help with the evacuation and relief efforts. As the battalion struggles to maintain order, John Konrad has declared martial law and committed atrocities on the populace. You play as Captain Walker of the 3-man delta force sent by the US military to conduct reconnaissance inside the ruined city, find survivors and get the hell out. The United Arab Emirates is very strict in allowing games into their shores. If a game has violence, nudity, gore or anything relating to the UAE, it’s likely to get banned. A lot of high profile games were also banned like the Grand Theft Auto series, God of War series, and even Japanese games that are notorious for sexually suggestive content, but these games either got their ban lifted after minor alterations, or the ban didn’t extend to digital distribution platforms like Steam. The only high profile game that is permanently banned in the UAE in both physical and digital versions is Spec Ops: The Line. But why is that? A game portraying violence and gameplay involving killing US soldiers and Emirates in a ruined Dubai, thus implying the incompetence of the UAE government, didn’t bode well to the censorship board. The UAE even goes as far as to block the official website of the game, had the game banned in neighboring nations, and made it impossible to get a copy. That is very quite unfortunate because Spec Ops: The Line is a decently-made game with a compelling story that makes you question our existence as human beings.

Art of Stealth is another game that is composed of Unity store assets all cobbled together in what appears to be a stealth game… where you instead shoot at enemies like Rambo… or something like that. The game itself got a few fans, a ton of negative reviews, and with Steam’s poor moderation, Art of Stealth wasn’t the target for removal or getting banned because it contains offensive content. Art of Stealth was removed because developer Matan Cohen was caught manipulating his game’s review rating by posting positive reviews using multiple Steam accounts. This desperate act is in violation of Steam’s review policy and Art of Stealth is no longer on Steam. Yeah… That happened. And twice apparently because…

Wild Busters: Heroes of Titan was also removed from Steam because game publisher Insel Games manipulated the Steam reviews by telling its staff and colleagues to buy the game and post positive reviews to encourage sales, and failure to do so may face possible unemployment. And since this is a ban on the publisher, other games published by Insel Games were also removed. “In a war-torn galaxy, the Broken, an aggressive cyborg race, are hell-bent on dooming the remaining humans to the same desolate half-man-half-machine fate. Collect and level more than a dozen varied characters to master PvE and PvP features, and prevent the complete annihilation of mankind!” --Wild Buster Website Now, this is kind of sad because Wild Busters is an actual game and some care was put into it. If you’re into hack and slash games with MMO elements, this game might’ve been for you. But sadly the game’s publisher didn’t have any faith in the game and stooped low just to artificially raise the game’s popularity.

Manhunt is legendary and probably synonymous with anything relating to games ban and censorship due to its very graphic violence involving torture and killing your fellow man with an assortment of weapons from baseball bats to bladed objects. And to make it more clear that violence is a core gameplay mechanic, you are graded based on your performance like how brutal your takedowns were. The game is available on Steam, but it’s banned in certain countries, especially in Australia, notorious for very strict censorship rules. Manhunt was a prime target in Australia mainly because your score is based on violence whereas other games like, say, Grand Theft Auto doesn’t score you for murdering the police or civilians. But Manhunt is literally and technically banned everywhere because the bloody game isn’t compatible in any modern operating system starting from Windows Vista.

You are the Postal Dude, just a typical everyman doing chores given at you buying milk, paying fines, or to pick up something from a neighbor. With the freedom of choice, and if you’re creative enough, you can turn these boring menial tasks into fun romps of blood, fire, and destruction. Postal 2 is a sandbox game and like the game advertised, you’re just a guy doing basic tasks for money. And like any sandbox game, you make your own rules and play the game your way. If you want to steal milk? Go ahead and bludgeon the store owner while you’re at it. Wanna rain down the parade of a group marching band, literally speaking? Take out your junk and pee all over them. There are many ways to play Postal 2 and this freedom along with crude dark humor, gamers loved it. The level of violence in Postal 2 is on par with Manhunt, but the difference is violence is, most of the time, optional. Like we said, Postal 2 gives player freedom to choose how they tackle situations, but of course, the game allows you to go full psychopath with the tools available. Kill gay rednecks, Arabs, black people, religious folks and anyone else. Everyone is fair game. Unfortunately, Postal 2 was banned in New Zealand because of its offensive writing, disgusting imagery, brutal gameplay, and extreme political incorrectness. Even owning the game in New Zealand after buying a Steam code online will get you fined and jail time.

It is fact video games aren’t the main cause of violence among children. If that were the case, the tens of millions of gamers who played GTA games would have committed mass murder by now. The leading cause is the mental health of individuals and they can get inspirations from any form of media other than video games like violent movies, offensive lyrics from songs, or social media. Sadly for video gaming though, the murder in Thailand further embedded the stereotype of gamers are violent because of violent games. A troubled youth killed a taxi driver, stabbing him to death because he needed the money to play more video games, specifically Grand Theft Auto IV. The youth claimed Grand Theft Auto-inspired him to commit murder, saying “Killing seemed easy in the game.” Due to this terrible incident, the Thailand police banned the distribution of Grand Theft Auto IV and there are strict penalties for anyone who sells the game through any means. Grand Theft Auto games have been heavily criticized for its glorification of crime ranging from killing, robbery, hijacking, drugs, gang violence and sex, all wrapped up in a third-person gameplay. And while the game is a work of fiction and it’s strictly for older gamers, any smart kid can get a copy easily, or their parents blindly buy their children games without reading the ratings slapped on the cover.

This is the most recent and highly-anticipated title that was removed from Steam soon after it went live on the platform. Users who have pre-ordered the visual novel or bought it as soon as it came out can still experience it, but it’s tough luck for everybody else. The title’s removal was caused after a Steam user filed a report to Steam Support that Maiden’s of Michael contains sexual content of young girls. The Steam user posted a screenshot of the report they have made and bragged about it on social media. Yes, Maidens of Michael was removed because of an internet troll seeking attention. As for the title itself, the all-ages version of Maidens of Michael had all its sex scenes, imagery and dialogue removed prior to release, so there was no violation of Steam’s Terms of Service. As of this writing, there is no official statement from Valve as to why Maidens of Michael has been removed or any sign of the visual novel returning to Steam. However, fans of the series and fans of visual novels, in general, pointed their fingers at Steam’s incompetence at handling the situation. Was Maidens of Michael removed due to sexual content? Or is it something else? We will never know for sure, but let’s hope Maidens of Michael return to Steam because Maidens of Michael is a collection of touching stories of girls falling in love with each other.

You could say the Slaughtering Grounds is the poster boy for awful games that are recycled demo games found in the Unity Engine asset store getting past Steam’s poor moderated early access program called Steam Greenlight. The shenanigans started when YouTube critic Jim Sterling made a video harshly criticizing Slaughtering Grounds with its slapdash unaltered game assets the developer--Digital Homicide--taken from a store, broken gameplay because the devs crammed random things and didn't code them properly, and everything else you can think of. What is Slaughtering Grounds all about? It’s a first-person shooter and you’re in a large area, and uh… you shoot monsters, and uh… that’s it. For any sane person, that was it---a critic calling an awful game awful, called it a day, and move on with your life. But nope, Digital Homicide was upset at Jim Sterling’s criticism and went on a meltdown. The meltdown and its coverage spread like wildfire for anyone who took notice, and the reviews section of the Slaughtering Grounds is flooded with negative reviews, gaming forums made posts showing evidence Digital Homicide took assets from other sources without crediting the creators. Digital Homicide then proceeded to ban players for negative comments because they’re hurting their sales and even sued Jim Sterling for millions of dollars for libel and slander. Oh, and it didn’t end there! It was then soon discovered that the founder/owner of Digital Homicide managed several game publishing companies in order to sell more games on Steam. Gamers grew tired of the massive influx of “fake games” coming to Steam, so they vented their anger in their reviews, even going as far as threatening to kill the developers. If you think a simple submission to Steam Support to penalize abusive users was the logical choice, then you’re mistaken---Digital Homicide (or which one of their companies they manage) sued 100 of these Steam users for millions of dollars. And in that instant, Valve ceased relations with Digital Homicide and removed all of their games from Steam for being hostile of their user base.