One of the many goals of adaptations is to promote the source materials and get more users to buy their books by making anime shows out of them. The problem with this are these types of adaptations weren’t made for long-term experiences, and they only adopt a few chapters of the anime to encourage their newly-acquired fanbase to buy their manga or subscribe to their monthly magazines. It’s purely business. There will be the occasional sequels and a few OVAs to expand the story and extend the exposure of the series, but the publishers are not going to animate the last few volumes of their works. You just have to buy them if you want the ending. A good example of this is the anime adaptation of Citrus. The anime glossed a few things here and there, and it was very faithful to the source material, but the fact they had to fit in as much story in 12 episodes, the anime ended right after the so-called Twins Arc, where Yuzu finally confessed her true feelings towards Mei. While the anime has an ending, the story of Yuzu and Mei is continued on in the manga. Will we ever get a second season? If you take all things we mentioned into consideration, and the manga is still ongoing, then the answer is likely a “no.” Even with the ending in place, Citrus anime still has a ton of unanswered questions, and this brings us to the second curse of anime adaptations…

Anime adaptations are glorified ads promoting the original source material, and they’re not gonna animate every chapter, every arc, every story out there. Apart from it being expensive to animate everything, the publishers carefully pick the best chapters from the manga and broadcast them on public television to gain interests. While this practice has been done many times with positive reception, there are some instances an anime abruptly ends, or an anime ends while teasing the next big story arc. Other examples included are: the true villain has appeared at the last few seconds of the last episode, a dead character was alive all along, or a girl said “I love you” to the guy but the anime ends mid-way of the girl saying it. Want to know what’s going to happen next? Most likely, a second season isn’t happening, so go buy their books to find out more! We’re bringing up the anime adaptation of Citrus, again, because it’s the perfect example of anime that is made to sell the manga and nothing else. Yuzu and Mei are officially dating in the last episode, but there are a ton of chapters left that go even further with their relationship, as well as, sex, betrayal, the fate of Mei’s fiance from episode one, the complicated relationship between Mei’s father and grandfather, Matsuri’s role in the story hinting a blooming relationship with Harumi, and more. Knowing these, do you think the ending of Citrus--huge cliffhanger--was acceptable? No!

Like any high school romance anime, there is the obligatory beach episode or the onsen episode, and, obviously, it’s the most awaited episode apart from the ending. This sort of episode is usually focused on the fanservice with half-naked girls running around the onsen and get a few boob shots. In TV broadcasts or simulcasts by Crunchyroll, these scenes were blurred out or the girls were obscured by steam or lens flare (depending if it’s an onsen or beach setting). Nisekoi’s episode 9 has steam covering the privates on the TV version, and one would think the BD version had the steam removed because, well, that’s what fans paid for, right? Right? For some odd reason, Studio Shaft has censored the onsen episode with even more steam, like adding extra clouds not present in the original broadcast. This self-censorship has effectively made the BD version of Nisekoi inferior to the TV broadcast, and what is Shaft’s reasoning? They said the addition of more steam made the scenes closely resemble the manga. If you smelled this statement was a load of crap, then you’re not the only one. Even if this was true, it’s an odd choice and has probably discouraged a lot of fans. New fans will embrace Nisekoi though because they’ll never know censorship has occurred.

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Sankarea is a story of a boy named Chihiro who has a fascination with the undead and wished to have a zombie girlfriend. Chihiro managed to create a resurrection potion to save his pet cat, but unfortunately, it went into the hands of a beautiful girl named Sanka Rea. She drank it and turned into a zombie. Chihiro’s wildest dreams came true, but at what price? Fans who bought the anime were distraught after they found out the official DVD release of Sankarea: Undying Love by FUNimation was censored, that the company used the same censored TV broadcast version. Fans voiced their complaints to FUNimation, and the company made a statement saying “the company (FUNimation) had originally released this set with the materials provided to us.”, meaning the company has used whatever content Japan has provided. Yeah, we’re smelling crap too. Fortunately, coming from that same statement, FUNimation has recalled the censored version and re-released Sankarea: Undying Love in its truly uncut version. It’s not clear why FUNimation released the disc version censored, and it could be a number of things like your usual nudity shots and hints of necrophilia. Knowing the contents of the anime, one would speculate it’s the latter. Just saying there’s nothing wrong looking at a naked zombie girl.

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Watching Angel Cop is like an OVA in the 80s with its glorified violence, blood, and gore. At first glance, Angel Cop is just a story of Japan becoming the last superpower and terrorist groups are out to ruin the economy and eventually turn the proud country into a dump site for nuclear waste. To prevent this from ever happening, a special police force was established to stop these terrorists in their tracks. In the official subtitles by Manga Entertainment, the main bad guys were an American conglomerate who would stop at nothing to destroy Japan. However, if you know a bit of Japanese, you’ll notice the main bad guys in Angel Cop aren’t Americans, but rather the wealthy Jewish bankers. The story pointed out that the Jews had bought every powerful nation in the world for more money and Japan is the last nation who refused to sell their dignity. Yeah, Japan did something crazy. Again. Is Angel Cop anti-semitic though? Absolutely not. Anime or any form of media is just fiction, and shouldn’t be compared to real life. Censoring anime portraying people negatively, especially the Jewish people, only reinforces the stereotypes, and making things worse. Did horror movies inspire millions of its views to murder their fellow man? Did video games inspire millions to go on a killing spree? Unfortunately, not all people see the world this way, and Angel Cop has its dialogue edited to avoid any backlash. Still, Angel Cop is a balls to the wall action anime and it doesn’t matter if the bad guys are Jews or Americans.

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The asteroids at the start of this opening may be well rendered, but after that, the visuals of this opening just become dull and lazy. It mostly consists of some generic computer screens and lengthy establishing shots of the city the show takes place in and then scrolling through some of the least creative uses of character portraits ever seen in an OP. Not only are they drawn in a fashion that looks flat enough to be from Inferno Cop, but the poses consist of little more than characters just awkwardly standing around, giving little to no characterization. It makes for a monotonous experience despite only being 90 seconds long, with little in the way of excitement beyond some fluid, yet poorly choreographed action. Thankfully, this OP is partially saved by its peppy J-pop beat and the immensely talented voice of Nishizawa Shiena which improve the experience dramatically, hence the number 10 spot. The show truly is lucky that such a brilliant artist was willing to lower herself to help it out.

If you thought the whole shtick with great theme songs let down by bad visuals was going to be a trend on this list, then fear not, for here is the first OP for Yugioh Zexal. Bad visuals: yes. Good song: Absolutely not. Many of you can probably think back to 2011 and remember how western music had suddenly become inundated with a tidal wave of endless bad autotune songs. The technique quickly became a dirty word among music aficionados for how irritating any song featuring it quickly became. Apparently, we just didn't know how good we had it, because clearly, Japan had it much worse. Yes, this opening’s deadly sin is its terrible autotune. It’s too high pitched, too fast tempo and too overpowering of the song's instruments to be anything other than grating and obnoxious. At some points, it sounds less like it's human singing that's being autotuned and more like nails being scraped against a chalkboard. At least the art offers some style, although the same can't be said for the mediocre animation and its overabundance of still shots. A few cuts move pretty well but the rest is, just like the entire sequence, bad.

Nothing says action/horror shonen anime quite like a slow melancholic ballad played over a sad boy standing almost completely still. Seriously, what more is there to say about this one than how unbelievably mismatched it is. The show and the opening are so jarringly different that it’s almost as though the two were paired by a random anime OP generator on the production committee’s computer. The saddest part is that this could actually work well in another show. It's nothing spectacular, but it has some nice colors and the singer has an impressive range. It's just a shame that they don't even begin to match anything else about the series.

There’s a pretty important rule in both anime theme songs and music in general: “If you can’t rap, don’t.” What is, in the hands of a talented artist, a powerful, lyrically driven genre can become an awkward fumbling mess in the hands of the untrained. But maybe we’re being too hard on this English dub theme. After all, it has such expansive lyrics as “it’s a brand-new game!”, “new rivals!” “It’s all about battles!” Oh, sorry, it seems we confused Diamond and Pearl’s theme lyrics with the games’ sales pitch. Wait, no, that’s actually what’s in the song, but when the lyrics all sound like marketing slogans it’s an easy mistake to make. Admittedly there isn’t anything especially bad about the visuals. Well, they match up to the music about as well as a 10-year old’s first AMV, but at least they’re appealing on their own. They’re just brought down by the fact that Diamond and Pearl used rap. It wasn’t very effective.

The Gundam franchise has had a good history with upbeat jazz themes, but there’s a pretty big difference between upbeat jazz and elevator music. Most notably, elevator music differentiates itself by not really being something that meshes well with battles between giant robots. That’s just common sense, right? Well, apparently that sort of sense is not so common, as Sunrise decided that’s the kind of music that should play during the title sequence of this fondly remembered Gundam anime’s second season. At least you can’t accuse this one of having mismatched music and visuals, as the lifeless, unmoving still shots that make up a significant portion of the OP are just as boring as the droning music. If you don’t think giant mechs could ever put you to sleep, then you probably haven’t seen this opening sequence.

But how can this be? Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure has many of the greatest openings of all time, right? Well, while that’s true for the more modern adaptation, the same cannot be said for the 1993 OVA. A somewhat darker take on the manga's Stardust Crusaders arc, this six-episode series has a fairly strong number of both fans and haters. The title sequence, however, probably only has the latter. Whether it’s because of the slow, meandering music, the barely animated visuals the obviously pandering nudity, the fact that it barely features any characters that actually show up in the series or the fact that it lasts for four minutes, it’s difficult to believe that an OP this bad could be made without the work of an enemy stand.

In the last dub opening we covered, we mentioned the golden rule about rapping and why those who don’t follow it are doomed to have a bad OP. This title sequence from the German dub of Naruto also breaks this rule, but by god, that’s the least of its problems. It opens on an ominous note, with dark music and visuals, with a solemnly spoken line: “12 years ago, a nine-tailed fox suddenly appeared.” And that’s the last we hear of the nine-tailed fox. It didn’t do anything interesting apparently, it just kinda showed up one day. You would think such an extraordinary creature would do something more notable, but apparently, it hasn't done a single thing worth mentioning beyond just existing. Instead of following up on that whole nine-tailed fox thing, the opening prioritizes a song that jarringly shifts between a goofy pop beat, the aforementioned awful rap, and some actual Japanese singing. This is all paired with an awkward mishmash of scenes taken from the original Japanese openings or the show itself clearly at random and with no thought put into how well they fit in a sequence. Something this bad deserves to be sealed away.

When you watch an anime opening, do you want it to be nothing more than shots of CGI swords, flat stills of characters just standing around and uninteresting scenery shots? Then courage (yes, that’s how they spell it) is the opening for you. Well, that’s not entirely fair. There’s also some lazily reused clips from earlier episodes of the show and a flashily animated, but confusingly choreographed action sequence. Equally confusing is the song used here, which at times seems like it’s trying to be an energetic power ballad, but just ends up sounding like a dull, lifeless sit. In other words, it’s exactly what Sword Art Online deserves.

Animation is an expensive medium and corners need to be cut almost constantly. However, this is no excuse to get one of your mailroom employees to sing your theme song, like what J.C. Staff did with Spiral. At least we assume that’s what happened, because not only is there no information on the artist online, but there is no excuse for such shrill singing to come from an actual professional. The animation also fails to live up to such a standard, as it’s barely present. Other openings on this list have been criticized for having little to no movement, but Kibouhou looks like a slideshow. Flat character portraits, blank backgrounds, cheap visual effects scattered around haphazardly, it has all the makings of a bad PowerPoint presentation. But this raises the question: What could possibly be worse than that?

We’ll say it again: If you can’t rap, don’t. It was bad enough that 4Kids Entertainment had to bastardize the anime adaptation of Eiichiro Oda’s magnum opus for their English dub by redrawing scenes nonsensically and cutting out large numbers of episodes, but then they had to add a terrible opening on top of it. There is so much that could be discussed, from the visuals consisting almost exclusively of reused scenes from the show to the awful rapping and the fact that the rhythm can’t even be bothered to stay consistent, but the worst part is easily the lyrics. They try to give a short introduction to all the characters, which is a nice idea, but because nobody who knew how to write a compelling rap was present, they’re left with verses like “His name's Zolo, he's just like a samurai and an L-A-D-Y Nami's not shy”. Easily the cringiest of this bunch, however, is one that’s only two words: “Chopper's doctoring!” The Oxford English dictionary defines doctoring as “Change the content or appearance of (a document or picture) in order to deceive; falsify.” The character Chopper is a doctor, he treats people medically, he does not, however, falsify documents. The bare minimum an English dub needs to do is to get the show to make sense in English and this theme can’t even do that much. It’s a perfect representation of the entirety of the train wreck that it this OP and this dub.

Ryuu Yamada entered the Suzaku High, in order to start a brand-new life, where no one would know about his bad reputation. After one boring year, though, he decided to revert to his old ways: always starting fights, while his grades gradually dropped. Urara Shirahishi is a beautiful honor student, and the exact opposite of Ryuu. One day, she encounters Ryuu and a misstep makes them both fall down the stairs. Accidentally kissing while falling, the two magically switch bodies! That's how Ryuu's life turns even more troublesome. Urara Shirahishi is a brilliant student, and she comes across as cold and antisocial. Of course, that's just a facade she built, after a past where she was bullied for being beautiful and intelligent. She is an introvert, always focusing of what's most important for her: taking her studies seriously. It takes a person like Ryuu to discover how much this introverted girl is actually very gentle, and open to spend time with the people she likes. But she sticks to her true personality: she keeps preferring soliloquies more than speaking out loud!

Sawako Kuronuma, with her long, black hair and her resemblance with the protagonist of a horror movie, is frequently misunderstood by her classmates. Her intentions come across as malicious, but actually she is just shy and unable to amend what's been misunderstood. She has just one wish: to make friends and spend her teenage years happily. When she manages to befriend the person she looks up to, Shouta Kazehaya, her school life immediately changes for the better! Sawako Kuronuma is actually shy, but she is a full-fledged introvert, too. After being constantly misunderstood, she developed the habit to be extremely conscious of her actions. Even after finally making friends who truly love her just like she is, she keeps thinking about what she should do to be a better friend, and how to improve her social skills. As a true introvert, though, she is very comfortable around her friends, and this starts to make her more sociable even when she is among strangers.

Futaba Yoshioka tried her best to reset her image during high school, after being bullied for being too cute during junior high. Now a tomboy, she eats a lot, stomps instead of walking, and doesn't use make-up. When she bumps into Tanaka-kun – now Mabuchi – who was her first love during junior high, but who disappeared after summer break, and he states that he liked Futaba back then, it feels like destiny. Except for the fact that right after, he adds that they're not meant to be anymore. How will Futaba react, still harboring feelings toward Tanaka-kun? After his mother's death, and the issues he went through during the three years away from Tokyo, Kou Mabuchi turned into a very introverted boy. He gradually closed his heart, and started preferring being alone, rather than being with other people. Kou shows another trait characterizing introverts: the inability to rely on others. When Futaba breaks through the walls Kou built around himself, though, he eventually shows himself to be pretty comfortable with his small group of friends; not only that, his kind personality expands to its fullest!

Natsuki Hashiba has been dumped by his girlfriend on Christmas Eve. Lonely and brokenhearted, he bursts into tears in the middle of the road, right in front of a karaoke where Anna Kobayakawa works part-time in. In a Santa Claus suit, Anna sees Natsuki crying and offers him some tissues. For Natsuki it's love at first sight, but what about Anna? Their teenage love journey is about to begin! Anna Kobayakawa is a very quiet girl, and as an introvert, she may come across as a bit gloomy at times. The truth is that she just does things at her own pace, leaving out what may hinder her peace. Anna has a crush on Natsuki, but she is unable to say it out loud, not even to her close friends. When Natsuki reveals to her that he has someone he likes, she begins her soliloquies on her own, disappointed that she's not the one. Anna doesn't know that Natsuki was talking about her, yet she doesn't bother her friends with her complaints; she whines to herself.

Before retiring, Kouhei Araki – editor of the dictionary editorial division at Genbu Publishing – needs to find a substitute for his last project, a dictionary called “The Great Passage”. Araki doesn't seem to find a suitable person, at least until Majime Mitsuya, who works for the sales division, catches his attention. Thanks to his enthusiasm with words, Mitsuya may be the one to carry on Araki's project. There's just a little problem, Mitsuya lacks social skills altogether! Just as you can imagine by the premises, Majime Mitsuya is our introvert man unable to read the mood. Clumsy, awkward, and with a talent for saying things when they shouldn't be said, Mitsuya tends to hole himself up surrounded by books, and that's why he caught Araki's attention. He demonstrates to be comfortable with a small group of people, like his colleagues of the dictionary editorial division, together with whom he will achieve a great success. If you want to witness Mitsuya's soliloquies, give Fune wo Amu a shot!

During his long, boring days in prison, Yotarou spent his time listening to Yakumo's performances of Rakugo, a form of comedic Japanese story telling. Fresh out of the prison, Yotarou starts begging Yakumo Yuurakutei to become his apprentice. Yakumo refuses to take him as an apprentice, but when Yotarou's pleas don't seem to stop, what's left for Yakumo is to surrender. Yotarou becomes Yakumo's first apprentice, and that will become a chance for Yakumo to revisit his past and remember his dear friend, Sukeroku Yuurakutei. Throughout the entire series, Yakumo shows his introversion in all respects. As we follow his growth, from childhood to adulthood, we realize how much of an introvert he is. Yakumo suffered his entire life, for one reason or the other, but not even once did he rely on others, nor complained to his friends. He carried his burdens all by himself and focused only on how to improve his Rakugo performances: only that mattered to him. Even as an old man, he sticks to his introverted personality, trying to sort things out all by himself. An incorrigible introvert, he’s a perfect fit for this ranking.

Usagi Tsukino is your typical middle-school student, who hates studying and loves eating and playing video games. One day she saves a kitty that was being bullied by some kids and to Usagi's surprise, that kitty is a talking cat named Luna. Luna gives Usagi a magical brooch enabling her power to become Sailor Moon. This clumsy little girl has now a mission way bigger than her: to save Earth from the forces of evil, to find the other Sailor Soldiers, and to find their princess Serenity and the Silver Crystal, which is craved by the evil ones. Will she be able to carry out the mission? Ami Mizuno is one of the Sailor Soldiers as Sailor Mercury. Ami is a very insecure girl, in spite of being very clever, and an honors student. As an introvert, she likes reading and spending time alone in libraries, but she is very kind and shows the sweet side of her when she meets Usagi. Throughout the series, we see her introverted personality change. Ami surrounds herself with a small group of friends – the other Sailor Soldiers – and demonstrates that she is comfortable while spending time with them. Let's not forget she remains an introvert, though: inner thoughts, soliloquies, and detailed rationalizations will characterize her until the end!

Naho Takamiya is a 16-year-old high school girl when she receives a strange letter. It seems that letter was sent by herself from ten years in the future. At first, Naho thinks it's just a prank letter from some of her friends, but she is shocked when day after day, what's written on that letter actually happens. Naho from the future has a request for the 16-year-old Naho. According to the letter, Kakeru, the new transfer student who immediately became Naho's friend, won't be with them in the future. Naho from the future asks herself to change that regretful past! Naho Takamiya is a shy girl, and a true introvert. Throughout the series, she comes across as a passive girl, accepting whatever happens to her, without talking back. Actually, she talks to herself and expresses to herself her preferences and delusions. Yet, she is unable to speak loudly about how she feels, because she is afraid of hurting others. Naho keeps thinking about what she could do to improve her social skills, and what she could do to save Kakeru, but she does it all on her own. Her small group of friends will remind Naho that she's not alone, and Kakeru will teach her how to express her preferences and speak her mind!

His weakness towards intellectual girls, cost Ken Kaneki – a university student – a drastic change in his life. He meets Rize, a seemingly intellectual girl, who turns out to be a ghoul, a creature that eats humans. One night she assaults Kaneki, who manages to survive; after going through a surgery, Ken life is saved, but there's a problem: he is now half-ghoul and half-human being, due to the fact that Rize's kagune has been used in place of a new kidney. Will Ken be able to adapt to his new self? Ken Kaneki is an introvert in all respects: he likes holing himself up into the library, all alone, instead of spending time hanging out with his only friend – Hide. It's exactly his being an introvert that resulted in him being turned into half a ghoul. If before the accident, Kaneki was quiet, and taciturn, after becoming a ghoul, he turns even more introverted. He manages to create bonds with other ghouls, who become like his new family, but in order to keep them safe he decides to act all on his own and put his own life at stake.

Rei Kiriyama is a 17-year-old professional Shogi player, with a difficult past. His parents and little sister died in a car accident, leaving him all alone. Soon after, a friend of Rei's father – Kouda – took Rei in, but out of jealousy, Kouda's kids never accepted him as a foster brother. With the tension building up in his adoptive family, Rei decided to move out and live on his own. In the darkest moment of Rei's life, the fated meeting with the Kawamoto sisters – Rei's neighbors – will turn the tables. Thanks to them, Rei will eventually experience once again the warm feeling of a loving family. Rei Kiriyama is probably the epitome of the introverted character. Thanks to flashbacks we see throughout the story, we realize that he was a loner since he was a little child, frequently bullied by his classmates, so much so that he developed the tendency to rely only on himself. Growing up, Rei's exclusion got even worse: after all the things he went through, he began to spend even more time alone. If it wasn't for Shogi, he wouldn't even bother to meet other people. The fated meeting with the three Kawamoto sisters, three girls who have lost everything just like him, will be Rei's starting point turning him from a lonely introvert to a sociable one. If you wish to see for yourself Rei Kiriyama's deeds, give 3-gatsu no Lion a chance. You'll understand why we gave Rei our first position.

Minimalistic, simple and somewhat boring would be the words to describe Oreki. He truly believes in doing things only when it is absolutely necessary. When requested to join the Classics club by his sister, he cannot reject her. Oreki meets Chitanda, an inquisitive girl whose curiosity is perhaps the only thing that can get Oreki to act. Together with her and the Classics Club, they solve the little mysteries that occur at their school. His minimalism extends to that of social interactions as well. Oreki is a true introvert who always turns inwards and focuses on conserving his energy than seeking outward stimulation. As a passive individual, he is also shown to be highly aware of his surroundings. This heightened awareness is also one of the reasons as to why he has a keen mind and adept at solving mysteries. Although not vocal in class, once Oreki is in the Classics Club, he becomes more vocal and expresses more of his thoughts to them.

Hikigaya's jaded views on society made him believe in acting alone. Somewhat nihilistic, he rejects social conventions by passing social niceties as a mere farce to keep up one's image. While Hikigaya is somewhat correct, his teacher does not see it. She forced him to join the Service Club in the hopes that volunteer work will improve his perception. As ironic as it is, his pessimistic views and methods helped to solve more than just a few problems during his service. Hikigaya has been shown to be tuning inwards to his own feelings all the time. He perceives society as detrimental and contradictory, and chose to rely solely on himself. Hikigaya’s inner monologues raises a few controversial questions on society that really makes you reflect on your own standards of society. It goes without saying that many introverts that have watched this anime found similarities between Hikigaya and themselves. If you believe yourself to be an introvert, you will be sympathetic to Hikigaya and his views. Don't believe us? Try this anime out for yourself! He is a bona fide introvert whose only mistake is proclaiming the poisons of society tactlessly.

Perhaps the king of soliloquies, the Monogatari series employs the avant-garde technique of inner monologue to convey a story. Many people have questioned why an anime where most of the content consists of either dialogues or monologues can be so popular. The Monogatari series is the best form to explain the beauty of an introvert's mind. The notion of continuous dialogue may bore most. However, the ideas and quality of the conversations in the anime is what defines it and sets it apart from simple chatting. The focus of the series is mainly on its MC, Araragi. The whole anime is based on the perspective of Araragi himself. Instead of painting an environment for us, the creators had allowed us to exist within the mind of Araragi. Here, we are able to see that he is an individual who clearly reflects on the day to day occurrence of his life. But the clincher that convinces us why Araragi has got to be an introvert - we see him speaking inside his mind than actually speaking out loud.

In the world of Death Note, no one holds a candle to L when it comes to logic and reasoning. Even in his field, he is enigmatic and largely unknown and only the most baffling of cases are assigned to him. His uncanny understanding of the reactions of humans has allowed him to be one step ahead of his foe. As amazing as he is, he is not without his quirks - an extreme sweet tooth and an inclination to working alone. Other than the fact that he is a genius detective, nothing else is known about him. L.L introversion is best seen when he doesn't actively show his face in public. He is known by many aliases and only contacted by the police for the most problematic case. He mostly kept to himself where his sleuthing skills are at the peak. Even in the anime, no one is able to comprehend his sophisticated thinking and logic. He trusts nobody with the exception of Watari, which highlights his independence from the external world.

Tachibana first appeared as an antagonist: Tenshi, as she was known then was the regulator of the new world who suppresses the goals of the SSS. Not much is known about her as she rarely speaks. Until the later half of the episode, Tenshi usually eats and works alone. Her lack of expression also raises some issues on whether she was sentient or not. It wasn't until Otonashi started talking to her that she started revealing her personality. The bulk of Tachibana's introversion is due to the role that she has been assigned. She did not have any opportunity to communicate with the opposing team. Even after talking to Otonashi, she still enjoys solitary activities such as gardening. Even then, she does not speak much. Her soft spoken nature and delicate behavior also pinpoints her as a true introvert.

In her high school life, Hishiro never truly really had any friends and she has no problems with it. She is no doubt very smart, scoring high in every test. However, what she has in intelligence, she compensates for her social awareness. She is oblivious to other's feelings and can be blunt with her words. Not only that, she is unable to smile properly and can only manage a devilish smirk. Most of the time before she had friends, Hishiro can be seen reading. Hishiro places little importance in others and is only devoted to studying and improving her grades. She takes no active role in engaging conversations. As an introvert, she only spends her time studying most, if not all the time. With Kaizaki's help however, Hishiro starts to converse with her school mates in an effort to make friends. It is evident however that she is not the kind to initiate activities and can even be awkward when introducing herself. Like any introvert, she also shows that she can be independent alone and does need the company of others.

Tatsuhiro has been a hikikomori for years now. He refused to step out of his apartment as he believes in the existence of a secret organization known as the NHK spreading the growth of the hikikomori culture. As delusional as he is, Tatsuhiro eventually did step out of his home one day and happened to meet Misaki. She tries to change him by undergoing therapy but it is not easy. Will this duo eventually overcome their respective problems? It's quite certain that traits of introversion can be found in a hikikomori. They shut themselves from society and prefer not to engage in social interactions. If anything, they are the most extreme form of introversion. What makes Tatsuhiro interesting however is the change that he is undergoing to fit in back to society again. There we can see that not all introverts are dysfunctional and unsociable. Through Tatsuhiro, we learn that he has his own viewpoints on certain issues. No doubt the premise being a bit ridiculous, the conclusion however, is highly logical.

Nagato undergoes a drastic change in personality in her very own spin off. A high school girl now, it features her with her high school friends going about their daily school lives. A side story would be her interest in Kyou as well which is also explored in the series. She still retains some of her traits from the original Nagato such as her love of books. The new Nagato is a much more expressive individual with much more emotions! Nagato in this spin off appears more sociable than her aloof counterpart in the original Haruhi series. Still quiet as ever, it is only due to her introversion and her shyness. She also appears to have more feelings as she now shows interest in Kyou but is too shy to express it. Most of the time, she can be seen thinking to herself and reflecting. And of course, her most introverted trait would still be her love of books and solitary activities.

Due to her frightening experience, Sawako is often misunderstood and is often shunned away at school. Her appearance is similar to the ghost character from popular horror film, 'The Ring' to which her nickname is also Sadako. But really, she is just a shy girl who wants friends. During summer break, she happened to meet the popular and good looking Kazehaya. He was the first friend she makes as he was able to see beyond her scary appearance. It wasn't long before Sawako eventually starts developing feelings for him... Sawako has no friends since middle school during a flashback. This made her socially inept and she often reflects on her actions and engages in soliloquy on how to better make friends. Even after she made friends, she usually thinks about how to better improve her relationship with them and is very thoughtful for their feelings. Sawako usually hangs out around the same group of people as she feels more comfortable around them. Due to that, she is more sociable with the people she is close with, a common introvert trait.

Hinata is the daughter of the reputable Hyuuga clan. Due to the clan's hierarchy and her position as the head's daughter, she has been pressured to do her best such that she may continue taking over the family one day. Meek and timid, she tries her best but always falls short of her father's expectation. She also has a crush on Naruto but dares not openly admit it. As such, most of the time she gets embarrassed when Naruto is close to her. When the story arcs get focused on her alone, you can really tell that Hinata has been an introvert all her life due to her family background. She chooses not to express her views on most matters and instead chose to accept it as it is whichever the circumstances. She does have her views on important issues to which Hinata carefully considers and ponders over them instead of acting upon it. It is not that does not have many friends either; it's just that she has a select few of close friends that she can really rely on in her time of need. Beyond all that, her soft spoken nature is all that is needed to show that Hinata does not prefer the activities of a large group too.

Written by the somewhat twisted mind of Chiaki J. Konaka, who penned Serial Experiments Lain and the anime adaptation of Hellsing, The Big O presents an absolutely fascinating setting centered around the citizens of Paradigm City, who collectively lost their memories about 40 years prior to the start of the series. Building a heavy neo-noir atmosphere and paying tribute to classic Japanese and Western Shows from yesteryear, The Big O failed to find an audience in Japan, prompting Sunrise to reduce the first season's planned 26 episodes to just half that amount. In a rare twist of fate, The Big O proved to be a hit with Western viewers and the series received a new lease on life. While fans of Sunrise's mecha roots should be more than satisfied with The Big O's explosive action scenes, the show works best when focusing on its cool protagonist and central mystery. Comparable to Batman and James Bond, Roger Smith is suave, larger than life, and endearing! Boasting gorgeous and stylish animation, The Big O is an anime that warrants remembering.

Serving as a follow-up to Crest of the Stars and based on Hiroyuki Morioka's science fiction novels, Banner of the Stars sees Sunrise returning to space. Unlike Cowboy Bebop's spaghetti western influence or Outlaw Star's comedic undertones, Seikai no Senki is a proper space opera featuring large-scale battles and a substantial focus on character development. Set in the midst of an intergalactic war, Banner of the Stars follows the adventures of Princess Lafiel and her bodyguard Jinto Lynn, as they act as ambassadors for the imperial army. From there, politics and mind-games start to rear their ugly heads and things get rather complicated. While opting for more battles than its predecessor, Banner of the Stars hardly neglects the story's emotional core. Representing the vastness of space in a form that is easily digestible for viewers can be challenging, but Seikai no Senki accomplishes its task without any issues! Even though the anime's pace can be rather lethargic, the characters and dialogue more than make up for it!

Slapstick is a staple of anime and precious few studios approach these moments with the unbridled passion displayed by Sunrise. With a couple of Gintama seasons under its belt, the studio has perfected the art of physical comedy and Binbougami ga! comes close to being Sunrise's hilarious Magnus Opus. It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia demonstrates that selfish protagonists can be fantastic sources of entertainment and the same extends to the anime industry. Binbougami ga! pits two polar opposite characters who are out to destroy each other for their own personal gain. Due to a flaw in the cosmos, Sakura Ichiko inadvertently steals the luck from the people around her, prompting the arrival of the poverty god Momiji to take away Ichiko's ability. Unwilling to part with her good fortune, the two women engage in massive shounen-style brawls to determine the winner! Binbougami ga! is a comedic gold-mine and the humor never fails to elicit a laugh. The animation is bombastic and compliments the insane antics of the characters, while the supporting cast is enjoyable enough to add a few extra dimensions. Binbougami ga's dramatic moments fall flat, but they do not take away from the slapstick.

Love Live! is never going to be about complex storylines or thought-provoking social commentary; no, we appreciate the franchise for its catchy songs, lighthearted tone, and endearing characters. Co-developed by Sunrise, music label Lantis, and ASCII Media Works' Dengeki G's Magazine; Love Live! revolves around nine schoolgirls who attempt to launch a career as idols. Taking place after the events of the second season, Love Live! The School Idol Movie serves as a conclusion for the cast's third-year students and slaps a fresh coat of paint on the franchise. Even if the content and premise seldom open themselves up to any profound concepts, that hardly means Sunrise did not bring its A-game! Love Live! The School Idol Movie is an astonishing work of art that boasts crisp animation and fantastic direction by Takahiko Kyogoku. Offering some much-needed closure, Sunrise's film is an easy recommendation for fans of the series. While not for everyone, Love Live! The School Idol Movie is an earnest and engaging slice-of-life musical about nine ambitious schoolgirls on the cusp of adulthood.

If there is one genre Sunrise knows like the back of its hand, that would have to be mecha. Iconic and serving as a gateway into the medium, Gundam is among the most recognizable names in anime and Sunrise is the studio responsible for its storied history. Released almost three decades after the series' inauguration, Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans stands among the very best incarnations of the mecha brand. Set 300 years after the "Calamity War" that ended with Mars being colonized by humans, Iron-Blooded Orphans follows a group of children soldiers who revolt against their overlords and launch their own private military outfit. While they do eventually pick sides, Sunrise's 2015 anime is gritty and morally ambiguous. For example, Iron-Blooded Orphans' protagonist Mikazuki Augus might fight for the good guys, but the teenager is a borderline sociopath who never hesitates at the thought of killing. Visually, Iron-Blooded Orphans is purposefully dirty and highlights the ugliness of war. Considerably darker than its contemporaries and bolstered by a simply stunning soundtrack, Iron-Blooded Orphans should be experienced by Gundam veterans and newbies!

Who doesn’t love bread? Well, Sunrise is clearly not an exception as the studio dedicated a 69 episode series to baking. Based on the manga by Takashi Hashiguchi, Yakitate!! Japan is a shounen series that glamorized the art of cooking a decade prior to the launch of Food Wars!: Shokugeki no Soma. Kazuma Azuma is a boy on a mission to craft the ultimate Japanese bread capable of representing the entire nation. While France and Italy have their own definitive brands of freshly baked goods, Japan lacks that distinction and Kazuma exists to fix this discrepancy. In order to perfect his craft, the boy applies for Japan's legendary Pantasia Main Branch Store, although he ends up getting stationed at a much smaller and quirkier shop. Even if baking is not to someone's fancy, Yakitate!! Japan's main appeal is its outrageous puns and wacky humor. Parodying many shounen tropes, Sunrise's long-running anime is a blast to watch!

Daily Lives of High School Boys' title is an accurate representation of Sunrise's anime. Based on Yasunobu Yamauchi's manga, which was published by Square Enix, this slice-of-life comedy manages to genuinely portray its robust roster of characters as actual high school students. With the exception of a couple of absurdist gags that nearly always hit, this is a relatively grounded comedy focusing on the antics of a group of teenagers. Attending Sanada North Boys High School; Tadakuni, Hidenori Tabata, and Yoshitake Tanaka are the best of friends and compliment each other perfectly. While Tadakuni is quite serious and relatable, Tanaka and Tabata are hilarious characters who regularly get involved in awkward or silly misadventures. Even if these three act as the leads, in reality, Daily Lives of High School Boys is an ensemble comedy boasting over a dozen recurrent characters. As a sketch series, Daily Lives of High School Boys' episodes are divided into a couple of short vignettes, although some of the stories are expanded upon in future entries. Fast-paced and witty, Sunrise's comedy never outstays its welcome and improves with each subsequent viewing.

Picture this; a Sunrise anime set in space that pivots on a crew of freelance mercenaries that are willing to take on any job to fund their ship's maintenance. Does this synopsis remind anyone of Cowboy Bebop? While Sunrise produced both series, Outlaw Star is a completely different beast from Shinichirō Watanabe's masterpiece. Dreaming of becoming a pilot, Gene Starwind is nothing more than a wingless hired thug partnered up with the 11-year-old James Hawking. In the middle of escorting a gorgeous woman carrying a suitcase, the duo's lives are turned upside down when their escort reveals herself to be an outlaw hiding a young girl. Suddenly, Starwind and Hawking find themselves speeding across space while being hunted by multiple gangs. Outlaw Star is frantic, intermittently hilarious, and packed to the brim with outrageous visuals! A perfect companion piece to Cowboy Bebop and Trigun, Sunrise's anime has earned the right to be mentioned alongside some of the medium's greats.

By this point, is there anything that has yet to be said about Cowboy Bebop? This is the one anime capable of rivaling Dragon Ball Z's popularity and cultural relevance outside of Japan. Influenced by Western media and effortlessly blending an array of genres like neo-noir, comedy, and horror; Shinichirō Watanabe's anime altered the industry for the better. For those two people who are not familiar with Sunrise's series, Cowboy Bebop centers around the trials and tribulations of a crew of bounty hunters. Whether referring to the former hitman Spike Spiegel or the sensual Faye Valentine, the anime's entire roster of characters are well-written, three-dimensional, and iconic. Dealing with themes of existentialism, loneliness, and regret; Cowboy Bebop far exceeds its pulpy roots to construct a thoroughly engaging and emotional story. There is more to this anime than meets the eye. Due to a relatively slow start, Cowboy Bebop falls just short of absolute perfection, but precious few anime manage to fly this close to the sun! Also, the soundtrack is orgasmic!

At the blink of an eye, Hideaki Sorachi's story can flip-flop from irreverent comedy to deadly drama, but Gintama handles both tones without breaking a sweat. While Sunrise only produced the first 265 episodes of the series before handing the reins to Bandai Namco Pictures, Gintama' saw the studio going out on a high note. With the exception of Gintama': Enchousen's short-run, Gintama' served as Sunrise's swan song for the franchise and the studio went out in style! As the Odd Jobs crew; Gintoki, Kagura, and Shinpachi continue to accept weird and dangerous requests by anyone willing to ask. For the most part, Gintama' focuses more on the comedic side of things, although the Kabukicho Four Devas and Baragaki arcs do have their fair share of dramatic moments. Parodying a multitude of series and stuffed with pop-culture references, Gintama is a masterclass in comedy. Sunrise's animation rarely falters, while the more serious arcs can be simultaneously violent and heartbreaking. Even though the Bandai Namco Pictures seasons are perfectly fine, Gintama was at the height of its powers while under Sunrise's banner.

The word “tokusatsu” literally means “special filming”, referring to special effects. It’s a genre of film and television that began with Toho Company’s 1954 smash hit Godzilla and only evolved from there. The technique of representing kaiju mayhem with monster suits and city miniatures was revolutionary, and inspired television company Toei to create their own interpretation of this flashy style. Toei’s live-action shows often starred masked heroes who would transform (or “henshin”) in a spectacular way to fight crime. The tone tended to be over-the-top, with larger than life characters and plenty of spectacle. Toho’s influence can be seen in the rubber costumes and miniature sets that they used, and giant robots also tended to pop up a lot – did you know Toei’s version of Spiderman had a mecha named Leopardon? It’s rad. The studio went on to create the Metal Heroes series (starting with Space Sheriff Gavan), a Devilman adaptation, and Giant Robo; but by far, their most lasting legacy comes from the twin lords of tokusatsu that still reign to this day – Super Sentai and Kamen Rider.

Even though the different iterations of Power Rangers have been consistently in production since 1992, that’s a drop in the bucket compared to Super Sentai. Kyoryu Sentai Zyuranger, the series that the original Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers used footage from, is actually the 16th installment of a franchise that began way back in 1975. As of 2018, Super Sentai now has 42 official installments! But don’t worry – just like its American counterpart, the series are separate from each other and can essentially be watched or skipped in any order. Super Sentai stood out by replacing the traditional solo superhero with an entire team that all had to work together to save the world. This gave the franchise a stronger sense of Japanese identity, since their culture focuses more on groups than individuals. And surprisingly, female heroes have been integral members of each team since the very beginning in 1975! Well, except for one group called Sun Vulcan, but forgive them – they only had three members. The individual series vary in tone, from the somber drama of Liveman (where the heroes’ friends betray them in the first episode to join the villains) to the upbeat bubblegum of Carranger (essentially a car-themed parody of the entire franchise). The characters and storylines of Super Sentai generally tend to be more complex than their Power Rangers equivalents, especially since Japanese television standards give them the freedom to incorporate death and other mature themes. Even though it’s definitely a franchise for children, the intriguing writing will keep adult audiences coming back for more.

As for how Super Sentai transformed into Power Rangers for Western audiences, we have to look to the American-Israeli TV producer Saban Entertainment. If it weren’t for Saban, we wouldn’t have Dragon Ball Z, Digimon, Samurai Pizza Cats, or any of the live-action superhero shows we grew up with in the ‘80s and ‘90s. When adapting tokusatsu shows, they used action scenes with masked characters and robots as stock footage to complement new scenes that they would shoot with Western actors. Often, the original plot and characters were disregarded or only loosely acknowledged, and multiple tokusatsu shows were smashed together to get enough action footage. VR Troopers used footage from three different Metal Heroes installments, Big Bad Beetleborgs drew from Juukou B-Fighter, and the original Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers used scenes from not just Zyuranger, but Gosei Sentai Dairanger (for the White Ranger) and Ninja Sentai Kakuranger (for the Aquitar Rangers, Ninjor, and the later zords) as well. This bizarre collage approach to filmmaking led to a lot of continuity errors and jarring transitions between the Japanese and American sections, but as kids, we didn’t really care. The exciting battles and fantastical settings were so different from everything else on TV, and we were able to relate to the human characters who resembled us. And with the endless comic and film adaptations of Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers stretching all the way up to the present day, we’ve truly made it our own. Zyuranger wasn’t a particularly important or influential Sentai series, but the diamond suits and dinosaur helmets have become a permanent part of American pop culture.

Unlike its sister show Super Sentai, Kamen Rider never really left Japan in any meaningful way. There were isolated attempts to make a Power Rangers-style adaptation, but nothing really stuck. But despite that, this franchise has a rich history and just as much excitement to offer as its more internationally famous counterpart. The first Kamen (meaning “masked”) Rider series aired in 1971, four years before Super Sentai. It focused on a motorcycle-riding college student who used a special belt to transform into an insect-themed hero and fight crime. He had friends and allies, but was ultimately a solo act who represented the last hope against the evil Shocker organization. These elements became signatures of the franchise, as well as his heroic red scarf that blew dramatically in the wind. After one direct sequel series and a handful of new installments starring different Riders, the franchise took a long hiatus in 1989. But ever since it started back up in 2000, Kamen Rider has been in continuous production, with a new series every year that airs alongside Super Sentai in a television block called Super Hero Time. Again, each series is separate and can be viewed without any knowledge of the others. If you love Western-style superheroes who fight evil on their own, Kamen Rider is a great fit. Allies and even other Riders play important roles in many series, but ultimately it’s up to our insectoid hero to save the day. The franchise has the same variety of colorful characters, flashy action scenes, and silly moments that you would expect from a tokusatsu series, but it tends to lean more towards mature with its plotlines than Super Sentai. Shocker is a terrorist organization made up of former Nazis, after all. Pretty hardcore stuff hiding in a kids show!

So Super Sentai has 42 installments, Kamen Rider has 28, and the multitude of other tokusatsu shows stretches to the far reaches of the horizon. And if you include the American adaptations, that adds dozens more shows to the list. If you want to start your journey into the toku world, where are you even supposed to start? Luckily, it’s easy to jump in at pretty much any point. Unless the series is explicitly a direct sequel to a previous one, each show follows its own continuity and only crosses over with other installments during teamup movies. It’s simple to choose a show that looks interesting to you and just start watching without any other context needed. But if you’re looking for recommendations, we’ve got some great suggestions for you.

Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger (2011) – If you’re interested in the whole Super Sentai universe, look no further than Gokaiger. Its team of pirates has the power to transform into any previous Sentai character and use their powers! As if that wasn’t awesome enough, classic Sentai characters often make guest appearances and let you learn more about the series they come from. And the plot itself is filled with memorable characters and surprisingly deep storylines. Start here and go anywhere! Samurai Sentai Shinkenger (2009) – Filled with allusions to samurai culture and Japanese mythology, this series is fantastic for people who love the classical era of Japanese history. It also features the first female red ranger! Kaitou Sentai Lupinranger VS Keisatsu Sentai Patranger (2018) – The most recent installment of the franchise features two opposing Sentai teams who try to outfox each other at every turn. Will you root for the thieves who fight for what they’ve lost, or the police who chase justice?

Kamen Rider Ex-Aid (2016) – Starring a medical intern who’s also a genius gamer, Ex-Aid keeps a light tone while also leaving room for well-rounded characters and an intriguing storyline. And the Rider suit is possibly the cutest one ever! Kamen Rider Fourze (2011) – This interstellar adventure commemorates not only the 40th anniversary of the Kamen Rider franchise, but also the 50th anniversary of the first manned spaceflight. With high school protagonists, a lunar base, and an extra Rider called Meteor, there’s plenty to enjoy for kids and adults alike. Kamen Rider Decade (2009) – As a celebration of the 10-year stretch of series in the 2000s, this installment features a hero who must defeat his previous counterparts to prevent all of their dimensions from collapsing into each other. If you’re looking for a Kamen Rider version of Gokaiger, check out the very series that inspired it.

Let’s start the list proper with the Pokémon that started this generation. That’s right, Munchlax was indeed the first 4th gen Pokémon the public ever saw all the way back in 2004. If the recent fad of superhero movies has taught us anything, it’s that people love origin stories. And with Sinnoh creating a large quantity of pre-evolution Pokémon, it only makes sense they would take a crack at such a story and who better to do so with that one of the most famous Gen 1 Pokémon, Snorlax. What is this origin story you ask? Well, before Snorlax liked to eat and was really fat, he was Munchlax, who liked to eat and was less fat. Okay, so it may not be an especially deep story, but it’s fun to see the humble beginnings of such a fondly remembered creature nonetheless. It makes sense too, nobody just comes out of the womb fat, so of course, Snorlax had to start somewhere. He’s important to the generation’s history, adds an interesting layer to the lore and just looks plain cute to boot!

From the first gen 4 Pokémon to the first gen 2 Pokémon. Well, the final evolution of the first gen 2 Pokémon anyway. Yes, it’s Togekiss, lovable little Togepi is all grown up and how can you not love this beautiful bird… egg… thing just as much? It cuts one of the most stand out silhouettes of any Pokémon, adds some colorful accents for extra appeal and has a smile that’s as infectious as a Toxic attack. Togekiss is incredibly powerful as well, with good enough stats and moves to wreck any enemy team as a sweeper or paraflinch. Hell hath no fury like a really strong enemy Togekiss, but having one on your own team will always keep your day sunny-side up.

What good is a Pokémon list without a few legendaries? Giratina is the mascot of Pokémon Platinum Version, the 4th generation’s third and arguably best game. Being one of the three members of the creation trio alongside fellow mascot legendaries Dialga and Palkia, it functions as a representation of anti-matter, parallel particles to matter particles, albeit with an opposite electrical charge. It’s appropriate then, that Giratina is given a wonderfully mysterious and otherworldly design, with its shadowy wings, alternate forms (back when that was a rarity in the franchise) and darkly colored eyes. Of course, being a legendary Pokémon means Giratina can absolutely wreck an opponent’s entire team if they aren’t prepared. It’s signature move, Shadow Force, allows it to evade attacks for a turn and then hit the opponent on the next, even if they use Protect. It was also given lots of exposure in the anime, being a big player in all but the last of the 4th generation films. No matter how you enjoy Pokemon, you can’t ignore Giratina.

Why is Lucario so popular? Why does he look like the Egyptian God Anubis? Why does he have dreadlocks? Why do its Pokedex entries describe it as having psychic powers despite not being a psychic type? The answer to all of these questions is because it’s cool, especially since Lucario is the embodiment of cool Pokémon in Gen 4. It’s a strong sweeper in almost every game it appears in, it had its own anime movie and it’s one of only 3 Pokémon playable in both Super Smash Bros. and Pokken Tournament. Sure, there are plenty of Pokémon that do one of these things better than Lucario, but few that do as many. Lucario is a master of none, but a Jack of all trades.

Pokémon is all about friendship and friendship is about commitment. And Bastiodon stands out as one of the franchise’s most notable bastions (no pun intended) of commitment, for how devoted it is to be a wall. As you can no doubt see from its design, Bastiodon is pretty much a wall with four little legs and one adorable face, but the wall concept goes even farther than that. A wall in competitive Pokémon refers to something that can tank a ton of hits and Bastiodon is debatably the most notable 4th generation Pokémon for this tactic, in a clever example of design complementing function. Sure, Bastiodon’s effectiveness as a wall is somewhat undermined by a 4x weakness to both fighting and ground type attacks, but it more than makes up for that in other ways. It resists 8 types and is completely unaffected by poison, has an impressive movepool and is one of the best counters to notable offensive Pokemon in its tier, like Haunter, Kadabra, and Chatot. It sadly hasn’t moved much from the lower tiers it started in, but then again not moving technically just makes it even more of a wall.

You didn’t think we’d forgotten about this generation’s best Eeveelution, did you? Glaceon has arguably one of the best designs of the already well-designed Eevee family. Her enticing mix of blue tones is immediately easy on the eyes and her bangs are responsible for some excellent key poses in her official artwork. Plus, her adorable face and dark paw-fur that looks like little snow boots make her easily this generation's cutest Pokémon. Glaceon is also no slouch in combat, having stats that are uncharacteristically good of an ice type with more advantages in the form of some good offensive and defensive options. It’s a great Pokémon in every capacity.

One of the best ways the 4th generation went about creating new Pokémon was by making meaningful iterations on earlier Pokémon. We saw this earlier with Munchlax and Snorlax and now we see it again with Gallade, who iterates on Gardevoir. The difference is that while Munchlax serves as a younger parallel to Snorlax, Gallade serves as an opposite to Gardevoir. No, not just because of their opposite sexes and similar design elements, but from their very concepts. The pair is a riff on the classic RPG duality of the knight and the mage; with Gardevoir’s enrobed body and hood-like head mixing with her high special attack stat to make her an obvious candidate for the mage, alongside Gallade’s helmet-esque head and stance that’s clearly inspired from fencing matching his high physical attack stat to make him a clear analog for the knight. The two complement each other wonderfully. That’s not to say that Gallade doesn’t stand out on his own though, as his great stats and movepool make him a fantastic choice for defeating the walls mentioned earlier. Plus, when he’s mega evolved he has dual disks on his arms. That’s just awesome.

Yeah, you knew a starter was going to end up here somewhere and what a starter this is. Infernape has the unfortunate status of belonging to the oversaturated group of dual fire/fighting starter evolutions and sometimes gets buried because of it, but those who dig deep enough to find it will discover a truly memorable Pokémon. Something about that white fur contrasting with red and orange exudes an undeniable aura of coolness, but its well-balanced stats and slick fire or hair or whatever that is are undeniably hot. Infernape needs a somewhat high skill requirement to use effectively in competitive play since it can’t really take a hit worth a damn, but with some smart strategizing your opponent’s Pokémon will all be burned out before they can land anything on this marvelous monkey.

It may not be Chevy Chase, but we’ve got a landshark here. It’s Garchomp, the speedy, hard-hitting ground/dragon type. This Pokémon has one of the coolest concepts and strongest stats in the game, especially when it’s in its extremely intimidating mega evolution. Its design is all based around looking dangerous, combining aspects of a hammerhead shark and a dragon with the addition of a body covered in spikes and black eyes with yellow sclera that exude animalistic ferocity. Garchomp is so badass, it’s the main Pokémon of Sinnoh champion Cynthia and from its imposing presence to its beastly stats, it’s not hard to see why it would be at the forefront of such a winning team.

Here we have it. The final Pokémon on this countdown and one of the final Pokémon to be added to the fourth generation. Darkrai is exclusively an event Pokemon and it brings all the hype associated with that moniker. Its shadowy design offset only by its white hair and red facial growth give it an impactful look that’s only bolstered by its many memorable appearances in the anime. Not only did it get its own movie, but it was featured more in the show’s main story than almost any other legendary Pokémon. But Darkrai doesn’t stop there, as since its inception its always had phenomenal stats and some of the most dangerous moves in the game, allowing it to completely steamroll its competition. With the recent introduction of Z-moves however, Darkrai can tear through its competition like paper, able to one hit kill just about any Pokémon. In all aspects of its design, Darkrai is the sort of Pokemon that only comes around once a generation.

Come on, you know we’d have to mention Combee at some point. I mean the site is called Honey’s Anime. Besides, how can you not love this adorable honeycomb? Many Pokémon have cute, happy faces, but Combee gets an edge by having three of them and its simple, but unmistakable shape only compounds this. Besides, wild Combee holds honey, an item debuting in the 4th generation that enables encounters with other Pokémon, even ones that can’t be found by any other means. It may not be worth much in battle, but Combee’s adorable design, useful held item and thematic match with this website make it absolutely worth mentioning.

I love persona and the SMT franchise is one of my favorite game series. Don’t @ me. I don’t want to hear it. *coughDevilSurvivor2WasNotasGoodAs1cough* So, it goes beyond saying that Persona 5 is an enjoyable watch for me. Sure, it can be a bit slow as it endeavors hard to stick to the game story as much as possible, but this nugget was something that I had not expected. The episode opens with Ren, Ryuuji, and their classmate finding an advertisement for a maid cleaning service. The ad claims that they can do anything for their masters. So when the boys make use of an empty room that they have access to, they call the ad and ask for a maid. Ryuuji and the classmate chicken out, but Ren stays and finds out that his homeroom teacher, after she has offered to do more than cleaning, is the maid. Long story short, she uses this to get off another teacher’s radar and help Ryuuji make amends with his former teammates. The teacher tells Ren to call her again from time to time, and then she ends up being actually used to do laundry. Glossing over the issue that a teacher is moonlighting as a maid sex worker who has offered to soothe her student’s worldly desires, this episode provided a brief break from looking into the darkness of the hearts of people around them and oddly, it was entertaining to watch. A mid-season refresher if you will, is quite nice especially when some shows just seem to drag on and on week after week.

Fun moment in 3D Kanojo: Real Girl has to have come in when they asked who can cook and Takanashi can cook but not Igarashi. It was a weird moment because it brings into question gender roles and how women are expected to know how to cook while men are not, although we do see a fair amount of anime men who do. Then it also brings into play the fact that a lot of millennials lack these basic life skills (although I guess if everyone is in high school in 3D Kanojo: Real Girl, they aren’t actually millennials since they are part of Gen Z. Anyway, it’s so strange to see this so casually played out in 3D Kanojo: Real Girl considering not many anime address the fact that women are specifically supposed to know how to cook, although I suppose that expectation is there in the background (Amaama to Inazuma!). I wonder if this is supposed to be one of those things that people in the US are very aware of but Japan might not be, like all of the casual mentioning of going on diets or whatnot that goes on in anime. Or maybe these are just the musings of a girl who may think too much about the small details!

Comic Girls’ ninth episode is cute, funny… and one of the best so far if you like the ecchi scenes! This time we get to enjoy a little more about Koyume’s kinky side, and not only with Tsubasa but with Ruki too! In the first part of the episode the girls go out to find some inspiration, and Tsubasa ends up as Koyume’s pin up girl. Seeing her uncomfortable while trying to show her feminine side is just the beginning, and the tension between kouhai and senpai is really in the air. The climax is arguably when Koyume helps Tsubasa find something beautiful, sweet and girly to wear, with pantsu getting involved and a naughty hand taking advantage of the situation. If that wasn’t enough and you still wonder about the little blonde pervert, let us say that Ruki has it going on too! The second part begins with her telling Koyume that she is fat ... and only a few seconds later we already have them both taking a bath. Smooth, huh? Well, the next step is talking Koyume into some massages, and she has something for the boobs! That’s not a coincidence, obviously. Kaos’ face while hearing them is priceless!! That scene resumes this episode, one of the best moments in anime this week.

After finding out that the Mage Academy is the dark force pulling the strings behind the ongoing war between kingdoms and lords, Lady Marrine’s fears are confirmed when a mage announces through their wands that the Mage Academy is purging all the mages who support the lords. And in a very Mission Impossible style, he tells all who are listening to destroy their wands, as they can be spied on and located that way. The Mage Academy and the Lords are officially at war and the academy is taking no prisoners. The birth of the Grancrest is officially a reality and the academy deems the new Emperor and the Lords a threat. The plan is now to unite the Treaty, Union, and Alliance and fight the Mage Academy in Eram. Theo and Siluca’s allies destroy their wands, pledging allegiance to their lords and assuring they are not being spied on, save a few who decide to stay true to the academy and are allowed to just walk away. (Not sure why they didn’t imprison them or something…). Siluca and her father have a sweet moment talking about how they are getting to work together and when Aishela walks into the tent, we find out that she and Siluca are sisters and Aishela is not a big fan of Aubeste. Aubeste, however, thanks Aishela for taking care of Siluca this whole time and calls them both his precious daughters. During this conversation, Aishela mutters that she is not a Meletes anymore… odd… Everyone goes to sleep, including Siluca, who passes out at her desk. Siluca is soon woken up by Aishela, who is asking her to come out. As soon as Siluca steps out… holy crap! An expressionless Aishela takes a literal stab at her chest! WTF!? Oh no! Are we losing our main heroine!? No. Luckily, Irvin stops Aishela right on time and she admits to attempting to murder Siluca and that Theo was her next target. Theo wakes up and they bring Aishela inside, where they strap her down after she admits to being sent by a secret agency from the academy. What a twist! The academy has been watching Siluca all along and it turns out Aishela “tried” to kill her because otherwise, if she didn’t, the academy had placed a spell on her that would kill her. She still loves her sister and did a poor job on purpose. However, the spell or “geas” they placed on Aishela’s chest is activated and is seemingly being murdered through it by the academy’s secret organization. But just as the moment is getting intense and emotional and we think Aishela’s a goner, the sweet Priscilla says “She’s not destined to die here” and pulls out her Holy Grail Crest to free Aishela from the magical shackles of the academy. I knew that girl would come in handy! It was a very exciting episode full of surprises and twists! We didn’t lose any of our favorite girls and things are heating up by the minute! What’s happening next!?