GATE follows the story of Youji Itami, a Japan Self-Defense Forces officer who sees a mysterious portal open on his way to a convention. When monstrous beings begin charging through the city, Youji moves quickly to save as many people as he can while the rest of the JSDF attempt to stop the creatures coming out of the portal. Three months after the initial invasion, Youji leads a team into the portal itself, to discover all that they can about the “Special Region.” The team hopes to create peace between humanity and the inhabitants of this Special Region, but if they should fail, the resulting war will be devastating… Though Risa Itami is Youji’s ex-wife, she remains on good terms with him, enough to ask him for food and money to support her hikikomori lifestyle. Risa is a mangaka for mostly doujinshi-styled books and prefers to spend most of her time in her home, working on her manga.

Yuuta Iridatsu manages to escape a bus hijacking thanks to the help of a mysterious hero named Strange Juice. Unfortunately, Yuuta discovers his soul is separated from his body, with his soul in the care of Chiranosuke, a cat spirit. Yuuta attempts to rejoin his soul and body, while meeting many other unusual residents in the Korai House. Chiranosuke soon tells Yuuta about his unusual gift – he becomes much stronger upon seeing panties! However, if he sees another pair while still a spirit, his gift will cause an asteroid to crash into the Earth, effectively killing all life and ending the world. Yuuta is soon dragged into a conspiracy plot by an evil organization, even as he uncovers more of his own strengths… A young woman who prefers not to deal with others, Ito Hikiotani is a resident of the Korai House. Ito avoids the other residents of the House as much as possible. She was bullied in school, resulting in her eventual absence from school altogether. She also appears to suffer from a social anxiety disorder, leading her to avoid stressful social situations. However, Ito gradually gains more confidence thanks to her friends, allowing her to return to school again.

Jun Sakurada is a hikikomori who was affected by events at school and now stays at home, ordering things online to use before the trial period ends. One day, a note appears on his desk asking whether he would wind something; without thinking too much, Jun circles yes. A lifelike doll named Shinku appears in his house, entering Jun into a game that will change his own life forever… Though the Rozen Maidens are interesting in their own right, Jun is the focus of our interest for this list! Jun is caught up in the Alice Game when he receives Shinku, and forced out of his shell to help her win.

High school student Takumi Nishijou has been hearing about the “New Gen” murders occurring around his city of Shibuya, but he doesn’t pay much mind until strange things start happening all around him. From a strange pink-haired girl at a murder scene, to a terrifying picture he finds on his computer, Takumi’s fate seems to be caught up in these unusual events surrounding the murders… Takumi spends most of his days living in a metal container, playing video games, though he gets pulled out into the rest of the world after events draw him in. He prefers to spend his time in delusions with Seira, a 3D character from an anime called “Blood Tune.” Takumi suffers from these delusions often, as he spends much of his time alone and has a hard time distinguishing from reality as a result.

To siblings Shiro and Sora, the real world is just another game, one that they would prefer to avoid in favor of online games. One day, the legendary gaming duo receives a strange email challenging them to a chess match – one with unusual strings attached. Sora and Shiro are transported to Disboard, a world where all conflict is settled through games rather than war. The siblings have found a new goal: unite the 16 races of Disboard and become the new gods of this world! Shiro and Sora are well-known among the gaming community as the infamous “Blank,” spending all their time competing in various games. Sora’s past makes him unwilling to dedicate himself to much else, developing a lazy attitude toward everything that his younger stepsister goes along with. The two are basically attached at the hip, spending all their time together and breaking down whenever they are apart.

Due to his isolation from society, college dropout Tatsuhiro Satou has become paranoid, believing in a great many conspiracy theories about the world. The biggest conspiracy that he has found is one involving his own hermit-status. Tatsuhiro believes that an organization called the Nihon Hikikomori Kyokai (NHK) is trying to spread hikikomori culture, including his own current lifestyle! Tatsuhiro struggles to break through his own habits, but he finds it difficult. An unexpected woman named Misaki Nakahara might be able to break through his barriers, but it will take a lot of effort for Tatsuhiro to let her in… Tatsuhiro is a classic example of hikikomori behavior, dropping out of college to live shut in to his apartment. His belief in various conspiracies makes it harder to interact with society, as he is ultimately afraid of the outside world and interactions with others harming him in the end. Welcome to the NHK depicts a fairly accurate look at the struggles of hikikomori, though it does take some liberties with comedy. Tatsuhiro is an extremely paranoid young man, even fearing Misaki, who is only trying to help him in the end.

Souta Takanashi finds he is unable to turn down the adorable Popura Taneshima when she offers him a job at a family restaurant. Takanashi has a love for small, cute things, and even though Popura is older than he is, he continues to treat her as a cute child. However, Popura is not the only new coworker that Takanashi must deal with, as he finds the Wagnaria restaurant to be full of eccentric characters. One thing is for certain – at this place of work, there is never a dull day! Izumi Takanashi is the second sister in the Takanashi family and she writes romance novels for a living. The rest of her family takes care of her, as she stays mostly in her room and has a weak constitution as a result. She pays little attention to her appearance and is often covered in ink from writing.

Suimei High School’s Sakura Hall is a satellite dorm known for its unusual residents – and second year Sorata Kanda is being forced to move there! Though he himself is average in every way, his kindness causes him to take in some abandoned kittens, forcing him to be moved to Sakura Hall. Sorata meets many eccentric residents, and despite his friend Nanami encouraging him to get rid of the cats so he can move back to regular dorms, Sorata begins to grow used to the people there. When the pet-like Mashiro Shiina moves into Sakura Hall, she quickly latches on to Sorata, and he finds himself less willing to move. Will friendship and understanding be enough to allow these strange people to break out of their shells? Ryuunosuke Akasaka is one of the residents of Sakura Hall, a shy programmer who rarely leaves his room. He is a pragmatic person by nature, often hurting others’ feelings by how direct his comments can be. Ryuunosuke loves computers, and prefers to communicate with others through technology, particularly the AI program he made called “Maid.” Thanks to his friendships with the other residents of Sakura Hall, Ryuunosuke is able to gradually adapt to the presence of other people, though some of his older habits as a hikikomori continue.

Sagiri Izumi and Masamune Izumi became stepsiblings about a year ago, but their parents suddenly died, leaving the two alone. Sagiri has cut herself off from everyone, including Masamune, staying locked in her room. To support himself and his new sister, Masamune works as a light novel author. And in a surprising turn of events, he discovers that Sagiri has been working as his illustrator, under the name Eromanga-sensei! The two must now work together to take the light novel industry by storm. Sagiri spends her time drawing for her brother’s light novel, and she has actually become quite popular online for her pen name. She doesn’t seem to get along with others, although she can be possessive about Masamune.

Jinta Yadomi and his childhood friends have grown apart over the years, mostly because of the death of their friend Meiko “Menma” Honma when they were kids. So when Menma appears to Jinta, he doesn’t think much of it. After all, it’s probably just a hallucination, right? When Jinta begins to realize that Menma might be more real than he had thought, he leaves his life of isolation and tries to reunite the group of friends. They will need to go through all of their pain and guilt again in order to finally put Menma to rest. Jinta is our number one hikikomori, not only for the extreme situation that pushed him into isolation, but for his relatable nature! Though he spends his days playing video games and skipping school, he is fated to fight his own psychological issues in order to help his friend be put to rest. Jinta took Menma’s death harder than any of his other friends, stopping his entire life to grieve indefinitely. Yet in the end, his hikikomori style of seclusion cannot take hold forever, not over the bonds of friendship!

In the real world, Karen Kohiruimaki is a tall college girl who dislikes her height and can’t socialize with real people. However, when Karen signs in on Gun Gale Online, her who persona changes. Online, Karen goes by the name Llenn and is completely opposite of her real-life self. Llenn’s goal is simple. Llenn seeks to enter the Bullet of Bullets tournament and show off her skills. Sword Art Online Alternative: Gun Gale Online is similar to Sword Art Online: Progressive in that it’s a side story of the main tale, but the two light novels are quite different as well. Rather than focus on our black swordsman Kirito, Sword Art Online Alternative: Gun Gale Online focuses on a new set of characters and has Llenn—aka Karen—as the primary protagonist. At 6 volumes in, we really are enjoying the narrative to Sword Art Online Alternative: Gun Gale Online as we witness a new story being told from Sword Art Online’s Gun Gale Online story arc. Swords are traded for guns once again in Sword Art Online Alternative: Gun Gale Online and it’s a solid trade off. We fully recommend checking out Sword Art Online Alternative: Gun Gale Online if you need more Sword Art Online story but want to see a new theme and character in lieu of Kirito.

Programmer Suzuki Ichirou has found himself in a very strange situation. At 29-years of age, Suzuki has gone from making games to being in one…literally. For reasons unknown, Suzuki is now within a fantasy RPG and has had his age reversed to that of a 15-year old. Topping that off, during his initial shock at his powerful spells, Suzuki unleashed a torrent of meteors that killed tons of enemies and a high ranking one as well. Now overpowered, Suzuki longs to learn more about this world and seek to meet new people. What adventures await our sudden hero?! Isekai light novels aren’t too new anymore in the world of light novels. Yet, when you read stories like Death March kara Hajimaru Isekai Kyousoukyoku, you realize there are plenty of places to still go with this booming genre. Suzuki’s journey through a world of adventure reminds us greatly of Kirito’s path in Sword Art Online but with considerable less risk and an emphasis focused on fantasy with gaming theme. Nevertheless, if you love Sword Art Online: Progressive you should without a doubt read Death March kara Hajimaru Isekai Kyousoukyoku. Being trapped in a game sounds kind of terrifying but if we could be high level warriors, we wouldn’t mind it too much.

Onna Shinkan thought some great days were ahead of her. Not only did Onna finally succeed in making her first adventuring group, but they are already going out on a quest! However, things turn sour for Onna when her new team encounters powerful goblins. When all hope seems lost for Onna and her team a powerful warrior appears and saves the day. Known as the Goblin Slayer, this man has one mission…defeat all goblins and wipe out their race. Stepping away from isekai stories, we look at the action fantasy known as Goblin Slayer by author Kagyuu Kumo. With tons of goblin slaying action and a large world to explore, Goblin Slayer is a good recommendation to those who like the fantasy elements of Sword Art Online: Progressive and equally enjoy its darker moments. Now is the perfect time to check out Goblin Slayer as we have some good news for those who might love the novels. An anime series for Goblin Slayer is soon to be releasing and we are excited for it indeed.

Unknown to humanity, there exists a world where two powerful entities clash with one another. A hero versus a demon king continue to use their powerful skills and magic to fight and one day something unseen happens. Their strong magic breaks from their world and explodes within a classroom killing all within. All the students who perished were given different lives to live, reincarnated in a different world but one student—the lowest ranked—is given a new life entirely. Instead of being reincarnated as human she is reborn as a spider and now must survive however she can. If Sword Art Online: Progressive taught us anything, it’s that isekai stories can be done in a multitude of ways. That’s certainly the case with author Baba Okina’s work titled Kumo desu ga, Nani ka? which focuses on telling the tale of a girl turned spider. It sounds ridiculous by description, but after just one volume of this story, we were immediately hooked. Blending the line between fantasy, humor and adventure, Kumo desu ga, Nani ka? will excite readers from page to page making for a solid read. Who knew a spider’s life could be so intriguing?

For Subaru Natsuki, life was nothing out of the ordinary. Just like always, Subaru went to a convenience store and went for some food and snacks. However, Subaru’s normal life quickly vanished as he was ripped from his own world and thrown into a fantasy one. Subaru isn’t yet aware that this world might be filled with glorious spectacles and adventure but also fraught with dangers and peril around every corner. Can Subaru keep his sanity as he begins a quest where death isn’t the end but a curse that causes rebirth constantly in an endless cycle? If we are talking about isekai stories similar to Sword Art Online: Progressive then we can’t forget one of the other famous works known as Re: Zero Kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu. Created by author Nagatsuki Tappei, Re: Zero Kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu has been a non-stop drama filled isekai that has won the hearts of many readers out there in the world. We have personally loved every volume we could get our hands of Re: Zero Kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu, and know you need to read it for yourselves if you love or loved Sword Art Online: Progressive. Now, let’s all pray together season 2 of the anime for Re: Zero Kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu also comes out soon…waiting is legit killing us.

Dying usually is something that people can’t avoid. When it happens, your time was meant to come to an end. For Mochizuki Touya however, death was a bit premature. God—by accident—killed Touya and instantly realized his mistake. Thus, Touya was given a new life to lead in another world with powered up skills and abilities to make his new life comfortable. Touya also was able to take one object from his previous life and that was his cellphone which God modified. Touya’s life may have come to an end in one world but he’s about to journey into a fantasy world and meet some very interesting people… We end our 6 Light Novels Like Sword Art Online: Progressive list with Isekai wa Smartphone to Tomo ni. While Isekai wa Smartphone to Tomo ni. might be more focused on comedy and harem elements than Sword Art Online: Progressive—though Kirito has a bevy of girls in his team too technically—we still think both stories are quite similar. Touya thanks to God’s intervention and modifications is pretty strong and just like Kirito, he uses his skills to help others and go on tons of adventures in a new and unfamiliar world. Isekai wa Smartphone to Tomo ni. is a fun read that we personally love here at Honey’s Anime and recommend it to you folks out there, too! Now go follow Touya’s adventures in Isekai wa Smartphone to Tomo ni.

When Maze woke up with amnesia and her room half-destroyed, she couldn't know that was not to be the worst part of her day. No, she had also been transported to a magical realm where she had accidentally saved runaway princess Mills from the minions of the Dark Lord who destroyed her kingdom. Sure, she also has magical light powers that beam their enemies away, and can also summon a huge mecha that belonged to Mills’ family, but that doesn't really improve the situation, especially when, at night, she turns into a man who is far more interested in sex than in trying to find the way back home and their memories. Maze*Bakunetsu Jikuu is a very nineties comedy. The fanservice scenes are constant, but that doesn't mean the story isn't also intriguing. One of the most interesting parts, especially in the gender-bending part is that both girl Maze and boy Maze have very different personalities and tastes. We can see them as distinct personalities, and not just as a person who happens to change genders depending on the hour of the day. The reason behind that is a good way to solve the plot, so it is definitely a series you have to watch if you like the gender bender genre.

Ranma Hinamatsuri and Rella "Cindy" Shirayuki have a private detective agency in the futuristic but dangerous Kirin Town. Ranma has many issues due to his tendency to take on cases not because they pay, but because he is a gentleman while Rella is quite wealthy and tends to love getting into dangerous situations. But ever since a car accident, neither has seen the other and, even more worrisome, they both have 24-hour blackouts where they can't remember anything they did, but end up waking up in really strange situations. What they don't know is that, after their accident, the doctor that saved their lives ended up putting them both in the same body: so when midnight chimes, they change places without any memory of what the other did. Cinderella Boy is a very fun anime based on a one-shot manga by Monkey Punch. Ironically, despite what one may think given the main character name, it was written long before the famous Ranma ½ even if the anime was made much, much later. It's a very amusing take on the genre as while their body changes gender, Ranma and Rella were different people, and thus, they react very differently at how they wake up, usually in the other's clothes. A very funny series, that is short, sweet, and will make you laugh at least once every episode.

Megumi is one of the most popular girls at her new school. She has gorgeous long hair, is taller than most, athletic, thin, and quite the looker. So much, that both boys and girls throw themselves at her, including Genzo, the school's bad boy, and, at times, even Miki, her best friend. But the thing is, Megumi wasn't born a girl: Up until she was 9, he was a very rough boy who wished to be a man among men. Unfortunately, the genie he asked her wish to was a very tricky spirit who instead changed him into a girl, making everyone but him and Miki forget he was ever a boy. Since then, he's been trying to find the way to reverse the spell, but every day his goal seems to be farther and farther. Tenshi na Konamaiki is a funny story that also works as a deconstruction of the way Japanese society tends to see gender. Megumi doesn't change the way he behaves upon his body being changed into a girl's, and that is why a lot of boys at school love "her", as they see how she doesn't act like a demure doormat. Miki is a bit more traditional, and in fact, the one who insists that Megumi shouldn't change her hair, but she also helps to deconstruct gender roles. While the ending may be a bit of a deconstruction, it's still a great story about how people react when their whole world is turned upside down.

The Yamaboshi High's Student Cultural Society Club doesn't have many members. But the truth is that they don't really care. After all, Taichi, Iori, Himeko, Yoshifumi, and Yui formed the club because they didn't fit in any of the other clubs at the academy. However, things aren't quite that simple there. Suddenly, and for no apparent reason, they start changing bodies without warning. It starts when Yui and Aoki switch, but soon, they all have been in the other's shoes at least once. However, this doesn't help bring them closer, as they all have their own dark sides, and no one wants their secrets known by everyone. Kokoro Connect takes a bit of a more serious turn than the previous entries on the list. It deals both with the problematic parts of waking up one day to find out that your body is no longer the gender you identify with, but also it's not your actual body. You're in someone else's life, and that someone else is a friend of yours. This is taken in some very interesting directions, which make all 13 episodes of the series a real treat.

In the kingdom of Simulicram, every child is born female. This doesn't mean that there are no men: when they reach their 17 birthday, the girls have the right to undergo a special religious ceremony where they're allowed to go into a magical spring that turns them into men if they wish to become one. However, there's a small catch: The kingdom is protected by machines called Simoun, which can only be piloted by those who haven't chosen a definite sex, and so, their military is really young. When war breaks with a neighbor kingdom, however, they grant the current Simoun pilots permission to avoid the springs as long as they want to keep protecting the kingdom. While it would be easy to dismiss Simoun as just another series that looks for an excuse to have a mostly female cast in short skirts, the story tackles a lot of very interesting genre issues, as well as the idea of choice and how hard some choices may be. We also have more than one character that chooses to become male and get to see them change physically slowly during the story. It comes to a point in which the war plot becomes secondary because the series gives us a lot of world building that is very interesting on its own.

Ryuu Yamada really wanted to make a change when he entered high school. Sure, in junior high he was a delinquent, but he knew he could turn a new page in a new school. Unfortunately, by the second year, he had gotten bored of it so he was back to being the school bad boy, getting called to the principal's office every day. However, after a bad tumble makes him kiss Urara Shiraishi, one of the honor studies, they each discover that they have switched bodies. While they're trying to figure what they can do with this power, they're recruited into the Supernatural Studies Club and are tasked with the mission to find others with similar powers that can activate with a kiss. We're back in the comedies, and Yamada-Kun does deliver a lot of good jokes. It also is light on the fan service, which can be difficult with a premise where a guy has to go around kissing people left and right. One of the most interesting parts of the story is that Shiraishi and Yamada are falling in love, and yet are the ones who change bodies the most. This gives their romance a completely different angle from other anime and makes Yamada-kun to 7-nin no Majo a very good enjoyable gender bender anime for you to watch.

Natsuru Senou didn't want a life where he had to fight for his life every day, much less being involved in a strange battle royale scenario where he is led by a stuffed tiger into fighting girls. And yet, that's the life he has. Or rather, "she" has, because while he was selected to become a Kampfer, there's a rule that Kampfers are only female. Sure, he can change back into a boy, but that doesn't mean he won't change again when it's necessary for him to fight. To add to his problems, some of the Kampfers want to kill him, but others, like his best friend, want to date him. With those problems, is no wonder that some days Natsuru wishes he hadn't gotten out of bed the morning he discovered his new body. Kampfer is one of the most famous gender bender anime today and with good reason. The animation is gorgeous, the characters are very likable, and we can feel poor Natsuru's pain at the crazy situation he is in. While the final resolution may not be to everyone's tastes, what matters in this anime is how they get to that situation. And between the fights, the power-ups, and the characters’ relationship to each other, you will have no time to wonder if they could've ended the series in a better way.

When asked to take her mom's part-time job –after her mom can't do it due to a back injury- Saki Uno wasn't sure of what she expected. But it surely wasn't to be told by a Yakuza with the unlikely name of Kokoro (heart in Japanese) that she was now a Magical Girl and had to fight demons. She definitely didn't expect that she'd turn into a muscular man with a cute pink dress, or that the demons would have cute bear faces and muscular bodybuilder bodies. But that's what she has to do now, especially if she wants to save the boy she likes from the demons, and her own dying career as an idol singer. Mahou Shoujo Ore is a very fun series. It parodies every single thing that we love about Magical Girls and takes things to the craziest extreme possible. Saki is more often than not the only sane person in the room, and it's her constant surprise at how everyone seems to take the craziness for granted what makes the series even more enjoyable. While it's still airing, and thus we won't know yet if it sticks the landing, for now, it's one of the best new gender bender anime that you can find on air.

When one wishes upon a falling star, there are some risks. But Hazumu Osaragi wasn't really expecting to be killed by a UFO when he was trying to mend his broken heart. Fortunately for him, the alien piloting the ship, Hitoshi Sora, decides to bring him back to life, although Hitoshi makes a small mistake: instead of regenerating him as a boy, they turn Hazumu into a girl. And that's when Hazumu's troubles really begin, as now, the very same girl who broke his heart, is completely in love with "her" and Tomari, Hazumu's childhood friend, is none too happy about the change at all. Kashimashi: Girl Meets Girl, is one of the few gender-bender anime where the gender change is not kept a secret. Hazumu doesn't seem too bothered about the change, and in fact, doesn't try to look for a cure, but at the same time, has no idea how to behave like a girl. Because every character knows she used to be a boy, that makes their interactions with her very different, something Hazumu notices and doesn't quite understand. It makes this an interesting study on gender roles and how people see gender presentation, with some comedy in between.

Ranma Saotome has been trained from birth to be a man among men. Since he was a child, every single interaction with his father Genma has been training different martial arts, as the one true heir of the Saotome's Anything Goes Martial Art School. The drive to be the best is such that Genma took Ranma in a life-long training trip, promising his wife that they wouldn't be back until Ranma was the manliest man on the planet. There's only one little problem: While on said trip, they fell into a cursed spring. And now, whenever Ranma is hit with cold water, he turns into a girl. Ranma ½ is probably the best-known gender bender anime around the world. As one of Rumiko Takahashi's best selling manga, it was the backbone of Viz Media when they started importing anime, and that made it even more well known and popular. But it's not only its popularity what makes it be the first place on our list: The series is that funny. Every character has their special charisma, and the action is fast-paced. So even if it’s one of the older titles on the list, it’s still the undisputed champion of the Gender Bender genre, and one no anime fan should miss.

A knock is when you down an enemy with a weapon, and it is followed by the dialogue on your screen as well as the kill feed. This doesn’t apply to the Solo playlists as you’re only going to eliminate opponents, but Duos, Squads, and large scale LTMs work this way. When you have a challenge that says ‘Eliminate Players with Pistols” you’re required to eliminate them with a pistol. Obvious, but where players struggle is that they often don’t realize they don’t count for eliminations that you don’t first knock yourself.

If you’re in the heat of battle, it can be difficult to keep your wits about you in order to complete challenges. Your best bet to do this is carrying the best version of whatever weapon type you need to complete eliminations with, even if you see a better weapon later on. Early game is easier for Pistol/SMG kills as few players have shields, but a Handcannon and Purple SMG work wonders even late game. Knocking out your opponent with an Assault Rifle or Shotgun works just as well, then finishing them off before backup can arrive with your next weapon is your next step. In Squads and Duos, your teammates may need to kill the other surviving members of the player you knocked, so you’re pressed for time. That’s why doing this in 50v50 or Final Stand makes more sense. Players are alive a lot longer, and help can be late to realize a teammate has been downed in all the chaos, giving you more free time to get eliminations.

There’s also another element of the elimination challenges, in that your teammates can also score the elimination for you. If you knock a player, just have a teammate with a Pistol, SMG, Sniper, Explosive, etc eliminate them. You can also do this for your teammates. For instance, if you knock a player and someone trap-kills them after building them into a box, they won’t get the Trap Elimination for themselves, but you will. This can be helpful, and also makes scoring your own downs more important when playing with others.

Konohana Kitan follows the story of Yuzu, A young fox girl who has just started work at Konohanatei, a hot springs inn located in a town full of spirits. Although Yuzu has no experience, the inn's head attendant Kiri immediately puts her to work. Yuzu's clumsy nature causes her to struggle at her job, causing problems for both her coworkers and the guests. Through her hard work and charm, Yuzu is able to win over Kiri and her fellow coworkers Satsuki, Natsume, and Ren despite her mistakes. With Yuzu finding a place filled with people she cares about, her heartwarming adventures as a member of Konohanatei have just begun. Konohana Kitan has a cute story with cute characters that go about their days working at Konohanatei. One of the most lighthearted anime on the list, Konohana Kitan excels with its easy to digest story and relaxing atmosphere. The mysterious world filled with spirits is interesting and visually pleasing with its characters designs and scenery. The story of Konohana Kitan is relaxing and simple, never really deviating from Yuzu and her interactions with her coworkers and guests. With the stories focused on Yuzu, the viewer gets many heartwarming scenes that make use of Yuzu's upbeat and clumsy character traits. Despite the fairly uneventful and simplistic nature of each episode, Konohana Kitan is still able to draw you in.

After receiving a letter from his sister, Houtarou Oreki decides to check out a school club known as the Classic Literature Club. When Oreki first checks out the club, he meets a girl named Eru Chitanda who is curious about everything. Chitanda's curious nature drags the energy cursing Oreki on a mission to discover the secrets of the Classic Literature Club. Although looking into the mystery drains Oreki of more energy than he wanted to use, he still joins the Classic Literature Club due to his sister's request and the interesting girl he just met. Together with fellow club members Inbara Satoshi Fukube and Miyaka Ibara, Oreki and Chitanda continue to look into the mysteries of the club and any other mysteries that peeks Chitanda's curiosity. Hyouka may not seem like a nice relaxing anime at first glance due to its mystery solving and dialogue-heavy scenes, but Hyouka is very relaxing in its own way. The story never gets confusing and is fairly easy to follow with most of the mysteries they try to solve being only an episode or two long; it makes for a great little watch before bed. The plot does get a little crazy and dialogue-heavy, but with Oreki's drive to put in as little effort as possible, the anime is able to transition into scenes that are much more relaxing inside of Oreki's head while he tries to solve the mystery. The aesthetics of the show create a very mellow atmosphere with its colors and the beautiful scenery based on the city Takayama. While the mystery solving adventures of the Classic Literature Club may not be everyone's go-to anime before bed, there is something here for those who are looking for something a little different to spice up their pre-bedtime ritual.

Aoba Suzukaze has loved the video game Fairies Story ever since she was a child. After graduating from high school, Aoba applies to work at the company that created the game, Eagle Jump. Not only does Aoba get the job, but she also learns she will be working under the character designer for Fairies Story, Kou Yagami. Aoba is placed in a section with fellow character team members Hifumi Takimoto and Yun Iijima, and motion team member Hajime Shinoda. At the end of her first day, Aoba learns she will be working on the latest entry in the Fairies Story series. New Game! follows Aoba as she learns all about the game making process while getting into various hijinks with her coworkers. New Game! excels with its comedy and its slice-of-life aspects. New Game! makes good use of its large cast of characters giving each one a time to shine in the story showing off their unique personalities. The story is easy to follow and will make you laugh the whole way through. Aesthetically, the anime's backgrounds are a little lacking due to most of the show taking place in an office, but the anime manages to put in an impressive amount of character and style to each person's desk, allowing for an even deeper understanding of their character. While New Game! mainly focuses on the comedic adventures at Eagle Jump, there are also some great motivational scenes with Aoba as she works hard towards her goal of becoming a character designer. New Game! does many great things that make it perfect for a great comedic bedtime anime.

After her mother decides to run away from a group of debt collectors, Ohana Matsumae is forced to move from Tokyo to rural Japan to live with her estranged grandmother. Ohana starts working at Kissuiso, the hot spring inn that Ohana's grandmother runs. Unfortunately for Ohana, the job wasn't as easy as she had thought and her attitude ended up getting her in trouble with the customers and the staff at Kissuiso. Despite her rough start, Ohana decides now is her chance to change for the better and dedicates herself to her job and rebuilding her relationship with her co-workers. Hanasaku Iroha is a slice-of-life anime that throws away many of the tropes of the genre for a more emotional and meaningful story. With a good combination of storytelling and character building, Hanasaku Iroha is the most story-focused anime on the list. The story revolves around Ohana and her journey to grow as a person and find a purpose in life. Although the plot is a little more serious than many of the show on this list, it still throws in a decent amount of upbeat and comedic scenes that balance out the Hanasaku Iroha's serious nature. Hanasaku Iroha excels as a great anime to watch before bed with its feel-good story that features great characters and beautiful and realistic art style.

After turning 15, a young witch named Makoto Kowata has finally come of age and is able to leave home to learn more about the world and magic. Together with her familiar Chito, Makoto moves to Aomori to stay with her second cousins. Makoto chose Aomori because of the many forests and other natural habitats that surround it. With all of the nature surrounding her, Makoto is able to dive deep into the world of magic and learn all about things she had only read in books. During her magical studies, Makato introduces her cousins Kei and Chinatsu to the world of magic and all of the magical beings that live in the world. Together with her friends and cousins, Makoto goes on many magical and mysterious adventures that makes their lives anything but ordinary. Flying Witch is a wonderful slice-of-life adventure that differentiates itself from the use of magic. The world of magic seen in Flying Witch helps create many of the most relaxing scenes in the series. The interesting magical characters and places Makoto sees on her adventures make for the best visual and story aspects of the whole series. Although Makoto is the main character, most of the enjoyment from the series comes from Chinatsu as the viewer gets to watch as Chinatsu discovers all of the different magical beings around her which serves as the most heartwarming and enjoyable moments of the series. Each episode deals with a different place or magical being that Makoto encounters allowing for you to be able to easily enjoy an episode or two before bed.

Takashi Natsume has a secret that makes him different from everyone around him and caused him to always be alone. Ever since he was a child, Natsume has had the ability to see all sorts of youkai. Natsume learns that his grandmother also had the ability to see youkai and passed down a book to Natsume called the Yuujinchou that listed all of the Youkai she had taken control of. The youkai that have been appearing in front of Natsume are those bond to contracts by his grandmother. Natsume sets out to free the spirits he encounters from the contracts his grandmother had formed. Not all the youkai Natsume encounters are friendly, but thankfully for Natsume, he is accompanied by a feline youkai named Madara who serves as Natsume's bodyguard. Natsume Yuujinchou is an episodic adventure with each episode focusing on a different youkai that Natsume helps set free. The stories range from heartwarming to sad with some of them being simple while simple others focus on bigger issues Natsume must solve. While many of the other anime on the list have simple stories that are either heartwarming or comedic, Natsume Yuujinchou is a much more complex and diverse story. With the show constantly focusing on different themes and emotions, you'll never know what you will get before you watch an episode. Despite this, the episodic nature and the incredibly aesthetically pleasing scenery make Natsume Yuujinchou one of the best anime to watch before bed.

After getting ready for another day of work, Kobayashi opens her door to see the unexpected sight of a dragon looking back at her. The dragon transforms into a blonde girl wearing a maid uniform named Tooru. Despite not remembering the dragon at first, the memories of meeting the dragon while on her way home from work rush back to Kobayashi. During her drunken conversation, Kobayashi had offered to let Tooru stay at her house. Despite not wanting to follow through with her offer, Kobayashi agrees to let Tooru stay with her and work as a maid. While Tooru at first appears to be the perfect maid, her unconventional methods often cause problems for Kobayashi. Kobayashi-san Chi no Maid Dragon follows the story of Kobayashi and Tooru as they learn to live together while dealing with their different lifestyles, Tooru's undying love for Kobayashi, and even other dragons that have made their way to Kobayashi's world. The adventure of Kobayashi and Tooru are fun and comedic, and are perfect if you are looking for a good anime to laugh at before bed. More than any other anime on this list, Kobayashi-san Chi no Maid Dragon focuses on its comedy and it gets better throughout the series with the addition of characters like Kanna and Fafnir. As the new members of the cast get added, there are more and more comedic scenarios the main pair of Kobayashi and Tooru find themselves in. Outside of the comedy, Kobayashi-san Chi no Maid Dragon is also a very aesthetically pleasing anime. With a unique color palette, the whole anime seems warm and gives off very mellow and relaxing vibes. With plenty of sweet and tender scenes, Kobayashi-san Chi no Maid Dragon has is one of more lighthearted anime on the list.

After entering his piece into an art exhibit, Seishu Handa attacked an elderly curator after he insulted Handa's style by saying it was "textbook." Due to the incident, Handa was sent to Goto island by his father, leaving behind his life as a pro calligrapher in Tokyo. Upon arriving at his new home, Handa meets the local villagers, who are different compared to anybody he knew in Tokyo. When being shown his new home by Village Chief Yujiro Kido, Handa meets a young girl named Naru, who has been using his new home as a secret base. Naru and the other children of the village take a liking to Handa and start calling him Sensei. After going on adventures with Naru and the other children, Handa eventually learns to love his new life on the island. With a newfound love and appreciation for life, Handa starts using his new feelings to develop a calligraphy style he can call his own. After moving to Goto Island, Handa sees the laid-back nature of the island's residents and slowly incorporates it into his life. This creates the perfect relaxing story for the viewer. Whenever Handa's stress and anxiety get too high, Haru and the other kids are there to take him on an adventure that helps him get over his problems. These are the perfect scenes to let the stress of the day melt away just like Handa. The dynamic between Handa and Naru is one of the shows greatest aspects and makes for one of the most relaxing parts of the show. The unlikely bond between the two form as they both unintentionally teach each other life lessons. The heartwarming adventures of Handa and Naru are one of the best things you could fall asleep to.

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Kouhei Inuzuka has been caring for his daughter Tsugumi alone ever since his wife passed away. While he was able to pick up some of the household responsibilities fairly easily, Kouhei still hasn't been able to cook a decent meal, forcing him to purchase ready-made meals. After running into a student at the school he teaches at, Kotori Iida, she invites him to have dinner at her mother's restaurant. At first, declining her offer, Kouhei finally decides to visit the restaurant after seeing how disappointed Tsugumi was with her dinner. Much to their dismay, the restaurant was closed due to Kotori's mom often being out working as a celebrity chef. Not wanting to disappoint Tsugumi, Kotori and Kohei work together to make a simple dish following the restaurant's recipe. Amaama to Inazuma follows the story of Kouhei and Kotori as they learn to cook various meals and bonding together over their missing family dynamics. While Amaama to Inazuma does have a few serious moments and episodes, the overall tone of the anime is light-hearted and it has plenty of great relaxing scenes. The main relaxing aspect Amaama to Inazuma has is its cooking scenes. There is something relaxing about watching Kouhei and Kotori as they learn how to cook and get better and better as the series progresses. Most of the food created throughout the series is designed with the intention of cheering up Tsugumi and helping her get over whatever problem she is facing. Outside of the cooking scenes, you get the heartwarming story of Kouhei and Tsugumi as they go about their lives and learn to overcome the loss of someone close to them.

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Tanaka is a high school student with no ambition and only wants to spend his days lazing around. Tanka has become known for his almost impressive listlessness and his ability to sleep anywhere. Tanaka is able to get through life thanks to his best-friend Ohta. Ohta often takes up the duty of caring for Tanaka by carrying him from class to class, waking him up, and making sure he eats during lunch. Despite Tanaka's desire to do nothing while at school, he manages to befriend the rambunctious Miyano, the class representative Shiraishi, and the wild looking Echizen. Although Tanaka tries to focus on his sleeping, he also takes care of his friends and often knows just what to say to cheer them up. What better anime to watch before bed than a show starring a listless and always sleeping protagonist? The story of Tanaka-kun wa Itsumo Kedaruge is simple and enjoyable, combining comedy and lighthearted adventures to give you a nice relaxing anime. The story is lighthearted and never dives into any dramatic or confusing scenes, allowing for everyone to be able to watch and enjoy without much thinking. The art style in Tanaka-kun wa Itsumo Kedaruge is also a big plus for it, with a soft art style and colors that create an amazingly relaxing atmosphere. Even the music follows in Tanaka's footsteps and is gentle almost like a lullaby. The world of Tanaka-kun wa Itsumo Kedaruge is made for relaxing, with the whole world seeming to be made just to help Tanaka fall asleep. There’s no reason why you shouldn't pull up a blanket and join him.

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