On an emergency trip to Canada, Haru is suddenly introduced to his adopted younger brother Ren. Haru is tasked with “civilizing” Ren, who is very rough around the edges. Haru begins to learn about Ren’s past and takes care of him diligently, and the two start to become a real family. Five years later, as part of a childhood promise, Ren moves to Tokyo to live with Haru and Haru’s two biological brothers. Despite a brewing forbidden love between brothers with a notable age gap, Ren and Haru develop a bond that can only be described as love in its purest form. Based on a manga with the same title, Super Lovers promises to be a yaoi anime about a romance that faces a lot of social boundaries. Fans of the manga will be pleased to know that the anime will be produced by Studio Deen, the creators of the well-received Junjo Romantica. If you’re looking for a BL fix this spring, check out Super Lovers.

Kagewani: Shou is the upcoming sequel to its first season Kagewani, a horror anime with an experimental art style that has more than a few heads turning in its direction. In true Japanese kaiju fashion, strange monsters are attacking humans and seem completely unstoppable. One scientist, Banba Sousuke is looking for answers to the monsters and his past. In short 7-minute episodes, Kagewani stuffs in enough suspenseful monster reveals and small bursts of plot setting to keep us glued to the screen. The first season took a fantastically interesting step into the human psyche in the last episode, but we were left with a gaping hole where a second season would fit nicely, and here it is! New mysteries have popped up for the second go-around, including the growing shadowy scar Banba has around his left eye. Brought to you by Takashima Tomoya, the director of Yami Shibai (Japanese Ghost Stories), Kagewani: Shou should be able to transition to this new direction quite nicely.

Naruhodo Ryuuichi is a rookie lawyer who is filled with passion for fighting for his clients. Based on a hit visual novel game series by the same name, Pheonix Wright: Ace Attorney brings dramatic courtroom showdowns to your anime world. Ryuuichi’s rival is a genius prosecutor Mitsurugi Reiji who has little pity for the accused, but with the help of his mentor Ayasato Chihiro and his assistant Ayasato Mayoi, Ryuuichi faces each unusual case head on. With the visual novel games as a guide, we can expect new twists and turns in each unusual case. How will Ryuuichi slip past Mitsurugi’s iron-clad prosecution? With triumphant finger pointing and a well-timed “Objection!” Ryuuichi is sure to find the important evidence he needs before the final gavel is struck. Players of the game will be the first on the hype train, but it’s possible the anime will inspire the non-gamers to pick up their handhelds and take a shot at lawyering in the visual novel age.

Kiznaiver is an original anime—code for crazy awesome plot potential—set in the ruins of a futuristic metropolis, where our protagonist Sonozaki Noriko is chosen to be a Kiznaiver, a person who can share pain from physical wounds with others through the Kizuna System. Each of the Kiznaivers is distinct in personality, and they all belong to different social circles, but the Kizuna System connects them. Will the shared pain of wounds also allow them to connect their feelings? As the promo dialog states, “Everyone wants to be connected to someone.” Kiznaiver already has a lot going for it. This new anime is produced by the studio Trigger, the wonderful people who have brought us the ever-popular anime orgasms of Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann and Kill la Kill. If you’re wondering about character development, you will be pleased to know that Kiznaiver’s script is written by Okada Mari (Anohana, Toradora, Nagi no Asukara). The unique and vibrant animation from Trigger combined with interpersonal relationships guided by Okada Mari might just be the genius collaboration we didn’t know we always wanted.

The elusive village of Nanakimura is hiding a secret. The village is rumored to be a utopia, a place where you can leave behind all your troubles of the world. In a tour bus of thirty passengers, many are looking for the escape they need to bring peace to their troubled hearts in this village of legend, but when they arrive, they find Nanakimura is abandoned. What fate befell their last hope at finding the much-needed solace in their lives? For that matter, what fate awaits them in this forgotten village? This drama anime filled with mystery is the second original collaboration with Okada Mari (Anohana, Tododora) on this list. With the recent success of Iron-Blooded Orphans, Okada has been able to show her writing versatility, and this spring collaboration has all the kiddies talking. Mayoiga will be directed by Mizushima Tsutomu, the man at the reigns of Shirobako and Prison School. This mix-and-matched staff of Mayoiga may even rival the melty combination genius of taco rice, but only time will tell! Time seriously needs to hurry up.

This spring, Production I.G is blessing us with a new globe-trotting and spy-tastic seinen anime, Joker Game. At the eve of World War II, the Japanese military has developed a mysterious “D Agency,” composed of talented intellectuals who excel at manipulation. Far from being assassins, these spies live under the rule of “Don’t die; don’t kill,” and they certainly are trump card outliers in the Japanese army. Look forward to this war drama with a brainy twist. Based on a real novel, not the light variety, the synopsis looks promising. The voice cast looks straight-up, down-right great. It looks great, period. Please, let this be great. As a World War II period piece, the visuals have a good level of realistic grit to them, letting it stand out in the polished Spring 2016 crowd. Joker Game has a unique aesthetic, with its adult male characters sporting suits, and with backgrounds matched to the time period and European locations. For anime fans who like well-developed plots with historical relevance, Joker Game needs to be on your watch list this spring.

By far, the most anticipated anime for this season is Bungo Stray Dogs. Already slated for 2 seasons, Bungo Stray Dogs is adaptation of the supernatural mystery manga of the same name. In Bungo Stray Dogs, we get an eclectic group of detectives who all have supernatural powers. The main protagonist Nakajima Atsushi is an orphan who was thrown out of his orphanage, but he joins a supernatural detective agency on a hunt for a human-eating tiger that appeared around when Atsushi came to town. What is the connection between Atsushi and this tiger? The original manga for Bungo Stray Dogs is well-received, and BONES isn’t one to disappoint when they have a good story. If the anime holds true to its source material, look forward to a plot that is set up well and delivers consistently through the veil of mystery. If you looking for some supernatural action-packed detective work or some handsome guys with interesting sets of skills, Bungo Stray Dogs will have something you’ll enjoy. Let’s see if Bungo Stray Dogs will be the top-notch mystery we’ve been looking for.

From the director of all Teekyuu anime adaptations, we are looking at the anime debut of the famous Teekyuu’s spin-off manga that focuses on their official rivals, the Usakame girls. Usakame will tell the story of the four members of Usakame tennis club who had originally appeared in Teekyuu as the opponents. There’s the ‘my pace’ girl Tanaka Kinako, the leader Suzuki Ayako, the airhead Satou Kurumi, and the genius tennis player Nishiaraidaishi Nishi. What kind of mundane, and perhaps strange, daily happenings in their tennis club will they face? One of the main marketing points of this anime is the seiyuu—if you love both Teekyuu and the Earth Star Dream unit, this anime would be a must-see, because all of Earth Star Dream members would be involved in voicing the characters in Usakame. For now, the official website only lists the four main characters and pitching Usakame’s status as Teekyuu’s spin-off, but from the adorable artwork and descriptions provided, do expect much silliness and light-hearted jokes for this particular anime!

Adapted from the 4-koma manga by the same title, Pan de Peace! Centers around the daily life of Tani Minami, a cheerful girl who is starting high school and loves bread very much. Pitched as a “delicious, cute and soft bread comedy!” anime, Pan de Peace! will be your choice if you’d want to see cute girls eating bread with love. Other than Minami, you’d be seeing the cool Aizawa Yuu who is actually a very shy girl, Fukagawa Fuyumi whose family own the Fuwafuyu Bakery, and everyone’s beloved Sakura Noa, who loves French bread the best. The actual manga is written by Emily and will be serialized in the ComicCune magazine after its online run in ComicWalker since 2014. The manga is really just about girls being very friendly and half-in-love with bread (or, in Noa’s case, sometimes claiming that French baguettes is her weapon), with random trivias about bread sprinkled here and there. Personally, it’d probably be better to expect Pan de Peace! to be a very slow-paced anime, considering how mundane the manga feels like. It does, however, gives a peaceful and happy atmosphere, and the characters are extremely cute. Whether or not it would be interesting enough to keep your attention, you gotta see it for yourself!

Three girls with distinctively different personalities: Odagiri Futaba, the energetic transfer student, Hayama Teru, the class president who has the most innocent look but unexpectedly also the blackest heart, and the rather haughty princess Nishikawa Youko whose family had just fallen from the pedestal and have now become poor. Three personalities that are unlikely to get along with, but somehow become friends anyway. Doga Kobo presents to us Sansha Sanyou, the story of these three adorable girls and their hilarious daily life. Sansha Sanyou is originally a 4-koma manga by Cherry Arai, serialized in Houbunsha’s Manga Time Kirara since 2004. Long time fans of Cherry Arai would definitely be ecstatic and looking forward to the anime adaptation. The three main characters’ seiyuu, Wakui Yuu, Kanazawa Mai, and Imamura Ayaka, would be singing both the Opening and Ending theme songs for this anime, which, true to the spirit of the series, is very cute and light-hearted. It’s cute girls being adorable, making friends, and going through silly everyday things, so if that’s your jam, don’t forget to check this anime out. As its first episode is even aired at Cinema Sunshine Ikebukuro the week before it hits TV, there’s a bit of high expectation for Sansha Sanyou, and hopefully it doesn’t disappoint!

Here is one anime that fans of Yoshida Reiko, the screenplay writer of both Aria and K-On! would be looking forward to. Set in a world where most of Japan’s territory is now part of the ocean and marine cities thrive, Haifuri tells the story of female students who dream to be Blue Mermaids, whose task is to protect the ocean. The anime would center around the childhood friends Misaki Akeno and China Moeka, drawing up the bright and fun high school life of them and their friends as they strive to be Blue Mermaids. A manga adaptation of the series has been published last year in the seinen manga magazine Monthly Comic Alive, illustrated by Abe Kanari. Another point to look forward to from this anime would be the female seiyuu lineup—from the rising Amemiya Sora and Natsukawa Shiina to the more senior Kobayashi Yuu, Itou Kanae and Asumi Kana. A character song CD including a mini drama story would be released on April 6th. All in all, it looks like we could expect another bright slice of life focusing on high school girls’ daily life out of Haifuri—check out the characters and see how adorable they are for yourself!

High school girls and motorcycles! Isn’t the concept of it exciting? We have Bakuon!! this spring season, bringing you the story of an all-girl school’s motorcycle club and their members, all of whom love motorcycles a lot: Sakura Hane, Suzunoki Rin, Amano Onsa, Minowa Hijiri, and Kawasaki Raimu. Hane is only a beginner, though, setting out to get her own license (not that she knew what license is, in the beginning), and the anime would set to follow her new ‘motorcycle life’ as Hane experiences continuous surprises and discoveries every day. Bakuon!! began as a manga by Orimoto Mimana, serialized in Young Champion Retsu—its seventh tankoubon is bundled with an OAD, released this March. Considering its demographic as a seinen manga, as well as what the PV has shown, the anime seems to have an ample amount of not only fanservice, but also details on the motorcycles the girls use; from Honda CBF400 SF to Kawasaki ZX-12R. It’s promising exciting scenes of motorcycle rides and cute banters and humor between high school girls. The main cast, including Ueda Rina, Touyama Nao, Uchiyama Yumi and Yamaguchi Rikako, would also be singing the ending theme song for the anime, adorably titled “Buon! Buon! Ride On!”

Komiya Chihiro, an elementary school boy, is left with no relatives after his mother’s death. He oddly doesn’t feel depressed about it (yet)—perhaps too used to the fact that his mother was rarely home due to work, leaving him the role of almost house-husband, as his school friends put it, as cleaning is Chihiro’s specialty. Except then his uncle shows up to be his guardian, and Chihiro is dragged to live in a house so messy it’s practically a dumpster. What could Chihiro do but take up the maid uniform and promptly go on a cleaning spree, beginning his days as the shounen maid? Adapted from a manga with the same title, Shounen Maid is a work by Ototachibana, published in B’s Log Comic since 2008. No, despite what it looks like (and tons of fanservice for girls, hurrah!), it’s not a series of the Boys Love genre, it’s actually a slice of life shoujo series. No, it doesn’t have anything to do with the shota porn series Shounen Maid Kuro-kun that you’d definitely find on Google when you look up the title. Shounen Maid, according to its PV, questions the meaning of ‘family’. Do look forward also to the seiyuu performing this anime; the old cast who did the drama CD for the manga had been replaced, but the new cast aren’t to be look down upon either—a lineup of Fujiwara Natsumi, Shimazaki Nobunaga, Maeno Tomoaki, and even Hanae Natsuki!

You should be excited for this extremely cute-looking, adorable anime! Kuma Miko introduces the friendship between Amayadori Machi, a middle school student who is also a Miko (Shinto shrine maiden) and Kumai Natsu, a talking bear who lives with Machi and is also Machi’s guardian. Upon Machi’s wish to attend school in the city, Natsu gives her a set of trial to teach her about life in the city. Kuma Miko is originally a manga by Yoshimoto Masume that is serialized in Monthly Comic Flapper since 2013, and starting 2014, it was added to Kadokawa’s webcomic service Comic Walker. With just one PV, Kuma Miko already shows how cute and silly the anime would be—the ending song, sung by Machi and Natsu’s seiyuu, Hioka Natsumi and Yasumoto Hiroki, literally begins with a light banter between the Miko and the bear. It’s the kind of cute both male and female viewers could appreciate; character designs are extremely cute, but pair that with a couple of bear hugs, silly dancings, and hilarious-looking side characters! This definitely should be one of your top choices for this season’s slice of life anime.

Kowata Makoto is a rather airhead of fiteen year-old girl who needs to be independent as a witch and, with her cat familiar Chito, moves into her relatives’ house in Aomori. Living in the same house as her cousins, Kuramoto Kei and Kuramoto Chinatsu, going to a normal high school and making friends, casually spending her day as a normal highschool girl despite her oddities as a witch sometimes, Makoto’s daily life that begins in Aomori is calm, relaxing, and warm—despite how it’s April and Aomori still has snow piling up everywhere. Flying Witch would cast Shinoda Minami, Suzuki Eri, Sugawara Shinsuke, and Kayano Ai together to bring the characters to life. It began as a manga by Ishizuka Chihiro, serialized since 2012 in Bessatsu Shounen Magazine. The manga itself is very light-hearted and tells of mundane everyday happenings in the quiet town where Makoto lives—from casually finding a mandrake after school, gardening and trying to catch pheasants, to helping out in an orchard. The atmosphere and overall story is very similar to Silver Spoon, which makes it very enjoyable. Judging by the PV, the anime would pretty much have the same light-hearted, mundane and warm note to the whole thing. Spoil yourself with the bright spring colors for the anime, and put Flying Witch in your number one choice for slice of life anime if you love simple, heartwarming stories about daily life.

So, here we are. A ship crosses a glossy black river in the middle of the night, bringing us to the tall, bright colored Bathhouse. Here the spirits can relax by taking hot water baths, massages, and eating delicious food. Ups, we encounter some spirits at the entrance! These plump creatures with pointy teeth, round fixed eyes, white hair, horns and a cape of leaves resemble the Onibaba of Japanese folktales. That would be the equivalent to the bad witches in Western fairy tales. We could think the Onama are scary at first glance, but let’s take a closer look, they do not want to hurt us, they are smiling and eager to get into the bathhouse to relax after a hard day. Aren’t they like the old lady customers you can encounter in the market or in old stores? That’s cute!

And here comes a problem. A tiny frog in traditional Japanese clothes is guarding the entrance, making sure no human is allowed inside Yubaba’s Bathhouse. His name is Aogaeru, and he behaves as any responsible human worker, regardless of his size. Unfortunately, he was once suspended in mid-air so that Chihiro could get into the Bathhouse. She was on a mission to free her parents after all! Poor cute Aogaeru has also gotten into trouble himself. He was once offered some gold by Kaonashi and he could not keep his minute plump hands away… being swallowed in the process. Apparently good judgement does not come alongside the cutesiness of this little frog spirit.

After outsmarting the vigilance, we have successfully passed the entrance (phew!). The luxurious bathhouse interiors are very busy and noisy, with the staff running and shouting to each other. Here we encounter some plump, red colored creatures with thick antlers, pointy teeth, and round fixed eyes. They are similar to the Onama with the big difference that their long hair has different colors. Apparently they were based on the Oni, the Japanese demons we can find in temples and folktales. The Ushioni are also harmless. They are even wearing yukatas, ready to get into the hot, warm water. How cute is that?

After crossing a paper door, we find a big room full of bathtubs and hot steam. One of the most important customers waves at us from the distance. But what exactly is this customer? He looks like a massive ball of brown melting mud and moves very slowly. On top of that, he stinks. But once the biggest water pipe in the Bathhouse is used on him, we discover he is a smiling and kind hearted River God. It’s just that he was too dirty from the things we humans throw into the water. His real appearance is that of a floating ancient face with thick white eyebrows, as an old warm grandpa.

Also, surrounding us we find… chicken soup! Lots of giant chicken soup bowls! Ok, no, I am just joking. The Ootori look like yellow chicks or ducks with round fixed eyes, only that they are as tall as a person. Some are wearing green leaves as hats, and they look so cute and fluffy, as they hurry up to clean up themselves with minute towels…

All that steam is making us feel dizzy, so we are going to clear up our heads, let’s now go upstairs, and open a window to watch the beautiful starry night sky. But there is something flying next to the full moon. Is it a silvery ribbon? As it approaches us fast, we discover it’s a long, white silvery dragon. He lands smoothly on the room and watches us intently, with its shiny green eyes. He’s not that big, as Chihiro could look straight to him without effort. His name is Haku, a River Spirit and faithful companion of Chihiro in her adventures. Powerful yet gracious and cute, he can also be vulnerable to Yubaba’s or Yubaba’s sister magic.

We should pay a visit to the higher floors of the Bathhouse, so it’s time to take the elevator. Inside, we encounter another Spirit, silent, white and plump. He uses a red loincloth and a red bowl as hat. Anyone who has seen or eaten daikon (a Japanese long and white radish) would relate the vegetable to this Spirit. But who could have imagine that a vegetable spirit could be this kawaii? And the best part is that he is also polite. You can ask him to push the elevator buttons for you and he will graciously bow when we part ways.

During our visit, we have noticed that a shadow has been following us. But once we confront it, the shadow reveals itself to be another Spirit: a shy black one with a mask and markings similar to a face. His name is Kaonashi, which means ‘no-face’, and although he does not speak and is rather shy, he can be adorable. Especially when he is sharing tea with Chihiro or simply staying by her side. Many have debated on what is Kaonashi’s exact nature. His marks and ability to work with thread suggest that he might be a Silkworm spirit. Nothing better than a cute silkworm to make your next warm winter sweater!

One of the rooms in this floor is shaking with screams and moans. That must be Boh, Yubaba’s son. He is a giant fat baby, capricious and demanding. By his side on a perch, we surely will find Yubaba’s mascot, a black bird with a face similar to her who spies on their enemies. Such descriptions are far from kawaii, but you must know that for a while, Boh and Yubaba’s bird were transformed into the cutest mouse and minute crow. These two come as a pair, as they are inseparable. They accompanied Chihiro throughout her journey and did all kinds of comical things, like trying to knit as well as Kaonashi. Yubaba’s bird pulled Boh as a mouse in the air, and they also get extra points for looking absolutely cute sleeping together in Chihiro’s hands!

And finally, we have to descend to the Bathhouse boilers to meet the cutest characters in the Spirited Away world. They are made of soot and are properly known as Susuwatari. They are so simple, fuzzy black balls with big white eyes and thin arms and legs, yet small and cute! But do not let their size trick you, they are strong and very useful. In the Bathhouse, their duty is to carry the coal to keep the water at its best temperature. And if you want to make them happy after the long working hours, just pour a konpeito (Japanese candy with star shape) rain over them!

Totan Kobako is the creator of the Sketchbook original manga. Later adapted to anime by the studio Hal Film Maker, the story deals mainly with drawing. Sora Kajiwara is a shy girl with a very open mind that explores all sorts of possibilities, even the most bizarre ones. She is also playful and likes to experiment with everything. Her special ability is drawing, thus it’s no surprise that she joins the art club of her high-school. Here she will meet many other fellow classmates with artistic interests. Although Sora rarely talks in the anime, the beautiful scenery, soft colors and simple lines of the anime make a contrast with her active imagination. This helps to convey how creative or “out of the box” minds live their daily lives at their own pace.

This anime has a long story behind it, as it started as a series of simulation games by Koei, targeting a female audience. The games were followed by a manga and several television series, with the latest being Blue Sky, featuring Classical Music. The story centers on Kahoko Hino, who has an encounter with a fairy called Lilly. She receives a violin to compete in her school's musical competition, and although she refuses, she manages to play masterfully. As Kahoko advances in the competition, she will meet many other fellow students and build relationships with them (a little bit of romance, anyone?). As expected from its origin, Kiniro no Corda: Blue sky offers us a wide variety of handsome and talented boys to choose. The beautiful music adds up a more mature layer, while the competition keeps things in motion. In short, Kiniro no Corda leaves us a good life lesson: Know the tune and play with your heart.

Originally a manga by Chika Umino, this story involving drawing, visual art, pottery, and other types of art won the Kodansha Manga Award in the shoujo category. Hachimitsu to Clover was adapted to anime by the studio J.C. staff, although there is also a live action film, and live action TV versions. The story has a similar premise to Sketchbook with the difference that it follows five main characters and how they spend their time in art school following them as they graduate, take jobs, etc. Yuuta, Takumi, Shinobu, Hagumi and Ayumi live on the same building, attend the same school, and also have to deal with love triangles between them. Add more characters related to the creative world and you have a complex slice of life anime. The strong point of Hachimitsu to Clover is precisely that it grows up with the viewer. A full work of art!

Long life to the Oriental arts! Anime is made in Japan, so of course there has to be some typical Japanese art featured somewhere (Rakugo in this case). Haruko Kumota gave us Shouwa Genroku Rakugo, a manga which was later adapted to OVA and a TV series by Studio Deen. Rakugo is a performance art with a story that goes back to 1787. A person sits in the middle of an escenario, and with the help of a white fan and a small cloth, tells comical stories. If done well, the performer is capable of conveying humor regardless of language or cultural barriers. Youtaro is the protagonist of our story. An aspiring storyteller who desires a change of life after going out of jail, he starts the Rakugo training under his admired Kikuhiko. The original premise makes this anime a memorable piece. The only reason why it is not higher in our ranking is because it hasn’t finished. At this point, it’s starting to be difficult to rank our anime about art. The complex stories, visual styles and their combination with action sequences and music makes it hard to choose. Anyway, let us continue!

Hal Film Maker scores again from the hand of Ikuko Itoh with this anime about ballet, which was followed by a manga. Time to go for some magical girl anime! Or should I say magical duck? Yes, a female duck named Ahiru is our protagonist. Even birds have the right to have dreams, and Ahiru surely dreams big, as she transforms into a girl to take ballet classes in a private school. Ahiru also falls in love with her handsome classmate Mytho. Together with Rue (Mytho´s girlfriend) and Fakir (Mytho´s friend), they fight against the mysterious writer Drosselmeyer, who is pulling the strings of their faith from the shadows. This anime combines a soft and sweet style with well known ballet classical pieces to create an interesting meta fairy tale that makes us question ourselves: What is faith? What is free will? Can we truly achieve it?

Here we have more traditional art from Japan. Originally a manga about shoudo by Satsuki Yoshino, this story was adapted for the anime world by Kinema Citrus. Shoudo is nothing more and nothing less than Japanese calligraphy, which takes years to master to an acceptable level. Our protagonist, Seishuu Handa, is on his quest to find his own style in the remote Goto Island. The title of the anime means “Easy going person” which has nothing to do with Seishuu at first. But his interactions with the island inhabitants and especially with the little but energetic girl Naru, teach him how to live a more easy going life. Definitely this story is highly recommended for those of us who lose our way sometimes and have to recover it by looking through the eyes of other people.

Opera is the subtle art that combines singing, acting and a live orchestra. But let’s add something else to the mix, shall we? What if we add the outer space, a mystery with a touch of horror, the genius directing of Kouji Morimoto and some masterful music (both original and adapted) by Yoko Kanno? Memories is a movie by Katsuhiro Otomo in three segments. The first one (Magnetic Rose) tells the story of Heintz and Miguel, two engineers who are part of the crew of a spaceship. They encounter a confusing signal from a space station and are sent to find out what is going on there. It turns out that the space station was the home of a once famous Opera singer named Eva Friedel, but you will have to watch the movie to find out exactly what happened to her and the other inhabitants of the space station :)

This enchanting story about classical music was a manga by Tomoko Ninomiya before being adapted as a Television drama, anime and even several live action films. Shinichi Chiaki is a cold, arrogant but skilled musician who encounters a peculiar otaku pianist called Noda Megumi, better known as Nodame. We could not imagine a more contrasting couple, initially joined only by their talent for music. But as the story progresses and their ambitions in the professional musical world start to crystallize, their personalities and those of their colleagues and friends, change. This slice of life reflects well the hard life in music school, especially for foreign students. Add masterful and less known classical pieces from all times and styles to match the characters emotions and circumstances, and you have a memorable anime that graciously teaches you about music.

Let’s go for more Japanese art. Sarusuberi is a historical manga by Hinako Sugiura, adapted into a movie by Production I.G., receiving critical praise worldwide. This time we are going to enter the world of woodblock printing and the Ukiyo-e style. Perhaps you have seen a famous print called The Great Wave, with a small mount Fuji and a boat fighting to keep at bay with the sea. This print is the work of a Japanese artist known as Hokusai, who lived on the times of the samurai. Sarusuberi tells us the story of his life and travels through the eyes of his daughter, providing a fresh look into some of the most worldwide known artworks from Japan. It has been a long and interesting ride, but here comes the first place of our ranking…

Kozetto no Shouzou is a series of OVAs by Studio Daume, revolving mainly around drawing and painting. This story immerses you into a mysterious atmosphere from the beginning, aided by some of the most aesthetic graphics in the anime world and the masterful music of Yuki Kajiura. Eiri Kurahashi is an art student who works in an Antique shop. He becomes obsessed with the painting of Cossette, a little girl who was murdered. You can imagine the dark undertones everything takes from there, but the main topic of Le Portrait de Petit Cossette goes beyond strange apparitions and vengeance. It questions what is art, what is beauty, and the function of art for both the artist and the object being represented by it. For aiming to the quinta essentia roots of the aesthetic experience in an unusual way, this anime gets the first spot in our ranking.