When he was six years old, Azuma Kazuma followed his grandfather’s example and thought that he only needed rice, natto, and miso soup for breakfast and wouldn’t even consider having bread at the table. But his sister, tired of the same food every day, took him to a bread store and showed him how delicious bread could be. From that moment on, Kazuma decided he wanted to make the most perfect bread, one that was uniquely Japanese and could also compete with bread all over the world. To reach his goal, he has to go to Tokyo at sixteen to try to get a spot in the most prestigious bakery in Japan, but he has an ace up his sleeve: his "Hands of the Sun", which are warmer than average and thus perfect to make delicious bread. While Yakitate!! Japan is first a comedy, it has a lot in common with the way Shin Chuuka Ichiban treats the subject of food preparation. Both series show how the animation team did research before showing off new dishes, and while once Yakitate!! Japan starts the competition arc things go off the rails fast with very comedic and exaggerated reactions, the preparation of the bread that Kazuma makes is realistic enough, just as the food that Mao learns to prepare. Like sweet bread, Yakitate!! Japan may not be a daily food, but it’s a delicious treat for a weekend.

Ryou Machiko is a superb cook, for a middle school student. She has dedicated herself to the kitchen since she was a little girl because her grandmother always told her that the first step to being an excellent wife was to be an amazing cook. However, she seems to have hit a snag in her plans: Ryou’s cooking always looks great and smells appetizing, but the taste seems to be a bit off. Just as Ryou starts thinking she’s doomed to be single forever, her cousin Kirin Morino comes to live with her to study at the same school. And as she starts cooking for someone else, Ryou discovers the ingredient that was missing from her meals. While Koufuku Graffiti doesn’t have the same competitive streak as Shin Chuuka Ichiban, both series share the deep familial connection that comes from old recipes and sharing meals. There’s also the sense of urgency to become a better cook in both scenarios: Mao needs to become a Master Chef to reopen his family’s restaurant and continue his mother’s legacy, while Ryou is utterly convinced that if she’s not the best cook, she’ll die alone and miserable. These two different takes on improving your cooking and comparing it to other people’s food are quite interesting on their own and Koufuku Graffiti can be a nice dessert after all the shounen cooking anime on the list.

If you are a wandering hero in an epic quest or a magical creature who has been out in the woods for a long time, you are bound to get hungry. And if it’s a Saturday, you are lucky as it’s the only day of the week in which the Restaurant Nekoya opens its doors to every world but our own. The rest of the week, humans from Tokyo fill its tables, but on Saturday, their clientele ranges from medieval guards to dragons, to every kind of magical creature and they all get to taste some amazing meals from both Western and Japanese cuisine. Just as Shin Chuuka Ichiban follows Mao and his friends as they discover new dishes and the different ways food can bring joy to people, the staff of Nekoya helps a lot of different creatures to survive, find the drive to keep on living or remember better times in their lives through different dishes while also telling quite epic short stories. While Shin Chuuka Ichiban can be a full meal of cooking adventures, consider Isekai Shokudou as an appetizer to whet your appetite for much more.

Being a single father is not easy. Kouhei Inuzuka knows this first hand as, since the death of his wife, he has to balance his job and taking care of his five-year-old daughter, Tsumugi. The little girl has all his love and attention, but unfortunately, he is not very good in the kitchen, so the Inuzukas’ meals are usually take-out from fast food restaurants which is not exactly healthy. One of his students, Kotori Ida, finds out and offers to cook for them a nice dinner at her family’s restaurant. As the restaurant is often closed because Ida’s mom is away traveling, Kotori convinces Kouhei to come every night to share good homemade food with her and Tsumugi. While Amaama to Inazuma is not a competitive cooking show, nor an epic adventure as the heroes travel from exotic place to exotic place in search for new dishes, this series shares the core subject of Shin Chuuka Ichiban!: The importance of food in a family’s relationship. While Kouhei and Tsumugi’s relationship is not strained at the beginning, as Tsumugi loves her dad, it’s when Kotori joins them and they can have family dinners that we see the girl shine. There's also how food— homemade in particular—connects the main characters with their missing moms and how Kouhei really wants to learn to cook for his daughter. Overall, Amaama to Inazuma is like a sweet fruit side dish to accompany the main dish that is Shin Chuuka Ichiban!

Although anyone can learn to cook in their own kitchen with a recipe book, if you want to be a chef, you need to go to school. And if you want to be the best chef in Japan, you need to attend the Tootsuki Culinary Academy and be one of the 10% that manages to graduate. Souma Yukihira wasn’t planning on going there, he was the sous chef at his father’s restaurant and so he was learning on the job and was sure that he’d inherit the place and become head chef. But when his father closes the restaurant to work in New York city, he enrolls Souma in Tootsuki Academy, where he’ll face other students in the Shokugeki, or Food Wars, where they will know if they can really make the cut. For many fans, Shougeki no Souma is the ultimate cooking competition anime and there's a good reason for that. The dishes they cook are amazing and the stakes are really high for the characters without going into unrealistic territory. After all, a school that is so strict that only a handful of hopefuls manage to graduate with top honors is not that insane, and there are a lot of people who use weird ingredients and cooking devices in real-life shows. In short, Shougeki no Souma is that one special dish that you love and you keep coming back for more once you’re done.

Imagine a world where you can find fully prepared food coming out of the ground: Hamburgers, spaghetti, sauce that comes out of geysers, and mountains topped with ice cream. You could think that in that kind of world, cooking is unnecessary, but you'd be wrong: In fact, in this gorgeous world, it's important to find new ingredients and make the most perfect meal for everyone, which is why many gourmet hunters travel across the country to do so. Toriko is a legendary gourmet hunter who has discovered about 2% of known ingredients, and with his best friend, he’s determined to create the Full Course Menu of Life, even if it means fighting monsters to get the ingredients needed. Toriko is a really epic adventure for everyone who loves food and cooking. While it doesn’t get as deep into the food preparation as other examples on the list, Toriko is as passionate about the subject as every other cook we’ve mentioned and his journey is not just about finding new ingredients, but also about making new friends and creating bridges through different dishes. It’s a full meal that will leave you satisfied and ready to find out new flavors once you are done.

We're certain some of you are, at the very least, familiar with the term 'harem', but others may not know exactly what it means. So what exactly is harem? Simply put, harem is a sub-genre of hentai where we get to see a polygynous relationship among the characters. The male character usually finds himself in heaven (not literally) and he's surrounded by three, or more women who are all interested in him. Like many other hentai genres, harem isn't specific to just hentai. In fact, harem is one of the most-watched anime genres and everyone, including us, adores it. There is an incredible variety of harem light novels as well which have gained popularity over time. However, there is a massive difference between harem in anime/light novels and hentai, and as some of you might have guessed already, that difference comes from the sexual interaction among the characters. With harem hentai, you're guaranteed to witness the girls have sex with the male character, while in a harem anime that isn't necessarily true. The male character is usually at the freedom of choosing girls and just when it seems like he's done with one of them, he gets to have sex with another girl who is just as hot, and just as sexy as the other girls. What's more, the sex featured in a harem hentai is explicit, which is just what some of us are looking for, honestly.

Although not necessary, a good harem hentai is usually spanned over a couple of episodes, since there are lots of characters to deal with. Each episode builds up the relationship between the guy and one or maybe two girls. This is done to ensure that progression in the hentai anime is easy to grasp. One of the biggest advantages that a harem hentai anime has over the others is that it features a variety of sexual scenarios with different characters. Usually, we get to see girls who are straight-forward with the guy. They're the ones who engage in sexual contact first, followed by the reserved ones, and finally, the tsundere who pretend to not be attracted to the guy but end up riding their cock anyway. Often, we get to see multiple girls having sex with the guy at once towards the end of these hentai anime, which is yet another reason why they're simply too good to ignore. A great example of this would be Ane Yome Quartet.

Kouki is the next-door neighbor of the Habanashi family, who have four incredibly hot daughters. He gets himself in quite a predicament when he announces that he'll watch over the girls during the time their parents are out of the country on a business-related trip. Seeing his kind nature, the family allows him to marry any one of their daughters according to his liking. Kouki must decide who he marries by the time they return so they can get married. Expectedly, this turns into a dilemma for Kouki as all four of the girls are more than beautiful and they are all willing to offer everything to him, including their bodies. Ane Yome Quartet's biggest selling point is its harem aspect which sees to it that the watchers are glued to the anime. Although it has only 2 episodes, they're split in a way that gives attention to each of the four girls. Right from the beginning of the anime, Kouki doesn't seem to be able to decide which girl to choose, which leads to him having sex with all of them instead. The sex doesn't feel like it is out of the blue either as there is intimacy and emotional attachment between each of the characters involved in the hentai anime. Thanks to the anime featuring four different girls, the sex we see is very diverse as we get to see Kouki taking liberties with the sultry body of Mokome, and getting dominated by Yurina in sex who prefers to take control herself. Meanwhile, Saori is seen as a mixture between the two and since she mostly takes care of the household stuff. She is usually fucked in maid costumes, which is extremely gratifying to watch, especially for those who have a maid fetish. Finally, we see Anzu as the Tsundere who pretends to not care about Kouki but spreads her legs to accommodate Kouki's cock just as well when the chance arises. All four of the girls are sluts for Kouki's dick and all they want from him is to fill their pussies with his semen to the brim. Kouki certainly delivers on this end as well, and he sees to it that the girls are completely satisfied.

Team science has finally accomplished what seemed like an impossible task, creating a cellphone! Unfortunately, Senku held back one small bit of information, they need to make another phone for any communications to be made. While the village sighs but gets ready to build the second phone, Senku learns of a hidden recording left behind by his father in the so called “graveyard”. After unearthing the time capsule, the team find a ring with grooves which is actually a disc meant to be played for those who find it. Senku and his friends make a portable record player and are blessed to hear Senku’s father talk from the distant past and even hear a beautiful song from the lovely singer Lillian Weinberg. Empowered, the village now has enough energy to make the next phone and begin their eventual assault on Tsukasa. Our episode ends with two familiar faces waiting for Senku to make his move and save the stone world. Our season finale--as there will be a second season--of Dr. Stone was truly incredible and waiting for season 2 will be a true testament to our patience...

We’ve seen a fantasy world wrestling tournament in this show before, but this time, it’s bigger and better in every way. The climactic clash between Genzo’s cohort of heroes and MAO’s demon army calls for much more than just a rinky-dink ring and a few food stalls, so Shigure and the banker set up a professional-grade arena with stadium seating and even a magical Jumbotron! It’s the perfect setting for emotionally charged battles between bitter rivals, so Carmilla uses the opportunity to stage a rematch between herself and Rose, the elder vampire who wiped the floor with her the last time they fought. Surprisingly, Carmilla actually manages to incapacitate Rose with a Spikerana technique, but she gets so excited that she forgets to pin her opponent down. Rose recovers and suplexes Carmilla into the mat, proclaiming that a lesser vampire will never defeat her. Carmilla is devastated, but Hanako cheers her up by giving her a corn dog and saying that she sees the match as a victory because Carmilla actually fought for herself instead of trying to defend her mistress’ honor. It’s a nice conclusion to Hanako and Carmilla’s character arcs, just in time for the final match between Genzo and MAO to start. We can’t wait to see the pulse-pounding conclusion!

The match between the boys and the girls begins. The boys get out to a quick lead thanks to the scoring of Kenji and Sora, but after two quick scores, Nao decides it is time to begin the girl's plan to turn the game around. Utilizing the box-and-one, the girls are able to shut down both Kenji and Sora eliminating all of the scoring threats on the team. Nao also comes up with a plan to take advantage of Sora's height on offense and gets the girls back on top in no time. Chiaki decides to sub in Yasuhara and Chuckie for Kenji and Sora. With the new lineup on the court, Chiaki vows to win the game and take the girls seriously. This was one of the most exciting episodes of Ahiru no Sora yet. Nao is a fantastic addition to the cast with her cute mannerisms and her vast basketball knowledge. What made this match so good was seeing the girls shut down Kenji and Sora with actual basketball formations and strategies that would translate to real life. It just adds an extra layer to the series and makes the whole series that much more interesting. There was a whole lot of technical terms and subsequent explanations in this episode, but between the game itself and some great lines from the characters more than made up for the slow pace and boring explanations. I can't wait to see begin his counterattack and watch the battle between the strategies of him and Nao.

Gohan’s Kamen Rider-esque superhero getup gets much more time to shine in Dragon Ball Z’s anime than it did in the original manga. With Bulma’s help, Gohan suits up as the “Great Saiyaman” so that he can save people without revealing his identity as an ordinary high school student. His classmate Videl is suspicious of the masked warrior and quickly figures out who he is in Toriyama’s manga, but in the anime, Gohan manages to elude her suspicions for a few episodes longer. He saves a pterodactyl from a circus, crashes the set of a movie being made about him, gets blackmailed into going on a date with a girl he doesn’t like... sure, it isn’t normal Dragon Ball Z fare, but we could watch Gohan be a dorky teenager forever!

There’s nobody in the whole world who admires All Might as much as Deku does—he knows every factoid, has every piece of limited-edition merchandise, hangs onto the man’s every word, and can even imitate his distinctive smile! The manga version of the scene where Deku tries to make Sir Nighteye laugh just mentions that Deku has been working on replicating the smile since childhood, but the anime actually shows a side-splitting clip of him practicing in front of the mirror, slowly morphing his face into All Might’s heavily shaded Western superhero-style grin. We never knew we needed this in our lives, but now we can’t get enough of it.

That scene in Venice where Mista and Narancia beat the snot out of some random rude civilian because they think he’s a Stand user is an absurdist classic in its own right, but the anime version adds one tiny detail that makes it even better. Oldest member of the team and resident sourpuss Abbacchio wearily looks at his two teammates kicking a man in the street, takes a long sip of wine... and then immediately joins them in the next shot. That simple two-second-long gag makes an already funny moment simply sublime!

Azumanga Daioh is based on a four-panel gag manga, which is a format that doesn’t really excel at long jokes that rely on buildup and suspense. So, while Osaka accidentally waking Yukari-sensei up with a knife instead of a frying pan is somewhat funny in the manga, it’s exponentially more hilarious in the anime because it’s given enough time to play out like a Hitchcockian scare. The slow reveal of the knife and the endless jump cuts between Osaka and the horrified Yukari-sensei are anime-only additions that cement this moment as one of the funniest we’ve ever seen!

This reimagined version of Osamu Tezuka’s 1969 manga is so different from the original that almost everything except for the basic plot structure and characters can be considered anime-only, but episode 19 is a completely original side-story that pays homage to the manga’s comedic roots without ruining the new dramatic plotline. Hyakkimaru accidentally gets engaged to a girl who lives in a town where everyone is cursed to say the opposite of what they mean, and Dororo desperately tries to fix the situation before it’s too late. Hyakkimaru’s social awkwardness and Dororo’s flustered bravado get played to their full comedic potential here, which is a nice reprieve before the final five episodes of suffering that come afterward.

Very few fans would argue that the anime’s version of the “Endless Eight” arc was more entertaining than how it went down in the light novel, but it certainly hammered home the crushing monotony and despair that Yuki and Kyon experienced during their centuries-long summer vacation. Expanding from a single chapter of the light novel that only narrated the final time loop, the anime devoted eight full episodes to showing slightly altered versions of the same vacation over and over and over. Fans are still salty that a full half of the second season was devoted to this arc, but Kyoto Animation certainly made their point.

Fairy Tail’s “Edolas” arc gives many Fairy Tail guild members alternate world counterparts, all of which have opposite personalities to their “Earthland” versions. Edolas Lucy is a no-nonsense tough girl, Edolas Natsu is a timid racecar driver, etc. Hiro Mashima wanted to include an Edolas version of Gajeel but ran out of time in the manga’s original run. So, when it came time for the anime, Edolas Gajeel made his long-awaited appearance as an intrepid reporter who tears down corrupt politicians with his scathing journalism. Somehow, he and the normal Gajeel (a musclebound, heavily pierced antihero) get along famously! Their adventures across Edolas are some of the best parts of the entire arc.

Demon Slayer has always taken time to showcase detailed backstories for each of its demons, casting them in a more human light before they inevitably bite the dust. Rui the spider demon lost his real family due to his own mistake, so he creates a makeshift family out of captive members of his own kind that he transforms to resemble him. That’s horrifying enough, but the anime shows how cruelly Rui controls his “family” in an extended flashback where one of the members mounts a failed escape effort and ends up lashed to the rooftop to be exposed to the burning sun. Yikes!

Since most people had already seen the 2003 anime adaptation of Fullmetal Alchemist, which faithfully adapted the first third of the manga before diverging, Brotherhood had to rush through that material to get to the new storyline as soon as possible. To whet viewers’ appetites for the political intrigue plot that would be coming later, Hiromu Arakawa worked with the anime directors to create a new character for the first episode – Isaac MacDougal, the Freezing Alchemist. He’s already figured out that the military is corrupt and he’s about to expose their secrets, but Fuhrer Bradley covertly takes him out before that can happen. Still, he caused enough of a fuss that Edward, Mustang, and all of the new fans know that something is up... and it wasn’t caused by Danté this time.

The original manga for this shounen isekai romp was extremely rushed near the end, leaving Ginta and his friends with a half-baked conclusion to their magical adventure through Märhaven. Luckily, the anime adaptation was able to almost entirely rewrite the final battle and ending to MÄR so that everyone gets the happy ending they deserve. Snow is able to fuse herself with Koyuki so that she can be with Ginta even in the real world, and she also gives him the power to defeat the evil orb that has defeated most of his friends. With a climactic fight and an emotionally satisfying ending, MÄR fans can finally rest easy... unless they’re outside of Japan, since Viz Media canceled the series’ distribution 50 episodes in. At least fansubs still exist!

Caught in the rat race and working an unsatisfying job with unsatisfying colleagues and an unsatisfying work environment exacerbated by her lazy, sexist pig of a boss; Retsuko the red panda is always stressed. Her colleagues always suck up to the boss and dump endless work onto her. The only way for Retsuko to relive her stress: singing death metal at the local karaoke club every single night; channeling every single day’s pent up rage. For her, karaoke is a personal sanctuary that remains secret; however, is screaming your lungs out to your favorite jams after work every day really something to hide? The main similarity between Africa Salaryman and Aggretsuko is the most obvious one, with both shows featuring anthropomorphic animals suffering something humans know all too well: the workplace. Both Lion and Retsuko have to deal with incompetent coworkers and other workplace-related issues all while having to maintain a façade of professionalism.

In this world, carnivores and herbivores coexist in modern society. The students of Cherryton Academy enjoy a school life filled with romance and angst. Legosi the wolf is a member of the drama club. He’s generally perceived to be a bloodthirsty carnivore because of his appearance, but he is very gentle. Due to his history of being feared by other animals, he has gotten used to minimizing himself to appear less of a threat. After a classmate is brutally murdered, Legosi becomes more involved with his peers and his school life begins to change. While BEASTARS does not have events taking place in the workplace the way Africa Salaryman does, it is very similar to the latter because of the relations between the different types of animals in the show. Africa Salaryman may not emphasize the divide between herbivore and carnivore the way BEASTARS does; however, the characters in the show are still very much aware of their differences. Due to this, both Legosi and Lion have similar basic characterization as they are feared on the simple basis of being dangerous, carnivorous beasts. BEASTARS is also visually distinct from most other anime much like Africa Salaryman is; not to say that they have the same style; however, the use of CGI is widespread in both shows.

Shirokuma Café is a popular place for animals and humans to sit back and relax after a long day. Shirokuma, the owner, loves serving his customers and engaging in conversation on just about anything. With Penguin and Panda, Shirokuma gets into various adventures with other friends who also work at the café! It doesn’t matter what day, there’s always something interesting at Shirokuma Café! Shirokuma Café and Africa Salaryman have visual styles that are not generally considered standard for anime. Both shows feature anthropomorphic animals doing things like going to work and dealing with the challenges of being working adults. They also have the added similarity of being slice of life titles with comedy elements, the comedy aspect being brought into the fore in the form of workplace escapades and banter, brought to us in episodic form. This means that they have no set storyline but rather have their characters dealing with various different characters and hilarious situations from episode to episode.

Momose Harumi finds herself running late on her first day of work at a new office. She vows to herself that no one at her new place of work will find out she is both a fujoshi and otaku! Harumi’s plan is immediately derailed when she bumps into Nifuji Hirotaka, a friend of hers from middle school. She tries to keep her secret by inviting him out for drinks after work but he instantly blows her cover when he casually asks her if she’ll be attending the upcoming Summer Comiket. Lucky for Harumi the only two other people in the room, Koyanagi Hanako and Kabakura Tarou, happen to be otaku too! This show is different from most of the others on this list based on visuals alone due to the fact that it does not feature anthropomorphic animals. However, it is similar to Africa Salaryman on the basis that its characters and events happen in the workplace for the most part. Wotakoi has an edge in its characterization and comedy because the main characters are otaku and this can be likened to how African Salaryman bases its characters and their interactions on their respective species.

Uowaki Tai is a salaryman working at the company Sea Vision. His appearance is a little bit strange given the fact that he has the head of a fish. Sometimes, Uowaki skips out on his white-collar obligations in order to help people in need, possibly out of a need to feel a little better about his life which he believes to be inadequate. With his other fish-themed colleagues, Uowaki goes through life trying to challenge his feelings of inadequacy, sometimes with hilarious results! The main similarity between Business Fish and Africa Salaryman lies in the fact that they’re both shows featuring anthropomorphized animals who have office jobs. While Africa Salaryman’s characters are the literal animals, Business Fish featured animal-headed people living amongst full-on humans, which is slightly different. They both have interesting visual approaches, with African Salaryman’s art style being different from what we’re used to and Business Fish having been made with motion capture and 3D.

Umio just started a part-time job at a manga store in the middle of his home town. He’s a shy kid with a very average life; however, his co-workers illuminate his otherwise regular existence with their eccentric but nice personalities. They’re very close; forging friendships in the calm of their work environment which shields them from the hustle and bustle of the big city. Like Wotakoi featuring on this list, Denki-gai is different from the others on the list because it does not have anthropomorphic animals. However, it does have a similarity to Africa Salaryman in that it features a main character whose main deal is going to work. Both African Salaryman and Denki-gai have eccentric characters who are the main’s colleagues and as a result, both shows have comedic elements brought on in the form of workplace escapades and banter. Africa Salaryman does; however, have quite a few interactions between characters happening away from the workplace or having very little to do with the workplace itself.

Kicking off this list is Kaze ni Nare, the opening theme song of Ex-Driver. As a matter of fact, Kaze ni Nare was JAM Project’s debut song! This song pretty much sets the tone for what JAM Project is all about, making exciting and intense songs for anime fans! As the song relates to the driving gimmick of Ex-Driver, Kaze ni Nare, or Be Like the Wind, is certainly an appropriate title. One of the first things listeners would hear that would persist in a majority of the band’s songs is the heavy use of guitar riffs. They’re the kind that listeners would certainly love to play air guitar to as they listen. The singing, largely provided by Hironobu Kageyama and then-member Karen Shiina, excellently carries a sense of passion as the song conveys messages of just throwing caution to the wind, living life on your own terms, and enjoying it. If any of you readers feel down, this might be the song to lift you up!

Along with Kaze ni Nare being their breakout into anime, Hagane no Messiah (or Full Metal Messiah) was JAM Project’s breakout into video games since it was the opening theme to an installment of Bandai’s Super Robot Taisen series. Considering that robots are seen as a saviors in the mech genre, a song title such as Hagane no Messiah is a perfect way to set the stage. However, the selection of this song goes beyond the naming. The instrumentals will dial one’s adrenaline to 11, and the delivery of the lyrics about how one should rise to be a hero will also inspire people to take a stand and make a difference! Last, the lyrics also share themes that promote peace, tolerance, and understanding, messages that will never go out of style.

In 2009, Mazinger Z—the OG of the mech genre—made a comeback. Welcoming new and old fans alike is the opening theme, The Guardian. Through this song, the core members of the band can masterfully mix qualities that are old and new to create a balance that makes it appealing to all potential viewers. The opening hook in The Guardian takes a slightly different approach by having something more orchestral and hymn-like to emphasize an event akin to what is foretold in the Book of Revelations while maintaining that same fire that is consistent in their songs. Even when the song transitions to the lyrical portions, it still maintains that same tone that tries to come across as religious with the instruments and melodies, but with a voice and lyrics that are in-tune with present-day heroics of soaring through the sky and kicking evil’s butt.

Coming in at number 2 is The Hero, which some of you readers may likely recognize as one of One Punch Man’s opening themes. The song is in your face with what it’s all about and when listeners understand the content of the song, they can easily get an idea that it perfectly fits with One Punch Man. The song effectively conveys how Saitama is the hero that nobody knows but even so, the important thing is that one becomes a hero to do the right thing and not for the fame and glory, which perfectly reflects Saitama’s character (and that he can take out foes in a single punch). The exciting delivery of the singing that goes along with the melody and guitar chords demonstrates how a traditional hero should be, but the lyrics do a great job of showing how this isn’t a traditional hero show. The combinations of all these qualities make the song feel fresh despite using such familiar qualities listeners would hear within the genre.

Just like how JAM Project has contributed to the Garo anime, the band’s presence in the franchise dates back to the 2006 debut of the original tokusatsu series as they performed the second theme song, Garo ~ Savior in the Dark. While many opening theme songs of anime and tokusatsu refrain from directly telling viewers the story, Savior in the Dark is one of the rare exceptions and when readers listen to this song, it’s for good reasons. It’s a great preview of how the golden knight will always be there to protect the innocent, and whenever he is lost, his sword will always guide him to the answer that he is seeking. With its powerful guitar riffs and inspiring chorus, it also does a great job of promising viewers that they are in for some awesome action. If an action/horror film could be a song, Savior in the Dark is the best way to describe it.

Kicking off this list is Maaya Sakamoto’s 5th single, Platinum, which debuted on October 21, 1999, ranking in at 21 on the Oricon Charts, the equivalent to America’s Billboard Charts. In case some of you don’t remember, Platinum serves as the third opening theme to the original Cardcaptor Sakura anime. Platinum gets the job done as a Cardcaptor Sakura opening theme by providing viewers ho Sakura is; a regular girl with extraordinary dreams and capabilities. Through Sakamoto’s voice, which transitions between soft and powerful between the standard lyrics and the chorus, listeners can feel that Sakura does have great ambitions and it’s ok for everyone to have them, but at the same time, they must have confidence and put in the work to make them come true.

At number 4, we have Down Town, a cover of the original 1975 hit by Sugar Babe, a band that was active in the mid-1970s. Down Town happens to be written by one of Japan’s biggest composers and musicians, Tatsuro Yamashita, who was also a member of Sugar Babe. In addition to being one of Japan’s biggest stars, he’s also the writer to the YouTube city-pop hit (though originally released in 1984), Plastic Love by Mariya Takeuchi, who also happens to be his wife! This 2010 cover that debuted at number 5 on the Oricon Charts was also used as the opening theme to Soredemo Machi Wa Mawatteiru. The song is still in tune with the original 70s (aka Yamashita’s) tone by mixing folk, blues, and jazz but gives a softer touch with Sakamoto’s voice, and it perfectly fits the atmosphere of Soredemo Machi Wa Mawatteiru.

Further cementing Maaya Sakamoto’s singing career outside of anime songs is her 2003 hit, Tune the Rainbow. It debuted at number 9 on the Oricon Charts and it became a hit to a generation of fans. It was big to the point that a few years later, IDOLM@STER RADIO broadcasted a cover performed by Chiaki Takahashi and Mami Imai, some of Japan’s biggest idols between the 1990s and 2000s. It’s a gentle song that conveys that the listeners are not alone, that there’s always someone that cares for them, and that they also have people that they care about. It’s also a song about loss and what a person’s presence will always mean to someone and how it can never be replaced. When taking into account Japan’s rising senior population, bullying, and shut-ins, this is a song that people need to hear.

At number 2, we have Triangular, which some of you readers may recognize as Macross Frontier’s first opening theme. What makes this song special is that it is one of Sakamoto’s biggest hits as it debuted at number 3 on the Oricon Charts. Through this opening theme, Macross fans or those new to the franchise can get a taste of how intense the series is as it mixes the space opera, mech, and idol genres with its accompanying visuals and techno beats. Through Sakamoto’s performance, listeners can hear that not only can she sing with a soft voice, but that she’s also capable of singing with intensity.

At number one, we have to give it to Yakusoku Wa Iranai, the opening theme from Escaflowne. In case some of you (probably) didn’t know, this was actually her debut song. However, this isn’t the reason why we put this song at number one. Thanks to this song, we get an idea of how her voice projects differently in contrast to her performance as Hitomi, the main character of Escaflowne. As Hitomi, she tends to be reserved but still has a sense of curiosity and fear due to being the main character in an isekai. As Sakamoto performs Yakusoku Wa Iranai, she’s full of optimism and energy. The opening instrumentals excellently build up the tension and the lyrics are relatable to a teenager who is wondering what it’s like to fall in love and when they understand that, they then know what it takes to endure to make true love become real.

What stands out foremost in Tokyo Godfathers is the cast which consists of three homeless people with troubled pasts who find a newborn baby while rummaging through the trash. Gin, a grumpy middle-aged alcoholic gambler, Miyuki, a bitter teenage runaway estranged from her family, and Hana, an ex-drag queen trans woman struggling with health issues who ends up naming the baby Kiyoko or ‘pure child’. The trio becomes analogous to both the three kings and Mary and Joseph of the Christ story as they search together for the baby’s biological mother, forming a makeshift family in the process. There are more parallels than you might expect but the most notable are having three individuals who witness a miracle and must travel far to find an answer, new ‘parents’ without a home to protect their child, and the newborn child being a symbol of innocence, hope, and redemption. Connecting to that on a more fundamental level, a core tenet of Christianity is the belief in redemption that often focuses on the poor and downtrodden. Kon does exactly this with his depiction of these homeless characters as multifaceted and complex individuals who do end up redeeming themselves because they feel compelled to help the innocent Kiyoko.

Without going into extensive detail, one of the core differences between Christmas in Japan versus places like America is that is is more of a romantic holiday for couples than a family event in Japan. While romance is not the focus of Tokyo Godfathers, it is an important background element, particularly for Hana who is revealed to have lost her partner Ken, who she still keeps a photo of. In general, though, Tokyo Godfathers is perhaps more notable for largely not being about the heavily commercialized, romantic image of Christmas in modern Japan but focusing instead on unconventional “families” and marginalized groups that are largely ignored in mainstream media. If anything, the film is something of a critique of traditional families despite its rather conservative ending that has the heroes mostly returning to their own.