Deep in the forest, or down by the park, if you are playing outside when the day is over and night begins, you may find an old man who still carries an old kamishibai, a paper theater that was widely used in Japan by storytellers before manga, radio, and finally, TV took all their listeners. This old man has no name and seems to be quite friendly but the stories he tells will create nightmares. His tales are based on frightening Japanese urban legends, and he will narrate them to any audience he gets, even if it's only you, the viewer. As in previous seasons, Yami Shibai consists of 13 short horror stories, each done with a slightly different animation style, based on different Japanese myths but updated for the modern era. It’s hard for an anthology series to maintain quality for many seasons, but Yami Shibai has managed it for seven years, giving us a nice, scary taste of what kind of urban legends exist in Japan and how that affects their culture. Definitely a must-watch for horror and Japan fans.

If you study at Shinyo Academy, you have probably heard about Boogiepop, the mysterious shinigami who seeks out beautiful girls and kills them before their beauty begins to fade with age. It comes at night and is rumored to be behind many disappearances that have been written off by the authorities as runaways. But the truth behind the legend is far more complicated: Boogiepop is not a demon, but a guardian tasked with destroying the true cause behind the disappearances. A guardian who should be sleeping within a very common schoolgirl named Touka Miyashita. Boogiepop wa warawanai is a new chapter in the Boogiepop franchise, that began as a set of light novels lasting 22 volumes. From the very beginning, Boogiepop is hard to classify since is both a mystery and a horror series, but given its scary atmosphere, the real fears of losing loved ones and not ever knowing what happened to them, and the existential terrors that having a second personality you know nothing about can bring, it is easy to see why it's always listed as horror at the end. And if you enjoy some driving questions and riddles with your fear, this is the 2019 horror series you should not miss.

Life in the armored Hayajiro, under constant attack of the Kabane, is not easy, but the survivors have managed to keep on going forward despite the attempts of the noblemen at Kongokaku. Ikoma and Mumei still defend the train’s inhabitants as the Kabaneri who share the Kabane curse but remain mostly human. However, as the train reaches Unato, they have to face new dangerous types of Kabane. One in particular can hurt Kabaneri with just one hit and suddenly, the chances of the remaining humans are diminished drastically. Koutetsujou no Kabaneri has a great mix of elements in its favor: Steampunk aesthetic, zombies, the character designs by legendary Haruhiko Mikimoto and some incredible music by Hiroyuki Sawano. While the original tv series stumbled a bit at the ending, this movie, which is a direct sequel to it, manages to pick up the pace quite well and keep up the horror that is to live in a small enclosed space, with the constant threat of disease and monsters coming to destroy you and your loved ones.

Eren and the Survey Corps have decided that the last remaining humans need to have hope for the future and thus embark on a mission to retake Wall Maria and survive. This means going back to Shinganshina, where most of them spent their childhood and lost their families, but they are ready to do so to fight for the future. However, once the Corps reach Shinganshina, stress starts getting to them as conflicts start among themselves. Levi and Eren are divided and there seems to be no real strategic reason to retake the city besides the hope it could bring. And then, the enemy finally makes their move. Shingeki no Kyojin, or Attack on Titan as it's better known, is still one of the harsher, most gruesome anime that is airing in Japan. As the story advances, we have lost many beloved characters, seen betrayal and devastation, and still, Eren and his friends won’t give up hope that they can reach the ocean and live freely. There are a few moments of calm within each episode, but the horror comes not necessarily from the man-eating Titans—which are quite terrifying on their own—but from the secrets that Eren and company start discovering which show the darker parts of the human soul.

What do you do when you find out your whole life is a lie? That the siblings you have seen being adopted into happy families where in fact murdered by monsters as soon as they were out of your sight, and the doting mother you have known since you can remember only considers you cattle, taking care of you for her own prestige and survival and not because she feels any kindness towards you. Some people would fall into despair, but Emma is not ready to give up. She is not only determined to escape the orphanage that has been her home but also save the lives of every one of her siblings, no matter what it takes. Yakusoku no Neverland took everyone by surprise thanks to the apparently simple plot of a group of orphans trying to escape the place where they’re being raised to be eaten by monsters before they turn thirteen years old. But as the episodes advanced and we saw that there was a huge chess game being played between “Mama” Isabella and Emma where every choice had to be made knowing that the enemy could be three or four steps behind, created an amazingly chilling atmosphere that didn’t need jump scares to be terrifying. Thanks to that, Yakusoku no Neverland was the best horror series of the year and we can’t wait for the second season in 2020.

Before moving forward, we’ll discuss pacing and its relevance. In the context of writing, pacing is the perceived speed a story unfolds. Since pacing can be influenced by perception, this means that even long passages can seem fast with the right techniques. For example, a passage with a lot of active verbs, few descriptions, and short sentences can have a quick pace. The speed through which an audience can absorb information is easy, therefore the pace by which they go through that passage can be fast. By comparison, a passage with lengthy sentences, many descriptive details, and little action will be read at a different pace. The necessity of absorbing details will slow the pace of the reading as long as details are relevant. One factor that can influence relevance is a beat. In films/plays, a beat is a pause, event, emotional change, or revelation/understanding that changes how a character pursues their goal. Scenes with more beats require an audience to understand what changed a character’s motivation--therefore a scene can feel fast-paced as beats switch how a character pursues their goal. Furthermore, beats can be applied to the story as well. When critical information is revealed, it can change the direction of a story, thus a story beat. For the sake of brevity, we will only be talking about this type of story beat.

Babylon’s first episode starts in medias res (in the middle of things), requiring viewers to focus or quickly be lost. Juggling this information while trying to remember character names, established motivations, and setting can quickly snowball. As a mystery, the first episode aptly establishes its premise. By providing more questions than answers, it wants to invoke a viewer’s interest. Why is a pharmaceutical company linked to political elections? Why does an ominous, ineligible letter appear with the seized company assets? Why is Inaba, an anesthesiologist found dead in his apartment? Why is Shiniki, an independent city, brought up as part of the investigation? All these questions end on a cliff-hanger, a final image. Fumio, Zen’s assistant/ an up-and-coming prosecutor, is found dead in his apartment. The hectic events of the pilot episode are magnified further by its pacing. With barely 20 minutes to think, it’s not surprising viewers are left confused. However, this is intentional. Time is needed to understand information and without a moment to breathe (a slower pace), details will escape the viewers--just as they escape the protagonist.

While episode 1 sets the premise and introduces the plot, episode 2 is deliberately slower, allowing viewers to understand Zen’s character and beliefs. From the onset, the tone is melancholy. The very person whose death ended the last episode returns in memory. "What does being a public prosecutor mean to you, Mr. Seizaki?" Surprised by the sudden question, Zen takes a moment to answer Fumio, "You want to become a public prosecutor...You're serious, right? If you are, then you should work to become the kind of public prosecutor you yourself want to be." At his response, Fumio walks away, but quickly realizes, Zen didn’t answer his question. "So... what was your answer, Mr. Seizaki?" Fumio probes further. "That goes without saying.” Zen raises a coffee mug to his lips. “It means upholding justice…” the scene cuts to the present. Zen lowers his coffee and finishes his line, “and protecting people." Missing from the picture is Fumio. Rain, now audible in the background, punctuates the scene with Zen’s lonely frame. Babylon is a mixture of genres. It’s a thriller, which thrives off of quick pacing. It’s a mystery, which values a contemplative (slow) pacing. It’s psychological, which needs an understanding of motivation. The first episode has shaken our protagonist. The second episode must then have him reexamine his values--find his way through Babylon’s maze. As if alive, the piano finds a newfound resolve. It pauses then leads us into the next scene. For a moment, the rain’s sound gives way to a strong wind. During this, Zen pays his respects at Fumio’s funeral, which is intercut with a discussion with Morinaga, head of the Public Prosecutors. Morinaga explains that Fumio’s death is being ruled a suicide. He then asks Zen if that’s what he thinks, “That’s impossible,” Zen says with his expression covered and his back to Fumio’s funeral photo. The scene now cuts to Zen in the car with Morinaga. Zen explains, “He had no reason to.” When Zen clarifies further, he moves his face away from the camera. Just as before, the camera hides Zen’s expression, “Fumio was… murdered.” With that statement, the traffic lights go red. The pacing moves at the speed of the car, slowly through traffic, stopping when necessary. Episode 1, by comparison, moves at a pace that disregards its characters. Chaos is the goal behind its pacing--and furthermore, the goal behind the mastermind. While episode 1 was meant to shroud intentions, episode 2 requires its character to unveil intentions. Once the opening ends, Zen is interrogating a new character. Immediately noticeable is the smaller screen; black bars border the top and bottom, constraining the space we see. Viewers are forced to look towards the center, and what meets them is a pair of blue, translucent eyes. We are now eye-to-eye with a witness. One who disregards the truth. One who bends and controls the narrative. She calls herself Ms. Emiko Hiramatsu, but Zen interrogates her further--is that her true name? She interrupts his question with a unique statement. She reads his name aloud, “Seizaki (正崎) Zen (善)... Meaning ‘Just’ and ‘Good’.” When Zen reiterates his question, “Ms. Emiko” opens her mouth slowly. The screen cuts to black when she answers yes. It is only later we learn her true name.

kicking off this list, we have Dr. Stone. Due to its story and setting, it takes the notion of Sci-Fi back to basics as humanity has been petrified for thousands of years. During that time period, the Earth reverts back to its natural primitive state and modern society and technology instantly collapse. However, teenage science enthusiast Senkuu Ishigami, who has broken free from his stone prison, uses his knowledge and passion to help rebuild the world. By using the most primitive of tools, he can do more than just reinvent the wheel! He can bring back electricity, communications, and modern medicine (and ramen and cola)! In addition to its distinguishing setting, what makes Dr. Stone a worthy selection for this list is how the series goes out of its way to educate viewers on how Senkuu’s experiments work. When Senkuu wants to make antibiotics to treat pneumonia, the series provides a flow chart and an explanation (courtesy of Mecha Senkuu) of the process. Some of the experiments look applicable to the layman, and there are others where the anime also warns the audience to not try them at home.

Compared to the rest of the entries on this list, Uchuu Kyoudai is more on the side of actual science but still captures the spirit of Sci-Fi. As opposed to using giant mechs, cyborgs, or flying cars, like Dr. Stone, Uchuu Kyoudai provides the audience with something more realistically educational as it portrays what it takes to be an astronaut and what space is really like. Uchuu Kyoudai shows that when astronauts go to space, the smallest mistake can mean instant doom! What makes this anime universal to all audiences is that it’s about never giving up and being true to oneself. It shows we can all make our dreams come true, but we have to put in the hard work and make sacrifices. The anime does an excellent job of equally showing the good and bad that comes with pursuing one’s dreams and at the same time, demonstrates that we have to deal with failure. It also portrays how certain sacrifices can have negative effects, most notably with one’s relationships. Through the hard work and perseverance of the Nanba brothers and the rest of the cast, viewers of all backgrounds can learn what it takes to truly be the best we can be.

In the world of Aldnoah.Zero, Elon Musk’s dream of mankind migrating to Mars has come true thanks to the use of teleportation devices found on the moon. Those who went to Mars created their own nation and declared war against those who stayed on Earth. After a tragic calamity, a ceasefire was declared and everyone left each other alone for the next 15 years until Mars’ princess falls victim to an assassination plot. While there is no denying that mecha anime taking place in space are a dime a dozen, recent events while drafting this list made us realize that what is portrayed in Aldnoah.Zero is now more relevant than ever. With the recent tensions in the world, it’s natural that people are concerned that a war could start (especially with all the World War III memes). Aldnoah.Zero shows how war can affect people, most notably teenagers. While all anime fans know it’s rather common for mecha anime to use teenagers as pilots, Aldnoah.Zero does a great job of showing how it can affect their development and outlooks.

A lot of Sci-Fi properties have explored time travel such as The Time Machine, A Sound of Thunder and most notably, Back to the Future. Steins;Gate, on the other hand, takes the notion of time travel as it relates to a future where the world collapses due to World War III and it’s up to Rintaro Okabe and his friends to save it. Despite Rintaro’s childish antics when it comes to expressing his passion for science, deep down inside, he’s a very caring person. What makes this anime a great addition to this list is how it explores modern social problems in Japan, and how technology is beneficial and consequential to them. Most notably, through the modern use of cell phones, viewers can see how they have helped and hindered communication (as they play a role in the time traveling). In general, we see how people can be connected more than ever thanks to cell phones. On the other hand, we see how it can negatively affect face-to-face communication as it’s portrayed through Moeka who prefers to use text messaging even in-person. When it comes to the worst of extremities, the series portrays how technology can cause greed and, in effect, cause wars. When the series continues in Steins;Gate 0, the audience can see how the events of the first series negatively affect Okabe as it introduces new themes regarding memories and what defines reality.

In the past few years, Netflix has provided viewers with original anime content. However, do any of you readers know what the first original Netflix anime was? It happens to be Knights of Sidonia! It’s a Sci-Fi series that masterfully combines mecha, space opera, and post-Apocalyptic genres for something that is still unique! For the last few thousand years, humanity has been living in fear not knowing that today could very well be their last as they hide from an extraterrestrial threat. In order to cope with their situation, humanity has adapted in a manner that they can only survive by cloning themselves. Despite the population control portrayed in this series, it is still very character-driven both individually and with their interpersonal relationships. Through the cloning aspect, it gives the audience an idea of what it means to be an individual. Even if the world allows human cloning, would a clone just be a copy of the individual? Or is it really a distinct human in itself? Last, putting aside all the changes humanity has forced upon itself portrayed in Knights of Sidonia, it shows that in humanity’s darkest hour, they will never give up and will keep fighting. While people can really be cruel to each other, when they share a common goal (or struggle), they can truly achieve remarkable things.

In this soft reboot of the Ghost in the Shell franchise, viewers are given a new origin story of Makoto and her journey into how she was recruited into Section 9. Just like its predecessors, Arise largely explores the concept of individual identity in a world of advanced technology. Similar to how the original manga and movie predicted that the internet would be a part of everyday life, Arise redirects the original themes into how people can convert themselves into machines. Through Makoto’s journey in Arise, the organization she initially works for is the legal owner of her body. Naturally, this causes a conflict of interest, but we do have to wonder what could happen when people can get a cybernetic body in who knows how many years from now. Take, for example, you buy a house with a mortgage. Until you pay off the mortgage, the house technically belongs to the bank and if you can’t pay it, then the bank takes the house. Arise, in a way, addresses such a situation through getting a cybernetic body. Let's say 50 years from now, we can take out loans to get ourselves a cybernetic body. If such an instance happens, is that body truly ours? Or does it belong to the bank or company until the loan is paid off? Thanks to these thought-provoking notions, Ghost in the Shell still knows how to be ahead of the curve when it comes to the rise of technology and its (highly likely) effects on society.

Some of you may accuse of cheating by using a remake from a 1970s anime but, as we have reviewed, this remake proves how far Sci-Fi has gone in the world of anime. For generations, Sci-Fi properties in America such as Star Trek have been used as a vehicle for progressive ideas. The remake of Uchuu Senkan Yamato not only faithfully retells the story of the original anime, but injects a lot of modern-day progressiveness into it. In the original series, Yuki (and a bit of Starsha) serves as the ONLY female character and a good portion of the time, she is subjected to Analyzer’s sexual harassment that wouldn’t fly in a post-#MeToo world. The remake provides new female characters who serve a significant role as they are portrayed as equally important as the male characters. In addition to more female characters, the remake does away with what modern society calls toxic masculinity, which was prominent throughout the original series. In the first Yamato series, Koudai (and his brother) was mostly driven by toxic masculinity with how he conducted himself. His attitude was that he would only do things that a real man would do. In the remake, Koudai is a much more passionate character and leader, showing that nobody should do things for the sake of just proving their manhood. Whether any of you readers are new to or familiar with the Yamato franchise, these changes were very necessary to show how far society has come with how gender equality has progressed in Japan and throughout the world.

If you could combine Lost in Space with The Breakfast Club, then you’ve got Kanata no Astra. In the not too distant future, mankind has migrated to space and high school students can go on a camping trip to distant planets! As the main group arrives on the planet, they’re engulfed by a mysterious sphere and transported light-years away from where they started! Thankfully, they find a functioning spaceship that can take them back to their home planet. While this series debuted towards the end of the decade, what makes Kanata no Astra a great selection is that it teaches us that if everybody works together, they can overcome all adversities. Not only that, no matter what one’s skills are, they can always be of contribution and a little help goes a long way. However, they are still subject to giving into raging teenage hormones, and it’s only natural that tension can and will happen between crew members. As the series progresses, it takes a turn where it becomes a mystery when they discover that their situation is no accident and the audience can see how it affects their relationships. However, Kanata’s faith and optimism helps bring them all together so they can come home. In the end, it teaches the audience that even if humanity migrates to space, there is still no escaping our nature but when we come together, we can achieve great things and exceed expectations.

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If Sci-Fi dystopian author Philip K. Dick could make an anime (or if an anime were ever inspired by his work), it would certainly be Psycho-Pass. Try to imagine something like The Minority Report (which was written by Dick) as an anime and that’s what Psycho-Pass is in a nutshell. Instead of precog, the dystopian Tokyo uses the Sybil System to read human emotions and the moment it detects any kind of criminal intent, law enforcement is instantly allowed to detain them, or in some cases, kill them. Akane, the main character, becomes an officer because she wants to uphold justice. When she is confronted with the truth of how justice is conducted in the world she lives in, that is when this anime truly shines as a Sci-Fi series as it explores conflict in both an internal and external sense. Internally for Akane, it’s dealing with the fact that human rights are being violated. Externally, she sees it as a necessary evil as she has to compromise in order to continue her work as a police officer. Ultimately, Psycho-Pass is about what people value more, security or freedom. Considering the scandals with Eric Snowden and the NSA during the Obama administration, we have to wonder if governments are considering such a system to control its citizens.

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We have to give the number one spot to Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin, which largely serves as an origin story for Char Aznable, the anti-hero (and sometimes anti-villain) of the UC Gundam timeline. Like a good number of the anime listed here, Gundam is another space opera, one of the dominating sub-genres of Sci-Fi. Thanks to the designs of Yasuhiko Yoshikazu (who even designed the original Gundam series), it shows that the quality of his art still holds up after 40 years. While advancements in technology have helped the quality of anime since the debut of the original Gundam, the designs of the characters, mobile suits, clothing, and environments remain unchanged in Origin to remain consistent with the original series and yet appeal to new and old audiences. In comparison to other space operas such as Yamato and Macross, the conflict in Gundam isn’t between humans and aliens, but amongst humans. While humans have migrated to space in the world of Gundam, the series demonstrates that despite these advancements, discrimination, war, and destruction still exist. While many are quick to blame the advancement of technology for some of humanity’s present problems, Gundam masterfully shows that, regardless, greed and the lust for power will always exist regardless of such inventions and that it’s still our responsibility to better ourselves.

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Rosario + Vampire and Mairimashita! Iruma-kun (Welcome to Demon School!) are similar on a basic level because they present the same kind of central plot: a human protagonist finds himself attending a school for supernatural creatures while also having to keep his humanity a secret from the student body and the staff at the school. Despite this, there is always someone who comes to realize the protagonists’ true identity!

One thing that stands out to the monster characters in both series is the main character. While many go the entire duration of their respective series not realizing that the main character is a human, the main character’s good-natured personality does not go unnoticed and becomes the very reason why they’re able to befriend monsters and demons alike. Both Tsukune and Iruma end up being taken care of by monsters – Iruma’s demonic caretaker being his new grandfather Sullivan, while Tsukune’s initially taken care of by the vampire Akashiya Moka, before other characters appear. Both Tsukune and Iruma have powerful love interests in their respective titles, with Tsukune having a group of close friends and powerful monsters serving under this banner; and Iruma having someone like the student council president Ameri filling this role!

While they introduce their respective main characters’ new environments as something to be feared, both Mairimashita! Iruma-kun (Welcome to Demon School!) and Rosario + Vampire show a less monstrous, evil temperament to the demon societies that they illustrate, rather painting these creatures as beings with feelings and communities as vibrant and varied as what one would find in the human world. The main character is hence able to assimilate because they can engage with each character from a more emotional standpoint beyond the initial premise of fear and horror!

Whereas its predecessor used lighting to show a world of separation (light/dark, hope/despair, innocence/knowledge), Magia Record seems to emphasize a middle ground, a gathering place of various ideas. With the last three episodes, certain observations support this. To begin, three cities are confirmed within Magia Record: Takarazaki City (the home of Iroha), Kamihama City (the home of several new characters), and lastly, Mitakihara City (the main city of Madoka Magica). Kamihama City is the center of our story, the gathering spot for witches, magical girls from different cities, and several rumors. In the first episode, it’s mentioned that “Magical Girls can be saved if they go to Kamihama City.” Near the end of this episode, there’s a dream sequence where Iroha chases after her sister Ui. As Ui walks into the distance, she stops for a moment and turns towards the camera. This shot places her between the moon above and the sun setting at her feet. The curvature of the ground, makes it seem as if the world rests behind her--that Kamihama City exists between reality and dream. However, unlike rumored, it’s not necessarily a sanctuary. Rats are shown instinctively running away, implying danger. At the end of episode 3, we’re given a shot of freeway signs. It reads that 3 highways (Hokuyo-ku, Sankyo-ku, and Chuo-ku) connect to Kamihama City despite coming from different directions. This implies, “all roads, whether in a dream or reality, connect to Kamihama City.” This city is the center of salvation, the key to Iroha’s lost memory, and the endpoint of insidious rumors. In a way, it’s the center of many movements both figurative and literal.

The original Puella Magi Madoka Magica was rich with imagery. From its prominent churches to the Creation of Adam in episode 11, Madoka Magica conveyed a story of duality, before and afters, and separation. However, Magia Record seems to take a different approach. As stated in the previous section, Magia Record seems to emphasize “a center” whether that’s in its setting, plot, or in visual shots. One reason might be deduced from its visual designs. Featured throughout Magia Record are possible borrowings of Renaissance ideas. The Renaissance was an emergence of the art, literature, philosophy, and history that coincided with a revival of interest in Greek and Roman culture. This period is debated amongst scholars to be roughly between the 15th century and 16th century, but some argue it started as early as the 12th century and ended possibly in the 17th century. However, while the Renaissance occurred all over Europe, Italy was a major center for trade, resulting in Italy’s impact on the Renaissance. As trade was crucial, the study of astrology was important as it guided ships from one port to the next. This focus eventually leads to Nicolaus Copernicus developing heliocentricism (although, if this is solely his own idea is debated), the idea that the sun is the center of the universe. With that brief overview, let’s now discuss Magia Record.

Kamihama City is at a cultural crossroads. As the center of the story, characters migrate there for different reasons: salvation, memory, and rumors. However, characters don’t only bring themselves, they can also bring their culture and “trade” their ideas. To reach Kamihama City, characters use public transportation. In particular, trains are a common choice for our young characters. At each train stop, prominent astrological symbols are displayed, reminding viewers of the ancient use of astrology--navigation. In episode 1, once Iroha crashes into Kamihama City, Zenobia, a sandbox witch, “greets her.” Zenobia’s name means “life of Zeus” or “daughter of Zeus,” and her design features a planet with rings for her top. This planet is most likely Jupiter (which, like Saturn, also has rings around it). Jupiter is the Roman name of the Greek god Zeus. This melding of cultures goes further. 12 minutes into episode 2, Iroha visits a hospital where her sister was presumedly hospitalized. Satomi Medical Center is located within Kamihama City, and during a dream sequence, viewers are able to see its design. Above the front desk is the warrior goddess Athena, a Greek Goddess who presided over wisdom, law, strategy, and the arts. She is commonly depicted wearing a helmet and holding a spear and shield. In the Satomi Medical Center, her shield has a gorgon’s head, fitting as she was the goddess who gave Perseus a shield to slay Medusa and her sisters. Continuing further, after the fight with the sheep witch in episode 2, Iroha is saved by Rena, Kaede, and Momoko. They bring her to a building owned by a Coordinator. According to Momoko, this building is “like a hospital, or like a counseling center for Magical Girls.” In episode 3, we finally see the Coordinator at work. Her name is Mitama Yakumo and her job is getting magical girls “adjusted.” She explains, “Having your Soul Gem adjusted can bring power to the fore that you never knew you had before!” As she clarifies, a famous Renaissance drawing flashes on the screen, the Vitruvian Man by Leonardo da Vinci. This image eventually cuts to Yakumo turning on lights as her explanation “dawns” on the viewers. Just like Kamihama City, Yakumo’s building is a mixture of ideas. To begin, just as her title implies (Coordinator), her building is filled with devices that tell location. There are “globe-like” structures held together with a frame. This frame allows it to spin like a typical globe one might see in a classroom. However, replace the middle (the earth) with what Yakumo really coordinates--soul gems. These soul gems are designed to look like birdcages, borrowing imagery from the original Madoka Magica (and the Rebellion movie). The pillars that hold the roof are also distinctly Greek pillars. Placed behind these pillars is a bright wall, lit in a translucent blue. At its center is a cross with “coordinates” at key sections. As I’ve discussed in my Madoka Magica article series, the original show uses religious (Christian) imagery. The Renaissance is also a period where devout artists painted key biblical subjects like the Madonna, Jesus Christ, and God. While this cross could be a coincidence, it wouldn’t be illogical to assume otherwise--especially after episode 3. Characters from Mitakihara City (Madoka Magica’s setting) are implied to be joining the story. From a different perspective, that cross could be an intersection. Just as Yakumo is trying to coordinate groups together, Kamihama City is at the intersection of dreams and reality, myths and science, ideas and rumors. It is the place where both witches and magical girls are finding a new center.

A short elevator ride up from the streets of Akihabara transports you to a vampire castle. The walls are covered in elegant black and red wallpaper and from the ceiling hang numerous red, black, and white gothic style chandeliers. Candles, blood-platters, skulls, and other ominous paraphernalia cover the room and give it an almost busy feeling even with the spooky atmosphere. On one side, vampire girls in maid outfits with cute accessories serve customers in a rather open area. Dracula is just on the other side of a wooden wall that nearly divides the two areas and is a much more intimate space. The women on that side, dress like distinguished bishounen vampire lords complete with capes and epaulets. Everyone clearly takes a lot of time on their appearance which enhances the experience.

Many times, you can find one of these vampires promoting their bars on the streets of Akiba and they will be happy to escort you should you find yourself lost. Once inside, you’ll be seated at a long table and, depending on how crowded it is, may be sat next to other guests. Talking among other customers and vampires not currently serving you personally is highly encouraged and there’s a generally friendly atmosphere. You’ll be asked if you’d like the drink special or to just order food and drink separately. If you’re feeling generous, you can also order a drink for your new vampire friend! The staff are all quick to keep your glass full as well and will talk with you as you enjoy your drinks and/or food. At the end of the hour, you have the option of extending your time or taking your leave but make sure to keep track of time yourself as it’s not the policy for staff to warn you.

While knowing Japanese will make things easier, there’s a handy English menu and several of the vampires speak some English. They’re all committed to ensuring you have a good time as well and will try their best to communicate as best they can so even shy customers can enjoy themselves. Food options include snacks like gyoza and chips and full meals of fried rice, pasta, and omurice that your vampire will decorate with ketchup. Photos of the inside and staff are not allowed but you can buy polaroid pictures with the vampires present to help you remember your special dark time!

Dropout is the story of students who become devices for public relief. If you can’t make the grades in the world of Dropout, then you will become available for public use. This concept really comes to a head during the second episode of the show with the concept of public toilets. Dropout begins by introducing us to girls with bad grades who love to suck dick. The sadistic tendencies really come out in the second episode though. In the episode, the girls are installed as public toilets where the men can go to relieve themselves at any time. One boy finds his favorite personal toilet has been installed in the bathroom and is tied up. This greatly upsets him and the pair begins to have rough sex.

Pinkerton is the story of a class monitor who gets on the male student’s nerves. To get her back they decide to introduce her to the world of sex. One again the second episode of the show is more geared towards sadism than the whole anime is. In the second episode, the hall monitor finds herself lying on a bed and being toyed with by her classmates. They even hook massaging patches to various parts of her body to give her additional pleasure while the play with her tits. As the episode moves around more classmates get in on the action and the hall monitor soon begins jerking off multiple cocks at once. When the boys get there feel of the handjobs, they lay her done and begin to have sex with the girl back to back. Later on, she is forced to wear a vibrator while class is in session leading to her quickly becoming embarrassed.

Crimson Girl is an anime based on the name of the author Crimson. The hentai is about two girls who rides trains to protect girls from possible molesters. This, of course, turns into a problem as the two girls find themselves being targeted by men well-versed in the art of pleasure. The first of the two girls is surrounded on the train by men. The group slowly begins rubbing up against her until they start playing with her breasts. Soon after, they wander down to her pussy where they begin to tease her even more before stipping off her clothes. They begin to finger the girls bringing her to a point of ecstasy before she runs off of the train at the next stop. Later they find the same girl again and manage to bring her back to a hotel room where they record their experience.

Aku no Onna is a story about an underdog who acquires a special power and uses it to get revenge on his bosses. This is, of course, after they spent years putting the man down and trap him in a forcefield with their enemy. The story opens with the man forcing one of his bosses to masturbate in front of him. After watching her pleasure herself for a bit he takes the initiative to lean her back and shove his dick inside of her pussy. Before long he is having the same woman suck his dick while he sits in a chair. He even gets to release his load all over her when he’s done embarrassing her further. The rest of the show is all about the man forcing the girls to commit to embarrassing sexual favors for him.

Amai Choubatsu has an interesting set-up as the anime is directed at portraying a sadistic relationship. The anime begins when an innocent girl is imprisoned for embezzlement. Shocked and scared the judge then sends her to prison where she meets the warden Aki. The first episode opens up with Hina stripping down in front of Aki so that he can search for her. As he does, he teases her a bit and then insults her for reacting to his touch, before beginning to finger her. The anime goes through this same premise again and again as Aki punishes Hina for disobeying his orders or simply just being in the wrong place at the wrong time, before long the pair are even having sex. In one episode he even pleasures her while she is meeting with her fiance and by the end of the season, she is completely submissive to his commands.

Ryuudoji is another hentai with a fun and interesting premise surrounding a sex slave program. The protagonist Ryuudouji is cordially invited to the school to help train young women in the art of being a sex slave. The only problem is that Ryuudouji is completely sadistic about his training. One of the first scenes shows a girl being tied up so that Ryuudouji can ram into her from behind. This, of course, involves him training her ass and using a vibe in her pussy at the same time. Before long it cuts to a scene of another woman who is tied to a desk while sucking his dick while he looks over the information of his next sex slave. He soon gets bored of the blow job and starts pounding into her from behind, telling her that she is just a slut.

This anime revolves around three girls who are captured by the protagonist and then tortured one by one for information. The protagonist, of course, is extremely sadistic and pleases the girls sexually to get them to come clean. From the very first scene, one of the girls is tied up and teased by the protagonist. He even makes sure to broadcast the teasing online for several different viewers to watch. He even takes her virginity on screen and cums all over the girl for his viewers. Before long he even lowers her down to make her clean off her dick before flipping her over to finger her ass.

Kutsujoku is a two-episode anime with short episodes. The series revolves around a man named Souichi who gains the ability to control others. He decides to use this power to bend the women around him to his will and create a personal harem. The show opens up with one of the first girls masturbating while using the corner of her desk. Before long it jumps to another who is holding up her skirt for Souichi while the two are in public. The girl allows him to finger her and then play with her tits as she shoves a vibrator into herself. Before long Souichi is sleeping with the girls and filing them with his cum.

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Idol Kyousei Sousa is another sadistic anime on the list written by Crimson. The story revolves around an idol who gets a new manager. The manager, of course, is a little bit more than creepy and quickly takes advantage of the young girl. The sex starts when the manager enters the girl’s room alone and takes out his phone. As it turns out, he can control a woman just by bringing up his camera and placing his finger on various parts of her body. After teasing her using his special app for a bit, he then moves on to actually touch the idol starting with her huge tits. Before long she even wakes up tied to a chair where the producer is forcing a vibrator against her clit.

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Kyonyuu is an anime about a proper school full of students who hold themselves to strange rules. The women are forced to obey the protagonist every word and this causes the students to have sex with the main character. In the first sex scene, one of the women pulls out her huge tits and then guides the man through having sex. She even ends up lowering herself down on top of him before riding his dick and letting him fondle her tits. In the next scene, another girl is using her huge boobs to give the man a tit job before allowing him to pound her from behind.

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