This is a legend amongst older anime fans. Due to the copious amounts of gory violence and brutal rape scenes, this series has often been described as "sick and depraved". At first, it seems like your typical school setting. It starts with one of the main characters, Azaki, playing basketball and impressing the ladies. It then quickly embraces the supernatural with the half-human, half-beast character, Amanojaku. The demonic Majin are trying to implant their seed into as many women as possible. By creating more demons, they plan to take over the world. Then the whole thing pretty much devolves into nihilistic madness as the plot mercilessly tortures its main characters. Yet lurking underneath all the blood and horror, there is a compelling story to be found with an interesting cast of characters.

This is old-school fantasy at its finest. Knights, dragons, and magic made even better with some beautifully animated sex scenes. A young knight named Rike Arrow sets out on a quest to find his own personal dragon to bond with so that he may join the rest of the dragon knights. He leaves behind the beautiful princess, Lydia, who eagerly awaits his return. On his travels, he meets the lovely Karisu. As luck would have it, she can transform into a dragon. Yet she appears to have lost her past memories. Also, who is the mysterious stranger watching Karisu from afar? This anime has a lot to offer, an intriguing story, interesting characters and some light comedic moments. It can get a little bit exposition heavy at times, but the enticing visuals more than make up for that.

In this anime, a doctor makes it his mission to dominate and perform sexual experiments on the nurses he works with. Each episode focuses on a different nurse and he must find unique ways of controlling them. The nurses each have their own distinct personalities, which makes getting to know them individually fascinating to watch. Plus there is an additional intriguing subplot which involves the doctor's past sexual entanglement with the Head Administrator. The animation in this series is very fluid and smooth. Plus the camera angles like to get up close and personal with the main characters, giving the various sex scenes a more intimate touch. If you enjoy this series, there is a sequel series and several spin-offs that are just as good.

This adorable series is about a young detective named Rem who has the ability to travel into people's dreams. She fights various demons and monsters alongside her trusty dog and cat companions, solving mysteries along the way. This series is much more light-hearted in tone and so wacky sexual hijinks ensue. But just because it seems cute on the surface, doesn't mean it lacks in high-quality action. The fight scenes are exciting and sexy as Rem transforms in order to adapt with each new dream scenario. Even Rem's clients can't seem to keep their hands off of themselves!

Have you ever watched a magical girl anime and thought to yourself, "This is cute, but I would love it if it had some violently intense sex scenes"? Then Angel Blade is the anime for you. It stars a hero who fights to protect innocent women and girls from sexual predators who seek to harm them. It has a wide variety of very sexy main characters. Plus some unique and interesting side characters. For one thing, it's not immediately obvious who the mysterious Angel Blade is. Even the girl who becomes Angel Blade has no idea! It is also an incredibly funny series. There's some really good humor revolving around the old wives' tale of "if you rub your breasts, they get bigger". To top it all off, there are plenty of wonderfully detailed, gorgeously animated sex scenes.

This is one of a collection of four different anime, known as The Little Mermaid Series. It's a sweet little yuri story about two best friends, Miko and Megami, who develop feelings for each other. Sadly, Miko catches Megami having sex with a boy in the park. Miko confides in a teacher, who comforts her in a most unusual and erotic way. Everything about this anime is wonderfully retro. The animation style, the music and even the sound effects all evoke a sense of nostalgia. The best examples of this are the sound effects during the tennis match scene and the surprisingly catchy recurring song "Magic Lady". Good luck getting that song out of your head. By today's standards, the sex scenes might seem a bit tame. Yet, a little bit of vanilla once in a while can be an enjoyable change of pace.

Roaming the streets in his bright pink taxi, this hunter stalks his prey; attractive women. His weapon of choice? Blackmail. The Taxi Driver's vehicle is so tricked out with various hidden cameras, he might as well be the James Bond of sexual coercion. He goes about his data collection like an exact science. Once he has the information he needs, he takes his trophy back to his lair and the fun begins. The music in this series adds a nice atmospheric touch to the intense drama. The chase is just as compelling as the kinky bondage.

What's cooler than ninjas? Sex ninjas! This is one anime that doesn't take itself too seriously. It has plenty of comedy with a touch of horror thrown in. A young ninja warrior has developed the ability to use her body as a literal weapon. Her hair, a deadly whip. Her pussy juice, a corrosive acid. Most creative of all, pubic hair needle darts! She must use the techniques she has learned, passed down from her grandmother, to take on the evil demon hoards. If this tickles your fancy, the sequel series La Blue Girl Returns, offers even more sex and more ninjas!

A classic battle of good and evil between angels and devils. Yet, it appears that this time the devils are the protagonists while the angels are the villains. The whole series is full of unique twists like this. Submissive characters take charge and become dominant. The shy nerd finds his heroic confidence. There is an intense rivalry between two devils, Carrera and Mercedes. Carrera is naturally gifted at manipulating humans, which Mercedes resents her for. But Carrera just wants Mercedes to like her. Futanari fans are sure to enjoy the angels' abduction of Carrera, as they purify her with "Holy Water". There's also some excellent comedic timing with Mercedes' frequent rage-filled outbursts as she fails time and again to match Carrera's popularity.

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Now we've reached the oldest and longest-running hentai anime on this list. It's an expansive collection of short stories, spanning across various genres. Brother/sister fun, Catholic school girls, Yuri, bondage, girls that cum rainbow glitter! (It was the 80's, after all) There is plenty on offer to suit everyone's tastes. For many years it was believed that this was the very first animated hentai to exist. That was eventually revealed not to be the case. Still, it's an excellent starting point for any new hentai fan to see what they might be into, all in one series!

The Experience Take the elevator up to floor 5 and upon entering the restaurant, you’ll be directed to take off your shoes and store them at the front. Slippers are provided for you for the length of your time there. Beautiful armor of famous warlords can be seen on display right at the front. Assuming you made a reservation as recommended, tell the host your name and you’ll be escorted to the bar or a private room depending on your party. Each room has themed décor of either Masamune Date, Sanada Yukimura, Maeda Keiji, or Nagamasa Asai. There are several drinking plans to choose from as well as meals for sharing or you can opt to simply buy whatever you like for yourself.

In the private rooms, you sit on thin cushions over polished wood surrounding a huge low table. Your waiter or waitress, dressed in period attire, greets you respectfully and tells you a little bit about the room you’re in. After taking your order, they’ll disappear out of the door and you’ll have a moment to take in the art and calligraphy adorning the walls.

Drinks range from delicious cocktails named after famous warlords like Uesugi Kenshin to traditional sake served in large red sakazuki, (wide, flat cups). An extra fun perk of ordering nihonshu is your server will pour your drinks and instruct you to yell banzai loudly before taking the first sip! Recommended food items would be the sashimi or hot pot to share, offering a more immersive and bonding experience. They also serve caesar salads, yakitori, and curry for more simple but delicious options. Some food options are arranged on dishes that invoke Sengoku imagery with castles and flags!

The demon king is now the ruler of the human realm and it is thanks to his trusty generals and the fallen holy knight Luvilias. Humans and demons now coexist in this new kingdom and with no more wars and conflicts, the demon king spends his free time humiliating his female generals in the most demeaning way possible. But the good news is, the generals—Iris, Lifulia, Tia, and now Luvilias—are enjoying the treatment. Giving Ochi Mono RPG Seikishi Ruvyrias episode 4 the 5th spot on our list was difficult because the story is dumb and confusing and the presentation outside of the sex scenes is laughably bad… But the anime makes up for it with lots of sex scenes, bondage, monster rape, and gangbangs. We know we have readers who are into monster sex and Ochi Mono RPG Seikishi Ruvyrias is the only good monster hentai anime to have come out in December to recommend. So anyway, the sex scenes are great and that’s because Ochi Mono RPG Seikishi Ruvyrias is animated by studio Majin, the same studio that animated Kuroinu: Kedakaki Seijo wa Hakudaku ni Somaru, one of the best hentai anime ever made. When it comes to monster sex, studio Majin is one of the best.

Our cute little landlady Miyuri drops by at Daisuke’s room to collect the monthly rent and instead of collecting the money and getting pounded by his massive flagpole of a cock, Miyuri is worried about Daisuke. You see, Daisuke is having a streak of bad luck, like setting the alarm at the wrong time, getting late to college, forgetting his wallet, getting peed on by a dog, and spilling his drink on his smartphone. What’s the cause of all this bad luck? It’s simple: Daisuke is haunted by an evil spirit, and it’s up to Miyuri and her skimpy shrine maiden costume to drive the evil entity away. The exorcism works, but, well, the evil spirit jumps out of Daisuke’s body and ends up possessing Miyuri! Uh, whoops! We said Dokidoki Little Ooyasan is repetitive and is by the numbers around 3-4 episodes, but thankfully, the anime mixed things up a bit in the final episode with the whole exorcism thing. It’s still some big guy knocking up a loli, but Dokidoki Little Ooyasan did it differently in episode 6 and the result is pretty wholesome. Dokidoki Little Ooyasan is still one of the best hentai anime out there, especially for loli fans, and we highly recommend this.

Ever since that happy little accident in episode 1, Amano Taichi’s life at school is great with every demi girl fawning over him and creaming their panties. No demi girl can resist his body’s aphrodisiac effect, even his high school crush wants his dick now. Man, this guy is living in a utopia filled with women! Love x Holic is definitely a very fun show with attractive character design and beautiful sex scenes by veteran hentai anime studio Seven, but episode 2 is a bit of a let-down because the foursome at the end was poorly executed. Typically, an ideal foursome involves the girls taking turns getting fucked and ends with all of them eating each other out. But unfortunately, Love x Holic episode 2 skipped the first step and our hero Taichi only fucked one girl while the rest just settled for cunnilingus and licking Taichi’s ballsack. Seriously, how is it even remotely possible to FUCK UP a foursome scene? But still, Love x Holic: Miwaku no Otome to Hakudaku Kankei The Animation is a high-quality hentai anime filled with beautiful demi girls and raunchy sex scenes.

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Shirosawa Takuya graduated from medical school and is working in Amagi University Hospital for training in various departments. His next stop is the respiratory medicine department, and there, he meets Amagi Ryou, his beautiful senpai from high school. Unlike the other departments, the respiratory medicine department is perhaps the hardest one for Takuya because Ryou-senpai loves to tease him a lot. Boku to Joi no Shinsatsu Nisshi The Animation is an alternate take on 2018’s Boku to Nurse no Kenshuu Nisshi The Animation with the main character Shirasawa Takuya ending up with his senpai and fellow doctor Amagi Ryou instead of his childhood friend and hospital nurse Akagi Mio. The pacing and mood of the story is different in Boku to Joi with lots of foreplay like Ryou taking the lead with her teasing Takuya, teaching Takuya how to “properly” use the stethoscope, Ryou stroking Takuya’s cock with her feet while he’s writing his report, and it eventually leads to them finally having sex a lot. Is there any backstory as to why Ryou likes Takuya or any why she’s attracted to him? Well, no, and honestly it doesn’t matter because Boku to Joi is a fun vanilla experience featuring a simple story, a bit of femdom, a more mature and assertive main girl, and a nice happy ending.

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The story is simple and straight to the point so once the introductions are over, it’s fucking after fucking throughout. Our hero, Souichi Takazaki, has gained the ability to take control of people’s bodies, and instead of using his power for good, Takazaki uses it to control the bodies of his classmate, teacher, and step-sister against their will and turn them into his personal sex slaves. There are a lot of hentai anime with hypnosis, but Kutsujoku mixes things up a bit with body control—the victims cannot control what their body is doing and they’re fully aware of what’s happening to them. We didn’t include Kutsujoku episode 1 in last November’s list because we think the other shows were a lot better, and the reason why episode 2 is in the December list is simply that we need a great orgy scene to end 2019. As for visuals, though, Kutsujoku is typical T-Rex quality and it can be a good thing or a bad thing—Studio T-Rex is reliable in delivering great sex scenes, but you may get tired of seeing the same art style over and over again. Thankfully, Kutsujoku has some great ahegao (orgasm faces) scenes along with a great orgy scene at the end.

If you’ve seen Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey, the titular duo challenges the Grim Reaper to a series of games (such as Clue, Battleship, Twister, and an electronic football board game) in order to come back to life. When you watch (or if you have seen) Death Parade, it re-tools that notion to something a little different. So, when you die in Death Parade, instead of going to Heaven or Hell, you end up in a place that looks like a bar and you challenge the bartender to a game. If you win, you’re reincarnated. If you lose, then you’re gone forever. What makes Death Parade stand out isn’t the intensity of the stakes, but how the experience makes the person reflect on who they were in life, and the experience gives them opportunities to try to make peace with themselves one last time regardless of the results. While we can’t speak for the actual dead, Death Parade does give viewers the chance to think that when we die, are we truly at peace with ourselves? Take, for example, you suddenly die in an accident while listening to your favorite song on the radio. If you died that way, do you think you would be at peace with yourself? Unfortunately, for some people who depart from this world no matter how they pass, leave with unfinished business, and the setting of Death Parade offers the chance for its cast to settle with their baggage, and give the audience time to reflect on their own lives as if they could die at any moment’s notice.

Five years prior to the start of Anohana, Mieko, a sixth grade girl, tragically passed away in an accident. Since then, Jinta, one of Mieko’s friends, chooses to live as a hikikomori, or a shut-in. Then suddenly, the ghost of Mieko, who assumes the form of a teenager, appears before Jinta telling him she can’t move on until she fulfills her wish. Not knowing (or remembering) what her wish is, Jinta reunites with the rest of his old friends to help her. Anahana shows not only how the loss of a loved one can affect someone, but what such an event could do to children. In this case, it does drive a group of friends apart as they go on to live their own lives for the next five years when, in fact, they should’ve been there for each other. Despite the appearance of Mieko’s ghost, getting the group back together is a difficult yet realistic journey in itself. The characters are initially full of doubt and jealousy, but they have to confront their past in order to move towards the future.

Tsukasa Mizugaki is your typical underachiever in the world of animation. He was unable to get into college but manages to gain employment through SAI Corp, the world’s largest providers of androids. In the world of Plastic Memories, androids have a lifespan of 81,920 hours. Once the androids reach their expiration date, they lose not only their memories but also their self-control and can become violent. Tsukasa is partnered with Isla, another android, as they work together to find androids reaching their expiry date and shut them down before it’s too late. Unfortunately, upon Isla’s introduction, she only has 2000 hours left and, in that time, Tsukasa and Isla’s relationship becomes something more. OK, so the whole story of boy meets cyber-girl has been done in anime before but Plastic Memories gives it a different spin. What Plastic Memories does best is using the notion of the time you have left to make some unforgettable memories. While Isla will eventually lose her memories, for Tsukasa, it’ll be the most impacting experience he ever had. What Tsukasa and viewers can take from this series is that even though the time they spent together was short, it’ll forever mean something to both of them, and Tsukasa can go on with his life having a better appreciation for himself and with a more positive outlook.

Wolf Children, directed by the acclaimed Mamoru Hosoda, is probably one of anime’s most relevant films as its an accurate critique of some aspects of modern Japanese society. Hana was just an average college girl living in the city when she meets and falls in love with a man who happens to be a werewolf. Despite his true form, she continues her relationship with him and they have two children together. Unfortunately, Hana loses the man she loves in an accident and is forced to raise her two half-wolf children alone. While single parenthood (whether by choice, divorce, or being widowed) can be difficult and rewarding, Wolf Children excellently shows what it’s like to be a single parent in Japan. Wolf Children shows that Japanese society looks down on single parents as Hana struggles to raise them on her own. In addition to the external portrayal of society, Wolf Children positively shows the audience that single parents make sacrifices like no other to take care of their children.

Like Jojo and Persona, Kill la Kill is another series that feels like a psychedelic experience with its vibrant visuals. Ryuuko Matoi, a teenage trained killer, is searching for the man who killed her father. Her quest leads her to Honnouji Academy, which is ruled by the iron fist of its student council. In order to boost their abilities, student council members wears special clothes called Goku Uniforms. Thankfully, Ryuuko’s unique weapon has the ability to cut those uniforms. Due to her situation at her school, Ryuuko’s quest for vengeance is put on hold. Putting all that aside, through Ryuuko’s journey of vengeance, the viewers aren’t treated to a mere fest of panty shots, skimpy clothing, and high-octane action sequences, but a young lady’s struggle against the system at her school. When you take into account inequality between men and women around the world, most especially in Japan (despite Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s efforts in encouraging equality for women in the workplace), Kill la Kill shows that women are more than capable. When you see Ryuuko take on her school, the audience is treated to a fight that is universally relatable as a teenage rebel goes against struggles that have been going on for generations. While equality between men and women have progressed in many parts of the world, Kill la Kill shows that Japan is more than ready for empowered women to take over!

As we have shared in other articles in relation to Psycho-Pass, it’s the anime for those that love cyberpunk, especially those that are based on the works of Philip K. Dick. Dystopian futures have long been a theme in cyberpunk, but Psycho-Pass takes it to a whole different level that makes the viewers think in a different way. While most Western media tends to look at issues in black and white, the world of anime is willing to look at the shades of gray. Through Akane’s journey in Psycho-Pass, the audience is going to get that. Try to imagine a society where the authorities use technology to analyze a person’s intent based on their emotions and/or psychological state. If that system determines an individual is a criminal, law enforcement has the authority to arrest or execute that person. When Akane learns the truth about how law enforcement in her world works, she does react in disgust. In most Western media, she would go rogue and shut it down. However, she has to deal with the reality of the society she lives in. She comes to see that the system her government uses as a necessary evil, but she still wants to find a way to protect basic human rights and keep her job. The distinguishing way Psycho-Pass explores the moral issues that have long been presented in cyberpunk will probably not make audiences reevaluate their principles, but it’ll still make them wonder how they would act if they were in Akane’s shoes.

In the 90s, the magical girl genre had a big boom thanks to the international popularity of Sailor Moon. Shortly after, many other magical girl anime came out riding off its coattails. However, Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magic challenges the traditional tropes of the genre and yet still stays true to them. Like your typical group of junior high school girls, Madoka and her friends are chosen to be magical girls by Kyubey, a cat-like creature. While they may think it may be the coolest thing that ever happened to them, little do they know that they’re in for a rude awakening when Akemi, a transfer student, warns them the dangers that could come with such a role. Yes, it may be cool for a schoolgirl to get magical powers to fight the forces of evil, but Madoka shows that having such powers in order to fight otherworldly threats can be disastrous. The titular Madoka is still very much in-tune with the traditional magical girl hero, however, the fresh approach the series takes explores her choices and journey is an effective re-evaluation of the genre’s tropes. By no means does it insult the genre and its predecessors, but gives its themes a much more realistic and gritty portrayal. To be honest, if any teenager wants to be a hero, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows and when facing supernatural beings, someone is going to get hurt or killed.

Thanks to the rising popularity of Hanyu Yuzuru, one of Japan’s top male figure skaters, MAPPA can now provide audiences an anime with a figure skating theme, Yuri!!! on Ice. Yuri Katsuki is a talented figure skater, but is one of the sport's biggest underachievers. All of that changes when his idol, Russian sensation Viktor Nikiforov retires and becomes Yuri’s coach. With Viktor now serving as Yuri’s coach, all the attention is focused on him now more than ever. The story allows their relationship to progress naturally in a manner that relates to all audiences regardless of their orientation, and it gives one of the most positive portrayals of LGBTQ relationships in all forms of media. The intimate moments they share together can be awkward, but at the same time, not make those scenes feel like fan service as the audience can see what they’re feeling is truly something real and blooming. Yuri!!! on Ice excellently shows how Viktor and Yuri slowly come to terms with their feelings for each other in both a professional and personal manner. In addition to their relationship, Yuri!!! on Ice has some amazing visuals and music that do an excellent job of portraying the artistic sport of figure skating.

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At a close second, we have Makoto Shinkai’s Your Name, one of Japan’s highest-grossing films. Your Name is the perfect film on how a sarcastic comment can lead to one of the biggest adventures of a lifetime as Mitsuha, a shrine girl from the mountains of Gifu Prefecture, just wishes she could be a city boy. The following morning, she wakes up and gets her wish as she switches bodies with Taki. With this mysterious switch in identities, they do their best to not only experience each other’s lives, but also help each other out. Despite the movie’s positive reception, Shinkai personally feels he could’ve done better if it weren’t for budget restraints. Regardless, Your Name does a great job of combining comedy, romance, religion, and a little bit of sci-fi for one of anime’s most unique stories ever told. Thanks to their shared experiences, both main characters and the audience can get an idea of what it’s like to be in another person’s shoes and how we could benefit from such mentalities. Thanks to Your Name’s accurate portrayals of certain landmarks in downtown Shinjuku and the countryside of Gifu Prefecture, many fans have visited these locations to take pictures by reenacting key scenes.

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At number one, we have to give it to Shuuichi Watanabe’s latest hit, Carole & Tuesday. In the future, mankind has migrated to Mars. While technology is advanced there, many modern problems that we see today are still happening on Mars such as income racism. However, the titular duo, Carol and Tuesday, who come from different worlds, form an unbreakable bond forged by their common dreams. After moving in together, they put in the hard work and dedication to become Mars’ next big hit! While a lot of the themes and other elements portrayed in this series are consistent with Watanabe’s other works, Carole & Tuesday takes them to a whole new level. This anime is universal with its cast of characters, its themes and messages, and most of all, its powerful soundtrack. With all the problems going on in the world, Carole & Tuesday is the one anime that teaches us that instead of looking at what makes us different, we should look at how we’re all the same.

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If you’re going to watch Gundam in chronological order as opposed to release order, then you have to start with The Origin. It’s a six-part OVA series that tells the origin of Char Aznable, the antagonist turned anti-hero of the original Universal Century releases. Through Origin, viewers can learn why Char becomes the man he is in the original Gundam series, Zeta Gundam, and Char’s Counterattack. You see how he develops his skills as a pilot and his cunning as a leader. In addition, you learn a bit about some other characters from the original series like Ranba Ral and you get a glimpse of what Amuro was doing shortly before he became the Gundam pilot. While The Origin came out 35 years after Gundam’s debut, its artistic style is still very much in-tune with the original series since Yoshikazu Yasuhiko, the character designer of the original series, also served as the designer for The Origin. When you watch The Origin, it’ll make your viewing experience of the UC (especially from Gundam to Char’s Counterattack) much richer!

As to why we are suggesting the trilogy over the original series, it’s because the remake trilogy serves as the official canon. The Trilogy is comprised of Mobile Suit Gundam I, Mobile Suit Gundam II: Soldiers of Sorrow, and Mobile Suit Gundam III: Encounters in Space. As to how they differ, that’s another article for another time. So what proof do we have that the trilogy is the official canon? It’s provided in Char’s Counterattack. As Char recalls in that movie when Lalah (his companion) was killed by Amuro in Encounters in Space, Char remembers he almost killed Sayla, his own sister. In the flashback in Char’s Counterattack, Sayla is piloting the Core Booster fighter jet, which is Sayla’s jet in the movie. In the original series, Sayla was piloting the G-Fighter in that scene. The trilogy excellently condenses 43 episodes into three 2-hour movies and tells the same story and gets rid of the “gimmicks” (such as the G-Fighter and the Gundam’s ball-in-chain) from the original TV series to give it a more realistic feel.

0080 was the first Gundam installment not directed by its original creator, Yoshiyuki Tomino. This side story takes place around Christmas of UC 0079 so it coincides with the climax of the original trilogy. The main setting of 0080 is the neutral space colony of Side 6, which was introduced in the third movie of the trilogy, and viewers are treated to the point of view of Alfred Izuruha, a fifth-grader who thinks war is cool until he experiences it first hand. Considering that Grave of the Fireflies premiered a year before 0080, the theme of telling a war story from the point of view of a child seemed to be a novelty to capitalize on. Through 0080, fans can learn that in war, both sides have their good and bad people, and the effect war has on children. Lastly, the battles offer a different sense of intensity since they focus more on guerrilla tactics as opposed to going in guns blazing.

Like 0080, 08th MS Team is another side story that takes place during the events of the third movie of the original trilogy. In this installment, the Earth Federation finally has its own mass-produced mech platoons, which is what the titular 08th MS Team is. What makes this series unique compared to other Gundam installments is that opposed to having “evolved” humans duking it out, audiences are treated to more “realistic” battles, as they take place in the jungle, and those conditions play a huge part in the outcome. While Shiro, the main character, can be a cowboy at times, he’s a leader by example and he really cares about his soldiers. 08th MS Team largely relies on tactics and each member of the squad has a certain role to play, and if one member fails, then the whole team could meet their doom. Compared to the traditional heroic elements in other Gundam installments where pilots can be overpowered. The battles in 08th MS team offer a distinct sense of danger that’ll have you on the edge of your seat!

Artyom, the protagonist of the Metro franchise, is not one of those characters who love monologuing and talking to people. In fact, when playing as Artyom, you'll find yourself alone most of the time... or in the company of nefarious mutants who want to kill you. However, the interactions with his friends and wife are deeply emotional considering the current state of post-apocalyptic Russia. Artyom is for sure one of the best heroes of 2019. Yet, he's just a human, with a lot of flaws, fears, and regrets. We don't want to spoil the story by going over all the perils the Aurora crew had to face, so go play Metro Exodus! Artyom is a character that feels extremely real despite the fictional context of this video game, and that's why he deserves a spot in our 2019 list. He went through a lot just to find a little piece for himself, but also salvation for his people.

How could we miss the protagonist of what many consider the best action game of the year? Sekiro, also known as Wolf even though we don't know his real name, is a man who lost it all and is then given a second opportunity. However, this doesn't mean he's allowed to have a normal life... Being a shinobi who also happens to use a lot of prosthetic tools and weapons, Sekiro is not only deadly but incredibly cool! Trained by a father figure we know as Owl, and granted with a rare ability that lets him come back to life for back-stabbing revenge, what's not to envy from him? Besides, the whole setting of Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice makes of its protagonist one of the most interesting characters ever.

Look, we all know the Star Wars Universe is kind of a mess now, at least in what has to do with the latest movies released. When it comes to games though, we can't forget about EA's loot-show in Battlefront 2, so there was almost no hype for a new Star Wars entry. However, Jedi: Fallen Order managed to not only become a new sensation but also introduce a likable and interesting new Jedi protagonist: Cal Kestis. As a Force-sensitive young boy, Kal was trained by a Jedi Master... but by now we should know there can't be a good Star Wars story if there's no tragedy for a padawan, right? Alone after his mentor's death and now being chased by the Galactic Empire, it's not that hard to sympathize with Cal in his quest for answers. All in all, the spectacular narrative of Jedi: Fallen Order has a lot to do with Cal's popularity, and we can't but recommend this game to everyone we come across.

We could start by mentioning how important is for modern games to have non-binary characters, but let's leave that for another day, shall we? In fact, this is not about gender equality at all; it's just that not knowing who or what FL4K really is—and we really hope it stays that way!—is what makes this character so amazing... that, and their stupidly overpowered builds! All we know about FL4K is that it's a Beastmaster AI who can critical-hit you while invisible or use their 3 sidekick pets to wreak havoc. And that's more than enough! If you're here for the looks, FL4K does indeed look great; if you fancy a deadly character, FL4K definitely is one of them; and if all you need is a Vault Hunter that's fun to play but also gives you enough room for crazy or rather unique builds, FL4K fits that role too! Borderlands 3 is an excellent game overall, but we definitely think FL4K is one of the many reasons we all love it.

So here we are, talking about the best male video game character of 2019, and yet we can't talk too much about him without spoiling the story. While discovering the origins and motivations of any character is always one of the strongest points of a video game, if your protagonist is an alcoholic bastard who wakes up naked and amnesic, then you know you're up to something big. And that's just the start of Disco Elysium, a fantastic role-playing game that's all about exploration and narrative. Just to reveal the protagonist's name feels like spoiling a portion of the game for you. What we can say though is that we're talking about a police detective in a dystopic reality full of peculiar characters willing to mess with you in more than one way, and there's an unsolved mystery to keep you going. Both the narrative and freedom of Disco Elysium are key to enjoy its protagonist from start to finish, and more so when all these customization options and different skills give you a lot of replay value. Only those who play Disco Elysium will understand why this character is our #1 leading male of 2019, so what are you waiting for??

A lot of isekai stories start with a man dying before becoming the hero of a new, monster-infested world, but this is not quite the case. In Hataage! Kemono Michi we definitely have a hero, a pro wrestler that vanishes before the eyes of the public in the middle of a fight, only to learn that he's being summoned by a princess to destroy all the beasts that wander the kingdom... but little did princess Altena know about Genzou's unconditional love for animals! Instead of fighting monsters, Kemono Michi is a show about a guy befriending these creatures under the most incredible circumstances, and somehow drawing an interesting harem-like group of girls with animal treats, from a nefarious vampire to a servant wolf-girl to a destructive half-dragon loli. All in all, this anime is kind of a parody of a lot of isekai tropes, although it also uses some of them if needed.

Did someone mention tropes? Well, you can't have an isekai anime without them, but at least you can try to shake things up by starting with something completely unexpected. What if there's an isekai anime with a female, magicless protagonist?! Ascendance of a Bookworm deals with an adult female book-lover who reincarnates in a medieval world after ironically being crushed to death by a pile of books. The only problem is that, in this new world, books are nowhere to be found... and she's just a little girl! Now as Maine, this girl's only purpose in life is to find any books or create them herself if there's no other choice, but for a five-year-old girl in a poor state, this doesn't sound like an easy task. Will she be able to learn to read and write in a "foreign" language, and then create books in a world where ordinary people don't even know about their existence? Find out by watching this great isekai of 2019!

The first part of this story featured 24 episodes, but the first season of the War of Underworld arc is not only better but even more epic! Alicization, as you may know, is the new installment of the Sword Art Online franchise, a story about Kazuto Kirigaya (aka Kirito) being transported to a video game that feels all too real. In this case, that game is what we know as Underworld... but is it really a game? The best part of this story, other than the gorgeous art, is that it gives more screen time to the whole cast of protagonists, sometimes even ignoring Kirito as the main character. The story is rather complex, but we have a lot of action scenes building up to the War of Underworld too. However, this is only the introduction to that, as there are a few sequels already confirmed to expand the whole plot. If you like your isekai with some dark elements to spice things up, go ahead and give SAO: Alicization a try!

Now, the next two shows definitely feel similar to each other, and maybe that's why a lot of people love them both. So first, let's talk about Shinchou Yuusha, a simple anime about a hero being summoned to save a world on the brink of destruction... but with a twist! The hero of the story is Seiya Ryuuguuin, a seemingly normal human summoned by Ristarte, a goddess who soon discovers that Seiya has stupidly high stats for an earthling. However, while Seiya does indeed level up incredibly fast, he has one little defect: he likes to take an awful lot of precautions before every action. Oh, and he also loves to ignore her! The character chemistry here is great, and not for the right reasons, although you'll also like the secondary characters and how they interact with the protagonist duo. It may be corny and too cliché at some times, but it also delivers a nice and unexpected plot-twist by the end. Be sure to watch it from start to finish!

Just like Shinchou Yuusha, this is the story of a human being transported to a world that's about to be destroyed by evil forces. The difference is that Naofumi Iwatani, the protagonist, is part of a larger group of heroes that will help him in this adventure. Because they are there to help him, right?? Starting with the wrong foot, Naofumi discovers that not only the other 3 heroes are too narcissistic and selfish to act as a group, but he's also the only one who doesn't have a weapon! Using only his shield—which in time becomes both a pìece of armor and a weapon too—and accompanied by his trusty sidekicks, Raphtalia and Filo, Naofumi is now the only reliable hope to save this world. That's how the quest against the Calamities starts! In terms of quality, Tate no Yuusha doesn't excel in any category but does not fall below the average either, so we may not have the best storytelling or the most unique plot and characters, but it's a very good show nonetheless and definitely fulfills its purpose. Also, it has in Raphtalia one of the waifus of the year according to the general audience, and we agree!

Suicide plays a big part in this series, and the debate of legalizing suicide becomes a central theme in the final minutes of episode 6. Considering Japan’s historically high suicide rates, we have to say Babylon is courageous for tackling the problem from realistic perspectives. In the debate, many politicians representing their respective parties go on TV to debate Kaika Itsuki, the mayor of Shiniki who supports legalizing suicide. One politician debates how it affects the economy, another takes the position on how legalizing suicide can have negative effects on society, and one takes into account the human factor as to why such a law wouldn’t work. Kaika also finds ways to counter each argument and expresses how legalizing suicide can help reduce it as opposed to increasing it, as it allows people to openly discuss it more honestly instead of just hiding it.

The true villain of this series is none other than Ai Magase. It seems that any man who has some sort of contact with her immediately commits suicide. Not only can she bend any man to her will, but she’s also a master of disguise who can blend into any environment. With Seizaki knowing she’s up to no good and that she has political ties, he does everything he can to investigate her and that leads him to her uncle who runs a clinic in Kyoto. From her uncle, Seizaki learns that Ai was adopted and ever since she was a pre-teen, she’s always had this “power” over men, and she even used it on her own uncle while he was attempting to treat her. While it’s not explained why she has this “power,” thanks to her seductive looks, she can make men believe that she raped them when she was in junior high. As an adult, this “power” goes as far as convincing people to kill themselves!

As to what kicked off the suicide debate in episode 6, it relates to the ending of episode 3 when a group of people committed suicide by throwing themselves off a skyscraper. Itsuki becomes the center of the debate because prior to this mass suicide, he announced his support for legalizing it. What makes this scene impactful is whether or not Itsuki organized it to make his point, or if it was just a coincidence. All the audience knows for certain is that Seizaki saw Ai on the scene, and that she was smiling about it. Considering that the people who jumped off the building were also in trance-like state, there’s no fooling the audience that Ai and Itsuki are conspiring to push forward their personal agendas (when it comes to spoiler territory, we won’t push that far).

The alleged suicide of Fumio, Seizaki’s partner in episode 1, sets the events of this series in motion. Even prior to Fumio’s passing, they were already investigating a string of suspicious suicides and when they get a solid lead, Fumio chooses to pursue it alone. When Seizaki and Fumio share what would then become their last conversation, Fumio’s resolve in pursuing justice was just as assuring as Seizaki’s to the point that nobody would believe he had any intentions of committing suicide. Considering the conviction Fumio had in his chat with Seizaki, he was certainly murdered and shortly after, Shiniki’s mysterious suicides begin to pile up to the point that whatever happened to Fumio, wasn’t a coincidence.

As an extension of number 1, the suicide debate, one of the politicians uses an elementary student whose father wants to kill himself in strengthening his argument. The politician opposing suicide uses this boy to appeal to the audience as to how suicide can affect families. As it turns out, the boy wants to run for Shiniki’s parliament. Considering there are no age limits, he gets the endorsements of the politicians present. However, things take a sharp turn when it’s revealed that the boy happens to be Itsuki’s son. Itsuki then admits that he wanted to commit suicide so he could donate his heart to his son, who suffers from a fatal heart condition, and uses that as justification as to why suicide should be legal. However, he reconsiders his position and makes himself the good guy by clearing up any misunderstandings with his son and supporting his political aspirations. However, viewers know this is nothing more than a ploy for Itsuki to further strengthen his power.

We all know how popular the isekai genre is right now, especially when it comes to incredible settings and beautiful landscapes. But actually, there's isekai for everyone; we have a story about a video game world in Overlord, we have a more serious plot in Re:Zero, we also have the lighthearted feeling of Konosuba, and yet we have something totally different and darker in Youjo Senki. With such diversity in terms of origins and characters, who would think that all these shows could converge on an even more crazy anime?! Apparently, someone did! And now it's more than a stupid "what if". Isekai Quartet is one of the best comedy shows of Spring 2019! All your favorite main characters are now part of the same classroom, and as we could imagine, some of them are not so happy about it, and not all of them get along with their classmates either. If you love Japanese humor and short skits, this one's for you!

On the ecchi side of things, we have Hibiki, Akemi, Gina, and Ayaka, a group of girls that decided they could benefit from some body exercise. However, things are not that easy for the slightly overweight Hibiki, and she definitely has a hard time trying to cope with her feeding habits and her overly active friends. The bright side for you? There are a lot of hilarious situations unfolding one after the other, and always involving super hot men and women! Dumbbell Nan Kilo Moteru? is an educational show, so most of the things you find here are actually informative. You'll learn about how your body works and how to be more healthy with some nutrition and training tips here and there to try and motivate you. All in all, this is also one of the funniest shows of 2019, and you don't even need to be fit to enjoy it. Actually, if somebody dares to say something like "stop watching anime about people doing exercise and hit an actual gym", tell them you're exercising a lot of muscles just by laughing, after all!

So let's say you get tired just by watching people do their thing at the gym, and now you feel like watching something more tender instead. Oh, and you like animals too? Then we definitely have a solution! Our #3 show is My Roommate is a Cat, a cute and cozy anime about a young adult dealing with the daily wonders of having an adorable-yet-mischievous feline at home. This is by no means one of those shows that give you one joke after the other. On the contrary, the comedy element to this shows comes in the form of the awkward interaction between Subaru and Haru, a guy that barely can take care of himself and a cat who, after having a rough time living in the streets, is now taking advantage of the luxurious life Subaru provides. It's hard to watch this show without a smile on your face from start to end, and more so if you're a cat owner yourself.

No best comedy anime list would be complete without one of those weird shows full of nonsense elements, no matter the year! That's why we NEED to talk about Sarazanmai, a show full of kappa references, farting and other eschatological jokes, and a lot of connections to real-life Japan and its culture. And yes, we know that not all of you like Japanese humor, but trust us when we say the whole concept of Sarazanmai is worthy of your time! Besides all the absurdity you can imagine, Sarazanmai also deals with the most thought-provoking concepts, like the awkwardness of human interaction (or the lack of), how far we can go in the search of validation, and how incomprehensible or morally questionable our deepest secrets can be, even if we have a completely reasonable explanation for them. If you haven't watched it yet, just go watch Sarazanmai's first episode after finishing our article; you'll find yourself laughing at the most random things, only to feel uncomfortably guilty after getting the whole picture. We hope you like kappas, though!

This might be funny to watch now, but there's nothing to laugh about when it comes to dealing with your highschool crush and trying to play it cool. Both Miyuki and Kaguya are in love with each other, but being the president and vice president of the Student Council, it's hard for them to admit it and neglect their reputations. In fact, they try so hard to hide their true emotions that being the first one to confess would feel like being defeated, and so the war begins! While both Kaguya and Miyuki are funny in their own way, the rest of the Student Council—Chika and Yuu, secretary and treasurer— also play a significant role in the whole situation, more often than not finding themselves as frustrated and puzzled as we the viewers are. But hey, if it were so simple for these two lovebirds to confess their love, we wouldn't have such a fabulous show in the first place! For us, Kaguya-sama: Love is War is the best comedy anime of 2019, and we're so looking forward to season 2!

Let's open with Baba Is You, a puzzle game that forces you to think outside of the box, bending the rules of each maze-like puzzle. The premise of the game is that instead of defeating infinite waves of enemies, you have to push and pull blocks around to defeat your own logical thinking. In every stage, you'll find a set of blocks—some times with words, some times with objects—that you can push and pull to create different sentences that set the current rules for a puzzle; for example, moving a block may be the difference between 'water is defeat' and 'water is win'. The uniqueness of Baba Is You is the perfect hook for an indie game, especially when the top-down perspective and 2D graphics are part of the gameplay mechanics. You definitely want to go further, but you're not doing it because of the story... you're just challenging yourself. All in all, Baba Is You demonstrates that you don't need gorgeous graphics when it comes to puzzle video games; you just need to be clever about the gameplay. Yeah, Portal taught us how to think with portals... but now we also know how to think with word-blocks!

If you fancy a more vibrant color palette and a catchy soundtrack full of electronic music, then let's move on to Sayonara Wild Hearts. After all, it is well known that a woman with a broken heart can lead to the most incredible pop songs, and that's exactly what happens in this surrealistic rhythm game full of polygons and flashy lights. Sayonara Wild Hearts is one of the most interesting experimental video games of 2019 and probably of the decade, innovating in a genre that was becoming too monotonous. Heavily inspired by Tarot elements, this game is all about colors and music, with every stage having a different approach in terms of gameplay mechanics. Some people may view it as a collection of minigames, while others may think of it as a powerful story that relies on subtlety to fulfill its mission, but in the end, the best part of Sayonara Wild Hearts is that it can be whatever you want it to be! As long as you try this one out, we don't care if you're playing it aiming for a perfect run or just to experience the feelings of the protagonist.

Our next game is Disco Elysium, a role-playing experience that gives you not only the freedom to create the character you want to be but also has an incredible art-style to better illustrate its dystopian-yet-lively world around you. In this world, the line between good and evil is extremely blurred, and every character has a story to tell... something you have to pay attention to since you play as a detective on a murder case. However, this is a narrative-heavy gem and we don't want to spoil the details to you, so do yourself a favor and just play the hell out of this game! We love Disco Elysium because it takes us back to the roots of RP games, even with some rng involved, just like when you roll the dices when playing a pen-and-paper RPG. Solving the murder case is just a tiny part of this game, and with all these customization elements and different dialogue outcomes, just walking the immersive streets of Revachol city is enough motivation for all of us who enjoy interactive stories and world-building. With so much replay value and a lot of peculiar characters waiting for you, Disco Elysium is a dream come true for every role-playing fan out there.

Do you have 22 free minutes? And what if those 22 minutes, are your last 22 minutes alive? In Outer Wilds, you only have 22 minutes to avoid being killed by the exploding sun... and if you die, you're forced to go back in time and try again and again until you finally find a solution to your inevitable death. On the other hand, 22 minutes are not enough for exploring the complex worlds around you in search of clues, reinforcing that feeling that every second counts. While it definitely sounds like a horror story, Outer Wilds is more about exploring a solar system full of unique planets, each with their own story and mysteries. It has a little bit of No Man's Sky, it has a little bit of Subnautica, but it also feels like The Witness, with all these puzzles and the splendid environmental storytelling. This is definitely a challenging game since everything depends on you and your investigations, but once you get used to the inevitable time-loops, your unquenchable desire for answers becomes the perfect fuel to keep you going. This is not a game for everyone, but it's the perfect indie game for those who love exploration and adventure.

Do you remember Her Story? It's one of the best games of 2015, a mix of live-action footage and some point-and-click mechanics that make you feel like you're the actual detective browsing the files of a police computer. Well, the person behind that game is none other than Sam Barlow, who's also responsible for Telling Lies a game that goes exactly the same way: you have to browse the different files on a desktop computer to solve a mystery, but this time everything is even better! The interaction between these characters is awesome, and that's why Telling Lies just works. It's a video game, it's a masterpiece in storytelling... it's art, but it's also an experience that feels unbelievably real. In fact, watching all these videos and phone calls never feels boring, even when that's everything you do—other than putting the pieces together—in Telling Lies. Can you really separate facts from fiction? That's for you to discover in one of the best indie games of 2019! We really hate being vague about the plot here, but trust us, this is the best we can do for you with regards to this game!