Episode 1: The Earth is destroyed. This is Knights of Sidonia, a mecha tragedy set on the gigantic spaceship, Sidonia as they escape from these freakish alien creatures determined to destroy the remnants of humanity. Following ace mecha pilot Nagate Tanikaze, we watch as this small group of survivors attempt to overcome their own goals and delusion of power just to escape from this alien threat. With CG animation by Polygon Pictures, it displays an incredible sense of depth as these worlds come to life. Both seasons of Knights of Sidonia are available to watch on Netflix and I still consider it to be the best show on the service. It’s brutal, dark and most importantly: intriguing. It’s the sort of show that you can’t take your eyes away from as it presents us with another snippet of information about the cruel, desperate spaceship of Sidonia.

Lupin III is a classic masterpiece of the ages. Whether it’s the first series, the darker spin-off “The Women Called Fujiko Mine” or the modern sequel, Lupin III: L’avventura Italiana, the Lupin series holds up as a great adventure series despite its age. With the character dynamics between the loyal Daisuke Jigen, the master swordsman Goemon Ishikawa XIII and the manipulative femme fatale Fujiko Mine, each episode plays out in a new way with these incredibly elaborate heists and trickery. Lupin III is one of the best action-comedy series of all time and whilst you don’t need to have watched the originals to experience its new iterations, they’re great in their own right. Whilst the character dynamics remain consistent throughout the series, they all seem to grow in different ways as they go through these completely unique scenarios.

Monster is a more realistic, mature narrative within the anime medium. Very much embracing the typical view of what a seinen anime should be, it’s a frantic escape from a corrupt world as Kenzo Tenma tries to prove his innocence in this incredible psychological thriller. Facing up against the manipulative ‘monster’, Johan, it makes for a brilliant conflict throughout this fairly long series. It turns from a story of corruption within the upper class of society into an exploration of the underbelly of the world as Johan leaves hell in his wake. Monster makes for one of anime’s greatest thriller series and I can’t stop recommending it to anyone I meet. It’s a must watch seinen anime that will leave you breathless after each and every episode. Also, the English dub for Dr. Reichwein may be the greatest gift anime has bestowed upon us.

Outside Japan, anime fans like to refer to themselves as ‘otaku’ without really understanding the real meaning behind the term. Rather than some prestigous label, the term is regarded as an insult. A jab at those who obsessively dedicate their lives to a fandom, whether it be anime, video games or even warplanes (Looking at you, Miyazaki!) Genshiken is an investigation into the lives of these people as they develop from teenagers into adults and their perspective on their hobbies change. It offers no dramatic message or ideology and plays out as a mature exploration into their lives. It’s an exceptional series and it hits a brand new level in Genshiken: The Second Generation as it starts to deal with more themes and our characters must make way for a new sort of cast with their own unique obsessions. It’s a unique coming-of-age story that combines comedy and drama to create something inspirational.

Sometimes seinen magazines need something light and enjoyable to counteract the more serious stories that they survive on. Non Non Biyori is one of Monthly Comic Alive’s flagship series with its heartwarming narrative and atmosphere that has inspired anime fans ever since its anime adaptation in 2013. With incredible visuals and a style of comedy that synergises with its endearing tone to create something indescribably wonderful. There’s moments that stand out within each episode as these kids in the countryside explore the beauties of everyday life. It’s surreal how good Non Non Biyori really is and it’s the sort of story that only those that have really left childhood behind can truly appreciate. It’s a great callback to those moments where everything in life was an adventure and it stands out as something amazing. Make sure to also check out the sequel, Non Non Biyori Repeat.

Probably one of the more popular series on this list, the Monogatari series plays out far differently from its light novel counterpart with the anime being directed by the slightly insane Akiyuki Shinbo. Within his series, every frame is regarded as a piece of art within itself and through impressionist and absurdist movements, Shinbo delivers the narrative of particular scenes through clever framing and set design. Whilst some may regard it as a harem anime, it’s focus lies in its exploration of traditional Japanese supernatural mystery. The series has since expanded into a cult phenomenon with several sequels each covering a different mystery within the Monogatari story. Fans have already fallen in love with the cast over and over again and I reckon it’s about time you did as well.

This is a long one, I’ll admit. It can be extremely difficult to persuade someone to give up their time to invest in a full 99 episode series but Space Brothers makes for a rewarding experience everytime as you watch through this incredibly grounded (Irony not intended) show. On the surface, it’s a really slow story about a man who becomes an astronaut, but at its core it’s far more than that. It’s a tale of working to make your dreams come true. No skipping steps, no lazing about and most importantly, no giving up. Space Brothers is a show that not only makes its long run time digestible, but uses it in a way to deliver a genuinely realistic and mature story about following your passions. Unlike anime aimed at a younger audience, it doesn’t try to make out anything as easy and it balances reality and passion in such an incredibly charming way.

It’s time for a confession. I’ve been keeping it a secret for a while (In reality, I don’t shut up about it), but I really really love GA Art Design Class. Skit comedy shows are a guilty pleasure of mine and despite those that try to pull me away from it, I’m always on the lookout for the best new comedy anime. However, it may surprise you to find that some of the best comedy series are not within the shounen or shoujo demographic, but are instead in seinen magazines. Many of these series started out as comic strips within magazines, intended to be short and quickly read by those commuting to and from work. GA Art Design Class is an adaptation of one of these comic strip series (known as 4-koma) and is capable of delivering both fast paced comedy whilst sneaking in these cool little facts about art design and different styles. It expands from the source material to expand upon these moments into something more coherent whilst still playing into the same structure of jokes that fans of the source material will be used to. It takes a solid place as my second favourite comedy series and I hope you’ll enjoy it just as much as I do.

Kyousogiga is the exceptional work of a legend within anime. Rie Matsumoto is one of the greatest directors within the medium and she displays her understanding of the limitations and advantages of anime in so many different ways. She takes concepts and ideas that anime directors have accepted as the normality for years and throws them out the window in this amazing mature story about family. Within a science fantasy world, Matsumoto uses the freedom within the world to influence changes in the visual design and narrative presentation to create something insanely unique. Kyousogiga is the series that I believe any anime fan should watch. Yes, it has a great narrative and yes, it involves some breathtaking animation but it’s the visual style that you really need to experience for yourself. Although, maybe you shouldn’t. It kind of makes every other anime look worse.

You’ve heard it here first, folks! Chronicles of the Going Home Club is the best seinen anime out there. Taking a classic high school joke of “Joining the Going Home Club” as an alternative to joining a real club, Chronicles delivers one of the best skit comedy experiences out there. With a combination between the simple recurring jokes and its more ridiculous moments, Chronicles doesn’t particularly introduce anything new, but delivers it in a way that surpasses so many other attempts within the genre. Because of its open concept, Chronicles refuses to present anything any less than its best and maintains on track without giving into typical comedy tropes. It’s a series that is impossible to dislike and it completely self aware as it presents meta-jokes about the state of its popularity. It’s a series that quickly became one of my favourites with its brilliant comedic timing and delivery that transcends language barriers and if you’re a fan of other seinen comedies, then I can’t recommend this more.