Natsume Yuujinchou has a similar plot to xxxHOLiC, the main character, Natsume Takashi has the ability to see spirits and finds that his encounter with spirits are inevitable. His goal becomes clear when he inherited his grandmother’s Yuujinchou (Book of Friends) that can be used to control spirits.

Together with Nyanko-sensei, a Madara spirit that Takashi accidentally rescued, the pair embarks on a journey to free the spirits who are bound to the Book of Friends. The anime unfolds more like a slice-of-life with each episode, often including new spirit encounters that Takashi will have to deal with.

Rather than dealing with spirits, the main character in this anime, Mushi Master Ginko, deals with a form of life that can take on characteristics of the human world such as plants, animals, etc. These beings are commonly known as ‘Mushi’. He then embarks on a journey to help people who have problems regarding ‘Mushi’ since not everyone can see them. Journey with Mushi Master Ginko as he uncovers the true meaning of life behind the existence of ‘Mushi’ in this Mystery, supernaturally packed anime series.

Mushi-Shi has pretty much the same plot and theme as xxxHOLiC but with lighter settings and a more heart-warming outcome as the story progresses. As for the character development, the protagonists in both anime becomes more ‘mature’ during their respective journeys.

Here’s another anime that I reckon similar to xxxHOLiC. Ghost Hunt unfolds with a schoolgirl, Taniyama Mai that became acquainted with Shibuya Kazuya (the head of the Shibuya Psychic Research Company) and later became his assistant after an incident that resulted in the injury of his former assistant.

Mai helps Shibuya uncover mysteries and hunt for supernatural beings in their adventures. Ghost Hunt and its mystery, supernatural, and comedy themes will certainly give viewers what they expect from the series.

The plot is a bit different from xxxHOLiC, as this anime revolves more around hunting supernatural beings. However, it has the same theme: often displaying detective-like ways to solve the mysteries behind weird occurrences involving the supernatural beings they come across along their journey.

Although lacking a bit on the comedy side, this anime will still not fail to entertain those who like mystery and a side of supernatural to go with it. The main character, Yakumo Saito (a private detective and a college student) being born with a red left eye, has the ability to see spirits and ghosts around him.

He later gets acquainted with Haruka Ozawa after being asked for help. Together they help solve crimes and mysteries with the help of Yakumo’s abilities.

The setting in this anime is somewhat similar but darker than xxxHOLiC, as the plot presents a much more mysterious and darker sense of things around the characters as they receive help from spirits to solve cases. And there is a somewhat heart-warming twist in the plot involving the spirits that they encountered and helped.

If you really enjoy the essence of comedy in xxxHOLIC, chances are, you are going to enjoy the comedy offered up by this anime. Basically, it has every essence xxxHOLIC has to offer. The only difference this time is that this anime has more romantic comedy in it.

The plot centers on the Ministry of Spirits being built to establish a form of collaboration between the spirits and humans. The romantic comedy really flourishes as one of the lieutenants, Agemaki Kei, being very afraid of spirits, was chosen to live alongside those very spirits.

The chemistry between the characters in this anime is quite similar to that of xxxHOLiC, with Watanuki’s misguided infatuation towards Himawari. Here, we have a similar protagonist who’s terrified of spirits and later develops a closer relationship with his spirit partner. The setting is however much lighter than xxxHOLiC – often with no eerie music playing in the background. Nonetheless, the characters in this anime will definitely intrigue those who enjoy a good classic romantic comedy.

Nurarihyon no Mago is about a boy, Rikuo Nura, being born with the blood of the leader of Nura Clan is destined to be the next successor of his clan. But he wanted to have a normal life despite his destiny. He then slowly accepts his fate to lead demons after several encounters with other demons on several occasions.

The overall plot in this anime is similar to that of xxxHOLiC, as Nura, who possesses the ability to see other demons, tries to deny his destiny so that he can live a normal life. Despite the fact that this anime does come with a more action-based theme, it still gives the viewers a sense of comedic conflict between Nura’s normal life and his clan.

Adapted from a visual novel, Kimi ga Nozomu Eien (KimiNozo for short) tells the story of four best friends: Narumi Takayuki, Hayase Mitsuki, Suzumiya Haruka, and Taira Shinji. Friendship grew to love however and after a shocking incident that befell the group, their lives changed throughout the years. KimiNozo is a story of love, friendship, betrayal and shows how love can easily sway one's heart.

Right off the bat, the first thing that makes KimiNozo similar to NANA is the rather complicated relationships of the characters. Komatsu Nana has a few guys in her life — the married man, the college sweetheart, and the rockstar. Was the college sweetheart cheating on her or was it just a misunderstanding and her blowing things out of proportion? Will she continue rejecting him and move on with the other guy she met?

These are tough decisions for one girl to make. Same goes with the characters of KimiNozo — Will Takayuki continue loving Mitsuki after years of being together or will he abandon her because he made a promise to Haruka back when they were young? Will Mitsuki give up because Haruka is her best friend or fight in the name of love? Ugh, that last line was cheesy…

After dropping out of college, 22-year-old Tatsuhiro Satou is living his life as a shut-in. He is lazy, rarely leaves his room, sleeps 16 hours a day and spends the rest of the day getting annoyed by his loud neighbor. He didn’t ask for this lifestyle and then discovers that a mysterious group called the NHK is the reason why he became a hikikimori.

But then one day, he met a young girl named Nakahara Misaki and his life starts changing for the better... or does it? Is this young girl his saving grace or is she a secret agent of the NHK out to keep his life a living hell? Welcome to the NHK.

Welcome to the NHK doesn’t focus on romance like NANA or KimiNozo, but it does share the portrayal of relatable human interaction and how fragile it is. Satou is a good example of a real shut-in living his life in seclusion. His life is miserable and he is in no way a superhero nor does he have magical powers like you see in anime.

He’s just a normal guy who had lost his way and blames an organization he didn’t even know existed for his shortcomings. He will not meet a love interest with magical powers nor does he have friends to cheer him up. The people he meets are the same as him — sociopaths struggling with their lives.

Depressing list, don’t you think? Not to worry, the next one will bring a smile to your face!

Kimi ni Todoke is a shoujo anime with a similar art style as NANA (piercing eyes, guys with shoulders wider than a chalkboard, etc.). That’s it. Now on to the fourth anim—Right, right.

Kimi ni Todoke tells the story of Sawako Kuronuma who longs to make new friends in high school. But because of her resemblance to the ghost from the “The Ring”, and because people often mistake her timid demeanor for maliciousness, she has earned the nickname “Sadako.”

Enter Kazehaya Shouta, the kind and popular guy in class. He is Sadako’s inspiration to try harder to make friends. Sawako’s school life slowly changes as she and Shouta become friends and like every romance story out there, love starts from that friendship.

The story is lighthearted, very funny, yet heart-warming. The character development and the relationships are the anime’s strongest point. Yeah, the character development is sorta less complex and often predictable, but the characters are so colorful and very relatable. Especially Ume-chan. I can relate to her in many ways and I like her so much I often cheered for her, the “bad guy,” more than Sawako. Don’t misunderstand me, Sawako is a great female lead, but I just can’t ignore Kurumizawa Ume’s charm. Go, go, Ume-chan!

Honey and Clover tells the story of art students Takemoto Yuuta, Mayama Takumi, Morita Shinobu, Yamada Ayumi, and Hanamoto Hagumi as they go about their colorful and often chaotic lives.

This is the liveliest anime on the list. Don’t be fooled by Shinobu’s crazy antics and funny reactions, like every show on this list, Honey and Clover is filled with relatable characters and stories. Whether it’s Yuuta finding love for the first time, Takumi doing his best to finish college while dealing with is love life, Ayumi struggling with her unrequited love, or Hagumi dealing with rejection and slowly earning friends, it’s a ride you’ll be glad to go on. And despite being the oddest oddball of the bunch, Shinobu is always there to provide comedic and moral support to his friends. Dammit, Morita-san!

Takasu Ryuuji is a nice guy, but due to his intimidating eyes, people only see him as a delinquent and so he’s totally hopeless about his chances at making friends, never mind getting a girlfriend. On his first day as a second-year highschool student, he is happy to be in the same class with his best pal Kitamura Yuusaku and his crush Kushieda Minori. However, he unwittingly bumps into Aisaka Taiga, the school’s “most dangerous animal.”

Despite having the seemingly typical cast of stereotypes in an average high school romance setting, Toradora! ends up telling a mature story with characters that are not who they seem. Much like everything on this list, Toradora! is chockful of great characters, love triangles, friendships and break-ups – even more so than NANA.

If you ask me, Kawashima Ami is my favorite character in the show. At first, she’s this egotistic supermodel and as the show goes on, her perspective and attitude changes after meeting with the other cast like Taiga, Ryuuji and especially Minori. If you watched Toradora! when it aired in 2008-2009, I’m sure you know the nickname fans gave her — Ami-bro.

12-year-old Kouyama Mitsuki has big dreams of becoming a singer. One day, she made a promise with a boy named Eiichi that one day, when they meet again, they will have both fulfilled their dreams. Unfortunately for Mitsuki, she is diagnosed with a growth on her throat and if left untreated, the tumor will take her life. However, she refuses to be treated because in doing so, she will forever lose her ability to sing and fulfill her promise to the boy.

As her last days pass by, she is visited by two soul takers (shinigami), Takuto and Meroko to prepare for her departure to the afterlife. Refusing to give up, Mitsuki shows her resolve and passion to sing and convinced Takuto to help her. With his powers, and with some reluctant support from Meroko, they push Mitsuki to pursue her dreams by giving her a temporarily healthy body. Will Mitsuki fulfill her dream as a singer and meet Eiichi or will she fail and succumb to her illness?

Don't be fooled by the kiddy nature of the art style and mahou shoujo-esque idol story because Full Moon wo Sagashite is a story about growing up, self discovery and fighting against all odds so you can reach your dream. Full Moon is very similar to NANA in many ways — the main character is a singer pursuing her career and tries to catch up to the person she holds dear.

Mitsuki meets friends and rivals along the way and she has to deal with a shaky love triangle between her and the shinigami pair, Takuto and Meroko. And of course, there's the music. While the track list is small compared to other idol anime, it compensates by how powerful each song is. Sung by MYCO with music by Changin' My Life, each song has a purpose, a meaning in terms of the story and Mitsuki herself.

Silly name aside, Btooom! is a dark survival game series through and through. When a large video game publisher decides to turn their first person shooter into a real life survival game, various top players are “invited” to participate. We follow Ryota Sakamoto as he adapts to this world of survival and attempts to bring his skills from the video game into real life.

Strangely enough, it turns out people who are very good at video games appear to be pricks the majority of the time and it leads into these incredibly dark psychological backstories involving trauma and regret whilst still following this intense story of survival, much like Gantz.

Many anime try to put teenagers in the cockpit of a giant mechanical killing machine and expect things to go smoothly. Even if our protagonist is troubled, they eventually find a motivation to stick to a mission and become our hero. What these series ignore is the sheer power and ego that comes with a giant mobile suit. Bokurano is one such series that not only refuses to ignore this immense power, but decides to give it to a variety of incredibly troubled people.

Alongside Gantz, it’s a brilliant example of a disturbed hero who fights, not for justice or for humanity, but fights for their own reasons regardless of how screwed up they might be. If there’s one lesson you’ll learn from Bokurano, it’s to never give a giant robot to children. Because they might just decide to kill everyone.

If you’re like me, you’re a huge fan of the Shin Megami Tensei franchise. With Persona being the frontrunner to the series in terms of popularity, the more recent titles offer a unique blend of social interaction and dungeon crawling. However, when it comes to the anime film adaptations, there’s a stronger focus on the psychological side of the series as a whole with even the game’s protagonist being a special case in himself.

As the films progress, our chosen few high-schoolers must fight against demons to protect the world from the Dark Hour. However, it quickly turns out that everyone isn’t on the same page and conflict arises to complicate things. In this way, it plays very similarly to Gantz as our unwilling students get faced with impossible odds, facing fearsome demons to protect everyone. Even if they have no idea they’re being saved.

Shuhei Morita is a genius. You may know him for being the director of Tokyo Ghoul and Tokyo Ghoul Root A, but his most prestigious resume lies in the art of short film. Being an Oscar Nominated Director for his work on the film, Possessions, he has a strong connection to dark, spiritual storylines. This all started with Kakurenbo, a thrilling CGI film following a group of 7 children as they play a game of adrenaline within the strange world of Otokoyo.

Like Gantz, Kakurenbo is a battle against the demonic and the unnatural. These seven kids must escape from terrifying demons all whilst trying to find the other lost children that have played the game before. Whilst it doesn’t feature the same sort of gore as the former, it is incredibly tense and the message is surprisingly dark.

Whenever I’m asked by someone if I’d recommend Deadman Wonderland, it usually ends with me hesitating, excusing myself and quickly escaping out the back door. It’s the sort of series that exists between the realms of “Good” and “Bad”, instead heading towards the world of “It’s Just Bloody Weird”. Originally starting as some sort of Death Race-esque series, it quickly turned into this weird survivalist battle series with superpowers, internet streaming, corruption and a load of other nonsense.

It’s these unwilling supernatural fighters within a world of science fiction body horror that draws a connection Gantz. Jargon aside, they both seem to offer the same tense atmosphere but deliver it through different methods. They’re both dark stories in their own right and you may find what you’re looking for in Deadman Wonderland.

Berserk is the very definition of dark fantasy. Being an ongoing manga ever since 1989, this film adaptation adapts the core narrative that brought together this story’s cult audience. Following Guts, we watch his rise and fall from mercenary to demon slayer. Suffice it to say, Guts is a pretty hard-done-by guy and his fight for survival, particularly in the third film makes for one of the best dark fantasy films of all time.

Whilst Gantz isn’t a fantasy series like Berserk, it offers that same “Could this possibly get any worse” progression as our unfortunate characters are dragged through hell. Surviving against demons, other people and even themselves, Berserk offers an incredibly compelling dark action series that you can’t help but love. (Now when’s the next film, Studio 4C?)

Higurashi no Naku Koro ni involves the story of Maebara Keiichi, a young boy who has just moved into the quiet town of Hinamizawa. While there, he becomes close with a number of local girls, but when a grisly murder takes place in the quiet town, Keiichi realizes that his friends may not be what they seem after all.

What makes Higurashi and School Days quite similar is the way that they use they outward appearance and presentation as a way to catch the viewer off guard. Both anime utilize an art style that has usually been reserved for innocent, lighthearted titles. However, as the story unfolds on both series, one realizes that the anime goes into the deepest, darkest depths of the human heart. Overall, very few people have managed to watch these two titles without experiencing a shock of some sort. And for good reason too.

True Tears tells the touching story of a young man, Shinichiro Nakagami, and his childhood friend, Yuasa Hiromi, who has been living with his family after her father passed away. Though close when they were growing up, Shinichiro starts noticing that the beautiful Hiromi is starting to become a shell of her usual self. As he tries to get her to open up to her once more, their lives become entwined in a story that will ultimately change them both.

True Tears and School Days have similar elements in the way that both anime deal with characters that are of the same age and are having the same struggles. The theme of unrequited love is common in both anime, as well as the concept of love being able to change a person. Both also have very good production values. In a way, True Tears is a lot like School Days, filtered many times over until the plot has achieved its purest state.

Evangelion tells the story of 14-year-old Shinji Iraki, a young man who was summoned to Tokyo by his father after being abandoned for many years. Upon arriving in Tokyo, Shinji is forced to fight for humanity’s survival using the Evangelion, a gigantic, organic mecha. However, it isn’t long before Shinji begins to find himself in the middle of a series of events that may very well decide the fate of the human race itself.

You might be wondering why Evangelion is in this list, which is populated usually by horror/slice of life titles. Within the plot of Evangelion and School Days lies a literary concept that has been attempted very few times – Deconstruction. As Evangelion is the deconstruction of the mecha genre, School Days is a deconstruction of the slice of life and romance genre. Apart from this, both anime are also very psychological in nature, delving into the inner struggles of the characters’ subconscious in the midst of life-changing events.

Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica centers on the story of 14-year-old Madoka Kaname, a young girl who treasures both her family and her friends beyond all else. After the arrival of a mysterious student in her school, she meets a mysterious creature, Kyubei, who offers to grant her one wish in exchange for her to become a magical girl. As Madoka is soon to find out however, things are usually not as simple as they may seem.

This anime and School Days are quite similar in the way that they are visually deceptive. Both anime presented themselves as innocent series that are no different from the countless others in their respective genres. However, as viewers eventually found out, they are all but that, as they featured a storyline that was borderline naturalistic. Also, both series explore the theme of doing what is right and doing what is convenient, as well as the underlying consequences, the butterfly effect if you may, of decisions that one chooses to make.

The story of Nana involves two very different young women who share the same name. One is a selfless young woman following her boyfriend to Tokyo to live a life she has always dreamed of, while the other is the liberal, lead vocalist of a punk rock band who also wants to make it big in the capital. Soon, the two women find themselves living under the same roof and with that, a remarkable friendship begins.

Nana and School Days actually have a lot of common themes. Both deal with the complications of relationships, as well as the darkness of deceit. Cheating on a significant other is also explored in both anime, as well as the point at which one loses his/her innocence. If True Tears is School Days in its purest form, Nana is, in a number of ways, School Days in a very sophisticated, polished and mature form. This is one title that, if you enjoyed School Days, you should never miss.

Mirai Niki tells the story of Amano Yukiteru, an extremely introverted young man who spends his day writing a diary entry of everything that happens around him. Soon, he finds himself in a deadly survival game where only one will survive, and where the prize of victory is the honor of being the god of time and space. With the innocent-looking, yet just as deadly, Gasai Yuno, Yukiteru discovers that human beings are capable of doing anything in order to get what they want, regardless of the cost.

What is very notable about Mirai Nikki and School days is the fact that they both share the elements of the yandere genre, with Kotonoha of School Days being a prototype and Gasai Yuno of Mirai Nikki being the perfected profile of the psychologically-twisted anime female. Also, both series feature a number of dark and mature themes, such as traumatic experiences and even gore to some extent. Overall, both anime are designed to shock the viewer at some point, and in a lot of respects, they have done just that.

Haruka dreams of becoming a composer and writing songs for her favorite idol. So she enters the Saotome Academy, a school for performing arts. Her dream won’t be easy to achieve. Uta no Prince Sama is a coming-of-age romantic comedy with sweet music for any fan of the idol scene.

The similarities these anime share is the reverse harem style they both focus on. We can also see some more similarities in the fact that the main character of both is a girl who teaches each male character a lesson. Both anime take place at a school and there’s romance involved, even if the anime doesn’t hint at dating. That’s why both anime have comedy revolving around the things the boys do. Both anime have a cool style with bright and colourful scenes.

Yui Komori had the ability to see dead people, spirits, poltergeists and other spooky creatures. But what is about to happen is way more scary than those kinds of things. Firstly, she’s forced to transfer to a different school. It turns out that what she thought was her history is very different from what is actually true. She also has a new family who is waiting for her.

The points that are similar to both anime are the reverse harem style both anime have. Other similarities include the fact that the main character has the same name: Yui. And in both anime, the main protagonist has to deal with tough boys that attend the same school. The main difference between Kamigami no Asobi and Diabolik Lovers might be the fact that one is slice of life and the other is more of a horror themed anime.

Life isn’t so bright for Nanami Momozono, she’s alone and has nowhere to go after her good-for-nothing dad leaves her and skips town, in order to run from his gambling debts. Nanami is kicked out of the apartment by the debt collectors and there’s just no bright future for Nanami. One day, when she saves a man from a dog, he offers her his home and of course she doesn’t say no to a roof over her head. But it turns out that this so-called home is a shrine and without any questions asked, Nanami has taken over his job as a local deity.

The first similarity is, of course, the god theme which revolves around both anime. After that, we have the reverse harem, cute male characters who never fail to make the audience smile. And on top of that they have interesting personalities which will keep you wanting more after each episode. We have a female lead in each anime but Nanami is a much stronger character than Yui. Both anime introduce humans as not being as weak as the gods think. This anime is quite different from your normal kind of anime because of the location and theme of a Japanese shrine. Definitely worth the watch.

Kahoko Hino is a student at a school which is split into two groups: the Normal Group in which all the students wear grey school uniforms, and the Music Group, there the students wear white uniforms. At this school, they have a tradition in the form of a music competition. In this competition, it’s common for the Music Group to be chosen to compete. Kahoko is quite surprised when she meets a fairy called Lili. She is so surprised because she is the only student at the school who can see him. In addition, she is the only student from the Normal Group who has been chosen for the competition.

In both these anime, we have a strong-willed girl, with five boys who are quite fond of her. In each anime, the main protagonist has a cute little helper who helps them to do the right thing. Other similarities include the reverse harem and the fact that characters from both anime are similar in a lot of ways, with a similar story.

Hinata Ema is the daughter of the famous adventurer, Hinata Rintarou. Ema learns that Rintarou is going to remarry with the successful Asahina Miwa. Ema doesn’t want to be a bother so she moves out and starts to live with her 13 new brothers in a mansion called Sunrise Residence. While living with only boys, romance is starting to show between Ema and the Asahina brothers.

There are a few similarities between both anime. Firstly we have the main female protagonist who is madly in love. Each protagonist also has some problems getting along with the other male characters in each anime, as well as with finding out who it is they really love. A small difference between Ema and Yui is the fact that Yui seems to be more brave and intelligent when compared to other female leads in typical reverse harem anime.

The anime takes place in a fictional town, country and in a fictional world. One morning, a young girl wakes up with no memory of where she is, nor who she is. Everything is gone. All she has is a cellphone number with names she doesn’t recognize. She also sees this young boy, Orion, and it seems like she is the only one who can see him. All she can do is make new memories, when everything she once knew is gone.

Both of these anime have the similarity of being reverse harem anime. We have a female leading character who gets into contact with hot male characters. Other similarities would be that all the male characters fall in love with the main female protagonist. Some small difference between the anime would be that Kamigami no Asobi is about gods while in Amnesia, the story is about the main female character having lost her memories.

Lovely Complex tells the tale of Koizumi Risa, who falls in love with a boy way shorter than her, Ootani Atsushi. Unfortunately paired together as a comedic duo by their peers, Risa struggles to move their relationship out of the friend-zone. Adapted from a famous shoujo manga and trailing its live-action movie, this romantic comedy anime, with a taste of charming Osaka-ben, has captured the hearts of many viewers.

Similarities between Lovely Complex and Peach girl mainly fall on the lead females’ insecurities. While Momo is shy about her dark skin, Risa is equally resentful of her tall stature. Both of them try to overcome their flaws and end up stronger characters than before. As cliche as it may seem, it’s a story of typical insecure high schooler attempting to find her confidence. It certainly brings back many memories of one’s own high school experience.

Lovely Complex is definitely a must watch if you have enjoyed Peach Girl, as it is definitely not lacking in the love department. It is a shoo-in for tugging at your heartstrings as you cheer for Risa to finally get with the right guy!

Skip Beat! is one of those shoujo anime that continuously increases the lead female’s favourability with audiences. Unlike the rest, Mogami Kyouko is not a weepy love-obsessed girl that spirals down into an eternal weepy drama. Although, she begins with getting her heart broken by her childhood friend, Fuwa Shoutaro. Throughout the anime she advances toward the path of vengeance and victory.

Nevertheless, the dose of drama and romance is equally strong in this anime with that of Peach Girl’s. With two boys accompanying her journey to stardom, Kyouko’s life is full of hurdles. Initially ditched by Shoutaro, Kyouko finds a way to show him who’s boss. In that process, she meets a new man, Tsuruga Ren, an annoyingly cold hottie that slowly (No joke: I mean a glacial pace) reveals his feelings for her.

Similarities between Momo and Kyouko mostly lie on their pendulum-esque love/hate relationship between the two men. As Momo faces the countless sabotages by Sae, Kyouko also encounters frustrations which leave audience hopelessly cheering for them.

Kaicho wa Maid-sama is a story about Ayuzawa Misaki and Usui Takumi. This anime takes place in Seika High School, once an all-boy school but recently changed to a co-ed school. Due to the fact that the female popularity is a minority, Misaki takes up the job of revamping the school to allow female students to feel safe. Having such a hard exterior, she secretly works at a Maid café. Unfortunately, Takumi finds out and keeps it to himself . Through time, he takes a liking to Misaki.

Originally a manga and now a famous anime in the shoujo genre, Misaki is similar to Momo because they both have loud and strong personalities. They both are independent and totally different from other girls in their high school. Takumi is similar to Okayasu Kairi as they are known for being the popular boys in school. Even though they both are very mischievous, they always have good intentions and in the end, are always there for the main female character.

Inspired by the popular children’s game, Fruit Basket is a shoujo franchise that is positively received in the anime world. Although elements of fantasy set this anime apart from the rest, it still draws similar emotions of a comedic and dramatic love-story.

Fruits Basket is a story about Honda Tooru, who unexpectedly lives with two classmates; the cool Souma Yuki, and the abrasive Souma Kyou. In their new lives together, Tooru attempts to get closer to the two boys and discovers their hidden family secret: The boys cannot be hugged by the opposite sex unless they want to puff into their assigned zodiac animals.

The overlapping tropes of Peach Girl and Fruits Basket is the incessant cycle of heartbreak and restoration. This can get a little tiring for one’s poor soul, but the two anime are able to juggle the lead character’s happiness and sadness.

An additional side note, is the similarity of a sabotaging/ jealous character; Minagawa Motoko and Sae. They both add a little spice and drama to the lead protagonists’ love life.

Ao Haru Ride is a story between Futaba Yosioka and Kou Tanaka. Futaba is very pretty and is admired by loads of boys in junior high school. Because of that, many girls are jealous of her and Futaba is ostracised. So once she enters high school, she changes herself to be less ladylike in order to fit in with the other girls.

Just like Momo, they seek for others’ approval and are determined to changed themselves for others. Futaba has many friends who were her so-called good friend but soon reveal themselves to be total mean girls. This is just like Sae pretending to be Momo’s best friend. After a while, a new student called Kou Tanaka transfers to Futaba’s school and Futaba finds out that he was actually her junior high school crush. But now Kou does not have feelings for her anymore.

In the next semester, Kou and Futaba wind up in the same class and both of them become class president and co-class president. Slowly, throughout the anime, Kou eventually recovers his feelings for Futaba.

This anime is a great display of the constant misunderstandings of one’s feelings, which is common in shoujo dramas. You’re certainly in for a wild ride of emotions (pun intended).

Saiunkoku Monogatari is set in an ancient mythological land. The story is about a descendent of a noble family Shuurei Hong (Kou) who has fallen to hard times. Shuurei is a strong and loud woman just like Momo. They both work hard to get what they want. Shuurei wants to work for the government with the new emperor, but in that era it is forbidden for a woman to take up that post. The new emperor, Ryuuki Shi is also similar to Kairi as he’s known for being very laid back and seemingly uninterested in important matters.

However, they both prove otherwise in the development of the anime. One day, Shuurei is offered to work for the emperor as his consort to teach the emperor in being a better ruler for a period of 6 months. Shuurei accepts. Through the anime, Ryuuki also flaunts over his love for men but despite that, he and Shuurei slowly grow fond of each other.

Loyal to the harem genre, Shuurei has other love interests which contribute to the rollercoaster ride of emotions. However, we can all agree that a shoujo anime is incomplete without a wavering heart heroine. This anime is sure to give reminiscence to Peach Girl’s romantic havoc.

Also focusing on the demon theme, Hataraku Maou-sama! takes us into an interesting story surrounding the demon king, Maou Sadao. Due to unexpected circumstances, the demon king is shifted into an alternate world, resembling that of present day Tokyo. This interesting spin on the story makes Hataraku Maou-sama! an enjoyable series.

There is a good dose of shounen style action, comedy, and interesting characters. The story line is a bit more solid than Ichiban Ushiro no Daimaou but at the same time the content is more tamed. It's a bit of a give and take depending on what you are looking for. However, regardless, it's a good watch and the comedy is one of the strongest points of this series.

Similar to Ichiban Ushiro no Daimaou, you get to enjoy a harem-centric style of anime with some demonic undertones. The main character is very relatable in both series and there are a good amount of laugh out loud moments.

If the main character, Sai Akuto from Ichiban Ushiro no Daimaou wasn't nearly as perverted as you would have hoped, then High School DxD may be the series for you! High School DxD's story is demon and angel themed. However, in this case, we get to watch the hopeful Issei Hyodo's unlucky normal life chaotically spin out of control thanks to the sexy demons that have mingled in his affairs. Similar to Ichiban Ushiro no Daimaou, High school DxD gives not only a harem driven demon themed atmosphere, but supplies a generous explosion of fan service. If that is one of your caveats, this series will not disappoint.

Rosario + Vampire sucks us into the world of a youkai (monster) filled school, where main character, Tsukune Aono, is originally against the idea of staying at the campus. However, before he knows it he is convinced to attend thanks to a coincidental run in with a sexy vampire girl! The setting of this anime is definitively reminiscent of the school setting in Ichiban Ushiro no Daimaou. The best part is that naturally all the other bells and whistles are included. Rosario + Vampire gives us plenty of super cute characters fitted in school uniforms, quarreling over the male lead. There is plenty of comedy and fan service to pacify even the most demanding anime lover. The series is overall lighthearted and will appeal to those who are die hard harem fans.

Imagine: battles of godly proportions, fast paced action sequences, and beautiful babes surrounding the main male character in a harem-like fashion. This concept is pretty much the core of Campione! Similar to Ichiban Ushiro no Daimaou, the unwilling main character, Kusanagi Godou, is somehow bestowed insane godly powers. The only difference is that in this plot, he must fight other gods of epic proportions. Of course, worry not! Our hero doesn't have to do this task alone, thanks to the harem of ladies offering him more than a hand during this story! If you are looking for a similar atmosphere to Ichiban Ushiro no Daimaou, but are wanting more action and less generous portions of fan service, Campione! May just fit the bill.

Monsters...Monster Girls...Harem...Ridiculous Fan Service. Need I say more? Monster Musume no Iru Nichijou, or MonMusu for short, is what one would call the the present day evolution of what used to be the simple innocent harem anime. This series is full of unbelievable, coincidental, extraordinary characters and events that all seem to occur around the human, Kurusu Kimihito. In MonMusu's story, the world is quite a different place. It seems that humans and monsters coexist...well, for the most part. There is an interesting societal situation were the "Cultural Exchange Between Species Act” has been implemented. The series centers around the male lead who somehow has to host various female monsters in his home while resisting the temptations being directed at him in at least every other animated scene. Like Ichiban Ushiro no Daimaou, MonMusu has a very imaginative plot with a mix of humans and non-humans. The inter-species limitations don't seem to stop the romance and fan service in this title! Additionally, both titles have a good mix of comedy and action while including some moments of serious romantic tones.

For the fans of magic-esque academies, it may be rare to find other settings similar to that of Ichiban Ushiro no Daimaou's school. However fear not, Trinity Seven may fulfill that desire! Main character, Arata Kasuga must join a specialized academy to bring back what was once lost to him. Lucky for him, or not, there exists a group of seven tantalizing female characters who possess magic abilities. This series has a very similar situation for the main male character. He is said to be a Demon Lord, just like in Ichiban Ushiro no Daimaou. Also, the series has a lot of action and comedy incorporated into the animation. Definitely, a similar flavor is present while progressing through both titles.

Dantalian no Shoka revolves around the story of Hugh Anthony Disward, who inherits an old manor and a personal library from his grandfather. Little does he know that the library houses a mysterious girl, Dallan, who is a gateway to Dantalian’s bookshelf, a repository for a number of demonic books that may very well endanger the balance of the world. Together, they solves mysteries and try to keep the ancient library away from the hands of undesirables.

The similarities between Dantalian no Shoka and Gosick are pretty overt. The dynamics of the two main characters, for one, are quite similar, with both anime featuring a good-hearted male lead and an assertive female led. The art style of both anime is dark and gothic, and both of them deal with the macabre theme of death and the supernatural. The quality of animation for both series is also excellent, with great backdrops and fluidly-animated scenes all throughout.

Kamisama no Memochou features the story of Narumi Fujishima, a typical high school student who has never really fit in with any group in his school. Being usually isolated from his classmates, his life takes a turn for the unnatural when Ayaka, the only member of the Gardening Club, introduces him to Alice, a young girl who is an expert hacker and a very exclusive private detective. Soon, Narumi finds himself taking on cases as part of Alice’s exclusive elite team of associate as they battle gang, murderers, drug lords, and many more.

One cannot really deny the similarity between Kamisama no Memochou and Gosick, with both anime featuring similar concepts such as the reclusive young female detective and and a male lead who is a lot less assertive than the female. The tsundere element is also very overt in both series. Lastly, both involve mysteries that the main characters are tasked to solve. Oh yeah, Kamisama no Memochou also aired on the very day that Gosick ended, catering to the very demographic that the latter was able to grasp.

Shinjurou Tuuki, a young man with a passion for mysteries and things that need to be solved, lives in the sinister underworld of a dystopian Tokyo. In a dangerous and deadly place, he pursues his job as “The Last Great Detective,” solving cases and coming head to head with sinister forces lurking within the ravaged city. WIth the help of his brilliant associate, Inga, he attempts to take on the dark underworld’s most protected and valued secrets.

Though Un-Go received some flak from its viewers during its run due to the pacing of the initial episodes, once the story picked up, however, it managed t draw a lot more viewers in. Both Un-Go and Gosick have great, pretty fluid animation, with characters who are talented at deductive reasoning. The backdrops for both anime are pretty intricate as well, and both feature good music that goes well with the series’ atmosphere. Overall, the story arcs for both anime are also enough to draw the viewers’ interest, culminating in a finale that is both memorable and worth it.

Umineko is a straight-up mystery anime, taking place on the island of Rokkenjima, which is owned by the wealthy Ushiromiya family. During their customary annual get together in the island, things turn dark, as the family patriarch, who has recently been fascinated by ancient black magic, attempts to revive his long lost beloved. Things do not go well, however, as a storm quickly batters the island, trapping everyone in it. Soon, the family members find themselves trapped in a deadly game of survival and a struggle between fantasy and reality.

Both Umineko and Gosick are anime which feature a distinctly European setting. The costumes of the characters, for one, are very Victorian. Also, both Umineko and Gosick deal with the supernatural, or at least the possibility of the supernatural. The sense of mystery i both anime is also very apparent, as well as the dark undertones and mystery that lie within the anime’s plot.

Ghost Hunt centers around Taniyama Mai, a schoolgirl who is fascinated with stories of the supernatural. A number of these supernatural stories is centered on an abandoned school building on campus. While investigating the building one day however, she inadvertently gets in the way of an investigation being initiated by Shibuya Kazuya, the 17-year-old president of the Shibuya Psychic Research Company. Soon, she finds herself being drawn to the group, solving mysteries and delving into the paranormal.

Both Ghost Hunt and Gosick are prime examples of the detective genre, featuring a cast of interesting characters, brilliant protagonists with an amazing ability to analyze and solve mysteries, and a dark undertone to the plot. Bofh series also offer pretty high production values, with a number of overarching story arcs that feature memorable mysteries set against a foreboding atmosphere.

Detective Conan is arguably anime’s most prolific detective series, spanning a run that is almost 20 years long. Yes, that’s right, the iconix story of young genius sleuth Shinichi Kudo and his team of detectives has managed to endear itself to viewers since 1996. With a storyline that has proven to be ever-engaging, as well as several arcs which made the series into a household name, Detective Conan is arguably the very definition of a detective anime.

With that said, the similarities between Detective Conan and Gosick are, just as other entries in this list, pretty overt. Both anime deal with characters who are well-rounded, and who are endowed with the most unique set of skills and powers of deduction. Plot-wise, both anime also feature a very rich plot that has layers beneath what is currently onscreen. Overall, these two anime provide enjoyment to the viewer in level rarely achieved by any other series.

Taketo Akutagawa is studying at the Inspiration Academy Private High School – a school for the gifted and intelligent. His gift is in the form of being a talented writer and his work is about erotica. Even though he might not be seen as a noble guy, he still aims for the absolute top as the world’s best writer. Both anime have one lucky boy with girls all around him, in short, a harem. The schools in both anime are similar in the way they are presented; as a weird place. Other similarities involve the main character and his quest to achieve a specific goal while interacting with a variety of characters and events. Both of these anime have similar styles and genre; drama, comedy, a few emotional scenes of course and some romance as well.

Angeloids, strange dreams and meteors crashing down… These are just some of the things Sakurai Tomoki is going through in his life with Ikaros and Nymph, his two angeloids. But that is not all that happens in the eventful life of Tomoki. He keeps having weird dreams, and with some help from Nymph, they come up with a machine that can enter Tomoki’s dreams to see what they’re really about. These anime are similar in multiple ways. Firstly, we have the main protagonist who is a rather weak boy. The main character in both anime has a childhood friend who likes them. They live with girls, because both anime have the harem element plus a comedy style to them. They have similar types of humor and the main protagonist is blind to the fact that the girls like him. More similarities include the fact that the main character is a pervert and has girls protecting him in some way.

Aoi Academy is a school for the best magicians. Our protagonist is Kazuki Shikimori – a 17 year-old boy going to Aoi. The magicians at the school can only perform a specific number of spells and exceeding one’s limit will result in a quick death. The number of spells that Kazuki can perform is way below the average for students at his school. Kazuki meets three girls one day and soon realizes that those girls want something: his genes. These two anime are both harem-style anime with one guy surrounded by girls. Both have one girl that claims to be the main protagonist’s fiancé and also another girl who wants to kill the main character. The stories in both anime take place at a school where magic is being used with emphasis on spells, or in other words, one’s combat abilities.

The anime takes place in the year 2046 with Haruyuki Arita an outcast at his own school. He doesn’t like his pitiful life and often turns to virtual games to escape from it all. One day, when the number-one popular girl in school shows him the program Brain Burst, that is when it all changes. Some similarities between both anime are that we have a main protagonist who is a weak boy at first but after some time, he gains a power of some sort which makes him stronger. Because both anime are harem-style, the main character has girls around him very often. And in both anime, the girls that come into the protagonist’s life are in love with him.

The anime is about Sado, a boy who likes it when he feels depressed and put down. In order to break out from this affliction he finds and joins a club which will hopefully help him correct his strange way of life. But he learns that this will not be so easy when the other club members reveal their own problems. The main character in both anime is being punched, kicked, and just abused in general all the time. The main character is a big pervert but has many girls around him who are also quite perverted sometimes. Both anime have a focus on school life with heavy shades of harem and comedy. Both of our main protagonists seem to enjoy being beaten up and have big perverted personalities, but can be serious at times.

Akihisa Yoshii is the star of the anime and the idiot mentioned in the title. At the school he’s attending, if a student attains good grades, then they are placed into a class with high quality AC, comfortable chairs, a cushy classroom, etc. But if a student’s grades are bad, as is the case with Akihisa, then they basically get a pretty bad learning experience with nothing more than some old furniture. And never mind quality AC – they’re lucky to have a school day go by without sweating buckets. The similarities between these two anime start with the style of superpowers which exist in each world. They are ecchi harem based with one boy and a bunch of girls fawning over him. The school in each anime is on the strange side when it comes to educational institutions. The main character is not that smart and doesn’t seem to grasp the fact that girls like him. Both anime have two girls who like the main character – the childhood friend and the strongest girl among the students.

Amnesia's plot premise of having an amnesiac trying to recover her memories from interactions with other romantically-involved characters... is not entirely as ‘distinct’ as I have put. Yes, some other people have been crazy enough to think this up, even though it isn't that bad an idea really, just unique. In this case, being Golden Time, the main character is of the reverse gender, and so it is not exactly a Reverse Harem, but a Normal Harem, or whatever the equivalent for that is. They do share the same "golden" idea of a premise though, about amnesiacs or have you forgot ;)?

It seems it is proven my point on how unique the story of Amnesia is, given the difficulties I am facing in finding satisfactorily similar titles to it. So I have taken a dissection of the main themes, and by this thin association, have them related as "recommendations". With the second up, it is another Reverse Harem anime, Fruits Basket. This series have the same erotic arrangement of a Reverse Harem, lots of bishie men chasing the main character, who is in the best of descriptions, "shy". Or more flat-out without character, so if you want a Reverse Harem anime with the main character being "shy" but not boring, Fruits Basket is for you! In this case she is actually shy, and not no-life and no personality. And oh yeah, the premise of this is way cooler! Something about bishie-men transforming into Chinese Zodiac animals when they are hugged by the opposite sex. That is so...interestingly way out there, almost like Amnesia's but cuter.

I shall refer another anime based on the same theme, again. Called sensibly Brothers Conflict, we can only imagine that the conflict in question is the contest of love for the one individual that is the main character; it seems also that this anime has an incest theme. Simply because the girl is also their sister by marriage of their parents, and that is why I used the term incest for this anime. This is as standard as any Reverse Harem type anime, and the timeworn question it poses and asks: who gets the girl? For the Normal Harem type, I believe it is: can the guy get all the girls? So apart from that incest theme, there are strong similarities between the two anime, both originating first as visual novels. Also, if you like boring, flat female leads, both animes have that, together with the usual plot of lots of hot bishies falling for her, not to mention that plot device we call a spiritual aide, protecting and advising her.

Miracle Train has many similar aspects to Amnesia, one of them of course being both Reverse Harem, but also on the supernatual feel, for the Miracle Train being, well, the train itself, and how only the team of bishies, a host club of the train in question, has the ability to even see it in the first place, guiding those worried and troubled girls on a ride they will never forget. Not what you are thinking though, basically the host club is some sort of psychotherapy team. For Amnesia, you already know it as a one-dimensional girl, that speaks nothing beyond short sentences with a gasp at the end, who became an amnesiac after colliding with some supernatual spirit. So besides similarity on feel, the pacing of the story is very similar too, which I imagine as how each episode for both animes begins seemingly and entirely unrelated, with little true plot or character progress, although they both save themselves and get interesting by the 6th episode and yonder. The difference is in how Miracle Train doesn't revolve around a single female lead, with the bishounen of the host club interacting with the many women that board the train, and in Amnesia, the female lead passes through different alternate universes for each of her bishie encounter, all of which are represented by card suits, from Heart, Spade, Clover, Diamond and Joker. Miracle Train too has the bonus of introducing the scenic elements of the route the miracle train travels on, which is the Oedo-line, I believe. I suppose the creators thought that a train-line with a host club is a winning combo.

So far we have covered incest, host club in train stations with similar pacing, another anime about amnesia, and the last being about Chinese Zodiac animals, all of which have the bonus of being Reverse Harem animes at the same time. It is just so that I found another unlikely theme, one of confusion. It is not exactly that surprising, given there is only so much you can differentiate the plot of a Reverse Harem type anime. All the guys want a piece of the action, which is basically as normal and close to reality as it gets. Turning out that this is the fantasy of a lot of girls sure help us otakus to dream on that, so it appeals to both guys and gals. According to what is similar between the two, is the theme of confusion, partly mistaken as mystery, that you only get the idea of both plots at the end of the series. In light of that, I only recommend this anime, K, because quote for truth, "Worth watching if you like to get confused." Which is the strangest promotional caption I have ever heard.

At the sixth and last recommendation, I will end it with one last standard Reverse Harem anime, as classic and typical as it gets. It even shows in the name: it mentions the word prince. That's bound to get any girl wet. And just to show the quality of this Reverse Harem anime, it has been described as "just absolutely fun to watch". Both of the female leads are almost entirely emotionless, with the bishie guys all after her. In fact, they work along the same plot mechanic, with each guy having an episode or arc just devoted to them, and to her as well of course. It takes two to tango, although we can have more than just two persons of course, but then that will turn into a shounen genre, instead of a shoujo, if you know what I mean?

Each year at the Tristain Academy of Magic, the 2nd year students are expected to pass a test that requires them to summon their very own familiar. Louise, better known as ‘Zero Louise’ due to her inability to cast even the simplest of spells, is determined to show everyone her true power and summon a familiar worthy of a master mage. But to her (and everyone else’s) surprise, she somehow manages to mess up again and summons a…Japanese high school boy? Zero no Tsukaima follows Louise and her familiar Saito Hiraga as they learn to live together, fight together and find some romance along the way. But with countries on the brink of war and questions arising about how Louise managed to summon such an unusual familiar, they’ll have to get their act together pretty quick! Despite the different settings, Zero no Tsukaima and Shakugan no Shana both have a swathe of quirky and fascinating characters, exciting battle scenes and a good dose of romance. Shana and Louise are like twins separated at birth, with the same long haired loli character design and tsundere attitude, even sharing the same voice actress, Rie Kugimiya. If you enjoyed watching Shana and Yuuji, then Louise and Saito are reason enough to give Zero a try.

Academy City: a city of schools, and a haven for technology and science. In Academy City, esper powers mean everything, which for Touma Kamijou, a level zero, powerless esper, is less than ideal. His right hand however, contains a very unique power, the ‘Imagine Breaker’, allowing him to negate any power, be it other esper abilities, or any chance of having good luck for once. When a short, robed girl named Index appears out of nowhere on Touma’s balcony, incessantly rambling about magic and forbidden books, he gets drawn into a hidden war between magicians and scientists. With Index on the run from the mage organization Necessarius and rumours of bizarre murders occurring around the city, Touma quickly finds he has a lot more to worry about than his own bad luck. Toaru Majutsu no Index follows a similar formula to Shana, with a seemingly powerless main character and an array of powerful female characters, making the character dynamics of both shows very similar. More importantly, Index and Misaka Mikoto should quickly fill the tsundere shaped hole in your heart left by Shana. With a good mix of comedy, action, and drama, Index is definitely worth giving a go.

Kazuma was born to the Kannagi family, well respected for their abilities as fire wielders. But after pitifully losing a battle against his cousin Ayano, Kazuma was disowned from the family by his own father, and banished. Four years have passed since then, and Kazuma has returned under the name Yagami Kazuma. Now as a powerful wind user, he hopes to prove himself to be stronger than the very family that cast him out. Ayano and Shana share a lot of similarities as heroines, both fighting with a sword and fire magic, and both having a cute, tsundere personality. The genres of Kaze no Stigma and Shakugan no Shana are also almost identical, with a strong focus on action and fight scenes, with some romance and drama added in as the story progresses.

Butei: armed mercenaries designed to combat increasing crime rates. Kinji Tooyama is a student attending the Tokyo Butei High School, also known as Academy Island. Unfortunately, one day he just misses the morning school bus, and has to cycle all the way there. To add insult to injury there’s a bomb attached to his bike, and he’s being chased by a remote controlled Segway, with an uzi. Luckily for him, Aria, an S Rank Butei, is on hand to help him get to school in one piece. What’s more, she was so impressed by his fighting ability, that she’s decided that from now on, he’s going to be her slave. Rie Kugimiya, the voice of Shana, makes an appearance once again as the gun touting, katana wielding, flat chested tsundere Aria. Add to that an apparently powerless protagonist and a mix of action, romance and drama, if you liked Shakugan no Shana, you’re bound to find something to like about Hidan no Aria. As a little extra, Hidan no Aria also adds a bit of ecchi into the mix. Fun fact, school uniforms make excellent parachutes.

Half youmu, half human, Akihito Kanbara was born with the incredible ability to regenerate from almost any wound. Of course, that doesn’t mean he’s very good at fighting, he’s just excellent at not dying. The youmu that exist in this world are strange creatures, often feasting on the negative emotions of humans. Spirit World Warriors, who possess the ability to see youmu, frequently hunt down these evil youmu for the valuable stones that they leave behind upon death. One day on his way home, Akihito sees a freshman girl, Mirai Kuriyama, about to jump off the roof of his school. When he tries to stop her, she abruptly turns around and stabs him through the chest, with a sword of blood. How unpleasant. Kyoukai no Kanata’s Spirit World Warriors serve a very similar purpose to the Flame Hazes of Shakugan no Shana, with each having their own unique powers, and the ability to see and destroy otherworldly beings. Mirai’s character as a cute, sword wielding warrior, with a weak male partner, also very much resembles Shana and Yuuji from Shakugan. With the ever-reliable KyoAni behind Kyoukai no Kanata’s animation, you can also look forward to some stunning action scenes and visuals.

In this world, exists beings called ayakashi, created from the emotions of humans. Normally ayakashi reside in the far shore, a world where only they and deities exist. Sometimes, though, they manage to make their way to the near shore, where humans reside, and cause all manner of problems. It’s at these times that deities like Yato are needed, to send the ayakashi back to the far shore where they belong. But as a minor deity of war, without even his own shrine, Yato is pretty strapped for cash, and barely gets by doing favours for a measly 5 yen a piece. One day when chasing a cat across a road, Yato narrowly avoids being hit by a bus when Iki Hiyori pushes him out of the way. The problem now is, Hiyori’s spirit isn’t quite attached to her body anymore, and she could really use some help putting it back. Noragami and Shakugan no Shana have very similar character roles, only with the genders reversed: with a male katana wielding protagonist and a heroine in need of protecting. The deities of Noragami and the Flame Hazes have a lot in common, from their quirky personalities to their different abilities and fighting styles. With very similar genres and settings, Norgami should satisfy your need for action after Shakugan no Shana.

From the same creators of Monster, Death Note is without a doubt, the first thing on most anime lovers mind when it comes to the psychological genre. The battle of two geniuses of the mind is what kept the audience on the edge of the seats in this psychological masterpiece. On the side of the dark, Light Yagami (ironic) aka Kira believes that he can purge society's evilest of Men by using the Death Note, a mystical notebook that grants its user to command the death of others simply by writing their names and nature of death in the book. On the side of light and of law and order, the mysterious individual only known to most as 'L' is the world's leading detective who is committed to apprehending Kira as he find his methods misaligned. What captivates me and audience alike is the unpredictable situations that arise and the ingenuity of these two men to constantly find each other. There are a couple of close brushes, but who am I to spoil you. Between these two geniuses, there are no clear winners.

The mysterious death of a student 23 years ago. A town that is the embodiment of fear itself. Who is the girl donning the eye-patch? Koichi Sakakibara transferred into Yomiyama North. He will soon realise the dark secret haunting the community. To add to the suspense, the students of Yomiyama are dying off in gruesome deaths one-by-one. He will need to uncover the truth behind those deaths and the secret of the town as well. Yet another anime that compels you to watch just that one more episode. Another places more emphasis on the mystery. However, that is not to say that the psychological theme has been downplayed. Fans are still left to guess who the perpetrator of the mystery is. The series did great in portraying the protagonist thoughts brilliantly as well which makes viewer connect with the character even more. This is an anime that leaves anime lovers hungering for more until the mystery is solved.

Set in the town of Hinamizawa, Maebara Keiichi realises that the peaceful life that he presumably thought will not last. Just like Another, this village held its own dark secret. Separated into different arcs, the story presents itself in the viewpoint of the different characters. This serves to unfold the relations that each character have in relation to a murder in the village. The story starts out very sweet and pleasant almost kind of like the starting to any good slice of life/harem show. It is only towards the middle where the story gets progressively darker and the intentions of the characters start to show themselves. Did I mention that there will be more blood and killings? The title art may fool anyone into believing this to be a moe harem show but be warned, this show gives due credit to the psychological thriller genre.

Shinjurou Yuuki, also known as the Defeated Detective. Aided by his partner, an oddball only known as Inga, both of them tackle cases that baffled even the police. A well-written piece of work, it borders on the psychological genre as the story progresses along. Inga happens to also be a supernatural entity who allows Yuuki to force the suspect to answer a single question. This anime is filled with twists and it never fails to stimulate your mind as to how it can progress from thereon. Each episode is separated into different unique cases and along the way; Yuuki will also start to discover more about his strange partner and their encounter.

Shiki is a series about vampires in a rural town. It sounds cliché but what made it one of the better anime is the infusion of psychological traits in the series. Set in the village of Sotoba, the legend works the same way, get bitten by a vampire and you will turn into one too. Dr Toshio Ozaki is adamant on stamping out the epidemic only to soon realise that it is borders more on the supernatural than medical science. The next protagonist, Natsuno Yuuki came from the city and it wasn't long before he is left to wonder about the recent deaths occurring in the village. Both have to deal with uncovering the truth on the cause of the mysterious deaths, the revivals of supposed dead villagers as well as cope with the panic and mania as it ensues the village. Shiki is one of the more beloved anime of the genre. What is particular unique and poignant is that it takes an unorthodox route of story presentation and portrays the side of the 'antagonists' as well. The story is split between the humans and vampires with the humans fighting against the vampires and the vampire's own struggle to survive. This anime has a more endearing aspect to it despite its horror category in the way that it makes you sympathize with the supposed antagonist. It begs the question in the whole series - who are the true villains and are humans the biggest antagonists?. Vampires were not given a chance to decide their lives after all. For enthusiasts of Monster, this anime has the same level of thought provoking concepts and ideals and worthy of the psychological genre in anime.

Psycho-pass is set in a world where the culpability of committing crimes can be measured. Known as the Sibyl System, humans are measured based on their Crime Coefficient. In an almost dystopian future, where humanity is controlled by the Sibyl System, strict conformance to the system is mandatory. The story of Psycho Pass revolves around police work. These inspectors are aided by Enforcers who are individuals with a Crime Coefficient deemed too high by the system and as such, labeled latent criminals with the Sibyl System using them in order to apprehend more criminals. Shinya Kogami is an Enforcer and throughout the story, he is keen to arrest an enigmatic shadow who apparently, cannot be judged by the Sibyl System. The story places great emphasis on the apprehension of the mysterious individual whose identity is not revealed until the middle of the series with the story in suspense until its ultimate conclusion befitting the genre. Aiding Inspector Akane Tsunemori, both of them will work hand in hand to solve multiple cases while closing in on the mastermind of the crimes and the true nature of the Sibyl System. Viewers will be shown the thought processes of someone who is deemed as a latent criminal and someone deemed to be pure with both pondering the question of whether the Sibyl system is really a perfect system after all. An original anime, this is yet another masterfully crafted original from Gen Urobuchi who is well-renowned for his dark and mature style of anime.

For what began as a somewhat perverse remix of Ouran High School Host Club, Aoharu x Kikanjuu emerges from the 2015 summer lineup as a truly ship-worthy anime. Sparkling with a fresh sheen of male eye candy, Aoharu x Kikanjuu continues the legacy of veiled homoerotic depictions of male friendship that was accelerated by Free! Not your average gender-bending anime (though what is an “average” gender-being anime), Aoharu x Kikanjuu will surely satiate those in search of male camaraderie that’s dangerously close to becoming something more (or at least according to the viewers…), something that’s Free!’s trademark. For those unfamiliar with this series, Aoharu x Kikanjuu depicts the story of Hotaru Tachibana, the Student Council President with almost super-human strength and a sense of justice as strong as steel. Through a variety of mishaps, Hotaru enters the world of survival games upon joining Masamune Matsuoka and Tōru Yukimura’s Toy ☆ Gun Gun Team. Yet, Hotaru soon discovers survival games aren’t all fun and games when Toy ☆ Gun Gun Team face off against rival team headed by the sadistic Nagamasa Midori.

A series indebted to Slam Dunk, Kuroko no Basket is nothing to sneeze at, especially when considering the sheer amount of (boys love) fan work it has inspirited. While Slam Dunk can be credited for popularizing basketball in Japan, Kuroko no Basket can be equally viewed as a series further cementing the culture of homoerotic readings of seemingly innocent shounen sports series that is evident in Free. With muscular high school boys who look more like men, like Free!, Kuroko no Basket probably creates complicated feelings of attraction for the viewer. Replete with high school boys possessing the bodies of men and complicated, intertwined back stories, Kuroko no Basket is perfect for those who want a “Free!” on the basketball court. Kuroko no Basket is a series detailing the talented Teikō Middle School basketball team after it breaks up. Each of the regulars of the Teikō Middle School basketball team, dubbed the “Generation of Miracles,” enter their respective high school basketball teams and proceed to compete for the same high school basketball title.

Though this list started off with heavy-hitters resembling Free!’s erotic potential, the latter half will dive into the anime that similarly reflect the show’s sweetness and light hearted depiction of friendship. To start off, we have Haikyuu!!. Filled with typical sports anime tropes and its fair share of ships, Haikyuu!! rises above other sports anime due to the exuberant enthusiasm oozing from its characters, most notably Hinata Shouyou and Kageyama Tobio. Though not as heavy on the muscles as Free!, it still shares its remarkable quality of creating a bevy of shippable couples. Haikyuu!! is a volleyball sports anime following the story of Hinata Shouyou and Kageyama Tobio as they enter Kurasano High School’s volleyball team with mutual dreams of victory. Unfortunately, victory doesn’t come easy, especially considering the odd-couple teamwork patched together by these two characters.

On a sweeter note, we have Tsuritama, an anime that can be classified as a “cute boys doing cute things” show, a classification it shares with the infamous Free!. Yet, in Tsuritama, the character’s bodies are not a point of attraction. We don’t have ripped athletes or bouncing bishounen like Free!. Instead, we have a creative anime that skillfully pairs its imaginative animation style with its spunky narrative that blends the joys of slice of life and the wonder of science fiction. Nonetheless, the show does have slight homoerotic overtones like Free!, making Tsuritama is ideal for those who want a lighter version of Free!. An anime nominally about fishing, Tsuritama unfolds into story about friendship and growing up. This show centers on Yuki Sanada, a high school boy whose life though is changed forever when he encounters the self-proclaimed alien Haru and befriends budding fishing pro Natsuki Usami and the mysterious Akira Agarkar Yamada.

For all of its delightfulness it creates in its portrayal of youthful sportsmanship, Ookiku Furikabutte is a nonetheless a show that overtly changed sports anime into a genre welcoming the audience’s perverse interpretations of character relationships. An ancestor of Free!, this show contains plenty of overt homoeroticism balanced with the sheer adorability of its characters. For those who think Makoto and Haru (unless that isn’t your ship…for those Rin Haru peeps…) are a perfect fit, be sure to watch out for Mihashi and Abe. What Ookiku Furikabutte lacks in the muscle department, it makes it up in the friendship feels, a driving element in Free!. This sports anime series revolves around the story of Ren Mihashi as he joins the newly established Nishiura High School baseball team. Traumatized by his past, Mihashi lacks confidence in his own talent. This all changes when he pairs up with the poker-faced, intelligent catcher, Takaya Abe.

For the final show on our list, we have Binan Koukou Chikyuu Bouei-bu LOVE!, an over the top magical boy anime that takes “cute boys doing cute things” beyond the realm of reason. Though this show lacks the same animation quality as Free! and other sports anime, it makes up for it by its comedic interludes and quirky narrative. Binan Koukou Chikyuu Bouei-bu LOVE!, is much like Free! in its irreverent and blatant baiting of perverse readings. Yet, this magical boy show takes it a bit further, making it perfect for those who want Free! mixed with a little bit more boy/boy maginc. A vanguard of the budding magical boy genre, Binan Koukou Chikyuu Bouei-bu LOVE!, is the story of five high school boys, Yumoto Hakone, Ryuu Zaou, En Yufuin, Atsushi Kinugawa, as they fight for the sake of love.

This series is the reversed gender companion version of Mayo Chiki!, Maria†Holic swaps the gender of the main protagonist and central love interest as well as transforming the butler into a maid. Kanako Miyamae hates boys so much that she breaks out in hives after any physical contact with them. So when she transfers to the Ame no Kisaki Girls School she is overjoyed that she can meet her ideal yuri partner. But after her super hot new roommate turns out to be a guy and the many unbelievably attractive girls turn out to have way too many questionable sexual persuasions, all different kind of amusing comedy and ecchi scenes take off in this reverse harem anime. This series is the reversed gender companion version of Mayo Chiki!, Maria†Holic swaps the gender of the main protagonist and central love interest as well as transforming the butler into a maid. The quest for true romance is far from simple but much in the vein of Mayo Chiki, Maria † Holic is able to blend, perverted comedy with an underlying romance that feels rewarding to watch develop.

A reverse harem style anime, which features gender bending characters Ouran High School Host Club focuses on main character Haruhi Fujioka, who is a bright scholarship candidate with no rank or titles to speak of. When she opens the door of the Music Room #3 hoping to find a quiet place to study, Haruhi unexpectedly stumbles upon the ‘Host Club’. Led by the princely Tamaki, the club is where handsome boys with too much time on their hands entertain the female students of the academy. In a frantic attempt to remove herself from the hosts, Haruhi ends up breaking a vase worth eight million yen and is forced into becoming the eccentric group's general errand boy to repay her enormous debt. However, thanks to her convincingly masculine appearance, her naturally genial disposition toward girls, and fascinating commoner status, she is soon promoted to full-time male host and plunged headlong into a glitzy whirlwind of elaborate cosplays, rich food, Fans of Mayo Chiki’s central female protagonist Kanoe will find a lot to like in Haruhi in her struggles with her own gender identity. Both animes feature a main female character posing as a male butler to hide their true identity and the subsequent romantic relationships that develop. The cunning and charming Tamaki will remind fans of Suzutsuki from Mayo Chiki and his ability to toy with Haruhi's insecurities. The characters are excellently developed and the voice acting is stellar in both dub and sub.

Aptly nicknamed "Demon President" by the boys for her strict disciplinary style, Misaki Ayuzawa is not afraid to use her mastery of Aikido techniques to cast judgment onto the hordes of misbehaving boys and defend the girls at Seika High School. Yet even the perfect Ayuzawa has an embarrassing secret, she works part-time as a maid at a maid café to help her struggling family pay the bills. Her secret is safe however until one day, the most popular boy in the school, Takumi Usui enters the café. He could ruin her terrifying reputation by revealing her secret, or he could choose to use this to his advantage to get closer to her. Maid-Sama! is recommended for fans of Mayo Chiki! as they both share male protagonists that discover the hidden identity of a female counterpart. The female characters are also both desperate for the rest of the school to remain unaware of what they view as a disparaging secret. The romance that eventually develops is very reminiscent of Kanoe and Jirou's relationship in Mayo Chiki.

Ryuuji Takasu has an eventful life, his classmates’ think he’s a delinquent due to his ‘killer eyes’ and he has no luck in the realms of love or lust. Class rearrangements on his second high school year put him together with his best friend, Yusaku Kitamura, and his hidden crush, Minori Kushieda. Along with these two, Kushieda's best friend, Taiga Aisaka arrives on the scene. Her delicate appearance contrasts with her brutal personality. Secretly in love with Kitamura, Taiga agrees to help Ryuuji with his love interest as long as he helps her get closer to hers. With large helpings of comedy, ecchi and secret love obsessions, Toradora is one of the best modern anime adaptations of a genuine high school love story that fans of Mayo Chiki will find plenty of similarities to enjoy. The unique and genuine relationship between Ryuuji and Taiga has a lot in common with the of Mayo Chiki pair Kanoe and Jirou. Both Ami and Kanoe are very similar characters and are in fact voiced by the same actress in the Japanese language version.

Sharing the core themes of Mayo Chiki!, that of a main protagonist (Taro Sado) with an embarrassing condition, in this case a masochistic fetish, and a group of provocatively clad females who are more than willing to attempt to cure him of his depravity. However these young ladies are far from perfect themselves, for example, the hyper-aggressive club president Isurugi not only has a violent fear of cats, but also believes herself to be a god! Then there's Yuno, who's terrified of men; the Nurse, who forces other people to perform cosplay; and Hayama, Sado's best friend and a compulsive cross-dresser, who's also the girl that Sado is infatuated with. Funny, ecchi and complete with an ultimately endearing love story that shows us it's ok to embrace your darker side, MM is a must for any fans of Mayo Chiki! It shares a protagonist with an embarrassing illness he is desperate to hide, an a gorgeous cast of females that want to help cure him of his ailment. The main male character is also in the unfortunate situation of having is butt kicked on a regular basis by his costumed female foils.

Kurusu Kimihito (henceforth referred to as Darling-kun) is a typical average guy, until his world is turned upside down by the ‘Cultural Exchange between Species Act’. What begins with Darling-kun providing a home stay service for Lamia (half snake, half beautiful woman), Mia, and ends with him fighting of the aggressive affections of not one, but 6 monster girls, complete with mermaid, harpy and sexy slime fetishes. Monster Musume is a raunchy harem anime with the unique twist of the female cast being sexy monster hybrids trying to blend into human society With over the top comedy and hilarious sexual scenes, Monster Musume is one of our top recommendations from last seasons anime and for any fans of Mayo Chiki! Darling-Kun is forever on the receiving end of purposeful or indirect beatings, stingings, crushings and every other possible kind of physical punishment. Monster Musume is also filled with female characters struggling to fit and blend into society despite their startling appearances.

In a post-apocalyptic future, mankind lives in domed cities scattered around the globe. One of these cities, Romdo, is controlled by a shady elite, and androids called AutoReivs are employed to assist humans in everyday life. When AutoReivs start going mad after infection with the Cogito virus, Real Mayer is asked to investigate. In the process her fate becomes intertwined with the mysterious Vincent Law, and the monsters known as the Proxies. Though not exactly a cyberpunk series, Ergo Proxy shares a lot of the futuristic and philosophical elements of Ghost in the Shell. Real Mayer is similar to Kusanagi in looks, and the fact that she is a total badass. Fans of GITS will also enjoy the dark tone of the series.

Psycho-Pass follows Akane Tsunemori as she begins her career as an Inspector for the Enforcement Division. Set in the near future, all citizens are under constant surveillance by a giant supercomputer known as the Sybil system. Criminals are now detected before they commit a crime, based on their Psycho-Pass, which is a measure of everything in the mind, including emotions, thoughts and fears. The series follows Akane as she loses her naivety in a cruel dystopian world, and discovers a terrible secret at the heart of this “perfect” world. Psycho-Pass bears much similarity to Arise, being episodic, but having an overarching plot which links everything together in the end. The two also show a future world where humans have become incredibly dependent on technology, and where virtual interactions are increasingly dangerous. Fans of the original GITS movie will also appreciate the dark plot and gory action.

Akira is set in the aftermath of World War III, and follows Kaneda and Tetsuo, two friends who are part of a biker gang in the post-apocalyptic chaos of Neo-Tokyo. Kaneda is confident and a natural leader, but Tetsuo is shy and often bullied. When military experiments awaken Testuo’s latent psychic powers, he sets out to take revenge on his past tormentors. The parellels between Akira and the original GITS movie are striking. Both are feature gorgeous hand-drawn panels, and have a dark cyberpunk aesthetic which excites fans even today. Akira features an incredible, twisting plot, and fans of GITS will enjoy the brutal gore of SWAT teams going toe-to-toe against powerful teenage psychics.

Hei and Yin are “Contractors”, individuals who developed psychic powers after the appearance of the mysterious Hell’s Gate. The duo, and many others like them, are kept secret by the world’s governments, whilst working in the shadows to perform tasks which no ordinary human can. Darker than Black is for anyone who enjoyed the style of Stand Alone Complex and Arise, but are also fans of fantasy series. Both franchises focus on individuals who are different from the rest of society; Contractors have psychic powers, and Motoko’s team are pretty much all full body cyborgs (both sets of characters are also damn cool!). Darker than Black is also (as the name suggests) pretty dark, and the plot is similar to GITS in that each episode features a new storyline, which all link up at the end of the series. Fans of SAC will also enjoy the Darker than Black’s killer soundtrack which is also by Yoko Kanno.

Set in Mardock, the First Compression takes place in a city stalked by a plague of brutal murders. In a last-ditch attempt to clean up the city, Scramble-09 has been enacted, which allows investigators to revive murder victims to aid their investigations. When Ruth Balot is revived as a full-body cyborg, she has only one thing on her mind; revenge. Mardock Scramble at first seems to be heavily influenced by Ghost in the Shell, but definitely manages to maintain its own identity and though both franchises have a female lead, the actual characters couldn’t be more different. That being said, GITS fans will enjoy the dark, cyberpunk world which Mardock Scramble plunges viewers into. Particularly appealing are the art style and awesome future tech!

It’s 2032, and MegaTokyo is faced with a menace. Boomers are near-invincible androids which are designed to perform menial tasks around the city. The problem is, they’re beginning to go haywire and attack people all over the city. The series follows a team of femmes fatales known as the Knight Sabers, as they face off, armed to the teeth, against a horde of crazed androids. Bubblegum Crisis is a cult series from the 90s, which will appeal to anyone who enjoyed Motoko Kusanagi’s badass antics in GITS. Both are set in a sprawling metropolis, in a world where the technology humans rely on can go horribly wrong. Bubblegum Crisis explores human identity in the cybernetic world, set to a backdrop of intense action!

When something called Hell’s Gate appears in Tokyo, emotionless people with psychic powers begin to appear. They are referred to as Contractors, and the price they pay to use their superhuman powers comes in the form of some sort of obsessive-compulsive, sometimes self-destructive behavior. Contractors are secretly used by underground organizations and governments and their killing sprees get out of control. One of them, Hei, with his support partner Yin, a doll, by his side, works for The Syndicate. They both use their powers to stop Contractors, find out more about Hell’s Gate and search for Hei’s missing sister. Hei stands out in The Syndicate for his strength and power much like Train does in Chronos. While originally an assassin, Hei decides to go against his own kind to find his sister and fix what is wrong with the world. In Darker than Black, we get two developing and changing characters! Besides Hei going from assassin to good guy, his partner Yin also goes through a transformation from unfeeling doll, to someone who can even develop feelings. While the comedy is missing from this title, there is plenty of Action, Mystery and Super Powers to go around!

Ginji Amano and Ban Mido are super-powered freelance recovery agents with a 100% success rate. They're always barely scraping by so they take any recovery job that is offered to them, which has them searching for everything from a briefcase to parts of an atomic bomb. In their line of work, Ban and Ginji must face their mysterious pasts while getting involved with dangerous clients and old acquaintances. In Get Backers we also get two heroes for the price of one! Both bad-boys-gone-good Ban and Ginji's pasts come back to haunt them and they must help and support each other to fight for what they now believe in. Their constant bickering and Ginji's childlike attitude adds some comedy reminiscent of Train and Sven to the mix in this already thrill-filled Action, Supernatural Shounen title.

Kenshin Himura is a highly skilled rurouni. He was once an assassin during the Meiji Restoration and one day decided he would kill no more. While traveling around Japan he becomes sweet, funny and kindhearted. He ends up in Tokyo and becomes friends with Kaoru Kamiya, who is a kendo master, a fighter-for-hire called Sanosuke Sagara, Doctor Megumi Takani and Yahiko Myojin, an orphan. They all have their secrets but form a strong alliance that they use to battle against Kenshin's dark past when it comes back to haunt him. Like Train, Kenshin makes the transition from assassin to nice-guy. Both supporting and protecting each other, the relationship between the quickly formed group of friends is much like that in Black Cat. Rurouni Kenshin has no shortage of action scenes, well developed story or characters. With Action, Adventure, Comedy, a bit of Romance and cute, hero-inspiring girls in yukatas, Rurouni Kenshin will win your heart.

This futuristic Space-Western anime follows a group of bounty hunters, known as Cowboys, and their adventures on their spaceship, The Bebop. Spike Spiegel, a gun slinging drifter, and Jet Black, a retired cyborg cop run a bounty hunting hustle from The Bebop. They are later joined by Faye Valentine, the Femme Fatale, Ein, a super intelligent Corgie and child prodigy and net diver, Ed. In constant search of big bounties, they often find themselves competing with each other for the rewards, getting in trouble and facing their mysterious pasts. Much like the other anime mentioned in this list, the main characters in Cowboy Bebop have dark pasts which they may or may not remember. They find not only friendship, but also come to terms with their own personal issues. While they aren’t fighting to change the world or for any particular side, Cowboy Bebop is more about the main characters finding themselves. This Action-Adventure, Sci-fi Drama anime has just the right amount of comedy and romance to keep you watching and the Yoko Kanno soundtrack is definitely a bonus!

Born to the fire wielding Kannagi family, Kazuma was exiled from his household for failing to learn how to use fire magic. After four years, he returns as Kazuma Yagami and expertly wields Fuujutsu or Wind Technique. However, at the same time, members of his family are being murdered by Fuujutsu which makes his cousin Ayano and the rest of the family believe he is the culprit. Kazuma and Ayano then find themselves in the middle of a war against the Kannagi family. Kazuma is another uniquely powered main character. He gains this power following a great loss which leads him to chase power and seek revenge. However, as he fights alongside Ayano, he becomes less anti-social and his heart seems to soften. Also, like Train must battle Chronos, Kazuma must battle those who raised him. Kaze no Stigma has a bit of Romance, Action and Fantasy, and though there isn’t much comedy to speak of, it’s definitely a Shounen worth checking out!

Rei Oogami is a high school student with mysterious powers who doubles as a merciless assassin for a secret organization using “evil against evil”. Sakura Sakurakouji, a martial arts trained high schooler, witnesses Rei in action and the following day he transfers into her class. Sakura truly values all life and greatly disagrees with Rei’s way of life so she decides to try to make him stop and warm his heart. While Rei was always the good kind of assassin (that’s a thing, right?), he is coldblooded and has little regard for the lives he takes. However, just like Train and other heroes in this list, his relationship to a special girl slowly transforms him into a more caring and compassionate defender of all that is good. Code: Breaker is a Shounen anime full of Action, Comedy, Super Powers and an engaging story.

Despite being at a high school for mercenaries, Kinji just wants to be normal and get rid of his secret condition —he turns into an ace killer when he's turned on by the female form. A chance encounter with a fiery transfer student that puts both their lives in danger soon turns into her unrelenting desire to make him her partner. Another anime with cute girls and lots of action, this show manages to pack 3 high paced story arcs into 12 episodes. The slowly blossoming romance between the two main leads helps keeps things light hearted despite the heavy plot.

In Areishia Spirit Academy, only trained maidens of noble families are gathered to become spirit contractors. For the first time in history, an irregular boy spirit contractor whose existence was thought impossible until now joins the school. His name is Kamito, and he possess skills and potential far exceeding that of which he is willing to show. What are the secrets behind his power? Why does he want to keep them hidden? What is his link to the recently re-emerged figure Ren Ashbell who holds the title of the Strongest Blade Dancer? The thickening plot and mystery surrounding our protagonist makes the anime an entertaining watch, as if the cute girls and fanservice aren’t enough already!

First-year student Ash Blake of Ansarivan Dragonar Academy is known by his fellow classmates as the ‘number one problem child.’ Despite his rare ability to ride other people’s dragons and his incredibly large star-shaped brand that marks him as a future dragon master, his dragon has never appeared. One fateful day, Ash's dragon awakes in full glory, but appears different than any dragon ever seen before —in the form of a beautiful girl! The hot headed girl/dragon though small, holds an incredible amount of power. But she soon becomes the least of his worries as powerful unseen forces start moving to bring an ancient evil back to life.

The story centers around Akihisa Yoshii, the "baka" of the title, and unlike our other titles in this list where the protagonist pretends to be an idiot, he really is one. He attends Fumizuki Academy, where the staff rigidly divides the students based on the results of their academic scores, and assign benefits based on it. The higher the grade, the better the class and classroom, the better the benefits The school happens to have developed experiments to summon fantasy creatures, and the anime revolves around Akihisa and the F class as they try to take on the higher-tiered classes and seize their perks an all-out battle for school supremacy. Full of slapstick humour, ecchi, plot twists, more blood spilled than Attack on Titan and a warm overarching theme about true friendship and love, this is one of my favourites in this list.

Widely known for invading the internet with the “blue ribbon underboobs”, Danjon ni Deai o Motomeru no wa Machigatteiru Darō ka –or DanMachi for short– takes place in the city of Orario, a huge labyrinth in the underground. Its strange name attracts excitement, illusions of honor, and hopes of romance with a pretty girl. In this city of dreams and desires, new adventurer Bell Cranel has his fateful encounter with the tiny Goddess Hestia. A light hearted comedy about a boy striving to become the best adventurer and a lonely goddess searching for followers, both working together to fulfill their goals. With an increasingly heavy plot and a fresh take on friendship and “the meaning of getting stronger”, you tend to forget it’s supposed to be a comedy/ecchi anime.

Our story centers around our beloved protagonist, Yotaro Hanabusa, a member of the last remaining order of the 21st century Knights called the "Knights of the world”. While donning a mask to hide his identity, he goes about the day protecting the peace as the mysterious “Knight Lancer”. One day he meets a little girl by the name of Kidoin Makio, and through a series of quirky events, soon begins living with her along with his party that includes an overbearing maid, an air-headed squire and a white horse that squeals like a pig. With it’s own brand of wacky story telling and a lovable and unique cast of characters, this light hearted story that follows a knight who doesn't want to be a knight as he begins to look after a young rich girl, along with his quirky friends, makes for a great watch!

Airing this season is Diabolik Lovers More,Blood which continues the story of Komori Yui. She has been living with the Sakamaki family. Lately, she has been having dreams of someone called "Eve". One day, they get into a fiery car accident and come cross the Mukami tribe. Unfortunately for Yui, her life is soon going to take on a new direction with the Mukami tribe. Will her questions be answered? Or perhaps she'll be fodder of these new vampiric families. Much like Dance with Devils, Diabolik Lovers More,Blood delves into the supernatural with a cast of blood sucking bishounen, except the Sakamaki clan and the Mukami clan have no interest in protecting poor Yui. Yui is like Ritsuka, she's just a normal high school girl whose wellbeing is at the mercy of supernatural beings. They both are reverse-harems as well!

Ayangai Academy is a school that focuses on music, but it has a musical department that is difficult to enter. You have to be accepted into the Star Frame Class, which is taught by the top students of the musical department, also called the Kaou-kai. This is a story that follows Hoshitani Yuuta, Nayuki Tooru, Tsukigami Kaito, Tengenji Kakeru, and Kuga Shuu who have been selected by the Kaou-kai's Ootori Itsuki. In order to achieve their dream, they have to work together, but can they get along enough to do that? Dance with Devils has a musical aspect of it when the characters do break off into song and dance, so a great anime this season with the same features would be High School Star Musical. High School Star Musical has singing, dancing, and bishounen, but it also takes a look at the bond between these five select students as they learn to work together to become the best. Think of it as an anime similar to Dance with Devils without any girls to take up the screen time of your favorite guys.

Kusanagi Yui is an ordinary high school girl, but she has been selected by Zeus to attend a school for gods. At this school, Yui has to teach the other young gods about what it means to be human, but can she do that when they have no interest in humans? Kamigami no Asobi takes a look at a different side of the supernatural with gods instead of demons. The protagonist is another important human amongst a harem of very extraordinary bishounen. Kamigami no Asobi is also set in a school setting, much like Dance with Devils. You'll enjoy watching as you learn that although these gods have no care for humans, they are actually quite human inside.

Yukimura Chizuru has traveled to Kyoto to find her father who she hasn't heard from since he left on a job. Chizuru ends up witnesses a fight between the Shinsengumi and an oni. The Shinsengumi take Chizuru back to their base to figure out what to do with her until they find out that she is the daughter of the doctor that they have been searching for. Chizuru finds herself under the protection of the Shinsengumi as she attempts to find out more information about her father, but along the way Chizuru will come across many mysteries, secrets, and perhaps love in her journey. Although both stories are set in different eras, the protagonists find themselves in very similar situations. Ritsuka was trying to find her mom while Chizuru is searching for her dad. They both find themselves being protected by a harem of bishounen with secrets that they both would never have imagined. If you are seeking a story of political struggle, drama, and the honor of the samurai, then you will enjoy watching the Shinsengumi in Hakuoki.

Fairy tales are not all princes and pixie dust. Tamaki finds herself attacked by fabled creatures, but luckily, she is rescued by an amazing boy who is part demon. Tamaki soon learns that she has inherited the destiny as a Tamayori princess, but before she can take that all in, she has to attend a new high school as well. Can she handle the destiny given to her or will she shy away from fate? Much like Ritsuka, Tamaki has found herself in a situation that she never even dreamed of that defies logic. Well, her human logic, anyway. Both protagonists are just ordinary girls with extraordinary fates who are under the protection of a group of special guys. Although Tamaki may not be the strongest, she's no pushover either. If you want a supernatural anime with a stronger protagonist than some of the more recent reverse harems, you may want to see what Tamaki has in store for you.

Haruka has dreamed of becoming a composter so that she can write for her favorite idol so she entered Saotome Academy, a school dedicated to the performing arts, so she can achieve her dream. Haruka finds herself surrounded by many talented people and the staff are all idols! At this school, Haruka must find a partner to work with, but who will she choose? Although Ritsuka has sung in Dance with Devils, Haruka in Uta no Prince-sama prefers to be in the back and compose the music that we see featured in Uta no Prince-sama. The male characters provide the musical scenes that make this anime similar to Dance with Devils. The males in this reverse harem have their own issues and dreams, but watch as they overcome their difficulties to achieve their dreams.

First up is Nisekoi which is another stunning title from Shaft. You can expect the same brilliant animation and artwork of Owarimonogatari and the Shaft's specialty head tilt as well. Whereas the story is not as deep as Bakemonogatari, the level of comedy and romance that is present in the Nisekoi series is comparable to Owarimonogatari (but there is not as much fan-service though sorry!) Nise as everyone knows, means fake and koi, love. The title therefore means False/Fake Love and this is the main plot of Nisekoi. Nisekoi explores Raku Ichijou and Chitoge Kirisaki relationship as they were forced to be lovers under special circumstances. However, it wasn't a beautiful meeting between the two of them at first and you will see that still go head to head with each other as often as possible. Unfortunately for him, Raku's heart happens to be with his classmate Kosaki Onodera while he is pretending to be Chitoge's boyfriend. How will he manage the situation and find true love instead of false love? As a fan of rom-com and the stunning visuals of Shaft, I couldn't ask for more. The manga itself was impressive. When I heard Shaft is the studio producing it, I literally went weeb for 5 whole minutes. Oh god... I can feel the chuunibyou feels hitting me… But seriously go check this series out. It's like Owarimonogatari minus heavy plot but topped up with light hearted humour. It definitely will break a smile on you!

Mekakucity Actors in particular gives off an odd-vibe and it garners mixed reviews as well. Unfortunately, those that disliked it were more than those that loved it, which gave it an overall bad standing on MyAnimeList. To be honest, this series has the same abstract feel and weird vibe that the Monogatari series exudes. It is also dialogue heavy (in fact dialogue centred) and retains Shaft's unique brand of animation. What is particularly memorable to me was the choice of music in this anime. I'm pretty sure some of you heard of Kagerou Daze from Vocaloid right? Most of you would also know that the song is a story on its own. Therefore, Mekakucity Actors is the story behind those popular Vocaloid hits. One of the characters Eno, even looked like Miku. I actually thought it was a Vocaloid anime before realising that the characters just looked like them. The story is based on the individual's ocular powers (not Mangekyo... I know what SOME of you are thinking) and how they meet each other and find meaning to their gifts as well as to solve the mystery behind their powers. I would say the most attractive quality in this series is the music and fans can expect familiar songs from Vocaloid. Don't forget to count the number of Shaft head tilts in the series!

This anime is just weird... And I don't mean the good kind of weird that Shaft does. I mean actually weird... Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei revolves around the school teacher Itoshiki Nozumu - a pessimistic person with a poor outlook on life who sees everything is gray. Everything about him is just negative. To balance the anime out, put one Kafuka Fuura in there, an overly-optimistic girl who never falters even in the depths of despair. Now, pair them together and watch the comedy unfold. Most of the anime is just that. This series employs dark humour and this brand of humour is very hard to pull off as it touches on sensitive topics. You know the feeling when you know that you're not supposed to laugh but find it a tad comical and people finds you weird and gives you "the look"? That's what I meant by the opening sentence. This anime is quite old and the animation does not remind you of Shaft. What is retained however, is Shaft's tenacity to delve into the obscure and unknown and managing to bring up something fresh. You can be sure that this series exudes the same off-vibe and the abstract art form of the monogatari series but the humour employed in this case is very different. Owarimonogatari is already an abstract anime as it is very different. Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei is very similar but yet very different from Owarimonogatari. So you can say that this anime is different from the other different kinds of difference out there... Wait, I don't even understand the last statement. Think I went too deep there.

I'm pretty sure most of you are asking by now, what's with all the shaft selections? Well Shaft is unique that's why. If there are so many other kinds out there, then it wouldn't be called unique now wouldn't it? However, for diversity though, the next half of the list will comprise of different studios. This anime is set in an urban city. However, the urban concept emanates a vibe that almost seems unreal. It's very similar to that of Mekakucity Actors and has very similar vibes that the monogatari series gives off. Filled with equally interesting characters, some of them supernatural entities as well, it feels that the series borrows certain traits and elements of the monogatari series and is equally exceptional itself based on its own merits. Set in Ikebukuro, a suburban district, this district is filled with various strange rumours as gangs roamed the street. Various rumours include a headless knight rider known as the Black Rider speeding the highways, a mysterious information broker who is as sly and cunning as he is well-informed, an over powered bartender whose strength cannot be equalled as well the strange group known as Dollars. As these factions are pulled together by connected events, what secrets will be uncovered along the way and what is the district hiding? That's Durarara for you. It casts off the same level of uniqueness and enigma of the monogatari series. The story starts off slow and doesn't pick up till midway prompting much of the viewers to lose interest. However, at its peak it shares the same level of excellence as the monogatari series by making viewers think while watching. Dialogue driven as well, viewers are treated with the power and action of words in creating an impressionable tale accompanied by great visuals. This is an anime which made me reminisce the good old days of watching the monogatari series. It can be called a close companion of the monogatari series.

When we talk about Owarimonogatari, we talk about the witty dialogue that keeps us captivated to the story as it makes us think as the series is filled with double meanings and progresses in a fast pace like an action anime but with words. Hyouka is an anime which features a lazy genius (a Shikamaru if you will), Oreki Houtarou. He is shown to be adept in solving mysteries and puzzles but have no interest in doing so as he is simply content with a simple life. He meets one Chitanda Eru, an overly inquisitive girl whose catchphrase is Watashi, Kininarimasu (I'm curious) which is heard too often in the anime and is popular enough to spawn off several memes. Hyouka shares the same level of wit as the monogatari series and the animation is visually stunning as well, but it is not a Shaft style. One thing I would really like to commend the series on, is its well balanced portrayal of the situation. Sometimes the scenes will change into a surreal form, which resembles the monogatari series. While the animation is exceptional in its own rights, all it does is make you vaguely remember the monogatari series. What truly makes you connect this series with the monogatari series is the wittiness of both series

Also known as The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, this is yet another dialogue driven anime in which the story progresses through dialogues and monologues within the anime. The world of Haruhi is set in a high school setting where everything goes according to the whims of the titular character - Haruhi. Viewers can expect strong character development through speech, very much like the Monogatari series. Dealing heavily with supernatural entities and oddities as well such as aliens, espers and time travellers, the story deals with the club known as the SOS Brigade and their misadventures as dictated by Haruhi. The whole series is simply her pulling her group members around on a whim. Much like Owarimonogatari, random occurrences happen in the anime and portrays the character dealing with them. It is because of the fanciful Haruhi such that the world appears to be distorted as well and this isn't your simple everyday school life club activities showcase and you can expect interesting developments that will catch your attention. While it is not the animation nor the vibe or feel of the anime that gives a strong impression of it being similar to the Monogatari series, it is however, the strong propensity of the series leaning towards the oddities of supernatural instances that drew me to this anime much like how it drew me to the Monogatari series. You can expect the story to expand via intense dialogue coupled with strong character developments as well as the same kind of obscure, surreal environment that the Monogatari series presents