Punch Line follows the story of Yuuta Iridatsu, a high school boy particularly sensitive to girl’s panties. Through a variety of incidences, a mysterious figure steals Yuuta’s body, reducing him to a sprit. While trying to regain his body, Yuuta soon finds himself shouldering the responsibility of saving the world. Throw in superheroes, robots, and plenty of action, and we have a show that is really rolling the punches. Though Punch Line features more fanservice than Concrete Revolutio, it shares the latter’s overly saturated color palettes and wild narratives. Also, much like Concrete Revolutio, Punch Line can take some warming up time before one really becomes engrossed in the story. However, it certainly does reward those with patience. For the fans that love colorful aesthetics, an enigmatic plot, and a slow boiling show, Punch Line might be up their alley.

For those who love all things Kyoto Animation, Kyoukai no Kanata will not disappoint. The anime depicts the story of Akihito Kanbara, a half human and half youmu, or supernatural creature, as he confronts and eventually helps his hapless classmate Mirai Kuriyama. On a slightly different track than Punch Line, Kyoukai no Kanata resembles Concrete Revolutio due to its focus on the relationship between yokai and humans and the existence of the Spirit World Warriors. Like in Concrete Revolutio, Kyoukai no Kanata is set in a world where both humans and yokai exist. However, yokai are not always benevolent. Much like the Superhuman Bureau, the Spirit World Warriors regulate the yokai and try to maintain the everyday lives of normal humans.

The phrase, “you have to see it to believe it,” might be the most apt when describing this show. For the sake of simplicity, Samurai Flamenco is the story of the self-made superhero, Hazama Masayoshi and the local police officer, Goto, as they try to save the world. Samurai Flamenco seems to depict the story of a hero’s everyday life at least for the first five episodes. While this might not be the first anime that comes to mind when thinking about Concrete Revolutio, Samurai Flamenco arguable resembles it due to its focus on monsters, heroes, and the concern for the meaning of justice. Much like how Jiro Hitoyoshi fights with the Superhuman Bureau to keep monsters in check, Samurai Flamenco’s Hazama Masayoshi fights for justice in his battles against monsters that threaten humanity.

In Kekkai Sensen, the young Leonardo Watch, blessed (or perhaps cursed) with the “All Seeing Eyes of God,” joins Libra, a quasi-order enforcement organization for the “Beyond.” As a part of Libra, Leonardo soon finds himself in pinches well beyond his imagination. Though stylistically different from Concrete Revolutio, Kekkai Sensen, with its stunning animation and cinematography, is just right for those who want a visual treat. Additionally, those who like the Superhuman Bureau will find a similar organization at the heart of Kekkai Sensen: Libra. Just as the Superhuman Bureau regulates superhuman beings, Libra protects humans from the chaos caused by monsters and magic.

One Punch Man is the story of Saitama, a superhero who can take out anything with only one punch. But, even with his overpowered status, Saitama still has his struggles, such as finishing his fights fast enough to make it in time for limited-time-sales at the market. One Punch Man is another superhero anime like the previously mentioned Samurai Flamenco that is not the typical hero show. Instead of heroes working independently, we have a larger organization monitoring the activities of these super humans much like the Superhuman Bureau does in Concrete Revolutio. Throw in the monsters that appear throughout the show, and we have an anime with a faint flavor of Concrete Revolutio for the fans that are craving more.

Psycho-Pass is an anime set in a dystopian future in which it’s possible for every citizen of Japan to have their state of mind measured and quantified by the Sybil System to monitor mental states and probability of committing a crime. Psycho-passes indicate whether or not a person has a high likelihood of committing a crime and the Public Safety Bureau’s Criminal Investigation Division enforces order with the help of people who are on the brink of being categorized as criminals themselves. On the surface, Psycho-Pass and Concrete Revolutio may not seem that they have much in common. However, when you consider the dystopian and political overtones of both shows, they begin to seem more like one another. Just like how the Superhuman Bureau is a government agency with questionable politics, in Psycho-Pass we have the Public Safety Bureau’s Criminal Investigation Division, an organization that operates under the morally murky justice system. Rather than superhumans and monsters, Psycho-Pass confronts the monsters within all of us.

At Sakuragaoka Girls High School, the light music club is on its last legs. That is, until recent inductee Yui Hirasawa misunderstands the club poster and expresses interest in joining as one of the required minimum four members, along with classmates Ritsu, Mio, and Tsumugi. There are, however, a few problems: she has absolutely no experience playing music, can’t read sheet music, and doesn’t even own the instrument the other girls want her to play. But the energy and heart of their performance gives her the determination to see it through. K-On! has plenty to offer fans of High School Star Musical. Although it takes place at an all-girls school, the high school environment will feel immediately familiar. The series has a quirky cast of core characters that have a very entertaining dynamic as they learn the ins and outs of musical club life, and there’s plenty of comedy and heart to tie the whole thing together.

Based on a popular visual novel video game series, Uta no Prince-Sama tells the story of idol fan girl and aspiring pop sensation Haruka Nanami. Haruka is a girl with dreams of composing music, especially for the idol she reveres. In hopes of achieving her dreams, she enrolls in Saotome, a prestigious performing arts school. If she is successful at school, she’ll get a head start on rocketing forward in her career, but the extremely competitive, eccentric student body is comprised of aspiring composers, would-be (and actual) idols, famous singers, and more. Much like High School Star Musical, music plays a very important role throughout the course of the show. Saotome Academy is just as cutthroat as Ayanagi, even if the student body is a bit more eccentric. The show’s overarching plot is broken up by plenty of silly character beats (including a transforming, evil prince), and the characters prove themselves incredibly likeable as they navigate the social minefield that is high school while trying to achieve their dreams.

Free! is set in the small town of Iwatobi, and follows the story of the taciturn but determined Haruka Nanase. The story begins with Haruka and his childhood friends crowned winners of an elementary school swimming tournament before going their separate ways. However, they reunite in Iwatobi High School, and when Haruka loses a swim match in the school’s run down pool, the friends create a swim club, determined to get back in shape and make the club a competitive success. Although this show doesn’t adhere to the musical theme of previous entries on the list, it has plenty to offer fans of High School Star Musical. Obviously, they share the high school setting, although Iwatobi is a much different environment. The story has a heavy emphasis on the bonds formed during club activities, and the dedication demanded to make the club a success. The characters are relatable and have unique foibles that help propel the plot forward as they come to terms with the nature of their friendships and the way things have changed since childhood.

Seiso Academy is a school that caters to the musically inclined as well as general students looking to excel in their studies. One such student, Kahoko Hino, is a lover of music who never picked up an instrument. That changes after a fateful run in with Lili, a fairy who gifts Kahoko with a magical violin that allows her to play any songs she truly loves, and she agrees to enter the school’s highly competitive musical tournament, the Concours. La Corda D’Oro offers a somewhat whimsical twist on the musical theme enjoyed by fans of Star-Mu, but the classical music plays an important role in the series. Just like High School Star Musical, it’s a large part of how the characters grow closer. Like other entries on the list, and Star-Mu in particular, the high school setting is an important playground for the characters to interact and explore their feelings for one another, all while trying to juggle the demands of extracurricular activities and rigorous high school academia. As the contest draws nearer, the viewer, like Kahoko, begins to feel a very real fondness for her competition.

Nodame Cantabile centers around two equally passionate aspiring musicians at Momogaoka College with very different personalities. There is Shinichi Chiaki, an overbearing, somewhat arrogant perfectionist who plays several instruments and dreams of becoming a musical conductor but suffers from a crippling fear of flying over the ocean. Then, there is Megumi Noda, an eccentric, somewhat sloppy pianist who enjoys her music the way she enjoys her life; playful, and by ear. An accidental encounter blossoms into a one-sided romance, and as Megumi tries to win the heart of Shinichi, they get to know themselves and their classmates better. Star-Mu fans will find plenty to love in Nodame Cantabile. Like Star-Mu, the show is heavily inspired by and often features music to express its themes. Much like High School Star Musical, the heart of the show is the budding relationship between its main characters. As the plot progresses and they discover more about themselves and each other, they begin to mature and their relationship develops deeper meaning. But that doesn’t mean that the show doesn’t know how to have fun, since there are plenty of hilarious comedic beats, just like in Star-Mu, to keep the story clipping along.

No list of recommendations for anime that are club oriented and set in high school would be complete without mentioning Ouran High School Host Club. The show takes place at the titular Ouran Academy, an incredibly prestigious high school attended by Japan’s wealthiest, most influential budding socialites. Except, of course, diligent student Haruhi Fujioka. Haruhi is a scholarship student who becomes a de-facto (if indentured) member of the school’s infamous Host Club after shattering a priceless vase. Each episode, the Host Club (comprised of boys catering to a spectrum of feminine desires) hosts events with varying themes. This show has plenty to offer fans of Star-Mu. While music doesn’t play quite as prominent a role in the goings on as it does in other entries on the list, each episode is themed, and music plays a big part of that. Ouran Academy hosts a bizarre but earnest cast of characters inside and out of the Host Club, and they are the heart of the show, much like the aspiring inductees in Star-Mu. The school has so much personality it could be a character in and of itself, and no club seems quite as demanding as the Host Club. While the show oozes an eccentric comedic overtone, just like High School Star Musical, it often deals with rather mature themes, such as gender identity and discrimination, socio-economic perception, and friendship. Definitely check it out.

Soul Eater is about a group of kids who attend the Death Weapon Meister Academy, which is run by Shinigami, or Death. The students are either Weapons, humans who are able to transform themselves into traditional weapons, or Meisters, humans who fight using the Weapons in order to collect souls. The ultimate goal is to collect 99 human souls and 1 witch soul so that the Weapon can be granted the title of “Death Scythe”, a weapon used by Death himself. The story focuses on 7 students in particular as they not only try to collect and absorb the necessary souls to become stronger, but also protect Death City from some powerful enemies. It also focuses on each of the relationships between the 3 Meisters (Maka, Black Star, and Death the Kid), and the 4 weapons (Soul, Tsubaki, Liz, and Patty). This series is similar to Shaman King in the sense that both use similar fighting styles. In Shaman King, the shaman’s ghost ally can merge with the weapon being used, whereas in Soul Eater, a human actually transform into the weapon itself. As a result, both the wielder and the wielded have to communicate effectively in order to win the fight, and as both series progress, the characters learn how to overcome their personal obstacles in order to defeat their opponents.

Very few series could begin with the main character dying immediately, yet Yu Yu Hakusho would be one that would put a whole new twist on this idea. When 14 year old delinquent Yusuke Urameshi unexpectedly sacrifices his life to save the life of a child, he is given several tests to pass in order to come back to life. With the help of the few people that care about him back on Earth, Yusuke is able to succeed, and in turn is granted the title of Spirit Detective. As the series progresses, Yusuke works on cases assigned to him, which mainly consist of either protecting the Earth from powerful demons or going out of his way to eliminate demons elsewhere. Yusuke also makes new friends and learns powerful new techniques as the demons he goes to fight get more and more powerful. If you liked Shaman King because you were interested in the spirit aspect of it, Yu Yu Hakusho is perfect. Both series start off very similar, as the main character interacts with a lot of different ghosts and tries to help resolve their problems. In addition, the main character’s friends have similar personalities as well; Kuwabara tends to act pretty similar to Wooden Sword Ryu, and Hiei tends to interact with Yusuke the same way Ren does with Yoh. This tends to lead to some very similar comedic moments as well as serious ones.

Kousuke Ueki was just a normal kid going to Hinokuni Junior High School until he was selected by his home room teacher to compete in a tournament where the winner would essentially become God. You know, the usual. Given the power to transform trash into trees, Kousuke has to figure out a way to win with his ability, where the winning student will get to choose any talent they wish and be the best in the world at that talent. The similarities between Yoh Asakura and Kousuke Ueki are remarkable. Both are genuinely kind souls that try to help other people out as much as they can. Both also tend to be very calm and not really be concerned about what might happen to them. Kousuke is even friends with a girl that tends to be really strict with him at times and takes it upon herself to act as his manager (sound familiar?). Finally, the entire purpose of the series is very much like Shaman King; many kids fighting to be the best, with only one student earning the right to be given the Blank Zai.

Ginta Toramizu is a 14 year old boy who constantly dreams about a fictional world called MAR Heaven. His desire reaches a point where nothing in the real world matters to him, and he only desires to be able to visit the world in his dreams. One day, in the middle of class, his dream finally comes true; Ginta finds himself not only summoned to this world, but is gifted with extreme strength and stamina, and doesn’t need his glasses to see anymore. As Ginta explores this new world, he soon realizes that as beautiful as it is, MAR Heaven is in trouble. The Chess Pieces, an organization that tried and failed to take over MAR Heaven years ago, have returned, and are once again led by Phantom, an extremely powerful warrior. It’s up to Ginta and his new friends to stop Phantom and the Chess Pieces from taking over MAR Heaven. The Chess Pieces decide that a tournament will determine the fate of MAR Heaven, just like how the Shaman King fight will determine the fate of the world. Furthermore, the style of fighting used in MAR is very much similar to Shaman King’s in the sense that some of the weapons used are special Guardians that fight alongside the wielder in battle. Ginta’s special weapon also has a soul actually inside of it, even though Babbo and Ginta’s relationship is very different from Yoh and Amidamaru’s. However, both sets of partners end up learning each other’s strengths and work together to take on their respective foes.

JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure is bizarre to say the least. The story focuses on the Joestar family, where each member finds that they not only have a unique power from the others, but are also destined in some way to defeat supernatural forces. The story is unique in the sense that it is split into several parts, with each part focusing on only one member of the Joestar family as they proceed with their adventure. JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure does have spirits and fighting, but it’s similarity to Shaman King goes deeper than this. One of the unique aspects of Shaman King is its representation of cultures from all around the world, as shamans from all across the globe come to participate in a tournament to decide the Shaman King. JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure also takes place in multiple countries, so we are exposed to these different cultures as well. If you were a fan of how the characters visited America as well as the characters from outside Japan, then you’ll be a fan of the characters each Joestar family member meets during their adventures.

Kiyo Takamine is a 14 year old genius, which makes him a target for being teased and harassed by the other students. As a result, Kiyo tends to be apathetic to most people and skips school on a regular basis. However, everything changes when he a young boy named Zatch shows up on his doorstep with a strange book saying that Kiyo’s father had sent him to live with Kiyo. As Kiyo tries to make sense of this and interpret the strange book, he reads out loud a spell that causes Zatch to fire a lightning bolt from his mouth. Kiyo and Zatch eventually learn that Zatch is actually from the Momodo world, where 100 Momodo children every 1000 years are sent to Earth to fight with human allies to become the Momodo King. The object of each fight is to burn the book of the other Momodo. The last Momodo left with their book unburned will rule be the Momodo King. Zatch Bell has the strongest similarity to Shaman King in terms of the rules for the fighting. Not only is the fight held twice as long as every Shaman King fight, but the winner gets to be the King. Not to mention that one of the rules for losing for both tournaments is if the key item being used is destroyed. More importantly, however, Shaman King and Zatch Bell share the importance of friendship. Both Kiyo and Yoh begin the series as loners who don’t have any friends because of their huge burden. However, a chance encounter with someone ends up leading them to their very first friendship, and that new friend in turn helps lead to more friendships being formed. If you liked how Yoh made friends with the other shamans in the shaman fight, then you will also be a fan of how Kiyo makes friends with other people participating to help their Momodo ally become, the Momodo King.

It is a god's duty to protect humans from the dangers of the far shore, a world where virtuous and vicious spiritual beings reside. To do so, they employ the use of Shinki, weapons created from spirits of the dead. But not all gods are omnipotent - in fact, some are just plain poor. Take for example Yato, a penniless yet ambitious minor deity without a shrine to call his own. With no roof over his head and despised by his Shinki, he soon finds himself alone and having to do odd jobs unrelated to the spirit world. That is, until he is saved from being hit by a bus by Hiyori Iki, an accident that forces this regular human girl's soul to frequently separate from her body. Hiyori has no choice but to turn to Yato to fix the issue, but can such a small-time god really help her? Or will she end up helping him? Both Noragami and Kyoukai no Kanata explore elements of the supernatural, with characters having to fight evil spirits in order to protect humans and each other. Yato and Mirai both do so for money, in order to make ends meet. However, it's not all action - these anime also deal with the relationship between the human world and the spirit world, and the social issues that occur when they collide. The male protagonists Akihito and Yato also share similarities in that they have playful and seemingly frivolous personalities, but secretly struggle with their past. But the thing that really connects these two series is the balance between the heart-wrenching emotional struggles of the characters and the bright comedic elements, making Noragami a great follow-up to Beyond the Boundary. With not only one but two completed seasons, it's sure to keep you entertained for a while!

Houtarou Oreki hates exerting effort. His main aim in life is to conserve energy and avoid anything troublesome, which proves rather difficult when he's forced by his older sister to join the school Classics Club. There he meets the ever-curious Eru Chitanda, a girl with a love of mystery who is quick to discover Houtarou's extraordinary analytical skills. In awe of his sharp mind, she frequently pesters him to get involved with and solve various mysteries around the school along with the other members of the club, Satoshi Fukube and Mayaka Ibara. As they work together to solve the mystery of Eru's long-lost uncle, each of these characters begins to grow - but will Houtarou change his ways? Fans of Kyoukai no Kanata will instantly spot the similarity between these two series - namely, the production company. Both by KyoAni, the art and animation style quickly pulls you in, and you know you can expect quality. But that's not all - the main focus of Hyouka and Beyond the Boundary is human relationships, and how they develop. With a shared school setting, both are centred around group activities - namely the Literary Club and the Classics Club - which form the base for these developing friendships and romances. Although Hyouka is more mystery than fantasy in genre, there are some elements which lean towards the fantastic, notably when Eru becomes extremely fixated on something she is curious about. If you enjoyed KnK's unique characterisation and development, make Hyouka the next on your list.

Yuzuru Otonashi is dead. Or so he's been told by Yuri Nakamura, leader of the Shinda Sekai Sensen (Afterlife Battlefront) - he himself doesn't have any memory of who or where he is. Yuzuru soon learns that he is apparently in the afterlife, where the dead battle with god through targeting the president of the Afterlife School, Angel. Yuri also explains that if he wants to survive, he must join the SSS and help fight against the enemy. Of course, this information is all a little hard to swallow. That is, until Yuzuru approaches Angel in an attempt to talk to her, only to be stabbed to death and come back to life once more. Forced to face reality, what decisions will Yuzuru make? And how can you survive in a world where you are already dead? The first thing that may sound familiar from this anime is the scene where the male main character is stabbed by the female main character, only to survive and reveal to the audience that his is immortal. But the similarities don't stop there. The main couple in both series must work together with other characters to survive in a world where their lives are almost constantly in danger, creating intense dramatic tension which explodes into thrilling battle scenes. Another thing that makes Angel Beats! and Kyoukai no Kanata alike is the way that the action does not detract from the delicate portrayal of individual characters, and the way friendship and romance is strengthened through hardship. If you're after an anime with both tense battles and touching moments, look no further than Angel Beats!.

A new student has transferred into Madoka Kaname's class. This should have been their first meeting, but Madoka has seen Homura Akemi before - in a bad dream the previous night. Homura also seems to know Madoka, if her mysterious warning telling her not to change is anything to go by. Their connection becomes harder to deny when Madoka's nightmare replays itself in reality, and she discovers that magical girls don't just exist in fiction. They're real, and she could become one herself - all she has to do is form a contract with magical creature Kyubey, and promise to fight witches. If she accepts, she will be granted one wish. It's a tempting offer, but with Homura so against Madoka accepting, what will she decide to do? Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica shares the same dark fantasy vibe as Kyoukai no Kanata, with plenty of fantasy fight scenes to boot. In both series, the magical-girl style protagonists must fight enemies in order to stay alive, whilst at the same time having doubts about the system they're working under. It follows characters who are isolated from others due to their power, and how said power develops through as they build friendships and connections with others. Human emotions form the foundations of these anime, which explore the loneliness of those who are different from others and how they cope when forced to make difficult choices. With well-rounded characters and exploration into meaningful relationships, Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica is sure to cause that familiar tug at your heartstrings.

After a brief stint as a vampire, Koyomi Araragi has regained his humanity thanks to spiritual expert Meme Oshino. However, not everything has gone back to normal - thanks to his temporary vampire status, Koyomi now heals almost instantly when injured. As if that wasn't weird enough, he also regularly runs into girls who have their own spiritual baggage. One of said girls is Hitagi Senjougahara, who he saves from falling down the stairs, only to discover she is practically weightless. Despite her threatening him into silence, he offers to take Hitagi to Meme and help her solve the mystery behind her "incurable disease". With its roots in Japanese mythology and folklore, Bakemonogatari is jam-packed with the same supernatural ambience as Kyoukai no Kanata. Both series share a sense of mystery not only regarding the plot, but also the characters' pasts, especially those of main characters Koyomi and Akihito. These two are also similar in that they are only part-human, have special powers, and share an incurable compassion for others. With a fast-paced storyline, a lively mix of drama, action, and comedy, and seven seasons to boot, if you're a fan of Kyoukai no Kanata, Bakemonogatari has a lot to offer.

One type of chuunibyou, literally translated as ""Middle School Second Year Syndrome", leads young teenagers to believe they have special powers, which they eventually grow out of and look back on with regret and embarrassment. Such is the case for protagonist Yuuta Togashi, who is determined to start his life afresh now that he's started high school. However, sometimes it take a little longer to heal, or so Yuuta learns when he comes into contact with Rikka Takanashi, the holder of the Tyrant's Eye. Rikka, who knows of Yuuta's dark past as Dark Flame Master, forces him to form a "contract" with her. Desperate to keep up an appearance of normalcy but unable to turn Rikka away, will Yuuta be able to drag Rikka back to reality? Or will he be forced backwards into former delusions? Here we have another Kyoto Animation classic to round off the list. The plot of Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai! is reminiscent of Kyoukai no Kanata in that it follows a male main character being pursued by a persistent female lead character, much to his irritation. The development of the relationship between these characters is also alike, as this annoyance slowly and naturally changes and develops throughout the series. Although the fantasy in Love, Chunibyo & Other Delusions! is within the characters mind, this anime is still full of exciting fight scenes, and as with KnK, the comedic playful element does not dull down the importance of the characters' emotions. This series also has two seasons, so if you're hoping to put off that end-of-an-anime depression a little longer, this is a good one to go for.

Magically-charged battles are a hallmark in the anime medium and few shows do them better than the 2015 visual novel adaptation of Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works. Shirou Emiya, the unwitting seventh and final participant (dubbed as a ‘Master’) in a battle royale for a wish-granting device known as the Holy Grail, is nearly killed one night when he wanders into a battle between two Servants, heroic spirits derived from real-world mythology who are summoned by each Master as their ultimate weapon. The Fate/stay night universe comprises an entire encyclopedia of facts and trivia where every magical concept and each hero have a unique story to support their existence. More importantly, everything that appears on screen looks unbelievably beautiful thanks to the efforts of Studio ufotable, who in recent years have yet to make a show that is not comparable to the most well-produced theatrical films in anime. If Pandora Hearts is appealing because of its combination of a coming-of-age story with pretty flashes of magic, Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works takes those two aspects and puts as much effort as humanly possible to perfect them. If you have already watched Pandora Hearts, you might just find yourself hearing Alice’s voice in this show.

Although watching a character grow up from a journey through their world is a tried-and-true storytelling structure in anime, it also demands a significant amount of time that some viewers simply do not have. Thankfully, many anime series of the last two or three years brings similar degrees of character development in smaller packages. Among them is Kyoukai no Kanata, a 12 episode series first released in 2014 produced by the immensely popular Kyoto Animation as their first foray into a supernatural battle series after years of only making slice-of-life shows. The show is set in an alternate universe where modern Japan is infested with magical creatures and monsters of all kinds, revolving mostly around a high school that Akihito Kanbara and Mirai Kuriyama, our two main lead characters, attend. The show’s main appeal lies in seeing the dichotomy of the characters’ responsibilities as participants in the business of a magical realm while also trying to lead lives as normal high school students, leading to a story that is as funny as it is tragic. This struggle to retain one’s sense of normality is familiar to viewers of Pandora Hearts because of the time limit and physical changes imposed upon humans contracted to Chains, forcing them to deal with the fact that they are forever changed from being normal human beings. Both series pose the question of how happiness can be attained and see each of their main leads provide their own answer. Kyoukai no Kanata does not center the plot development around the male lead, making the storytelling perspective slightly different than that of Pandora Hearts. On the other hand, this lets the show focus on Akihito’s budding relationship with Mirai, which becomes stronger precisely because they are special to each other. If a short but sweet show is more to your favour, Kyoukai no Kanata is your best choice. Did I mention that Pandora Hearts’ soundtrack was composed by Yuki Kajiura? If you have watched Kara no Kyoukai or Puella Magi Madoka Magica before, you might recognise her choral-inspired soundtrack in Pandora Hearts. Regrettably, no particular track in Pandora Hearts stand out as particularly memorable, making the soundtrack among Kajiura’s weaker works.

Tsubasa Chronicle is an adaptation of the Clamp manga Tsubasa: RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE produced by Bee Train in 2005 and features one of Kajiura’s most awe-inspiring set of background music tracks and insert song compositions. While it is difficult to describe the show as a technical marvel with the really pretty looking shows coming out in recent anime seasons, there is a kind of beauty in how Tsubasa Chronicle’s production team is able to formulate moments of emotional impact during the protagonist, Syaoran’s journey to collect the lost memories for his childhood love, Sakura. Syaoran’s travels brings him through many different universes that references many of Clamp’s past works with some very special easter eggs to viewers who are familiar with them, making it a must watch for any Clamp fans. Tsubasa Chronicle is, in essence, the show in this list that feels the most like Pandora Hearts when you are watching it because of the similar tools used to establish tone and atmosphere, but does so with a plot that is much more immediately impressive. It is not a show that is likely to be claimed by many as the best at anything but its ability to convey emotion at the right times through its meaningful, dramatic writing and the technical execution backed by truly talented artistic minds make it a hidden gem worthy to be discovered.

One thing that striked me as a bit disappointing in Pandora Hearts is the lack of drama relating to the fact that the show takes place in a magical world. Even though the plot revolves around supernatural phenomenon, the events that do lead to drama are essentially the result of human decisions and have little to do with the circumstances of the setting. Ao no Exorcist is a show that presents a dual world of both humans and demonic beings adds its own twist by having the main character, Rin Okumura, be the son of this anime’s version of Satan. Rin’s struggle to prove his loyalty to humanity despite inheriting some of the strongest powers in the demonic world, especially when mirrored by his human brother Yukio’s unyielding faith in him even after his chaotic awakening, is no less dramatic and engaging than any of the other shows on this list. In order to do this, Rin seeks to become an Exorcist, a qualified fighter who protect humans from threatening monsters, and to find his own place in a world that does not want anything to do with him. Unlike Pandora Hearts, the drama in Ao no Exorcist centers around the fact that Rin is definitely not human and his efforts to prove otherwise makes the show intriguing. Ao no Exorcist is the closest in the list to being a pure shounen anime series that focuses almost entirely on the development of Rin as a character and provides a consistent stream of battles through many episodic story arcs. The show sports a colourful cast of characters with many dynamics in their relationships that make the show’s depiction of their everyday interactions fun to watch, not unlike Pandora Hearts. The primary focus of the plot is also clearly centered around Rin, who is established from early on to be an integral person within the show’s setting just as Oz is for Pandora Hearts universe, making both shows’ drama hinge upon the decisions and growth of their respective protagonists. For viewers who are looking for a more immersive setting that puts more emphasis on the uniqueness of the main characters as magical beings, Ao no Exorcist might be what you are looking for.

The Familiar of Zero is the closest thing to an anime version of Harry Potter, except that the main character, Saito, quite literally falls into the magical academy pure chance and spends most of his time being fawned over or beaten up by the pretty ladies (the latter often by Louise, the pink-haired female lead) instead of furthering his skill in wizardry. He also ends up wielding a sword, but at least most other characters can blow things up with their wands. The Familiar of Zero is the quintessential fish-out-of-water anime that Pandora Hearts in some ways kind of is, but is way more interesting because we can easily understand that Saito, for all intents and purposes, is a normal Japanese high schooler who has no idea what he is doing most of the time. Pandora Hearts misses a very important opportunity of establishing the differences between the world that Oz is familiar with and the world he emerges into because we are given so little information about both. On the flipside, because we have our own lives to go by when we see Saito having to sleep in a stack of hay and try to fight against magical golems, it makes every action he takes in the show a fun and engaging viewing experience. The Familiar of Zero is a much easier watch than Pandora Hearts with their main similarities being the magical battles and dynamics between their pairs of lead characters that are comprised of many adorable moments. Both shows make use of plot devices that link the successes of their male and female leads to the strength of their relationship. As a light-hearted light novel adaptation, The Familiar of Zero is definitely not as dark as Pandora Hearts often is. It is, however, a great watch for the newer anime fans who wants to learn more about the defining aspects of today’s anime or for viewers who just want to have a good time.

No, not the 2009 version. Bones’ first adaptation of the popular shounen manga Fullmetal Alchemist of the same name in 2004 is groundbreaking, but ultimately forgotten about by dedicated fans of the new adaptation, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, which adapts the story more faithfully. This is a shame because there are a lot that the 2004 adaptation accomplishes in its storytelling that cannot be rivalled not only by Brotherhood, but also by most anime series in general. Edward and Alphonse Elric are two brothers who lost their mother at a young age and, through the powers of alchemy, attempts to resurrect her to life despite knowing that it is taboo to transmute human beings. Their efforts end in disaster as the transmutation process backfires and Edward loses his right arm and left leg while Alphonse loses his entire body and has his soul trapped within a suit of armor, no longer capable of feeling or sleep. A few years pass and they are discovered by Roy Mustang, a state alchemist, who convinces them to also become state alchemists and make use of their authority to find a way to restore their former bodies. Assuming that you are unfamiliar with both shows, Brotherhood features improved animation (which really comes to the forefront during the fight scenes) and faithfully adapts the ending of the manga as the 2004 adaptation reached the end of its broadcast mid-way through the manga’s serialisation. Whereas Brotherhood is within the boundaries of the shounen genre, the 2004 adaptation takes the direction of being a grim coming-of-age story where the Elric brothers are forced to face the dark realities of their unforgiving world. It is unfair to make the judgement of which is better than the other as they are really two different anime that have defined their respective strengths. With Pandora Hearts being the frame of reference, the 2004 adaptation is the more similar anime and actually improves upon much of what Pandora Hearts tries to accomplish. The setting and character designs are so eerily similar to those of Fullmetal Alchemist that one might just think that the story of Pandora Hearts can fit in the Fullmetal Alchemist universe. Even the plot, where the shows’ respective main characters start off making regrettable decisions and resolve to redeem themselves almost mirrors one another. Also, the strained relationship that Edward has with his absent father resembles that of Oz’s, both of which becomes an important plot point later into the series. If you have yet to see the first Fullmetal Alchemist adaptation and really enjoyed Pandora Hearts, it is the best next step you can take.

Keitaro Urashima has failed the mock exam for Tokyo University. Spectacularly. But despite his parents' complaints, he doesn't want to give up - after all, he made a promise with his childhood sweetheart that they would reunite there. So, he takes up his grandmother's offer to continue his studies at her inn, only to discover (in a rather embarrassing way) that it's been turned into an all-girls dormitory, and that his grandmother has left her position as manager to go on a trip. One thing leads to another, and Keitaro ends up becoming the new manager of Hinata House and (barely) in charge of a harem of five girls. A classic shonen ecchi anime full of slapstick comedy and risqué situations, Love Hina is a must-see if you you're a fan of other series of this genre. If you also enjoyed the setting and romantic progression in Princess Lover!, you're in luck, as Love Hina has a similar tempo, with the protagonists of both series facing similar challenges. Much like Teppei, who is suddenly thrust into a whole other social class, Keitaro is pushed into accepting his new position as head of house, meaning he has to move out of his parents' place and start a new life. Also, just as Teppei struggles to see eye-to-eye with many of the girls around him at first, Keitaro too has to overcome many misunderstandings and mishaps in order to be accepted by the girls he lives with.

Boasting not just one but two seasons (the twelve-episode-long sequel having aired April 2015 - June 2015), Nisekoi follows high schooler and reluctant yakuza family heir Raku Ichijo on his quest to be reunited with the love of his life. As a child, he made a promise to share his future with a girl - the only issue is, he can't remember her name or face. He hopes that it just might be his crush since middle school, Kosaki Onodera, but all is not fair in love and harem anime. Raku is soon dragged into a forced engagement to enemy yakuza group heir Chitoge Kirisaki, in order to preserve the peace and prevent a war from breaking out. Before long, Raku is surrounded by potential first loves and new flames, including a frail fake princess and a hitwoman with a guy's name. Although both Princess Lover! and Nisekoi are technically school love comedies, many of the scenes in both take place outside of the school setting, making the characters more rounded. The main male leads in both are forced into engagements, although Teppei has a say in where his relationship will lead, whereas Raku must keep up a lovey-dovey pretense. Raku too is not well-liked by most of the girls at first, especially his fake fiancée. But through showing his sincere side, he manages to win over even the most defensive of tsunderes. If you're after more of the romantic comedy that Princess Lover! provided, this shonen harem anime is bound to deliver.

Big changes are happening in Shougo Mikadono's life. After his father's death, he's named the heir to the family's world-famous enterprise. In order to prepare him for the role, he is transferred to Miryuin Private Academy, which his father attended in the past. However, that's not the only preparation Shougo has to do - according to his father's will, he will only inherit the business if he manages to find a suitable wife to support him before he graduates. With Miryuin Academy having a suspiciously high percentage of female students, you'd think this would be an easy task. But with the Mikadono name and a hefty inheritance tag attached to him, Shougo quickly finds himself in the midst of a battle of affection between several girls. As if that wasn't bad enough, Shougo discovers that one of them may be his half-sister with whom he was separated at birth. With the graduation deadline looming and an incestual marriage to avoid, who will Shougo choose as his bride? The central male characters in both Kono Naka ni Hitori, Imoto ga Iru! and Princess Lover! tread very similar paths. Both move home and transfer to prestigious schools after the death of a parent or parents, and suddenly become the centre of attention due to their name and status. Their romantic lives are also alike, with Teppei being engaged and Shougo searching for a wife, and both are pursued by several girls who share their own similarities. For example, Konoe Tsuruma, the first girl to pursue Shougo, has a playful teasing personality and believes in fateful encounters, which calls to mind Princess Lover!'s Charlotte Hazelrink. If you enjoyed Princess Lover!, Nakaimo is definitely worth checking out!

Haruhi Fujioka does not fit in at school. A poor student at the elite Ouran High, all she wants to do is find a quiet place to study so she can keep her scholarship. However, during her search she ends up quite literally stumbling into the Host Club's room and smashing an incredibly expensive vase. With her androgynous appearance and gender-neutral name, Haruhi is mistaken for a male student and forced to work at the host club in order to pay off her debt. Possibly the most popular reverse harem series, OHSHC has both hilarious and touching moments throughout. Ouran High School Host Club might seem out of place on a mostly shonen, harem, ecchi anime list, but the similarities between this shojo romantic comedy classic and Princess Lover! can't be denied. Much like Teppei, Haruhi, who had avoided connecting with the snobby students at Ouran High, is suddenly pushed into the deep end of high society. Out of her depth at first, Haruhi learns to deal with the quirks of the rich, whilst teaching them that being poor is not the end of the world. The romantic school comedy elements are incredibly similar, but with the harem being reversed, Ouran High School Host Club is also perfect for those who enjoy cute guys instead of (or as much as!) cute girls.

Appearances can be deceiving, and despite how he looks, Akiharu Hino is not a delinquent. His new classmates, however, might need some convincing, especially after his first meeting with fellow student Sernia Iori Flameheart results in him accidentally groping her. This first day at Hakureiryou Academy, a boarding school that trains dignified ladies, lords, and their future servants, suggests that Akiharu's new high-school life is going to be anything but easy. After unintentionally landing his hands on the majority of the girls, and being reunited with his childhood tormentor Tomomi Saikyou, how will Akiharu adapt and make a name for himself as a reliable future butler? The setting of Ladies vs Butlers may vary to that of Princess Lover!, but the foundations of the two series share several similarities. Both Akiharu and Teppei move house and transfer into schools that have a definite class divide - in which they stand on the opposite side to the girls that form the main harem. The ecchi scenes are also constructed in a similar way, taking the form of accidental fumbles and comedic misunderstandings as opposed to intentional come-ons. If you enjoyed the storyline and pace of Princess Lover!, you're bound to enjoy this series just as much.

The city is scary, and city girls are something else altogether. Or so thinks country bumpkin Kouta Oyamada, who has just moved from his grandfather's house in the sticks to attend metropolitan Kunpo High School. With no romantic experience until now, this shy first-year high schooler soon finds himself at the unrelenting mercy of upperclassman Chizuru Minamoto, a girl as touchy-feely as she is energetic. Which would all be well and good, except Kouta soon discovers that Chizuru is quite literally as high-spirited as her personality - in fact, she's a fox spirit. And she's not the only one who's willing to break a few spirit-world rules for her human beau. Soon, wolf spirit Nozomu Ezomori is on the scene, interfering in Chizuru's flirtations and trying her own style of stoic seduction. With two teenage girls trying to feel him up at any given moment, and various spiritual creatures creating havoc, how will Shouta make it out of high school alive, or for that matter, human? This school romantic comedy is full of the fanservice you'd expect from an anime similar to Princess Lover! with the highlight of having very forward female leads. The romance and competition of the love-triangle in Kanokon brings to mind the harem in Princess Lover!, and bright and bubbly Chizuru shares several personality traits with lively Princess Charlotte. But the strong female characters aren't the only thing that makes this anime worth watching. Much like the divide between the rich and the working class in Princess Lover!, there too is a worldly divide in Kanokon, between humans and spirits. In both anime, the differences between the position of the male lead and the girls in the harem leads to conflicts and exciting action. If you want some fantasy fighting to go with your panty shots, this is the anime to watch next.

Adapted from another 4-koma manga by Takatsu Karino, the same creator of Working!!, this anime would be the next obvious choice to watch if you loved Working!!. Set in a particular City Ward’s health and welfare section, this anime follows the daily life shenanigans of the laidback Hasebe Yutaka who turns out to be very capable, Miyoshi Saya who isn’t very good at communicating but is very popular as a life problems consultant among old people, and Yamagami who aims to exact revenge on the man who allowed her name certificate to pass. Like Working!!, this anime is pitched as a workspace comedy and slice of life genre. Of course, the comedic quality of it is not a question; the quirks of each character guarantees to threaten you to choke on your own laugh. Not only is it written by the same author of Working!!, the animation for Servant x Service is also handled by A-1 Pictures, giving it a very familiar feeling of Working!!, especially with its very colorful and fluid animation. It really isn’t a stretch to say that Servant x Service and Working!! are siblings. If you enjoyed Working!!, it is very likely that you would love Servant x Service as well.

Adapted from a light novel, Hataraku Maou-sama! half-fooled its audience with a grand shounen anime opening scene: in the world of Ente Isla, The Demon King Sadao, well on his way to conquer the world, is beaten by the Hero Emilia. Barely managing to flee with his Demon General Alciel, Sadao stumbles into the real world of Japan, and begins to plan his strategy to take back Ente Isla—except that he needs to blend in the human world first without his magic capabilities, which means he has to assume a new identity of Maou Sadao, live in a very cheap apartment, and… work as a part-timer in MgRonald’s. Hataraku Maou-sama brings us the shenanigans of Sadao’s life as a part-timer in MgRonald’s, including his new dream to be the Best Employee of the Month. Like Working!!, it highlights the everyday workplace situations and blows it up with a grand silliness that would rip laughter straight out of your belly. The clever combination of shounen anime-like exaggeration actions and comedy makes it fun to watch through all the 26 episodes, and is definitely a great choice if you want to watch another anime like Working!!.

Workplaces don’t always mean a restaurant, or a public service office. Sticking close to the daily life and communities of Japanese society, Tamako Market is an anime set on a shoutengai—a shopping district community—focusing on Kitashirakawa Tamako and the local shopkeepers. Having a family who owns the mochi shop on the very back of the shoutengai, Tamako goes through the shoutengai every single day to go home, greets the other shopkeepers, and would sometimes buy groceries from them as well. With everyone within the shopping district being so tight-knit, it sets the tone of the show where it relies on the relationships that comes with many people coming together to work in one place. Like Working!!, the colourful, large cast of characters turns the workplace situations into a comedic setting. Tamako Market also has a very vibrant and colorful animation that reminds you of Working!!, except with Kyoto Animation’s emphasis in character animation. Even with its subtle comedic cues, Tamako Market doesn’t fail to bring you laughter the way Working!! does.

Going back to restaurants setting, Soredemo Machi wa Mawatteiru follows the story of a mystery-lover and trouble-magnet Arashiyama Hotori, who has to work at the Seaside Maid Café by leaning on the advices from her friend Tatsuno Toshiko. Being the unpredictable, if clumsy, girl that she is, Hotori attracts hilarious strings of problems from ghosts to aliens, and through her extraordinarily ordinary daily lives and work, the audience is taken through a great journey of laughter as well as several thought-provoking life lessons to learn. Soredemo Machi wa Mawatteiru’s best point would be its fluid animation provided by Shaft. If Working!! has Wagnaria with its quirky workers and regulars, then SoreMachi has Seaside Maid Café with its interesting visitors and employees, as well as great comedic cues and exaggeration that makes it really interesting and fun to watch, highlighting the silly extraordinary points of Hotori’s ordinary life, whether it be alien attacks or a simple love triangle—or perhaps, square. Just by watching the opening sequence, this anime would remind you of Working!!. Also supported with an excellent seiyuu line-up such as Irino Miyu and Sakurai Takahiro, SoreMachi gives you a rather interesting feel by the combination of exaggerated comedy and light philosophical daily musings, and is definitely worth a try!

The newly booming high school comedy anime, adapted from a 4-koma manga with the same title, Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun peeks into the daily shenanigans of Sakura Chiyo, who falls in love with Nozaki Umetarou, an aloof and at times scary-looking schoolmate who turns out to be the mangaka of an immensely popular shoujo manga series. After her attempt on confessing fails and she ended up being one of Nozaki’s assistants, Chiyo’s school life begins to turn very interesting as she learns how far Nozaki would go in the name of his manga, including recruiting their friends to help him as manga assistants, and turning her art club activity into a chance to gather materials for his next chapter. The quirks of each characters and how it influences their relationships with one another as well as how it brings belly-laughter to its audience has a very similar feel to Working!!, as Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun takes a mangaka workplace even into the school life: from the shenanigans that stem from taking pictures for background references, to a mangaka all-nighter struggle and effects the next day, and dealing with traumatic editors. Doga Kobo manages to capture and even takes the comedic aspects of the manga into a new level—the rodeo scene, for example, is done and blown up very well in the anime. For Nakamura Yuuichi, Okamoto Nobuhiko, and Sawashiro Miyuki’s fans, this anime is a must-watch, as these seiyuu bring their characters flawlessly into life. A fine choice for another slice of life comedy anime for a fun marathon.

The first thing that might pop in your head when you see this anime would be bizarre. Really, a Canadian polar bear opening a café, with its regulars being humans and—a Panda, a Penguin, and even a Llama and a Sloth? Not to mention that said polar bear apparently likes to tell tall tales and is also a master of pun. Balancing slice of life comedy and the cuteness of various animal characters, Shirokuma Café brings you into the hilarious daily life of its characters as they gather in the café for a break after work (or just all the time, really), and, at times, might even bring you into tears with the occasional heartfelt episodes. Studio Pierrot does a simple but beautifully colorful animation with Shirokuma Café, which, similar to Working!!, is set on a food service business. The comedic cues it uses are slightly different from that of Working!!, but it also doesn’t only bring you laughter, but also embarrassing coos at its characters, as well as inexplicable attachment to each and every one of them. Fukuyama Jun, who also plays Takanashi Satou in Working!!, holds the role of Panda-kun here perfectly, along with Sakurai Takahiro, Kamiya Hiroshi, Endou Aya, and several other top-tier seiyuu such as Konishi Katsuyuki and Hanazawa Kana. In short, if you love animals and puns-related jokes, this would also be the perfect choice of watch.

It’s impossible to discuss anime similar to Akira and not bring up Ghost in the Shell. First appearing as a movie in 1995, Ghost in the Shell has since expanded to include not only 3 more movies, but a TV show as well. It’s even expanding further, with another anime movie just released this year as well as a live adaptation in the works. The most recent iteration is Ghost in the Shell: AAA, which mainly retells the four movies in a new way as well as show new content to connect to the most recent movie. Ghost in the Shell is set in the middle of the 21st century, where Major Motoko Kusanagi serves as part of Section 9, an elite task force whose purpose is to protect the city of Niihama. Technology has advanced to the point where the average citizen can have advanced technology be integrated with their brain in order to access various online networks. The Major, as she is usually referred to by her team, has had her brain been integrated with these advanced technological parts. In addition, the Major also has a full body prosthesis to support her “cyber brain”, making her a cyborg, and a deadly threat to any criminal that gets in her way. The amount of similarities between Akira and Ghost in the Shell are numerous. Both Akira and Ghost in the Shell are very much engrained in the “cyberpunk” genre. Ghost in the Shell also explores deep themes much like Akira does; one of the themes they both share is the idea of losing one’s humanity and what exactly defines a human being. Both are action packed, with plenty of normal fights that take place as well as superhuman ones. Needless to say, it’s safe to say that Akira and Ghost in the Shell go hand in hand.

Elfen Lied is a perfect example of a series that can be grand despite its short length. The story focuses on Lucy, a girl who brutally escapes the confines of her surroundings only to end up barely alive on a beach and with no memory of what’s happened. Found by two normal teenagers, Lucy does her best to recover, but the attempts by a special assault team assigned to bring her back to her facility as well as the return of her memories only brings nothing but trouble. Elfen Lied shares a strong connection with Akira in terms of its test subjects. Both series focus on the experimentation on live subjects, adapting them with psychic abilities, and the consequences that happen as a result. Both series also tend to show an extensive amount of graphic violence as well as psychological violence. If you found yourself interested in the experiments conducted and the psychic abilities used in Akira, then you’ll find yourself enjoying Elfen Lied.

If you’re looking for an anime that somehow combines Akira and Ghost in the Shell, then Psycho-Pass would be your best bet. Set in the not-so-distant future, the world of Psycho-Pass is very dangerous. It has become possible to measure a human being’s emotions, dreams, and passions in a quantifiable way. The more negative these are for a person, the more likely they will be caught and disciplined. The series focuses on a group of policemen as they struggle to maintain public order and manage crime in a world where criminals try to fight and exploit this system. One of the similarities between Psycho-Pass and Akira is their complex storylines. Psycho-Pass is very focused on staying on track with its story, which is a good thing, as you have to pay close attention to how the rules work in this world. You also have to pay attention to the motivations of the criminals themselves in order to understand what exactly is going on. Psycho-Pass also has its fair share of fights that are filled with gore, and the setting itself bears a resemblance to Akira. If you liked the complexity of the events in Akira, then this is definitely worth checking out, as well as the recent movie.

Ray Steam is a young boy that lives in the United Kingdom who spends his time inventing, which makes sense, as his whole family is made up of inventors. The plot of the movie is set into motion when a mysterious invention from Ray’s grandfather arrives on Ray’s doorstep. Called the “Steam Ball”, the invention is one of great power, a power that many villains would like to get their hands on so they can use it for the wrong reasons. It’s up to Ray and his friend Scarlett to try and keep the Steam Ball out of the wrong hands. Akira was directed by Katsuhiro Otomo, who made a lot of ground breaking decisions in adapting Akira to the big screen. As a result, we have the masterpiece that is Akira, and Steamboy was Otomo’s follow-up. If you are a fan of the animation style of Akira, then Steamboy is perfect, as it is very much similar to Akira not only in the particular style used to draw the characters, but also in the sequences used, such as the action scenes and the vast shots used to capture the scenery. In addition, the setting itself is quite unique, as most anime are not set in the United Kingdom. But if you look closely, there are minor characters or locations in the backgrounds that very much appear as if they could belong in Akira. If you liked Otomo’s approach to how the apocalyptic scenes and the action sequences in Akira were set up, then you will enjoy the similar style he uses in Steamboy.

Tekkon Kinkreet is a movie about 2 orphan boys who are the best of friends. Whether it’s exploring Treasure Town for fun, beating up thugs, or just flying (you read that correctly), Kuro and Shiro do everything together. When mysterious entrepreneurs from a foreign land arrive in Treasure Town and decide to tear it down to make way for an amusement park, Kuro and Shiro naturally take it upon themselves to be the ones to stop them. But as they realize that these are their biggest adversaries ever, and as their relationship with one another begins to take a turn for the worst, Kuro and Shiro will have to decide what’s most important: themselves, or each other? Without a doubt, Tekkon Kinkreet is a modern retelling of Akira’s story in its basic form. From the very beginning, we see Kuro and Shiro chasing a gang of boys away that is very much reminiscent of the opening of Akira. Both films seem to have settings that resemble a bleak environment where the gangs are in control, not the police, and both stories have the main characters fighting for something bigger than themselves. But ultimately the key similarity between Akira and Tekkon Kinkreet is the schism that occurs between the leader of the gang and a member that the leader protects, and the attempt to fix that schism. If the reason why you enjoyed Akira is because of the characters of Kaneda and Tetsuo and their relationship, then Tekkon Kinkreet perfectly exemplifies a similar struggle.

Set in the year 2267, Freedom is the story of Takeru, a young boy who spends his time racing his hovercraft against other rival gangs. However, things soon change when he is faced with the task of discovering the origin of Eden, the doomed megalopolis that was mankind’s first space colony on the moon before a cataclysmic environmental disaster devastated Earth. As one thing leads to another, Takeru soon learns that things are not as they appear… Freedom is essentially Akira set in outer space. The characters and the technological aspects were designed by none other than Otomo himself, and although he didn’t write the story, it’s certainly similar enough in the sense that the main characters are living their normal lives until they stumble upon something much bigger than themselves. Due to the length of the series, it’s almost as if you’re watching another Akira movie of some sort. If you were a fan of the racing bike scenes from Akira as well as the basic plot, then Freedom is right up your alley.

A franchise renowned all over the world, Ghost in the Shell series was originally created by Shirow Masamune, and brought into the cinema by the hands of filmmakers such as Oshii Mamuro and Kamiyama Kenji. The series itself is set in a universe where the technology of full body transplant from flesh to machine is possible. Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex is an alternate setting of the original Ghost in the Shell movie series; focusing still on the heroine Kusanagi Motoko and the members of Section 9 dealing with crimes in the hands of those who misused the cybernetic technology, until one day they encounter a hacker named the Laughing Man, and are consequently dragged to follow his trail all over Japan. The main heroine, Major Kusanagi Motoko whose body was cyberized at a very young age, might just be more badass than Ergo Proxy’s own heroine Re-l Mayer. The sci-fi setting gives a very similar vibes to Ergo Proxy’s world building, even if Ghost in the Shell focuses more to action and a special detail in cybernetics and mecha. Production I.G. delivers Ghost in the Shell: S.A.C in such a way to highlight not only its scifi nature, but also its more mature themes: violence, profanity, and sexual views. If you’re a fan of Kanno Yoko’s music, this series is a must pick-up. Ghost in the Shell as a franchise has been largely successful, resulting in its many works in various media: movies, novels, manga, and even games. But Stand Alone Complex deserves its own shine as an anime series. If you decided to take up on its challenge, make sure you don’t forget to catch up with its glorious second season: Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex 2nd GIG.

Kara no Kyoukai might be one of Type-Moon’s most obscure series—perhaps because it was released as movie series and thus limiting the audience for people outside of Japan. Part of what many Type-Moon fans lovingly called the Nasu-verse, Kara no Kyoukai tells the story of Ryougi Shiki, a girl with a supernatural ability to see and brings end to everything with her “Mystic Eyes of Death Perception”. Intrigued by a series of violent, mysterious deaths happening in their town, Kokutou Mikiya finds that Ryougi Shiki is related to those murders. Between Shiki’s split personality, the dangerous supernatural forces, and their growing intimacy, Shiki struggles to find her identity and where her place is with Mikiya. Set around the ‘90s, parallel to other Type-Moon’s works such as Tsukihime and Fate/stay night, Kara no Kyoukai highlights more mature, psychological, if slightly supernatural themes such as split personality, rape, drugs, murder and gore, as well as familiar philosophical concepts often used in Type-Moon’s works. Throughout the movie series, again and again Shiki proves to be such a strong and interesting female lead, clearly not losing compared to Ergo Proxy’s Re-l Mayer, even if her weapon is mostly only a blade of knife. Kara no Kyoukai might lack the scifi aspect, but it definitely delivers the dark, psychological theme, referencing many religious and philosophical concepts that would definitely be a superb exercise for your brain. Its seiyuu line-up does not disappoint either; pairing Sakamoto Maaya and Suzumura Kenichi’s acting, as well as several other top-tier seiyuu such as Tanaka Rie and Hoshi Souichirou, Kara no Kyoukai brings thriller alive through its characters and storyline, leaving the audience satisfied by the end of its epilogue movie.

For many anime fans who were teenagers around 2003, Wolf’s Rain probably brings a sense of nostalgia. Taking place in a pre-apocalypse society in the distant future where all wolves have seemingly gone extinct, Wolf’s Rain tells the story of wolves who take human forms and embark the journey to find their Paradise along with the Lunar Flower who is supposed to lead them to where it is, named Cheza. The similarity that stands out the most between Wolf’s Rain and Ergo Proxy is not the scifi concept or the dystopian society both take place in. It is the theme of journey that the main characters go on to, highlighting its complex story and, what some of us might feel pretentious, concepts. Both shows play with a lot of symbolism that would leave the audience reeling in thoughts. Studio Bones provides gorgeous landscapes and detailed background, as well as amazing fighting scenes. Its soundtracks are definitely something to look forward too, as well—with Steve Conte doing the opening and Sakamoto Maaya singing the ending, as well as Kanno Yoko helming the music, this anime promises various feelings to deal with.

Adding more to the strings of anime set in dystopian, post-apocalyptic society, Coppelion offers a newer, fresher look of recent anime. Following the story of the three girls dispatched by the Self-Defense Forces for a search and rescue mission, Ibara, Aoi and Taeko get into the ghost town of Tokyo after a nuclear power plant meltdown 20 years ago. Called the Coppelion, these girls are born through genetic engineering, giving them natural antibody against the radiation for the sake of their mission, and various unique individual abilities such as enhanced physical strength and senses, improved regenerative ability, and elemental or spatial manipulation. Like Ergo Proxy, Coppelion focuses on the dystopian society through the stories of female leads, balancing philosophical, psychological, and sci-fi themes with fighting scenes to reel the audience in. GoHands’ trademark animation and colors might make Coppelion feel brighter, but it doesn’t mean it fails in giving its audience the conflicted atmosphere associated with anime set in dystopian society throughout the story. The roles of military and government also gives it a similar feel to Ergo Proxy to a certain degree. Those who love angela’s music would be delighted by the opening of this anime. Another appeal would be its seiyuu line-up, which includes Hanazawa Kana and Tomatsu Haruka, as well as Sakamoto Maaya and Suzumura Kenichi. For those who plan to jump into the dark, psychological-themed anime, Coppelion is a good one to consider.

As one of the older dark, psychological-themed mystery anime, Serial Experiments Lain still piques the interests of those who still haven’t watched it. Following the story of fourteen year-old Iwakura Lain, who received an email from her supposedly deceased school friend Chisa, inviting Lain to join her in the world of ‘Wired’, which is basically an internet-like connection in that world. Pulled along by her curiosity, Lain begins uncovering the mystery of ‘Wired’ and the organization Knights who stand behind it all. Lain might not be a combat-familiar female lead, but she is definitely doesn’t lose in terms of strength and character’s interest compared to Ergo Proxy’s Re-l Mayer. If you enjoyed the dark colors and atmosphere or Ergo Proxy, you will definitely enjoy Serial Experiments Lain’s general vibe, as it plays with a lot of similar philosophical concepts and questions regarding existence that Ergo Proxy brought up. Watching Serial Experiments Lain once is not enough—in order to actually understand it, you would need multiple rewatch, and in each of it, you’d discover new train of thoughts to follow.

Yet another glorious sci-fi movie anime series, Mardock Scramble is written by none other than Ubukata Tow, who is famous for his works in mixing sci-fi and dark psychological theme. Set in a city called the Mardock City, the story revolves around Rune Balot, a former teen prostitute who got involved with a casino manager Shell, who later attempted to blow her up in a car. She is then saved by a scientist who reassembled her entire body using reinforced synthetic fiber, and begins to follow her desire for revenge towards Shell with Oefcoque, an artificial intelligence in the form of a mouse who could talk and turn into weapons, clothes, and any tools. Similar to Ergo Proxy, Mardock Scramble is set in a cyberpunk futuristic world where everything looks blindingly gorgeous, but, at the same time, is also dangerous. Rune Balot is arguably one of the strongest female main characters, proving her versatility as she keeps standing up whenever she’s knocked down in every movie, despite her first line being a wish for death. Mardock Scramble deals with questions of rebirth, of what it means to be alive, and like Ergo Proxy, it requires multiple watch to get all the hidden gems in the story. GoHands deliver gorgeous and rather emotional battle scenes, and, in both the second and third movie, breathtaking casino scenes. It does not shy from more mature aspects such as rape, sexuality, and gore. Also of note would be the seiyuu of Rune Balot, Hayashibara Megumi, who brings Balot into life flawlessly. The three Mardock Scramble movies are definitely a must watch if you like Ergo Proxy, or are simply a fan of anime with similar genre.

It should not be a surprise that one of the most similar works to Shinkai’s best film is another one he directs. However, what connects ‘5 Centimeters Per Second’ and ‘The Garden of Words’, two films with stories that are not only different in tone, pacing and even the most fundamental emotion that it instills upon its viewer, is a very specific aesthetic-style that no other director has been able to pull off. What Shinkai brings to the table is the ability to construct, through jaw-droppingly beautiful visuals and an absolute mastery of audio cues, a perfect representation of the real world in anime. The Garden of Words takes place in modern day Tokyo and tells the story between a teenage high school student and an adult young woman. What connects the two is neither a platonic friendship nor an intense romance, but rather the simple joy and comfort of being in each other’s presence where they can escape reality and truly be themselves. They sit together, speaking only when they feel so inclined and pay no heed to each other’s presence when occupied, accompanied only by the unobtrusive sound of rain. To such a transparent story of pure, honest feelings of love between strangers, Shinkai shows his proficiency the most in the background of the world that we see his characters wander in. The stations of Tokyo are full of ambient sound that almost hurry people out of the trains as much as they hurry the trains away from the platform. The movement of trees and the rain is so effortless that it never catches the uncritical eye. The characters themselves are so well integrated into their plane of existence that there is never any doubt that they belonged there in the first place. However, the Garden of Words is the film that exhibits Shinkai’s capacity as a storywriter the most, in which he proves that he is not a one-trick pony who can only obliterate the hearts of his audience, but can tell uplifting tales that inspire us to continue trusting in the goodness of one another.

You should not watch The End of Evangelion if you have never watched the TV series. Simple as that. If you have watched the Evangelion TV series and chose not to watch the film for any reason, quite frankly, you are missing one of the most unique, most entertaining anime films to date. ‘5 Centimeters Per Second’ sets itself aside from other romance anime because it understands the exact story it wants to tell and, perhaps more importantly, does not give a hoot whether it follows genre conventions or not. Similarly, ‘The End of Evangelion’ is part of a franchise known to have deconstructed the mecha genre and tells a story so horrific and disturbing that it remains controversial even to the franchise’s fans. Instead of making use of known storytelling elements, Shinkai and Anno construct stories that are complex, challenging and may even turn off viewers who are unprepared for some of the movies’ themes. The End of Evangelion does tend towards the graphic side of things, depicting violent battles that are more graphic than the usual mecha affair and showing familiar characters at their very worst. Regardless, what awaits the curious viewer is a climatic end to a beloved franchise that stands on its own as a thought-provoking work that just might require a few rewatches to digest.

No self-indulging list about anime films will leave out the prestigious Studio Ghibli. On the same token, no one who knows more than nothing about Kaze Tachinu will see it as a representative of what Studio Ghibli films are traditionally about, which is a shame because many people end up ignoring an emotional, affective story worth watching. Just as 5 Centimeters per Second follows the life of Takaki, Kaze Tachinu depicts a fictional interpretation of the real-life historical figure Jiro Horikoshi, now remembered for being the chief engineer whose work culminated in the prolific Mitsubishi A6M Zero fighter plane. But that does not really matter. What matters is that Takaki and Jiro are characters with sympathetic motivations and are as susceptible to the forces of love as anyone else, and their respective films thrive at showing this. Jiro meets Naoko, a brave and kind-hearted girl, during the train ride right as the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923 hits, setting off a romantic bond between the two that is underlined throughout the entire movie. The passionate love for planes and attachment to Naoko, both drive his actions in a subtle, invisible way. Yet, the common beauty of 5 Centimeters Per Second Kaze Tachinu is their ability to communicate to us through brilliant directing and without any senseless monologue who each of the characters are what they feel. Takaki’s longing for Akari mirrors Jiro falling hopelessly in love with Naoko and even without dramatic lines or Hollywood climaxes, the credits are shown with the viewers knowing exactly how strong their feelings are.

The Tsuiokuhen OVA series is a prequel to the famous Rurouni Kenshin TV anime series in the 90s, made in such a way that anyone is bound to enjoy it even if it was their first entry into the franchise. It is one of the two anime in this list that did not come out as a theatrical release, but it might as well be with its more than remarkable production values. Tsuiokuhen tells the story of Kenshin Himura during his time as a political assassin as an instrument of the Meiji Restoration historical period, around ten years before the TV anime series takes place. Without fully realising it, Kenshin grows weary of the violence he partakes in and is visibly on his descent to madness. One fateful night, Kenshin meets Tomoe, a young Japanese woman wandering in the vibrant Kyoto night and in a twist of events, end up having to escape together as Kenshin and his organisation are attacked. Tsuiokuhen is considered by many to be the best part of the Rurouni Kenshin franchise, and it is easy to see why. Kenshin and Tomoe’s relationship transcends romance as the circumstances tying the two together are best described as fated and inevitable; there is no doubt that their meeting have changed the two irreversibly and Tsuiokuhen thrives at convincing the viewer exactly that. As such, Tsuiokuhen is an anime that matches the themes of 5 Centimeters Per Second remarkably well despite being so different in so many other ways. Regardless, for any Shinkai fans looking for the best works that depicts the most powerful stories about male-female relationships, Tsuiokuhen is your best bet.

Although the controversial Rebellion movie is third in the Madoka film series, it is the only one that provides new content and serves as a sequel to the TV series, of which the first two movies retell in a more compacted form. Without delving too deep into spoiler territory for the uninitiated, Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica is about a group of young girls who are contracted to serve as defenders of justice who wield magical powers. Unfortunately, the world they live in is harsh and tragedy occurs more often than not, in the process of which a promise is made between two of the characters. Just as 5 Centimeters Per Second builds onto an unfulfilled romance and an unsaid promise between Takaki and Akari, Hangyaku no Monogatari is a peek into the world that Madoka and crew are left in after overcoming the challenges of the main series, one where Homura, who becomes the protagonist for the film, notices that something is amiss and sets aside her comfortable surroundings to figure out the truth of her circumstances. Both films are an exploration of how a moment in their characters’ lives can be a causal factor to how everything that follows fall awry and Homura’s continued suffering resembles much of Takaki’s spiral into depression. Shibou’s involvement in the franchise is clear as day with abstract imagery used in excess, but in a very appealing, well-integrated fashion that characterises his style. This leads to a bombastic sensual experience further enhanced by the involvement of Yuki Kajiura and Kalafina on the auditory side, whose additions to the film cannot be understated. Compared to Shinkai’s directorial efforts, everything is more in the face rather than subtle. Madoka as a franchise is among the best that anime has produced in the 2010s that is likely to be talked about in the distant future and Hangyaku no Monogatari is a development to the overarching plot that no one could have foresaw. If 5 Centimeters Per Second was not to your aesthetic preference, the Madoka franchise might be the breath of fresh air you need.

Although 5 Centimeters Per Second has become Shinkai’s most iconic film, Hoshi no Koe is the work that defines his reputation as the anime director most apt at telling stories about raw human emotions. It is essentially 5 Centimeters Per Second stripped down to showing the inner turmoil of the two main characters and the cloud and sky imagery, much beloved by Shinkai. Noboru, a junior high school student, is made to separate from his classmate and romantic partner Mikako, who is chosen to serve as a pilot in a space expedition mission. The pair’s attempt to stay in contact through their mobile phones becomes more difficult as the distance between them grows insurmountable and time passes mercilessly. It is very possible that 5 Centimeters Per Second was really an attempt to revisit the key themes of Hoshi no Koe, as the difficulties that the character face is embodied by the same notion of distance that prevents them from having a fulfilling relationship. Whereas 5 Centimeters Per Second represents this distance through realistic means, Hoshi no Koe shows it much more literally. Either is powerful in their own ways. Even though there are many sound opinions of Hoshi no Koe being just as, if not more emotionally affecting as 5 Centimeters Per Second, the best mindset going into it is to realise that Shinkai worked on it nearly entirely on his own with his iMac, relying only on his wife for voice acting Mikako for Hoshi no Koe’s first release. No matter how impressive an anime director is, few can claim to be a miracle maker that Shinkai clearly is.

No one understands physical abuse like Aikawa, the main character of Kore Wa Zombie Desu Ka?, as much as Sado of MM!. Much like the protagonist of Kore Wa Zombie Desu Ka?, he is constantly hit, punted, slapped, bashed and thwacked constantly by the cast of the show, whether intentional or not. The difference between the two is simple, Sado enjoys being made to suffer. That’s right, the main character of MM! is a bona fide masochist. In an effort to cure himself of his condition, Sado joins a special club where he hopes to work through his issues, only to discover that the other members are as weird, or weirder than he is. With a weird cast of females in the club, shown in a Harem style presentation, Sado only seems to suffer more as a result of his decision. And he enjoys it. If you enjoyed watching the harem-like cast of Kore Wa Zombie Desu Ka? abuse Aikawa in a countless number of ways, do check out MM! to sate all your sadistic needs!

Our protagonist of Baka to Test to Shoukanjuu is Akihisa Yoshii, the “baka” of the title. His academy is one that rigidly separates the elite from the common folk. Students are divided into classes from A, for the best scores, to F, for the “bakas”. Each class experiences an increasing number of luxuries afforded to them to reward their accomplishments; Class A students enjoy reclining seats and an unlimited drink bar while Class F students only get floor mats and old tables. However, all is not lost. The academy provides students the ability to summon beasts based on their test scores to conduct an all-out battle royale between classes. If a lower class beats an upper class, they get to take the benefits from them. The protagonist leads Class F in an effort to battle all the classes and seize their perks. Much like Kore Wa Zombie Desu Ka?, Baka to Test to Shoukanjuu presents itself in a very light hearted manner with laughter all around. It has a cast of cute female characters presented in a harem style, so audiences can take their pick of their favourite girl. Though the summoning abilities are technological, much of it is presented in a magical way, summoning fantasy beasts to conduct battle. If you enjoyed the slapstick humor, harem hijinks and battles of Kore Wa Zombie Desu Ka?, you will surely enjoy Baka to Test to Shoukanjuu as well.

By chance, Tsukune Aono finds himself in a youkai academy. Monsters by the dozen attend there, and the only thing that keeps them from finding out that he is human is the cardinal rule of the academy; everyone must stay in human form at all times. Terrified for his life, Tsukune makes the decision to flee the academy until he runs into Moka Akashiya, a beautiful and bountiful girl who is secretly a vampire! She wears a rosary on her chest to keep her powers in check, but when Tsukune takes it off, she becomes a super vampire! An oldie but goodie, Rosario to Vampire hits all the same points that make Kore Wa Zombie Desu Ka? so enjoyable. The anime has a large variety of cast members, from a succubus to a yuki-onna to a witch. In true anime fashion, they are all presented as part of Tsukune’s harem. With plenty of Ecchi, Comedy and Epic Battles to enjoy, if you loved Kore Wa Zombie Desu Ka?, you’ll love Rosario to Vampire as well.

Itsuka Shido is a normal high school boy. One day, disaster alarms ring throughout the town but he fails to escape. Fearing his death, he meets a girl clad in armour instead of a natural disaster. He is informed that she is a "Special Disastrous Designated Creature: Spirit”, which cause disasters known as timespace quakes. The only way he can seal her power and prevent disaster? Make her fall in love with him. In the same way the protagonist of Kore Wa Zombie Desu Ka? is ripped from his normal life by a magical girl into saving people, Itsuka is forced to fully utilize his innate charm and charisma to save the world from dangerous magical creatures; also known as girls with magic powers. With an abundance of harem style comedy, cool fight sequences and ecchi scenes, Date a Live will thrill you in the same way Kore Wa Zombie Desu Ka? did.

Issei Hyoudo is a pervert with a dream of one day becoming a Harem King, and he is not ashamed to let everyone know about it. This leads to him having almost no success on the dating scene. However, one day a cute girl asks him out, only for him to discover she is a powerful Fallen Angel after she has killed him. He gets revived by his gorgeous senpai at a cost; he is now a devil like her and she is now his master! With Angels, Fallen Angels and other Devils to contend with, Issei must fight them all in order to achieve his dream of Harem King. High School DxD is an extremely unrepentant Ecchi anime. It knows what it’s about and it’s not ashamed of it, much like its protagonist. That doesn’t mean it isn’t a good anime all around. Just like Kore Wa Zombie Desu Ka?, Highschool DxD has its share of slap stick humor (at the expense of the protagonist), epic magical fights and harem moments. And like every good harem anime, it has a bounty of females for you to pick! If the comedy, battles and female cast of Kore Wa Zombie Desu Ka? caught your attention for a whole season, Highschool DxD will undoubtedly do the same.

The female lead, Louise, is commonly known as “Zero Louise” at Tristein Academy, due to her inability to perform any spells successfully, usually resulting in catastrophic explosions. At a coming of age ceremony, Louise is required to summon a familiar who will aid and protect her, a magician. Hoping to upstage her mocking classmates, Louise tries to summon a powerful familiar, only to end up with a human, our male lead, Hiraga Saito. Despite not getting along with each other, Saito and Louise have to learn to work together side by side. With her magic and his sword, they must battle through enemies and seek the answers that they are looking for. Zero no Tsukaima is alike to Kore Wa Zombie Desu Ka? in almost every way. Saito is thrust into an unfamiliar supernatural world at the whims of a magician girl and given combat abilities to help support her. Furthermore, Zero no Tsukaima boasts a cast of not just many beautiful girls, but other interesting side characters as well. As the familiar of zero, Saito is also constantly subject to her whims, often resulting in comedic situations from their clashes in personality. Much like Kore Wa Zombie Desu Ka?, Zero no Tsukaima is able to provide thrilling and compelling fight sequences despite its light hearted nature. If you enjoyed Kore Wa Zombie Desu Ka? in its entirety, Zero no Tsukaima is a much watch!

Edited by Shueisha from 2002 to 2005, Ichigo (Strawberry) 100% is the most famous work of Mizuki Kawashita. It became a game and OAV besides the T.V. animation. Junpei Manaka (our protagonist) loves movies to the point that his dream is to become a director. He had an encounter with a mysterious girl in the school roof, but can’t remember her identity. Hence, most of the situations that happen afterwards are due to his desire to find her (pretty much like Kentaro). Junpei also loves a bunch of girls from his school who might or might not love him back. Never before a pair of strawberry printed panties triggered such a chaos!

Also known as My bride is a mermaid, it was published by Square Enix (yes, Final Fantasy’s home) from 2002 to 2010. Authored by Tahiko Kimura, this story also counts with 2 OAVs. Nagasumi Michishio only wants to enjoy his vacations by the Seto sea, but unfortunately, he almost drowned. That was just the beginning of his adventures, as he was saved by a mermaid named Sun Seto. Sun has several abilities with her voice and a sword, but is afraid of cats and can revert from human to mermaid when she gets in contact with water. This is the typical anime where the protagonists have to marry or perish, and the danger is real if you have a family full of crazy yakuza mermaids.

This anime was adapted from the debut manga of Karino Takatsu, a four panel which also ran by Square Enix from 2005 to 2014. Working!!, also known in the English speaking world as Wagnaria!!, it follows the adventures of High-school student Souta Takanashi. Souta likes cute things and apparently also cute people. As Kentaro, he has to survive the crazy girls that surround him while doing his part-time job in a restaurant. The animation quality is not the best ever, but the working atmosphere so well-known to Japanese students combined with the comical situations of the heart proved to be an instant success. There is a third season programmed for winter 2015 under the name Working!!!.

Also known as False love, Nisekoi was published by Shueisha in 2011. Highly successful, it also have several novels and a game. This time the yakuza is our protagonist, the high-schooler Raku Ichijo. He used to have a childhood sweetheart, but can not remember who she was. We also have Chitoge Kirisaki as our Juliet (also our Naru), the daughter of a rival family. It looks like the perfect romance drama, right? Only that it’s not. Their families agree for them to marry in order to make peace between the gangs, but the couple is always fighting with each other. Also, Raku likes another girl called Kosaki Onodera. Full of comical situations and even more girls fighting for Raku’s attention, this harem style anime will keep you in a good mood for a long time.

Jinsei was born as a light novel published by Shogakukan in 2012, written by Ougyo Kawagishi and illustrated by Meruchi Nanase. A manga and a T.V. series followed shortly. Yuuki Akamatsu is the King of the Awkwards, hence Ayaka Nikaido convinces him to enter to her journalism club in hopes to help him overcome social barriers. As we could expect, the club is full of girls, and among them, we can find our Naru in Rino Endou, who won’t acknowledge her feelings for Yuuki. Although this anime has a plain and simple graphic style, it is full of hilarious daily life situations, making it memorable.

The long title means Shomin Sample: I Was Abducted by an Elite All-Girls School as a Sample Commoner (ok, that explains why it is also known simply as Shomin Sample). Originally a light novel that started running in 2010, this is the brainchild of Takafumi Nanatsuki. Our protagonist is Kimito Kagurazaka, who is the only guy in a high-school full of girls from rich elite families. The girls have never been in the outside world, so they are eager to learn whatever our “unfortunate” protagonist can teach them. On the other hand, he has been warned that any ecchi advances towards his fellow classmates will be punished with castration. Despite the restrictions, he becomes close with Aika Tenkuubashi, who unlike Naru from Love Hina, is rather shy and willing to become a commoner like Kimito. You can expect lots of tender moments, elegance and high-quality animation in this story.

Adapted from Kagami Yoshimizu's manga, this anime follows - in an amiably and friendly way - the daily school life of four normal high school girls. “Normal” is the key here. There's Miyuki: the refined meganekko (glasses) who likes studying; Kagami and Tsukasa, the twins, a tsundere type the first, and a total absent-minded type the second; and last but not least, Konata - the girl that went to every ComiKet since she was only five. She leaves a mark, with her personality, thanks to the amazing Aya Hirano that voiced our Konata, and made her look funny as she probably could have never been in the real life. Like Acchi Kocchi, this anime is a school life, idiotic comedy. If this genre is your cup of coffee and if you like cuteness, well, this anime will be to your liking. It shares with Acchi Kocchi the same visual impact, and a lot of gags that will make you laugh till you choke. No plot, no deep meanings, not even a romantic atmosphere: simply an anime you want to watch when you just want to feel relaxed. And, come on, let's just admit what Konata can proudly admit: all of us would have preferred watching anime instead of going to school!

Born in 2000 from Kiyohiko Azuma's pen as a 4-koma (four panels) manga first, and it was made into an anime right after, Azumanga Daiou appears to be the usual high school comedy. But that couldn't be more wrong! Its strongest point is the variety of the characters personalities. In fact, it revolves around six high school girls, each totally opposite to the other. Chiyo, the little genius; Sakaki, the shy girl obsessed with cats; Tomo, who likes to pick on others; Yomi, the one who can lose it in few seconds; Ayumu, alias Osaka, who lives in her own world; and Kagura, the airhead with only sports skills. Take all of them, put them together, mix it up and what do we have here? The recipe for an anime that will bring you smiles and laughter one episode after another! Its originality lies in humour a bit different than usual. The peculiarity of each character, together with a smart dose of comedy, give birth to a well made crescendo of gags, never predictable or repetitive. Like Acchi Kocchi, there's no plot to follow attentively, no particular happenings to understand, just your favourite school life comedy anime, with a focus on the daily life of these amazing characters which will capture you in a tornado of funniness!

Even though Nichijou means “ordinary”, you can expect everything but ordinary in this crazy anime! Adapted from Keiichi Arawi's manga, Nichijou is a school life, demented comedy where surreal things happen daily, as if they are ordinary. It paints the school life of a bunch of uncommon students which face a lot of paradoxical experiences and mishaps. Yuuko, the energetic girl who is too lazy to study; Hakase, the little mad scientist; Mio, the cheerful and sensitive one; and Sakamoto, the cat with the red scarf that allows it to speak, which often succumbs to its catlike behaviors. The surrealistic aura that surrounds this anime keeps on growing step by step, until the very explosion that will have you bend in two from laughter! Comedy, daily school life: just as with Acchi Kocchi we find here the same light-hearted atmosphere typical of this genre, a lot of humour, and a bit of more craziness. Not exactly excellent in the graphics, but enjoyable enough if you like a comedy out of the ordinary type!

And what about Toradora!, adapted from Yuyuko Takemiya's light novel? There's Ryuuji, about to start his second year in high school, worried about his scary looking face that gives him a bully aura and, on the other side, there's Taiga which despite her cute looks, is what you can call a real tiger! Together with Ryuuji and Taiga, we find Minori – loved by Ryuuji – and Yusaku, Ryuuji's childhood friend. Funny to tears sometimes, this anime will turn the tables near the end, making you realize that what seems to be sparkling, often, is not what is real. We can observe the daily school struggles of these students, and remember how it was for us when we were high schoolers and faced the fears that those teenage years brought us. It's a comedy, and shares with Acchi Kocchi a romantic atmosphere that will bloom near the end. The characters are well constructed and, even though it could look like the simple school life shoujo anime, what makes it brighter and interesting is the peculiarity of each characters and the way they interacts trying to hide their fears and weaknesses. Maybe not your ideal comedy, but still a comedy able to make you smile!

Aya Nakahara gave birth to a little masterpiece that became a lovely anime in 2007. Lovely Complex is a comedy which revolves around two characters, both with a complex about their appearances: Risa, a tall, tall girl, and Otani, a short, short boy. Together they get laughed at as a comedy duo. They keep on bickering, picking up on each other‘s complexes, having fights, but their friendship comes sooner or later to bloom into something else. It's a one of a kind comedy that will keep you glued to the screen until the very end, making you laugh like crazy, thanks to all the bizarre friends surrounding the couple. Like in Acchi Kocchi, here the funny gags between the duo is the most capturing trait. Risa's personality will make you fall in love with her. She is funny, she's a girl that would love to feel cuter but her tallness just doesn't allow her to be; and Otani, on the other hand, would love to feel manlier, but he just can't stand his short size. Their complexes mixed together will start a lot of gags, misunderstandings, and mishaps that will offer you a lot of funny moments!

Born by Robico's skillful pen, Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun is a very strange comedy that won't miss the chance to give you a smile.The indisputable protagonist is “Dry Ice” Shizuku, a cold-hearted, unsociable girl who can only think about her grades. On the exact opposite side, there's Haru: carefree, childish, foolish and naive. Their lives start to change when they meet and realize they need each other: Shizuku doesn't want to be a cold-hearted person anymore, while thanks to Shizuku, Haru managed to get back his high school life. The great, tangible difference between Shizuku and Haru will soon make you think of a tamer trying to tame a beast. Like Acchi Kocchi, here we have your usual daily school life, with characters completely out of the ordinary. There's sentimentalism, a right dose of a romantic atmosphere and, above all, gags among all the characters that will make you laugh until the very end, when you'll find yourself wondering who the real beast is: Shizuku, who is as cold as ice, or Haru who acts as a beast but can be very tender at times?

Ran, the main character and her two friends Midori and Rui are a threesome who are constantly caught up in troubles. Despite having a mostly energetic personality and positive outlook, Ran's supernatural powers have caused her plenty of grief in the past. Like Kotoura, Ran is able to read the minds of others and this has lead her to receiving plenty of bad intentions from others. With a similar backstory as Kotoura, Ran receives the same solution to her problems, support from her friends and family. With time, she must try to deal with her supernatural powers. If you wanted more of the same, look no further than Telepathy Shoujo Ran. With a similar past, powers and friends, Telepathy Shoujo Ran almost feels like the predecessor of Kotoura-san. With its sometimes dramatic but mostly light and upbeat tone, Telepathy Shoujo Ran won't fail to touch your heart and make you laugh at the same time. Many moments are filled with feel-good fluffiness that just makes you go "Awwh". If you wanted more of the same, look no further than Telepathy Shoujo Ran for your Kotoura-san needs!

As you can tell from the title (especially the English name), there is a tiger in this anime. And this feisty beast is the girl known as Taiga Aisaka. Despite having a petite figure and kawaii face, Taiga has a very thuggish and aggressive personality. This leads her to be somewhat of a social outcast, much like Kotoura. The male lead, Ryuuji Takasu, is the dragon of the series. In contrast with Taiga, Ryuuji has a gentle and loving personality, but has sharp eyes that intimidate people. This has cast him into a similar situation with Taiga, a social outcast. Though his intentions for helping her out start out less than pure, eventually they form a friendship that is based on trust, and perhaps something more. Much like Kotoura, Taiga is constantly isolated for something that she cannot control. However, despite the relatively bleak beginning, the story quickly becomes one filled with romance, fun and laughter. So worry not, the episode one scare of Kotoura-san is present once more but won't be here to stay. The cast of both shows also share one thing in common, they are diverse, hilarious and all around likable. If you liked the rom-com style of Kotoura-san, be sure to check out Toradora! for all its laughter filled goodness.

Tsukiko Tsutsukakushi has wish. She wants to be able to hide her intentions like a normal person is able to. Instead, she blurts out whatever she's thinking at the time as if on impulse. Needless to say, this has earned her little friends since her childhood, similarly to Kotoura. On the other hand, we have Youto Yokodera who is a raging pervert, yet no one ever calls him out on it. They meet each other at a statue, where they had gone to pray that their "conditions" are cured. Eventually, the two start to grow together in strides as they move one step forward at a time. Instead of one character with a condition, there are two this time. Both want to get rid of it as much as possible, although only one of them really suffers for it. With the word Hentai in the title, would it be surprising to find out that this anime is one filled an insane amount of jabs and puns to keep you laughing? Despite the light heartedness, it has its fair share of drama as well to balance things out. If the running joke of the perverted thoughts in Kotoura-san entertained you, why not give Hentai Ouji to Warawanai Neko a try?

The five best friends of the series are also the only five members of the Culture Research Club. All is well between the five friends until they start getting plagued by random supernatural events that cause them to swap bodies, hear the thoughts of their friends and more. It starts out amusing at first, and the friends use it to poke fun at each other. However, as things start to escalate, the mysterious events cause things that were once hidden to be revealed. Suddenly, it's no longer all fun and games. With so many trials in their way, their relationships must stand together or it won't last. Both animes are similar in which the protagonist(s) are able to read the minds of other parties. While in Kotoura-san, it is primarily one sided, both animes share the idea that you cannot truly understand another individual and when you receive information about the other party, it has will affect you personally as well. The issue for both is how you will react and adapt to the situation despite being placed in a depressing situation.

Sorata Kanda is forced to move out of the normal boy dorms into the whacky dorms of Sakurasou due to the no pets rule. Unfortunately for him, Sakurasou is filled with all sorts of weirdos like shut-ins, exhibitionists and a mega playboy. However, despite their quirks they all have one thing in common, they are genii in the fields that they excel in like animation, programming and writing. This has left Sorata feeling rather inadequate until he meets the female lead of the series, Shiina Mashiro. Shiina Mashiro has a prodigious level of talent for painting. The problem? She only wants to draw manga. However, her talent causes her to be isolated and kept in a box for fear of harming a golden goose. To pursue her dreams, she moves into the dorms of Sakurasou. However, she is unable to take care of herself after being sheltered her whole life. Sorata is forced to care for in the most comedic ways, like picking her pantsu for her. Along the way, they teach each other, and the residents of Sakurasou various lessons that help them through their life. Sakurasou has humour by the bucket loads from the various hijinks of Mashiro and Sorata. Romance happens in the abundance between the various characters as well, and in a smooth, natural way at that. Much like Kotoura-san, the male and female lead support and help each other through the various troubles that life throws at them. If the life lessons of Kotoura-san weren't enough, you may receive more from your new sensei, Sakurasou no Pet na Kanojou.

Okazaki Tomoya is a no good student who is in the dubious position of finding life dull and meaningless. Furukawa Nagisa is a repeat student forced to do so because of her illness, but keeps up a positive attitude regardless. The two meet at the bottom of a hill on a day filled with cherry blossoms, sealing their fate forever. Though Tomoya is reluctant at first, the two make fast friends. Soon he discovers that Nagisa does not have any friends in school as they have already graduated during the previous year. At the same time, she exclaims that wants to form a new club, and ropes him into helping her. As time goes on, friendships form, hearts break and life moves on. And only then will we know if the protagonists can stand the trials that life have put forth. Clannad is an anime famous for being a tear jerker. What is often lost in translation is the numerous funny moments and running jokes that are present throughout the series as well. Like Kotoura-san, Clannad is all about helping each other through hard times despite all the ups and downs on the way. The two shows also balance comedy and drama very delicately, keeping you on your seat as you anticipate each moment. With that said, if Kotoura-san was on par with your palate, Clannad is sure to be the same as well!

An oldie but goodie, Marmalade Boy is a shoujo, romance anime that actually predates Boys Over Flowers by a couple years. Produced by the same studio, Toei Animation, Marmalade Boy was made as one of a series of shoujo anime including Boys Over Flowers, so it’s no wonder the two are quite similar in storytelling and animation. In Marmalade Boy, a likable Miki finds herself in an emotionally complicated love triangle as she finds herself truly falling in love for the first time. Two families strangely decide to family swap, bringing together Miki and her new brother Yuu. Yuu is originally cruel to Miki, but somewhere and somehow they find love in a “broken” place. Life isn’t smooth sailing, however, as a jealous ex continuously tries to break them apart. Marmalade boy Yuu isn’t as heartless as Domyouji in the beginning of Boys Over Flowers, but it has all that angst and old school flavor that will put you right back into F4 mode.

Peach Girl is a shoujo, romance, school anime with a dramatic high school love triangle involving an average high school girl Momo, who gets teased for being too tan. She agonizes if she should remake herself for the boy she loves or turn to another boy who likes her. She also has to fend off other a love rival, namely her best friend, or should I say “frenemy.” The main focus of Peach Girl is feelings, and the characters have a lot of them, a whole lot of them. If you loved the suspense of guessing and second-guessing who the main girl will end up with in Boys Over Flowers, then this is the love triangle for you.

Sometimes, you just want a modernized Cinderella tale of entering the world of high society and a class-crossing love story without all the angst. You don’t want to cry, but you just want to laugh and laugh and laugh. At those times, you want Ouran High School Host Club. Ouran High School Host Club is a shoujo, romance, comedy, school anime, but it’s pretty heavy on the comedy. The anime stars Haruhi, a bright, middle-class girl who attends a private high school for the rich elite. She plans on simply studying hard and flying under the radar until graduation, until she breaks an insanely expensive vase owned by the Ouran High School Host Club, a club in which the most handsome men on campus play host to their female classmates. To pay for the vase, Haruhi joins the club and cross-dresses as a male host, but this risky move brings her to the attention of the prince of the hosts, Tamaki, who quickly falls for her. Ouran High School Host Club is a light-hearted comedy with a hint of romance between our intelligent lead and a not-so-intelligent but gorgeous rich boy. It is almost as if someone took Boys Over Flowers and decided to make all the characters into adorable caricatures of themselves while throwing in a few more flower boys, you know, for fun.

Just like Boys Over Flowers, this anime spans a lot of genres: shoujo, romance, school, and comedy. Misaki is the strong, smart student council president of her high school, but she also works at a maid café to make ends meet. She managed to keep her image-destroying part-time job a secret from her schoolmates until she gets spotted by the most popular boy in school, Usui, a handsome teenage boy who is rather aloof and somewhat cold. In classic romantic comedy fashion, hilarity ensues as Misaki agonizes over if Usui will tell the world about her secret, but this horrible situation soon turns to love. Privileged bad boy? Check. Poor, hard-working girl? Check. It may be a slightly different version of the rich boy, poor girl formula when compared to Boys Over Flowers, but Maid-sama! does it well and with a few laughs. The characters seem like a good match. In the end, you’re left with emotional satisfaction that you would expect from a romantic comedy. You may be wondering by now, how could a self-respecting girl like Misaki (or Tsukushi) fall for a pretentious jerk like Usui (or Domyouji), and this anime will give you the answers, all the answers you already knew but wanted to know again.

Boys Over Flowers may be a fairytale Cinderella story meets modern life, but Snow White with the Red Hair is an actual Cinderella tale, or a Snow White tale. A rich prince and a simple poor girl fall in love, but this time in a much sweeter and newer package. Snow White with the Red Hair is currently airing, so you get your romance with brand spanking new animation presented masterfully by the animation studio Bones. Shirayuki is an honest, intelligent, and kind girl who works diligently at her family’s medicine shop, but when she is forced to become a concubine to the prince of her country, she flees only to be saved another prince, Prince Zen, of a neighboring country. Shirayuki enters the castle of Prince Zen because she wants to repay him for saving her but also because of growing feelings and attraction to him. The second season has just started. Since Zen’s older brother, the crowned prince, has returned to the castle, Shirayuki and Zen’s relationship has been put under a microscope. Meanwhile other men are also showing interest in Shirayuki. Will it lead to a royal wedding or to the end of a fairy tale? Snow White with the Red Hair may appear too clean cut to be similar to Boys Over Flowers, but the difference in social status between the two main characters and how they learn to rely and trust each other despite all the upper class naysayers has the earmarking of Boys Over Flowers. That is, if Tsukushi would choose Hanazawa’s alternate reality sweet-hearted younger brother, who does not exist in HanaDan, but we wish he did! Not to mention the show is super character-driven, and Shirayuki is an extremely lovable character and a joy to watch in this classic shoujo series.

A Lull in the Sea brings a purely fantastical story to the modern world with gorgeous modern animation and is heavy on the drama and romance with a splash of fantasy. In a small coastal town in Japan, the local people share the shore with a group of people who live under the sea. But, as sea dwellers are slowly and controversially moving to live on land, the sea people population has become so small, sea schools have closed, and the children must attend school with land dwellers. One sweet and simple-minded junior high school girl of the sea, Manaka, finds herself drawn to a new classmate on land, Tsumugu, who also has a keen interest in the students from the sea. This new found innocent relationship is troubling to Manaka’s childhood friend, Hikari, who sees himself as Manaka’s only protector and only match, though he is unsure of his true feelings. These relationships are further strained by discrimination and deep-seated rivalries between those of the land and those of the sea. A Lull in the Sea is a beautiful love polygon mixed with coastal town mythology that will bring you to tears of sadness and joy. Instead of social class discrimination we see in Boys Over Flowers, A Lull in the Sea brings us tensions between “races” of people. Like Boys Over Flowers, characters rule the story, and emotional conflicts, expressed or not, are always front and center. Not to mention there are more love triangles than you can wave a stick at. The story is mainly told from Hikari’s perspective, but the emotions are so raw and real, A Lull in the Sea is guaranteed to leave you a giant, sobbing puddle on the floor, regardless who you’re shipping. That being said, who do you ship?

If you're into the blood and violence of Ninja Scroll and want more of the same, this is the very first title that you should be looking towards. In this 2005 series, the setting is 1614 AD and two rival ninja clans are fighting to the death for the possession of a scroll. The last clan standing will not only get to see their enemies destroyed forever but will also receive the backing of the Tokugawa government for the next thousand years. In many ways (but not all) one could consider Basilisk to be a spiritual successor to Ninja Scroll. As mentioned previously, the series is filled to the brim with all the blood, violence and murder that you could possibly want while also delivering a solid story that has lived on in the hearts and minds of fans since it was first released a little over a decade ago.

If you're not as into the blood and violence of Ninja Scroll but still want to see impressive action sequences, look towards the 2010 series Katanagatari created by the same man who brought you the Monogatari series. In this series, the setting is the Edo era and the hero is a martial arts master living in exile named Yasuri Shichika. Under the orders of a general and master strategist named Togame, he leaves his home and goes on a quest to find the twelve treasured swords made by the master swordsmith Shikizaki Kiki. One thing that Ninja Scroll had that Katanagatari also possesses are amazing action sequences that get you on the edge of your seat and leave you craving more, more, more. In every episode, Katanagatari delivers the action with heart pounding martial arts, satisfying death sequences and a great story filled with twists and turns just for good measure.

Predating Ninja Scroll by a good six years, Yotoden is a three episode OVA series which features samurais, ninjas and plenty of action scenes which are fueled by a desire for revenge! The story for this title features a young female ninja who manages to escape her village as it is destroyed by Lord Nobunaga. Carrying only a mystical short sword, she swears to take down Nobunaga and get her revenge. Soon she is joined by two other ninja who also carry mystical weapons and the trio set out on their mission. Ninjas seeking revenge and having to go through demons to get it is a pretty common theme in martial arts anime and this release is absolutely no different in that regard. If you loved the darkness of Ninja Scroll and want to get some more of that action on your screen, this is not a bad direction to look.

Another title that predates the subject of this article by a couple of years, this is another entry that pits samurai vs. ninja. The hero of this one (if you want to call him that) is Shurannosuke Sakiki, a masterless samurai with unrivaled sword skills. One day he is hired by the Nakura Clan to rescue a princess from the Seki Ninja. While Ninja Scroll features ninjas as the heroes, they are the villains in this movie which makes it just slightly different from many of the other titles on this list. That doesn't sever the basic threads that ties the titles together though which is hyper action from start to finish.

Getting away from ninjas specifically, how about samurai? One of the most famous samurai anime in history is Rurouni Kenshin and there's a very good reason for that. Originally airing in 1996 and lasting for an impressive 94 episodes, Rurouni Kenshin won fans around the world in the years following its original airing as anime became more popular with fans around the world. In this series, the story follows a former assassin named Kenshin who is now a wanderer in the Meiji era. Upon entering a small town, he is mistaken for a bandit who is using his former name which eventually leads to him moving into a small dojo and making new friends. If you're looking for ninja action, you'll want to look towards the second season (also known as the Kyoto Arc) which features ninjas and samurais alike doing fierce battle against each other often times to the death. In this arc, Kenshin teams up with the Oniwaban clan of ninjas in order to take on an old foe from the war who is still out for blood. Our plucky hero must channel his inner demons and bring back the man he used to be in order to defeat the evil villain who is causing death and destruction wherever he goes.

And now we've come full circle and are back to the violence. Originally airing in 2007, this is one of the most violent series of the last decade and will make even the most hardened of gore fans a little queasy at times. The story takes place in the Edo era and features a tournament held by Lord Tokugawa Tadanaga. In this particular tournament, real swords are to be used and one of the matches features a one armed fighter named Fujiki Gennosuke and a blind fighter named Irako Seigen. Both of these fighters come from the same discipline and are eager to prove themselves worthy of being the next successor. As with other entries in this list, this isn't strictly a ninja series but more warriors who are skilled in various forms of martial arts. To appreciate one though it's often good to appreciate the other and Shigurui will help you do just that.

If you enjoyed Spirited Away in your younger days, the Mushishi series is what you watch fifteen years later. Mushishi is a supernatural, adventure, mystery anime that was first released in 2006, until it was restarted with two more seasons as Mushishi Zoku Shou (Mushi-shi Next Passage) in 2014. In the world of Mushishi, there are supernatural creatures called “mushi,” strange-looking and beautiful but nothing like the natural world that humans know. The mushi are intertwined with nature and can affect human life around them, but not everyone can see the mushi. Thus, there are specialists, called “mushishi” (mushi masters), who can deal with the mushi that negatively affect human lives. We follow one man Ginko, a mushishi who has no place to call home and wanders all over Japan to help people live peacefully with the mushi. Although largely episodic, we travel with Ginko in his quest to learn more about the mushi and also peek at Ginko’s scattered and long forgotten past on a journey that can best be described as “spiritual.” Bizarre, mysterious, and sometimes creepy, the mushi can easily reignite that strange sense of wonder you felt while watching Spirited Away. The mushi also represent nature, as the spirits do in Spirited Away. Mushishi shines a speculative light on the actions of humans who take advantage or misuse nature or the supernatural. Yet, the most striking similarity with Spirited Away is that Mushishi employs beautiful artwork of Japan’s mountainous landscape in gorgeous watercolor. If you’re interested in Japanese culture and haven’t peeked at this anime yet, you are doing a huge disservice to yourself.

If you really enjoyed the Japanese-style supernatural part of a young girl’s journey in Spirited Away, but wished there was a little bit more to the romance element, look no further than Into the Forest of Fireflies’ Light. Hotaru is a young girl who gets lost in a forest that is inhabited by various kinds of supernatural beings. Scared and alone, she meets Gin, a spirit who resembles a young man wearing a festive mask. Gin leads her out of the forest to safety. From then on, every summer Hotaru visits the forest to play with her masked friend and meets many of the other spirits of the forest. Hotaru always looks forward to her time with Gin, but she is forbidden to ever touch him. The mountain god has cursed Gin so that if a human touches him, he will disappear. Although this supernatural, romance anime film is considered to be shoujo, existential themes add depth to this take on a young girl falling in love with a spiritual being. On one side is Hotaru, who has always only looked to Gin with a childhood crush, but what will happen as she gets older? On the other side is Gin, a spirit who has always avoided humans until meeting Hotaru, but why is he the only spirit in the forest who cannot touch a human? You can relive all those wonderful feelings of Spirited Away with Into the Forest of Fireflies’ Light, a timeless tale of a forbidden love embellished with Japanese folklore. Short and sweet, this heartfelt tale will make you want to run to your nearest enchanted forest.

Usually rites of passage occur during childhood or adolescence, but it could happen when you’re 29 years old and trapped in a 10-year-old body. Boku dake ga Inai Machi is only a few episodes in but already has quite a fan following. In this supernatural mystery, Satoru leads an unremarkably ordinary life, except that he experiences “revival,” a supernatural phenomenon that sends Satoru moments back in time before something bad happens. Because of revival, Satoru has prevented deaths and other various accidents from occurring. Nonetheless, Satoru has trouble expressing himself, rarely smiles, and can’t seem to make his mark in any particular way. One day, Satoru finds himself framed for murder, and revival sends him back to when he was a grade-schooler before the tragic disappearance and death of a fellow classmate Hinazuki. Now, Satoru is trying to put together the pieces of his past, save Hinazuki, and rewrite the future. Some of the charm of Spirited Away is being able to re-evaluate our own lives by going on an adventure through the lens of a child, perhaps even revealing our hidden regrets of friendships lost and opportunities missed. In Boku dake ga Inai Machi, the main character does exactly that, but actually becomes 10 years old again. Satoru identifies his childhood weaknesses and tries to bring back memories he’s long forgotten in hopes to create a future without regrets. Meanwhile, we get to glimpse at a microcosm of Japanese culture of childhood in Hokkaido in the late 1980’s. The mystery is still unraveling, the kids are adorable, and the animation is marvelous. Try to catch this anime while it’s still fresh!

Spirited Away has an interesting kind of dualism that makes it appealing to both young and old. On the outside, it’s a fun little romp through the spirit world; but if you dig a little deeper, you can see a world corrupted by greed, pollution, and apathy. In a similar manner but definitely more adult in content, Puella Magi Madoka Magica looks very much like a bright, happy, and typical magical girl adventure featuring a cute but arguably creepy cat sidekick. The anime starts as a magical slice-of-life anime, but if you stick around for few episodes you realize something is very, very wrong with the universe in the most mind-boggling way. Puella Magi Madoka Magica is credited with single-handedly redefining the magical girl genre. Rather than playing to the genre, Puella Magi Madoka Magica instead uses the magical girl motif to deliver a hard-nosed messages about life, love, and how our decisions can affect the lives of others. Just as in Spirited Away, we follow the titular character, Madoka, into a dark unknown world that we slowly learn about throughout the show. Madoka, who is similar to Chihiro in personality, is just an average and cheerful junior high school student until a strange series of events leads her to meet a magical cat that gives Madoka an offer that’s too good to refuse. If Madoka becomes a magical girl and fights off evil witches, the cat will grant her any wish. Mothers often say, “if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is,” and this is no exception. What lies ahead for Madoka are the heart-wrenching realities of life in this strange coming-of-age thriller. Puella Magi Madoka Magica will take you on an emotional and psychological ride into a world of magic girls that you never knew existed with animation sequences so crazy you will need to watch them in full HD.

Director Makoto Shinkai is often thought to be a second Miyazaki, and Children Who Chase Lost Voices will show you exactly why that is. Children Who Chase Lost Voices is a fantasy adventure, starring a young girl Asuna who is both bright and courageous. She enjoys spending her free time playing in the forests of the mountain near her house and listening to a radio powered by a strange crystal. One day she hears a hauntingly beautiful melody from the radio and meets a mysterious boy who disappears almost as soon as they meet. He is thought to be dead. Asuna is compelled to meet him again and embarks on an adventure into the underworld where she learns important lessons about life, death, and love. The unfamiliar will often say, “Wait, that wasn’t Ghibli?” because Children Who Chase Lost Voices takes you to a new, strange world inhabited by even stranger creatures and filled with both beauty and terror. Melding together ancient mythology and a little romance, this anime feature-length film also manages to include everything about Spirited Away that hit you in all the right places: beautiful artwork, adventure at every turn, and adorable creatures all wrapped up in a timeless story. It’s safe to say, Children Who Chase Lost Voices will be an enjoyable journey for all who enjoyed Spirited Away.

Beautiful, touching, charming, these are just a few ways Natsume’s Book of Friends is described by fans. Natsume is a young man who had been ostracized as a child for acting strangely. That’s because he could see yokai, supernatural monsters that are usually invisible to human eyes. Orphaned, Natsume bounced from house to house, and finally has moved to grandmother’s hometown to start a new high school life, but the yokai of the area chase after him demanding that he return their names. Natsume learns that his grandmother had collected the names of many yokai and could subsequently control them. Thus, he decides to return all the names his grandmother collected. In each episode we meet a new yokai with his or her own story. Much like Spirited Away, one main theme of Natsume’s Book of Friends is forging meaningful friendships that cross supernatural boundaries. The book in question holds quite the treasure trove of names, but each story touches your heart and uplifts your soul in a very feel-good way. Through Natsume’s interactions with the yokai and his classmates, this relaxing slice-of-life series with a supernatural twist reminds us of all the little beautiful things life has to offer.

The legendary artist quartet CLAMP has rarely left a manga gender to explore, therefore, they also have a story about an ecchi guy and his “slave”. Chobits ran in Kodansha from 2000 to 2002, followed by a T.V. series. On this occasion, our protagonist Hideki Motosuwa is a poor guy who finds a sophisticated and cute Persocon (word play with “paasookon”, personal computer) in the trash. His geeky friend Hiromu helps him to set her up, and soon, we have Hideki teaching Chi, the Persocon, the basics of being human. Expect the most detailed girly clothes and the most shining innocence from Chi, but not all is full of fun and ecchi situations. The mysterious black clothed Freya lurks like a shadow in the Persocon’s dreams.

Created by the duo Peach-Pit in 2002 and published by MediaWorks, DearS also counts with OAVs and a game. This time it is all about aliens crashing in our planet (quite literally falling from the sky). Takeya Ikuhara is a racist high-schooler. He finishes encountering a weak alien and taking her home. She receives a new name, Ren, and becomes very fond of the annoyed Takeya. Although she is being tracked by the Aliens she left behind… If you are into cute alien girls who want to become friends with earthlings, this anime is just for you!

The brainchild of Kousuke Fujishima, who started his career as an editor before becoming an accomplished manga artist and character designer. Also known as Oh my Goddess!, the story of the looser Keiichi Morisato and the sweet Belldandy started as a manga published by Kodansha, quickly followed by several OAVs, Anime T.V. series, a film and a novel. Belldandy became an icon of the ideal anime girl in the beginning of the 21st century. Summoned by the Goddesses’ telephone help line, Keiichi requested her to stay with him. This is how his several acquaintances with the worlds of the Goddesses and Demons begins, usually involving Belldandy’s cheerful sisters Urd and Skuld.

Also known as Wagtail, this is the work of Sakurako Gokurakuin, originally published by Square Enix in 2004. Gokurain is a female manga artist famous for her titles in the yaoi and soft porn genres, so you can imagine how ecchi the story will be. It is the year 2020 on an alternative reality, where college exams are as hard as in our reality. Thus our protagonist, Minato Sahashi, is a failed academic soul in whose lap falls a girl from the sky. It turns out that she can become his Sekirei (“slave”) due to a particular genetic compatibility they have. The girl, Musubi, is also a battle warrior who will do anything for her master Minato’s sake. So, expect a lot of action on this anime!

This manga released by Fujimi Shobo is still being printed, but it already has several T.V. anime seasons, OAVs and Games. High School DxD was born as a light novel written by Ichiei Ishibumi and illustrated by Miyama-Zero. Issei Hyodo, our ecchi protagonist, is a student in the prestigious Kuoh Academy, which is attended also by supernatural beings in disguise. One day, a pretty girl called Yuma asks him on a date. So, is he a lucky guy? Unfortunately, he ends up being attacked by her and dies. When he revives as a demon, he becomes her master and even more crazy adventures come on the way. Although this anime is darker than Sora no Otoshimono, the action packed battles are worth watching.

Also known as The Pervert Prince and the Stony Cat, originally was a light novel published by Media Factory in 2010. On this occasion, our perverted protagonist, Yoto Yokodera, wants to change his nature. He does not know how to be straightforward and express his feelings. A former perverted friend tells him that a statue of a cat can help him, so he goes to request a wish to it. A girl called Tsukiko asks for a wish at the same time, and suddenly Yoto is a straightforward guy while the girl is unable to show emotions. They end up not liking the change, so they have to work together to revert it.

The Holy Empire of Britannia managed to subjugate Japan thanks to robots called Knightmare Frames. Become “Area 11”, Japan is soon deprived of its freedom. While its citizens – the “Elevens” – struggle to survive in the new tyrannical oppression started by Britannia, a resistance called “The Order of the Black Knights” led by a boy named “Zero” appears in order to help Japan to regain its identity. The indisputable protagonist of this story, however, is Lelouch vi Britannia. As his name suggests, he has a deep bond with the Holy Empire of Britannia. In fact, he is an exiled prince. Lelouch, in order not to be discovered while searching for a way to bring down the Britannian aristocracy, changes his name in “Lelouch Lamperouge”. The fated meeting with an unintelligible girl called C.C. changes his life and gives him the actual possibility to achieve his purpose: she gives him the “Geass”, a power that allows him to have absolute control over someone's mind. What makes Full Metal Panic! and Code Geass so similar? Of course, their genre is mecha, and both share a school setting, politic plots, war, suffering, and losses. Also, we can find in Code Geass some funny gags that characterize Full Metal Panic! at the end instead. They both involve a special weapon that protagonist and antagonist can control, and there's a romantic atmosphere between the protagonist and the female protagonist. We must admit, though, that in Code Geass the romantic tone is way lighter, because Lelouch is – at first glance – the cold type; he has a strong willed personality and is totally focused on the target. If you liked Full Metal Panic!, the next step has to be Code Geass. The marvelous plot will take you through a lot of unexpected happenings, keeping you with bated breath until the end. Be assured: you all will feel the same excitement you felt while watching Full Metal Panic!.

Three are the main powers ruling the world: the Union, the Human Reformist Alliance, and the AEU. After the complete depletion of fossil fuels, mankind has turned to solar energy as the new power source. It's the creation of the three orbital elevators, allowed to be used only by determined countries, which leads to war. In an atmosphere of general resentment against the three superpowers, a new organization appears: the Celestial Being. With the sole purpose of ending conflicts, this non-profit organization uses robots – Gundam – led by pilots called Gundam Meisters. The main protagonist of this story is Setsuna F. Seiei, one of the Gundam Meister. He is taciturn and introverted. Together with him, we find the other three Gundam Meisters: Allelujah Haptism, the gentle and kind guy with a split personality; Tieria Erde, the stoic and arrogant guy; and Lockon Stratos, the most easy going and kind among the Gundam Meisters. Each with their own personal motivations, they gain the courage to join the cause and struggle to put an end to the conflict. Although Gundam 00 has a more serious orientation, it shares a lot of similarities with Full Metal Panic!. First of it all, Setsuna and Sousuke – the main protagonists – have the same, evil backgrounds. And as a result of their past, they both turned out to seem emotionless. Even the plots are similar, in fact both groups – Celestial Being and Mithril – don't belong to the army, but fight for a better future against warfare. And the Innovators – the humans that have evolved to utilize quantum brainwaves – are similar to the Whispereds in Full Metal Panic!. The epic battles in the space and the powerful emotions brought by them, even the romantic touch and the strong bounds that keep on growing between the four pilots are what will keep you glued to the screen. What else to say? This is a rare pearl in the mecha genre. It's a story about war, but also a story about hope, about love and about the way people try to fight their inner demons. Fans who loved Full Metal Panic! cannot miss the chance to watch this wonderful anime and the explosion of emotions that will carry with it!

This story revolves around Ledo – a young lieutenant of The Human Galactic Alliance – and his robot, called Chamber. During one of the battle against a new race called “Hidiaazu,” a distortion of space and time happens, and that's how Ledo ends up on the Earth. That planet is completely flooded by the seas and mankind lives on giant ships gathered together in giant fleets and manages to survive by fishing and salvaging relics from the ocean. The fleet which our Ledo ends up to is called “Gargantia”. There, our Ledo meets the cute and easy-going Amy who shows him around and helps him since he finds himself at a loss on what to do. The new setting, the completely new life just started, and the peaceful atmosphere to which our Ledo is not used to, keeps on taking him by surprise making him realize that there could be something else in life, beside just fighting. Even if Suisei no Gargantia has a more adventurous feeling with it, there are similarities with Full Metal Panic! that cannot be ignored. We're talking about two wonderful mecha anime. In both of them we find the protagonists – both soldiers trained since childhood – who have no clue about the world surrounding them, and plunged in a more peaceful one. Once again, we find here the anti-social protagonist's theme: Ledo, exactly like Sousuke, is a person who completely lacks any social skills. What's more, we find in Suisei no Gargantia a very strong trace of romance, since Ledo finds himself involved with Amy and learns from her a lot of things about life and human emotions. Even though we must admit that the story is generally serious, it doesn't lack comedic moments, especially when Ledo tries to get accustomed to his new settings with the help of other main characters. What's left to say? It's not excessive to state that Full Metal Panic! and Suisei no Gargantia are somehow siblings. We are sure enough that if you liked the first, you will enjoy the second!

This is a story about Mars, and the Earth. Martians are the heirs of the astronauts who discovered the Aldnoah that gave them a supernatural power. The spark which causes the Earth and Mars to fight against each other is the supposed murder of the Martian Princess Asseylum – descended on the Earth only to claim peace – by terrestrials. The protagonist of this story is Inaho Kaizuka. He is just a smart high school boy and one day, without even the time to realize it, he finds himself involved in a ferocious battle against Mars. Along with him, a bunch of interesting other characters are engaged with the cause: Inko Amifumi, who holds feelings toward Inaho; Rayet Areash, the Martian who wants revenge against Mars; and Slaine Troyard, a guy born on the Earth but living on Mars because of some circumstances. Among mecha anime series, Aldonah.Zero managed soon enough to find its own place thanks to a well-constructed plot and a suspense that keeps on growing episode by episode. Like Full Metal Panic!, we can find here a bit of school setting and, of course, the recurring military theme. In both these anime, the male protagonist is a professional in using a robot, not to mention that Sousuke and Inaho resemble each other a lot, and try to protect girls. Aldonah.Zero is a story where the bounds between allies and enemies is thin, and where the battles will bring you a lot of emotions. It's a story about friendship, love and hope. If you fell in love with Full Metal Panic! because of these same thematics, you will fall in love with Aldnoah.Zero too!

Haruto Tokishima, our protagonist, and his friends live peacefully in the space, in a division called “Module 77” and their lives drastically change when, one day, The Dorssian Military Pact Federation – one of the two main powers – suddenly decide to invade the neutral nation of JIOR. Some circumstances lead Haruto – who tried hard to avoid conflicts – to become a Valvrave pilot. That single action starts a domino effect that basically alters everybody's equilibrium. Together with Haruto, his friends will lend him a hand in a ferocious battle against Dorssia: Saki Rukino, the lonely idol who has a crush on Haruto; Kyuuma Inuzuka, the dependable upperclassman; and Shouko Sashinami, loved by Haruto. However, is the fated meeting between Haruto and L-Elf Karlstein – a secret agent of the Dorssian military – that turns the tables and, after daily struggles, losses, and battles, lead to a conclusion that no one would expect. Just like Full Metal Panic!, this is a story about war, politic plots, and love in a more collective way. Valvrave the Liberator is a little masterpiece in the mecha genre that gives emotions, and suspense, and even laughter. There's a guy who tries hard to accomplish something, and Haruto, exactly like Sousuke, will face bigger events. If you liked the dark side of Full Metal Panic!, or the romantic one, we are sure Valvrave the Liberator will be your cup of tea!

Aoba Watase is a common high school boy. One day, back to school after summer break, something happens and that something irreparably changes his life. He's just quietly walking when a giant robot comes down from the sky and starts to chase after him. Aoba runs, in an attempt to stay alive. When everything seems lost, his savior appears. It's Hina Yumihara, his classmate, in her own giant robot. She rescues Aoba and, suddenly, sends him into the future. When our bewildered Aoba wakes up, about seventy years into the future, he discovers that the Free Pact Alliance and the Zogilia Republic are at war with each other. Soon after, he meets Dio Weinberg Junyou, a young Valiancer pilot, and this is how Aoba's new life begins. We don't have to look so close to see what Full Metal Panic! and Buddy Complex have in common. For starters, both series are mecha genre, and so full of action that it seems impossible to catch a breath. Even in Buddy Complex we find a little bit of the school setting and the start of an entirely new life for our protagonist. What's more? Both series take place in the future and in both we can find our protagonists Aoba and Sousuke – both professionals at using robots –struggling to protect a girl. If we add that there's a romantic theme too, so we are sure you are ready to jump in the future with Aoba and his friends!

All Renton Thurston wanted was to practice the signature Cut-Back-Drop-Turn on his lifter – an equipment similar to a surfing board on land and maybe look as cool as his idol, Holland Novak. Raised by his mechanic grandfather, he considered being closely related to the world’s savior is somewhat awkward since he was never close to his father, the famous late Adroc Thurston. Like Ikki, don’t be fooled by Renton’s innocent baby face because he is the one that thinks only after he jumps. What are the odds of a faulty mecha belonging to Gekkostate - Novak’s renegade team to crash into Renton’s house and (surprise, surprise!) contained the cutest girl ever? His journey started when he decided to help the pilot, Eureka, and made that leap of faith that changed the fate of the world. Air Gear and Eureka Seven share unpredictably gutsy main casts, an unquenchable thirst for a new breakthrough, and sometimes even gravity is not enough to break The Chosen One’s iron will. Renton knows that someday, somehow, he will be escaping his boring town and one day will reunite with his lost elder sister, Diane. Ikki had always admired Storm Riders and Renton was obsessed with Gekkostate. Both boys were captivated by a bigger happening and wanted to be a part of it. And guess what? They got it.

Takeshi Jin is one of the members of Team Satomi, an amateur rookie team who just won a minor league thus prompted them to a top IGPX league full of ruthless professionals. The series’ universe concentrates on tournament races/battles with weapon studded mechas in a specialized circuit. With racing speeds greater than 400 km/h, 2 separate teams of 3 IGPX mechas should complete a 60 km course with rules determined by a simple ‘anything goes and oh, no deaths please.’ Each team appoints a midfielder, a defender and a forward. Takeshi plays the latter and the guy knows he’s good. Top tips for winning are best teamwork combination, strategy, skills and funding and Team Satomi haven’t got much luck with everything on the list. How will they survive the race and win the most prestigious league title? Ikki and Takeshi share one thing in common: they’re far too good for someone so lacking in experience. The gifted rookies are the ones who think outside of the box and are willing to risk everything in a spur of a moment gamble. That quality alone makes rooting for them entertaining. Often times the underdogs show up and execute the most creative, original and daring stunts. Be sure not to miss it!

In futuristic Earth Dash, the human population was split into two enormous colonies with the less fortunate dreaming hopelessly of going to a better and technologically advanced Moon. The most anticipated sport was Big Foot Basketball (BFB) where huge mecha controlled players attempt to imitate the old art of dribbling and dunking without much success as the unskilled players/controllers haven’t mastered the art of the complex movements with numerous controls and a wide margin of power. Enter Dan JD aka the legendary hero dubbed Dunk Mask who despite hating BFB with all his heart demonstrated unusual talent in mastering BFB, mostly for taunts, condescension and his personal propaganda. What kind of brother would he be if he’s just going to let those rotten BFB get away with whatever they’ve done to his crippled sister? Air Gear and Basquash! invest in the power of close-knit relationship and trust between friends and family alike. Ikki and Dan would have not reached the heights of their stardom without a strong support system. Both boys boast reliable teammates with specific skills and well executed plans in order to prove a point. The mastermind trait in them is well worth watching for. The attention to detail demonstrated by Dan on how to purposely destroy all mega screens reporting live BFB game in his hometown with precise slam dunks and timing was an awesome sight to behold. Truth be told, it’s good to be bad sometimes.

Shokugeki no Soma tells a story of a red haired Yukihira Soma who dreams of surpassing his father’s excellent cooking skills. Just before finishing middle school, his father suddenly announced that he was closing their family restaurant in order to join a partnership with an old friend. The news wasn’t well received by Soma who had been training relentlessly in order to claim his birthright. Totsuki Culinary Academy entered the picture when Soma was forced to choose a path unfolding to his future. He had always thought that paying for cooking classes was a stupid and laughable idea but witnessing the merciless expulsion of several students from the culinary academy stopped him in his tracks. The elite academy only had 10% rate of graduation and this is the place where top chefs groomed to become the best in the respective field. Soma, of course was born ready. Air Gear and Shokugeki no Soma present the viewers the competitive world of sports and culinary. They take a simple niche and expanded it to be as complex as it could be with challenges, duels and raising the stakes as the main cast progresses from one level to another. If Ikki was born as the Child of the Wind and even had a small crow nesting in his hair, Soma’s element has always been the kitchen. They constantly think about evolving their skills and styles. The comfort zone was never invented for these boys.

The only way to explain Oban Star-Racers is like eating fusion food for the first time. The anime is somewhat familiar and different at the same time. In fact, the French/Japanese television series took six long years to develop and features a girl as the main protagonist. Eva Wei aka Molly left her boarding school in order to find her famous racing manager father, Don Wei. It did not go well as her timing coincides with The Great Oban Race where all skilled racers from all over the galaxy compete for The Ultimate Prize. Her father’s immediate reaction upon seeing her was not something she expected and that makes her even more determined to prove herself worthy as his daughter. So when opportunity presented itself as Earth team’s number one pilot, Rick Thunderbolt was injured, Eva/Molly might be tempted to show her father a thing or two. Her desire to win burns brighter when she found out about the winning prize – the ultimate wish fulfillment. Dare she ask for her dead mother to return? Oban Star-Racers and Air Gear push the limits from the ordinary to the great perhaps. Although Ikki and Eva share about the same level of rebellious streak and compulsive nature, having a natural talent for flying helped Ikki and Eva for most parts. This can be seen in the first episode when Ikki, having absolutely no idea on how to use an AT, dared to try it out alone while reading a flimsy manual and by the end of the day raced side by side with an experienced Storm Rider. Eva actually assembled her own rocket-seat and expertly fixed a malfunctioning star-racer on the spot. They are willing to give it their all and that’s why they rise after each challenge.

In 2020, the world was under the influence of Global Government Plan (GGP.) Our main protagonist was a rising star in the ballet community, but suffered a serious injury during her show debut that resulted in her early retirement. Fast forward several years later in college, she accidentally wandered into a school club workshop featuring a motorcycle robotic vehicle named Rideback. It was drizzling and she had some time to spare so what else to do? Encouraged by a fellow student-technician, Rin Ogata took a sleek, red RideBack named Fuego out for a spin and soon enough GGP began trailing her wake. RideBack and Air Gear put one of life’s most important lessons through during the first episode. Experiencing a painful defeat and never giving up is the only way to go for Ikki and Rin. They were humiliated, frustrated and struggled with their unique abilities until a serendipitous encounter reminded them again of their long lost dream. As the series progresses, not only they overcome their fears, they are a better, upgraded versions of themselves.