As the title suggests, 30-sai no Hoken Taiiku focuses on the story of a 30 year old man; a 30 year old virgin, to be exact. But before your mind immediately writes this off as being the same as the Hollywood film 40 Year Old Virgin, remember something very important – this is anime! So while it’s still a comedy, prepare yourself for fun, chibi art work, colourful displays, and fast-paced humour as two brother “Gods of Love” help Hayao Imagawa on his quest to finally have sex at age 30. What’s an ecchi without a girl though? So enter Natsu Andou, a 30 year old librarian, and also conveniently (or inconveniently), a virgin. But don’t worry; she also has two “Gods of Love” to help her along the way, though these two are sisters of course! Much like Futari Ecchi, the two main characters’ lack of sexual experience is treated in a light-hearted manner and a more mature setting than a typical high school adventure due to the character’s age and place in life, (i.e. having careers, their own homes, and very different experiences from life by the age of 30).

Peeping Life: Shinkon-chan Kansai ni Irasshai is part of a larger series of typically one episode anime, all of which are meant to look into the daily life of normal Japanese people. At only one short episode long, Shinkon-chan is an easy, short, funny watch that makes a great accompaniment to your dinner. It gives a glimpse into the life of a newlywed couple who have just moved to Kansai, and the entire episode has the unique perspective of only taking place with the two having a chat in their living room on the sofa. Don’t expect a lot of action, but you can expect to have a few laughs from their conversation. Like Futari Ecchi, Shinkon-chan focuses on the interactions between a newlywed couple and the more mature relationship and dialogue that that entails. The two may not agree on everything, and have a few small arguments, but in the end, their relationship is still strong. If it’s more the depiction of a new relationship that interests you from Futari Ecchi, especially a more realistic depiction but still in a light-hearted manner, then try out Peeping Life: Shinkon-chan Kansai ni Irasshai! It won’t take you long and is sure to make you smile.

Mangaka-san to Assistant-san to takes us in a new direction from the previously mentioned titles in our comparisons, but has its similarities with Futari Ecchi all the same. The story revolves around Yuuki Aito, a young manga-ka with a serious fetish for women’s undergarments, which happens to be the main subject of all of his manga. Meanwhile, Sahato Ashisu, Yuuki’s perhaps unfortunate assistant, is a more grounded and serious character, and she is left to deal with Yuuki’s, sometimes, outrageous antics and panty obsession. While it doesn’t have any newlyweds or much of a heartfelt relationship, what Mangaka-san to Assistant-san does have in common is their depictions of characters with inexperience in an actual relationship, and the awkwardness that can ensue from that. Yuuki and Sahato may not be married or even dating, but because of Yuuki’s inexperience with real women paired with his interest set, he uses his female assistant to try to learn more about sex and women. The result is a hilarious interaction between the characters that is vicariously awkward to be sure, but very amusing to watch. The dynamics of the relationship itself may be different from Futari Ecchi, but the humorous depiction of struggling to learn about one another and about sex is the same – not to mention some good ecchi sequences as well!

Back to a focus on one shot anime and we bring you Virgin Night! Don’t let this anime’s slightly older release date put you off immediately, it’s an old gem. At around 30 minutes long, it’s an easy watch and a quick fix to get another story with similar themes to Futari Ecchi. You might already have a few ideas of what this anime is about based from the title, and you are probably not far from the truth. Virgin Night is the story of Yuzuru and Azumi, and their first time taking their relationship to the next level. Like Makoto and Yura in Futari Ecchi, Yuzuru and Azumi have a long established and serious relationship. So finally taking the step towards having sex is a serious development for them, and there is a lot of meaning and feelings behind it rather than just lust or the backstory of a one-night stand. Specifically, Virgin Night and Futari Ecchi both highlight the first time experience between two lovers, and how it goes – both the ups, and the downs. If you loved the more mature and adult relationship in Futari Ecchi but were left wanting something a bit more intense on screen, check out Virgin Night. It’s a hentai, not just an ecchi, so it might be just what you’re looking for!

Another older, but still great anime to check out if you loved Futari Ecchi is Kibun Kibun! Even the animation itself has aged very well. Like our previous entry Virgin Night, Kibun Kibun is a hentai, not an ecchi, so if you’re still looking for more, this is another anime to check out. Kibun Kibun is definitely a comedy, and shows the short story of an everyday couple’s relationship and life together with both the good times, and the more difficult times. Nami and Kenji’s relationship is fun and fresh, and while exaggerated in some ways, it remains believable for a young couple. Kibun Kibun has the same colourful, upbeat, and happy-go-lucky feel that Futari Ecchi has when watching it. You can’t help but smile as you see the relationship between Nami and Kenji unfold on the screen, and even when their inexperience sometimes makes situations awkward or borderline uncomfortable, the situation is always remedied with feel-good humour. Thus, the awkwardness and learning, and even the disagreements, that take place between the characters is treated in the same light as Futari Ecchi, where rather than dwelling on the bad, it quickly shifts back to being very positive with some well-placed, fast comedy. If you’re looking for a feel-good hentai about a positive relationship, Kibun Kibun is a great follow-up to Futari Ecchi!

Finally, our last entry in our list of similar anime to Futari Ecchi is Nana to Kaoru. Originally a one-shot OVA and a manga, the popularity of this story has even seen it made into a live action film. Nana to Kaoru is about Kaoru, a boy with a fetish for S&M, and his childhood friend Nana, who ends up unexpectedly becoming interested in it as well. What starts out as an accident that is the result of Nana’s curiosity in Kaoru’s S&M equipment develops into a give and take relationship between the two characters. Together, they come to terms with what gives both of them pleasure sexually. Nana to Kaoru has a central theme of exploration. While Kaoru has always known what he was interested in, Nana is only beginning to come to terms with what she likes, and doing so by learning with Kaoru. Together, they explore the very different sexual world of S&M as friends and as lovers, learning what they like and don’t like along the way as well as more about one another. It may be done in a different way, but the theme of learning and exploring together is the same as Futari Ecchi. In the end, the characters’ relationships and knowledge about what they want sexually are both strengthened and deepened through experimentation together, so if that is what is intriguing to you in Futari Ecchi, try out the short ecchi Nana to Kaoru!

Akagami no Shirayuki-Hime is our first recommendation because is one shoujo anime that, just like Shin Shirayuki-Hime Densetsu Prétear, is well received by shounen fans. Both anime series similarly based their storylines beyond the original well known tale of Snow White, developing their own saga around strong yet extremely kind girls, while following the same basic theme of good vs evil, and that love conquers all. In this story, recently adapted from an ongoing manga, the main character, a girl named Shirayuki (Snow White), is a herbalist with an unusual brilliant apple red hair. She never loses her smile and her gentleness towards others, and leads her life peacefully; until one day the prince of her land, Tanbarun, hears of her unusual hair color, and wants her as his concubine to enhance his reputation. Without relatives to lean on, Shirayuki develops a strong sense of self-reliance, so rather than giving herself to an empty life as a collectable object, she runs away, crossing paths with Zen, a prince in disguised; giving a start to her adventures. Even lacking in the magic transformation department, this anime series roots in your heart by its own right; and just like with Himeno and Hayate of Prétear, it makes you cheer for Shirayuki and Zen to get through their hardships and find happiness together.

This animated series, is one of the pieces that became a must watch in the genre of reverse harem. On the same line as Shin Shirayuki-hime Densetsu Prétear, this magical adventure/romance tale, delivers bits of comedy as a relief for the surprisingly intense drama developed in the plot. This anime uses the same formula as Prétear of having 7 guardians to aid the heroine to fulfill her destiny, giving the reverse harem lovers a real treat. This anime, is also an adaptation of the popular manga of the same name, and refers to the adventures of a normal cheerful girl named Miaka Yūki, who is whisked away to an estrange world through a magical book. There she finds out that she has been chosen as the vassal of a mythical power that aims to reunite seven warriors, and with their help, summon the god that will defeat evil and bring peace to the land. Trapped in the middle of a conflict of epic proportions, Miaka meets his one true love, Tamahome, and in the midst of the trials that have to overcome, her feelings vacillate, because of the development in the relationship with her guardians, making us witness a heart wavering situation, which is the most attractive magnet of the series.

Now for our next anime recommendation, let’s introduce Harukanaru Toki no Naka de: Ajisai Yumegatari. This OVA of 2 episodes adapted from a popular manga, have a storyline quite similar to Prétear, with the particularity of bringing the development of the characters beyond the visual attractiveness, introducing in their backgrounds a feeling of uniqueness of personality. This quality that earned the franchise lots of followers, as has been portrayed in three OVAS, two TV series, one TV special, a movie, and at least 22 romance video games, (better known as otome games), and two live-action stage plays. Similar to Shin Shirayuki-hime Densetsu Prétear, the plot of this story begins when a girl named Akane is summoned from her normal life and brought to a mystical place, in this case the land of Kyou; where she learns, is the possessor of the power that makes her the priestess of the dragon. With her new title, Akane receive the protection and aid of 8 guardians, and, in a situation very similar to one in Prétear, these guardians lend her their strengths to defeat Akuram; A demon who wishes to destroy the kingdom by absorbing human energy. The principal attraction of this anime, resides in the empathy that delivers, making you feel identified or even angry at one or another character in the development of the series, hence to say the big popularity of the title and the loyalty of the fans through the years.

For the sake of variety, let’s bring in a little of magical girl power to our pool of suggestions; Shugo Chara! a fun series that takes refreshingly the comedy element back to the list. Did you like Prétear humorous approach? Then you are going to love this anime. The plot starts with a trip to the thoughts of a young girl, Hinamori Amu, who is tough and cool on the outside, but have a very sweet girlie character on the inside. Somehow for one or another reason she always miss the chance to let it show to others, especially at school, where her life gets all complicated when a group called the Guardians notice that she poses a very special power in her heart. The guardians, are the force of light in charge of protecting the dreams of the children. This dreams physically manifest in the form of an egg called “chara”, that is said came from guardian angels, and helps the owner to make reality their dreams. But if corrupted with resentment and resignation, gives the owner sadness, darkening their future ambitions. Shugo Chara! and Shin Shirayuki-hime Densetsu Prétear, share the way they capture the magic transformation, and comedic themes, and uses them as a medium to approach more deep psychological matters, in a series aimed for younger audiences. Also, both series bring back the “girl power” feeling in the inner strength development of their protagonists, and for the delight of the fans of the genre; the episodes of Shugo Chara! are filled with lots of transformations and many changes of cute outfit combinations.

Based on a visual novel, our next title, Hiiro no Kakera, retakes the formula of predecessors like Prétear, for a strong connection between two main characters, and the use of the powers of seven different nature elements, that each guardian brings to the fight to assist the protagonist in her battle against evil. This anime tells the story of Tamaki, a young girl that lives out her school days peacefully, until one day she learns that she inherited the duty as the Tamayori princess; a divine power that holds off the destruction of the world by keeping a seal on the magical sword Onikirimaru. In her new role, Tamaki is the target of strange monsters out of myths and legends; leading her to meet Takuma, a young man part demon who is now one of her protectors. As the plot evolves, Tamaki meets four boys, who as her guardians, have received the powers and abilities destined to assist her in the awakening of the power of the Tamayori princess. This anime, while is slow paced, has its merits, and just like in Shin Shirayuki-hime Densetsu Prétear, shows us the struggle of self-discovery, a good romance were girl saves boy and love conquers all. And for those who have the patience to watch it through the end, this show has good battle scenes.

Last but not the least, for the final recommendation is Akatsuki no Yona, a great series based on the popular ongoing manga of the same name. Our young heroine Yona, is the only princess of the kingdom of kouka, as she leads a very sheltered life, her eyes were open wide when one day, out of the blue, Yona witness Soo-won (her fiancée) murder the king and steal the throne; and just when she is about to get murdered, her father´s aide and bodyguard, Hak, came to the rescue and help her escape. Initiating their quest for justice, and overcoming the betrayal of her former love, Yona came to discover her hidden powers as the true successor, sensing naturally a way to locate the long lost whereabouts of the former founders of the land, the four dragons. Out of her bubble, the princess came to truly understand the land she called home; and while they search for allies, Yona deepen her feelings for Hak. Just as in Shin Shirayuki-hime Densetsu Prétear, this story also have a princess aided by seven supporters to fulfill a legend, just that in this case the goal is to help the protagonist to recover her rightful place as the heir of the kingdom. Also, like in Shin Shirayuki-hime Densetsu Prétear, Akatsuki no Yona is fully charged with fan service, beginning with a powerful chemistry between the 2 main characters (Yona and Hak), adding a big plus with the bodyguard romance; and while they go on adventures in the search for dragons, this series ends up giving the fans a wide selection of cool boys with diverse personalities to root for. As the team of characters get closer, with each episode, the series always leave you with the subtle yearning for the heroine and his true love to end together.

Eyeshield 21 is a great place to start if you’re looking for an anime similar to Katekyo Hitman Reborn!. It tells the humorous story of Sena Kobayakawa, a high school boy considered by most in his class to be quite weak, and he is regularly picked on and terrorized. However, his ability to quickly get away from his pursuers catches the eye of the captain of the American football team, who ends up recruiting Sena as a secret, mystery player for the extremely important position of running back. Sena continues to prove he’s the fastest when he is scared and running away from things, just like before when he was being bullied instead of the secret star of the team! Hilarity ensues. One might be asking the question about how an anime focused on American football can have anything in common with an anime about the Mafia, but the similarities between the main characters and the themes of the story are very strong. Both Eyeshield 21 and Katekyo Hitman Reborn! feature a main character who is changed significantly from who he is at the start of the anime, and who he is at the end. While both begin as “weak” or even pathetic characters, through their experiences and with the help of their friends (or teammates!), they become strong! The road is long and hard and full of obstacles, but both anime tell the story of an underdog that goes on to find success, and both do so in a way that is funny and meaningful at the same time.

The story of Nurarihyon no Mago revolves around the main character Nura, who is no ordinary boy. In fact, while he is ¾ human, the last ¼ is Youkai (a Japanese supernatural monster). He lives in a house full of Youkai, and with a grandfather that hopes Nura will succeed him as head of the Nura Clan. However, Nura himself doesn’t want any of this at the start, and instead spends his time trying to help humans and doing good deeds in hopes that he will not become a full Youkai someday. As the anime progresses, Nura slowly begins to come to terms with his heritage, and starts to accept that he can indeed fulfil his grandfather’s dream even when initially he had no desire to. Tsuna is presented with a similar situation in Katekyo Hitman Reborn! when he is presented with the fate of taking over as head of Vongola Family. At first, he too rejects the idea, but as the story goes on he learns to accept it and to step into the shoes of those before him. Both anime tell the story of a boy who has to deal with a future that has been determined for him because of his heritage, and the path that they must take to grow from ordinary boys into powerful leaders.

Shijou Saikyou no Deshi Kenichi is the story of Kenichi Shirahama, a high school student who goes from being the constant victim of bullying, to vanquishing the bullies himself. As one can imagine, it is quite a turn-around to go from one end of the food chain to the other, and Kenichi doesn’t do it overnight through any superpowers or miracles. This anime focuses a lot on Kenichi’s training in martial arts at the dojo, Ryouzanpaku, alongside a girl named Miu, the granddaughter of the dojo master. Kenichi turns the tables on the bullies and delinquents, training hard to defeat and disband them and keeping them from making anyone else their victims. Much like Tsuna in Katekyo Hitman Reborn!, Kenichi is at first a very unassuming and physically weak character. But also like Tsuna, Kenichi works hard at his training to develop into a much stronger fighter that can not only handle himself, but can really take care of business. Shijou Saikyou no Deshi Kenichi is another anime for someone who was really interested in the underdog story of Katekyo Hitman Reborn! and wants to see the serious development of the main character from zero to hero. If you liked seeing that development in the form of fights and action sequences, then Shijou Saikyou no Deshi Kenichi is something you’ll definitely want to check out!

If you even like the concept of anime, then you have certainly heard your share of opinions on our next suggestion – One Piece. One of the most popular animes in Japan and abroad, One Piece is a story about adventure, excitement, humour, and friendship on the high seas! That’s right, it’s about pirates. The main character, Monkey D. Luffy, and his crew, The Straw Hat Pirates, search for the fabled “one piece” and the title of King of the Pirates. Of course, finding it isn’t simple, as over 700 episodes (and a new one still, every week) certainly prove! The cast of One Piece is absolutely massive, and full of original and unique protagonists and antagonists both. While not as big, Katekyo Hitman Reborn! also consists of many different characters, all of whom are very critical towards shaping who Tsuna becomes. In both anime, the main characters are developed a lot by their cast of both friends and enemies, and the influence of these other people is very important to the story. So if you are looking for not just a strong main character, but a strong supporting cast like in Katekyo Hitman Reborn!, maybe now is as good a time as any to sign on to the commitment of watching One Piece!

Beelzebub follows the story of Tatsumi Oga, and the strange “baby” Beel that he finds one day when he is in high school. However, Beel is no ordinary baby of course – in fact, he is the son of the demon king, and it is Tatsumi’s job to raise him! Throughout the anime, Tatsumi is faced with the challenges of raising a demon, albeit begrudgingly, as he finds himself in an official contract with Beel against his will. At first, Tatsumi does all he can to fight it, but slowly he begins to use the powers granted to him as Beel’s “father” to become a powerful fighter against gangs and other classmates. Beelzebub and Katekyo Hitman Reborn! have a very unique thing in common – the presence of a powerful figure in the form of a baby that becomes, in some way, the responsibility of the main character. In Beelzebub, the baby is the son of the demon king, as described in the aforementioned paragraph. In Katekyo Hitman Reborn!, the baby is a Mafia leader. Both pack a surprising character in an unsuspecting package to give the anime a unique twist, and both of these “babies” are able to grant the main character some level of supernatural power to help them in fights. So if supernaturally powerful babies – or at least unexpected and different characters than simply the norm – that make an anime truly stand out are your thing, then be sure to check out Beelzebub!

Arcana Famiglia is an anime about an organization of the same name that is written to be similar to the Mafia. However, with a special twist to the normal sort of Mafia story, in this anime the people in the organization all have the special trait of having bonded with an Arcana card that grants them special abilities. In the story, the current head of the organization, Mondo, has decided it is time for a new leader, and that the leader – and husband for his daughter, Felicita – should be determined through a tournament. However, Felicitia has other ideas about who can decide her fate, and that of the whole family! If the Mafia sort of feel to Katekyo Hitman Reborn! is what really captivated your interest, then be sure to check out Arcana Famiglia. The story may be a bit different, but the setting is similar and can give you another taste of a Mafia-driven anime. Both also follow a lead character who is fighting to determine who will be the head of the family. Tsuna fights for himself, while Felicita fights to keep her father as the head. Both anime also have good friends to the main characters that help them achieve their goals, and thus help determine what happens to the organizations in the end.

As you might have gathered from the title, this is about a mild-mannered teenager named Kazuya Maeda and his camera. As his uneventful summer break comes to an end he receives a gift. What he received was that aforementioned camera. The prospect of gaining that camera was intriguing to say the least for him because photography happens to be an interest of his. While in his possession he snaps a “trial” photo session with his younger sister Kanon. Needless to say, he wanted to continue photography within a school club. He receives a couple of offers from clubs. This is where things pick up and it would lead to some highly regarded decisions for young Kazuya. This anime fits in the same category as Amagami SS because of its romantic visual novel influence. The omnibus route it takes, as the audience tries to come up with their own choices on what female he should be with by its conclusion.

This visual novel was also made into an anime and its similarities are apparent to Amagami SS. They both highly rely on romantic match-making; however the difference is that in this case it’s a heroine meeting many different males. It’s a reverse harem if you will. The story is about this shy and clumsy heroine who awakens one morning, only to find that all her memories are gone. Amnesia is nothing to joke about, what a frightening situation to be in. All she has left are notes, numbers and names of people that she doesn’t recall ever adding to her phone. Oh and one other thing, a boy named Orion who shows up on the scene to assist her. With the guidance of this unknown character, she has to try and piece everything back together in her life. Needless to say, it’s not an enviable task. As the story progresses she starts to meet guys that she may or may not have had a past with. It ultimately leads to several different character arcs throughout the anime that might excite the viewers.

The feelings are real in this romantic short animation. It’s comprised of six episodes telling three different love stories. All are compelling stories and have a different tale to tell. The three couples were all bonded by love, but are played out quite differently. It’s sweet, sometimes funny and heart wrenching at times. The first story has Youji and Chiaki’s five-year relationship put into jeopardy from an announcement made by Youji. The next story involves childhood friends Aoi and Haruki, who come across new feelings from a triggered event. Lastly, Takumi meets this girl named Natsuko at a ski lift on the mountain in Nanto, and he develops feelings for her quickly. Clocking in at roughly seven minutes per episode it almost felt like an extra-long trailer. Sadly, it was such a short anime but the three stories did an exceptional job in that time frame. Whether or not you were affected by all three or just one of them, it left a strong impression on us.

Just like many of the others on this list, this also was based off a visual novel that was released in Japan on October 29, 2010 for PC. Koi Senkyo to Chocolate has the high school romance; it has the drama and the comedy that you come to expect from this style of anime. The main character Yuki Ojima you might say is a slacker. He joined the Food Research Club as a way to satisfy his extra-curricular activities. It’s far from the strains of other more active clubs and it enabled him to do as little as possible. All is well and good, until he finds out that a new candidate is running for student council president and she plans on abolishing the club. How does he combat that? Run against her, in a struggle to keep his precious club around. This has some of the makings of being yet another Amagami SS to a degree. There is a lot of tongue-in-cheek humor that goes along with this one. The main difference is the story arc doesn’t “reset” after the main character meets up with all the different ladies involved. It’s a fun-filled, romantic-comedy, which should get you on a number of levels.

Kono Aozora ni Yakusoki wo brings the heavy nature of the harem genre to the table. You can expect to see the usual suspects, from the comedy and romance genres as well. It’s based off the 2006 visual novel on the PC, which was later ported to the PS2 in 2007. The series starts off with the main character Wataru Hoshino waking up and finding an unknown female sleeping in nothing but her pink underwear, in his room no less. She wakes up only to punch him in the face and then escape out his window. What a great start to his day eh? We later find out that the girl goes by the name of Rinna Sawaki. She is a new transfer student who now lives in Wataru’s dormitory. One of the major companies on the island had an aviation cancellation which now leaves the four females Wataru is living with only a years’ time before they have to leave. Knowing this Rinna doesn’t want to be friends with them because of the inevitable separation they will encounter. Wataru, has other plans. The school romance and the comedy do share some parallels to Amagami SS.

This anime is the second one on our list that doesn’t get it source material from a visual novel; it comes straight from a manga. Keima Katsuragi is a self-proclaimed “God of Conquest” online with dating-sim games. He accepts a request to prove his title and worth by unknowing helping this demon from hell Elucia. He is now shackled to this demon via the deadly collar he’s wearing around his neck, he now has no choice but to help her return the evil spirits back to hell. How does he have to go about that you ask? Well, he now has to put all his gaming to the test against real-life females and “conquer” their hearts. Like in Amagami SS this story follows the omnibus pattern of following Keima’s adventure with one of the girls and then hitting the “reset button” and starting over with another adventure with a different lady. The romance and comedy are strong in this one and it comes complete with the entire ensemble of your prototypical cast of personalities. Those include such characters like the sporty one, the tsundere and an introvert to name a few. What differs in this anime is the added supernatural element that we haven’t seen much of on this list.

As our first selection for you, is Samurai Deeper Kyo, an anime series that tells the story of Mibu Kyoshiro a normal looking man, that keeps a low profile, because he fights with himself to keep at bay “Onime-no-kyo” or “Demon eyes Kyo”, an assassin soul that sleeps within him, and have a price on his head for the murder of 1000 men. Just like Kenshin Himura in Samurai X, Mibu Kyoshiro from Samurai Deeper Kyo, share the same internal fight to overcome his past, leaving behind the skilled swordsman/killer that he once was, while trying to have a normal and pacific life. Another point in common, is that they both help a tenacious girl to reach her goals; Kenshin helps Kaoru to rebuild her martial arts school, and Kyoshiro ends up helping Yuuya to find her brother's killer. One of the strongest characteristic of this series, is the continuous internal confrontation of Kyoshiro, to maintain control of his own conscious being, because while Kenshin has his heart wavering between fighting or not under his own control; Mibu Kyoshiro has this struggle represented in two totally separate entities inside one body, each of them so different that are barely conscious one of another. If you are looking for an anime full with battle scenes, bits of comedy and supernatural powers, Samurai Deeper Kyo is a good option to continue in the mood of sword fighting action.

As a second recommendation, we bring you a classic tale of redemption, “Sword of the Stranger”, so don't miss out the chance to bring a snack and get comfortable in your favorite place, because this anime, 95 minutes long, will keep you in your seat for what it is, a good samurai movie. This animated movie, tell us the story of Kotarou, an orphan, and his faithful dog Tobimaru, and their daily struggle to survive, not just from hunger or the violence of the era in which they live, but from a mysterious Chinese organization that wants to capture Kotarou for their obscure purposes. Luckily for the boy and his dog, a Ronin called Nanashi, saved him from danger, and became his bodyguard in the journey they have to undertake, to try to keep the young Kotarou from harm. Sword of the stranger, shares with Rurouni Kenshin that, both main sword fighting characters are red-headed, which makes them stand out, and sometimes even, be mistreated for having foreign blood. Also, both anime leads share their struggle to overcome the past and the nightmares that haunts them; all the blood they spilled in the fights that made them infamous. Drifting without purpose, Kenshin Himura and Nanashi, both figuratively put away the sword, until fate reunites them with persons that, little by little, enter their hearts, and makes them worth defending until death, redeeming them. Rather than a romance, like in Samurai X, Sword of the Stranger, centers the human element of the story in a tale of friendship; and then, in a very straightforward way, fills everything else with action; leaving us with an anime without pretentions and easy to enjoy, because of the beautifully made battle scenes.

Developed in the Bakumatsu, the era where Kenshin Himura made his reputation as the “Battousai”, is where our next recommendation. Intrigue in the Bakumatsu: Irohanihoheto; an unusual anime series, that introduces a story based on facts about Japanese History; using supernatural elements as an allegory of how the thirst of power and political ambitions can ruin a nation. The plot of this series starts with Youjirou Akizuki, a stoic samurai, that, being tortured by his past failure to protect his mentor Sakamoto Ryōma, witnessing his death; pushes himself into the duty of destroy a powerful mystic artifact, that is manipulating the high spheres of power in Japan. As the bearer of the legendary sword, Getsuruitō (Moon Tear Sword), our young protagonist, gets involved in the struggle of the different factions that seek the control the country; and involuntarily, ends up in the middle of the revenge plot of the Yuyama Troupe, a wandering group of kabuki artists under the leadership of Kakunojo Yuyama. Intrigue in the Bakumatsu: Irohanihoheto, shares primarily two aspects with Rurouni Kenshin, first, the heart stirring encounters between two of the main characters Akizuki and Kakunojo, charged with chemistry and longing, just like the evolved relationship between Kaoru and Kenshin in the final season of Samurai X series. Second, the intensity of the action and choreographies of the fights, bringing the same feeling of excitement, in the encounters were the samurais and their katanas, level up to skilled firearms fighters, giving us an amazing spectacle of east versus west.

If after number three of this list, you are still feeling the need for more action, we recommend you to refill your snacks and prepare for this great animated short film: Ryō Written with the Japanese kanji for “Dragon”, Ryō tell us a story based on the fictitious character, of a very young and extraordinarily skilled samurai, that served as an aide and bodyguard of Sakamoto Ryōma, one of the Japan's most famous and charismatic Historical figures. Using a war as a setting, this short animation superbly portraits the chaos at the end of the bakumatsu era, and by accompanying the young Ryo and Sakamoto Ryōma, we become subconsciously allies in his endeavors; giving us a frame that introduce us into the events that make possible the reintegration of Japan into the modern world. One detail worth mentioning about the movie, is the amazing landscapes, for example, the scenic view of the city of Nagasaki is really accurate; if you have the opportunity to see it for yourself someday, don't miss the chance to admire the panoramic view from Glover Garden facing the city port; it surely will make you evoke this anime. The trait that this short film shares with Samurai X the most, is not just the time period, but the way in which many complicated social situations and pieces of everyday life and history, are explained and delivered in a friendly way; intertwine them with excellent animated action scenes, and you have all in all, a good samurai film that makes you enjoy it's 25 minutes length and leave you with a nostalgic feeling so characteristic of the genre.

As our Fifth selection, we introduce Hakuoki: Demon of the Fleeting Blossom, an anime series based on a visual novel, that give the fans, a great assortment of male characters, dress up in cool traditional Japanese clothes to root for. This anime developed around the same time period were Kenshin Himura, from Samurai X lived; surprisingly goes beyond to please the fans of the otome games, and bases its storyline in real events and characters from Japanese History; giving the audience, the feeling of learning something interesting in a fun way. Hakuoki: Demon of the Fleeting Blossom, tell us the story of Yukimura Chizuru, the daughter of a researcher, that after his long absence, decides to go to the city of Edo looking for him; as a way to protect herself, she disguises as a man, but the moment she steps into the capital, began to be persecuted by strangers, and ends up in the middle of a frightening fight between her pursuers, and two bloodthirsty beings. In her moment of peril, our heroine is saved by the Shinsengumi, and because she witnessed mysterious events, is brought to their operations center, where she gets to known the members of this famous group; who struggle to unravel the mystery behind the violent attacks in the city, and Chizuru's father disappearance. Just like in Samurai X, Hakuoki delivers a plot were little by little the characters get involved in a world of politics and intrigue, showing us a good drama, tainted with romance, fantasy, comedy and after introducing good designed characters based in real life history personalities, a lot of cool fighting scenes to get you entertained.

For number six, we bring to the pool of suggestions a lot of humor: Gintama, Silver soul; an anime series that lures you in with samurais and cool designed characters, and delivers hilarious situations in a Sci-Fi world where the old Japan meets outer space alien invasion. Gintama is a very popular series adapted from the renowned Shounen Jump Magazine’s manga of the same name; featuring Sakata Gintoki, an extraordinary skilled samurai that leads a very easy go looking life, and the adventures in which he ends up getting involved, while searching for an ends meet. Together with his companions: Kagura, Shinpachi Shimura and his loyal pet Sadaharu, these four friends always find a way to make a job request, a fun disaster that will make you laugh and enjoy every episode. Compared with Samurai X, Gintama shares, not just the samurai setting, but the fact that is one of the few anime series that entertains his audience with jokes that introduce them unsuspectingly, in real life history facts, or Japanese culture details; that’s why after 201 episodes, Gintama retains its freshness despite using time after time, it’s strong suit; the parody, reflecting what is going on in the urban fashions in Japan.

Starting out we’ve got a good old fashioned slice of life, Saki. Saki Miyanaga is your typical high school student, and by typical I mean a prodigy when it comes to Mahjong. Well, when you can control the flow of the game to get your score to equal zero every time. It’s safe to say she knows what she’s doing. However, for “Saki”, she actually hates the Mahjong due to childhood games with family. That all changes when she’s taken to her school’s mahjong club by a friend. Which begins to ignite Saki’s old passion. The similarities are near parallel for these two anime. We have main characters that don’t care for a tabletop game that, turns out, they could be labeled the best when they play. Not to mention both shows start out by going to a gathering spot where others come together and their respective games. No matter which of these two you start with, the other will be a great follow up and complement nicely.

Now, you might be thinking, “I like the concept and all, but I need something heavier.” Don’t worry, we have just the thing for you as we go into the world of Shion no O. After her parents were murdered, Shion Ishiwatari was adopted and taught the game, Shougi. Through her incredible talent for the game, she became a famous Shougi player. With this, she uses her skills to discover the killer who took her family, causing her to lose the ability to speak. Both Hikaru no Go and Shion no Ou have a gifted characters that use their talents to change their lives. Hikaru and Shion end up using GO and Shougi to look for something of meaning. Hikaru searches for a future while Shougi looks for answers to her past. Through simple games, Hikaru no Go and Shion no O are bound to keep you excited for each round/match that will come your way. With questions needing answers, rivals being made, and twists around the corner, these two are sure to satisfy what you’re looking for.

Next up on our list is a bit more relaxed than our last entry, but does not stray from the intense drama. Chihayafuru tells the story of a tomboyish girl, Chihaya Ayase, who spent most of her time following the path laid out by her sister. That is, until she is introduced to the game of Karuta, known as both a mentally and physically taxing card game. Once in high school, she aims to set up a Karuta club with the hopes of winning the national championship. The similarities between Chihaya Ayase and Hikaru Shindo are beyond close. They are both inspirational when they start out being passive about a particular game. Yet, through the game they master, both discover and develop themselves and have a drive that makes you want to cheer them on to the very end.

Taking a break from the “tabletop” games, let’s look at other types of games that can fit the profile you’re looking for. Up next is Kuroko no Basket. Light and shadow combo, Tetsuya Kuroko and Taiga Kagami make up the “power house” for the Seirin High School Basketball Team. Using their special talents, along with their team, they quickly rise through the ranks to go head-to-head with the top teams of their region, to best Kuroko’s old team, The Generation of Miracles. Tag teaming is a strong strategy used in both Hikaru no Go and Kuroko no Basket. You see the characters develop in a manner that complements each other while honing their own skills. Already retaining skills of their own, it causes both teams of Hikaru/Sai and Kuroko/Kagami to rise through the ranks of their respective games. This is a great anime to watch if you like drama, suspense, and surprisingly action.

Let’s get back into some thrills and suspense. If you’re looking for a drama keeping you at the edge of your seat, then look no further. Because here’s Touhai Densetsu Akagi: Yami ni Maiorita Tensai. Shigeru Akagi, a boy trying to outrun the law, finds himself in a bit of trouble. Landing in a game parlor, Akagi is shifted into a game of Mahjong with some questionable people. After being placed in a situation of life or death he reveals that gambling is second nature to him. With no fear of death, what could he possibly have to lose, yet still have everything to gain? This does bring up an edgier side to tabletop gaming. However, the level of dedication and determination presented in Hikaru no Go and Touhai Densetsu Akagi: Yami ni Maiorita Tensai is admirable and well deserved. Though Hikaru isn’t running from the police, he is quite often found in situations where he is underestimated, much like Akagi. With this, they both prove themselves in-game as a force to be reckoned with.

Last, but not least, on our list is one of the highest grossing anime of all time. Topping off our list today is none other than Yu-Gi-Oh! This story goes from ancient Egypt, all the way to modern day. Yuugi Mutou receives a gift from his grandpa one day, and it’s an ancient puzzle. After assembling the pieces, the puzzle turns out to be a pyramid with strange powers. The spirit of the puzzle, Yami Yuugi, comes out and shares body and mind with Yuugi Mutou. Together they play the game of Duel Monsters to become the King of Games, and to unlock the mystery beyond this new alter ego. What were the similarities between these two anime again? An old object that has an ancient spirit dwelling within it that becomes one with the main characters? Perhaps that there is a game that encompasses their entire way of life? Maybe it’s that neither main character is any good at their respective games until their alter ego kicks in. We might be stretching it on this one. However, this anime is definitely one that has great twists and exciting plot points throughout the whole series.

When Mikan Sakura finds out her best friend Hotaru is transferring to an elite school, she chooses to enroll with her. She finds out that this school teaches gifted students with special abilities called “Alices.” These abilities vary depending on the person and Mikan learns she possesses a rare Alice that cancels out a person’s Alice when they come near her. On her first day of school, she runs into local delinquent Natsume Hyuuga, who uses his Alice to take off her skirt after escaping from class. The two start off on a rocky relationship, but eventually become formidable partners in the school. Mikan shares some similar qualities with Sana. They’re both bright and cheery and have had rude first impressions with boys. Their wacky antics matched with their equally outgoing personalities set the tone for the anime’s wild slapstick comedy. Natsume has no respect for authority and, like Akito, has dedicated followers who admire his rebellious acts. Gakuen Alice incorporates more fantastical elements to its story. Nonetheless, it's the subtle drama involving many of Mikan’s friends that drives this series to success. The anime focuses on character development and the relationship between Mikan and Natsume. They both despise one another at first, but slowly grow to understand each other and eventually become a couple.

Kosaku adores the famous idol Yuka Kusakabe. He calls himself her biggest fan, sending her letters and collecting all her CDs, posters, and idol related memorabilia. When Yuka suddenly announces her retirement, Kosaku is devastated to the point of turning into hikikomori. He eventually returns to class, but is shocked to hear that Yuka has transferred into his school, under the name “Ringo.” Kosaku tries to learn why she enrolled in his school and deepens his relationship with her. Nourin takes place at an agricultural school - a setting totally different than the ones featured in this list. Despite this change, Nourin still keeps the wild spirit of Kodocha. It has a cast of uniquely rambunctious individuals that often get roped into weird situations. The humour also features many slapstick gags, sprinkled with a bit of parody. Ringo’s background as a Japanese idol is similar to Sana’s background as a child actress. However, while publicly she has a cheerful persona, this turns out to be a facade as she’s shown to have a dandere personality (with a hint of kuudere mixed in). Kosaku unknowingly changes Ringo to help her express her feelings for him. Overall, Nourin has flashes of drama, but is more focused on exploring the comedic everyday school life.

Kumiko “Yankumi” Yamaguchi is the granddaughter of a yakuza boss. Her parents died when she was young and her grandfather has been grooming her to be the heir of his empire. Kumiko, however, wants to become a teacher and, with her grandfather’s approval, lands a job at Shirokin Gakuen Private School. The catch is that she has to keep her Yakuza background private. Kumiko is put in charge of an all male class of delinquents that try to push her buttons. Nonetheless, she perseveres and eventually changes them to gain their respect. When your anime title is a parody on The Godfather, you know it means business. Kumiko’s tough attitude defines her role as an ideal teacher who takes no disrespect from students. Despite her hardlined personality, she’s got her own unique quirks that often lead to various comedic situations. Additionally, her relationship with the relaxed and level headed Shin Sawada begins mildly, but slowly develops into feelings of love like Sana and Akito. Having been a well known delinquent in the school, Shin is the most perceptive of Kumiko’s nature and utilizes his intellect to help her out later on. Kumiko tries to balance her reputable yakuza background and her public image as a teacher. Sana has the same dilemma when she attends a regular school while maintaining her career as a prolific child actress. Throughout their hectic lives, they still take the time to help those that are hurting and serve as inspirational characters in their own right. Gokusen is an overall goofy school comedy that takes its time to build characters and romances.

Kotoko has been in love with the very handsome Naoki since her first day in high school. When she finally musters up the courage to confess her feelings to him, Naoki flat out rejects her because he hates dumb girls. Their fates would intertwine when Kotoko’s house is destroyed by a solitary earthquake and she and her Dad are forced to live with a friend of his. Little did she know that her Dad’s friend has a son, who turns out to be Naoki! Kotoko resembles a more grown up Sana and is more airheaded than the latter. On the other hand, they’re both hopeless romantics in the pursuit of love. Naoki’s a top honour student who regularly attends class and keeps his grades up. As a result, he has a following of admirers and often makes fun of Kotoko’s intelligence. However, deep down he knows he secretly loves her. Like Kodocha, time is spent developing the relationship between the main characters. ItaKiss does this more quickly than Kodocha, as it shows Kotoko and Naoki’s rocky first encounter and the various circumstances that lead them to marriage

Miki Koishikawa’s life is turned upside down when her parents get a divorce and swap partners with a couple they met in Hawaii. While getting used to this ordeal, Miki meets the couple’s son, Yuu, who first appears as a jerk that constantly teases her. They eventually come to terms with their own differences and their new family, but their relationship gets complicated with run ins from old acquaintances. Marmalade Boy explores the dramatic tensions of families. The Kodocha formula here is pretty much the same: Miki meets a distant boy, they have some crazy interactions with one another, and they eventually fall in love. Marmalade Boy, however, takes more risks in its story. The partner swap involving the two main characters’ families is a touchy subject even for an anime. Although the story is more mature, Marmalade Boy still has Kodocha’s charm. Miki is your regular outgoing optimist who is often the victim of Yuu’s teases. Yuu is more outgoing than Akito, but he hides a resentful nature that stems from his relationship with his father. Marmalade Boy has its happy moments, but mixed in is a complex drama that involves a cast of friends and exes.

Satoshi Yabe’s new life as a teacher just got harder with the Marui triplets. Mitsuba is the eldest sister who’s a self proclaimed sadist and enjoys causing mischief. Futaba is the goofy oddball who’s very strong and athletic. Hitoha - the youngest sibling - is a quiet bookworm who secretly enjoys reading porn. Mitsudomoe follows the everyday life of these three girls, their class, and their unfortunate teacher. Mitsudomoe is the most perverted anime on this list. What it does have in common with Kodocha is its positive slice-of-life nature and downright outrageous characters. The anime relies on gags and comedic situations to move its story along. Although the Marui triplets cause a lot of chaos in their classroom, they genuinely care for each other and their close friends (most of the time). Mitsudomoe has its perverted humour, but also has sentimental moments worth grabbing some tissues for.

The story follows Misaki Ayuzawa, a student council president of a co-ed school that truly isn’t used to a female authority figure. The boys nicknamed Misaki the “Demon President” for her no-holds-barred philosophy for enforcing discipline. She could also be viewed as a man hater. You’ll find out she has well-founded trust issues when it comes to men. Her image is one of perfection in the classroom and at sports, oh and she is gorgeous. She has a secret though, her family is struggling. The house they live in is falling apart and every member of her family works just to pay the bills. Misaki is no exception; she gets the best job she can and does it to perfection, working at a Maid Café. We know, it’s shocking in a show with a title like Maid-Sama. The twist is that the most handsome boy at school, Takumi Usui, wanders into her café one day and uncovers her secret. The question is what will he do? Will he expose her? Will he blackmail her? Or just fall in love with this amazing, hardworking heroine? Maid-sama shares the common school life theme following a character through a combination of slice-of-life and romance adventures. The drama in Maid-sama is a little deeper than School Rumble; you care about the trouble in Misaki’s life.

The story centers around two characters, Kaname Chidori and Sousuke Sagara. Kaname is an exceptionally bright second-year high school girl with a gift. She is what is called “Whispered,” an individual who possesses an innate knowledge to build and operate amazing and powerful technology. She leads an ordinary high school life -- that is until she is secretly singled out as a Whispered candidate and becomes the target of terrorists hoping to capture her and use her skills for nefarious purposes. So she needs the protection of an agency called Mithril, and namely Sergeant Sousuke Sagara. The battle-hardened Sagara is forced to work undercover and becomes the classic “transfer student.” His plate fills up fast as he has to guard Kaname and his secret from classmates and terrorists. School Rumble and Full Metal Panic! are both set in your average high school, not one of those super elite schools for the uber-rich or one of those magical high schools where students are encouraged to fight each other like it’s ancient Sparta. The schools are just your basic high school with your average students, no super powers needed for admittance. The shows also have a similar slapstick humor, whether it is the outlandish behavior of the characters or the events around them. The use of guns and military hardware including giant robots is a little out of the ordinary, but outrageous humor still stands. The arrangement of the episodes is also similar, in many cases segmenting the story into slice-of-life arcs in each episode. The majority of the slapstick has to with the overreaction of Sousuke to the most benign situations and him leaping into action to “save” Kaname. Like School Rumble, the story boils down to an awkward relationship. While neither character in Full Metal Panic! starts off with a full-fledged confession, you understand that there will be a romantic connection the moment he threw her to the ground in the girls’ locker room and pointed a gun at the door to protect her.

Chiyo Sakura is one of the most adorable characters in years with her short stature and big polka dot bows. The plot follows Chiyo, who has fallen in love with Umetarou Nozaki a high school student roughly four times her size. A great thing about Chiyo is she makes her confession in episode one, or at least attempts to. She somehow instead of saying “I like you,” she says “I’m your biggest fan.” A statement like that would be weird to most guys, that is unless they are secretly a successful shoujo mangaka. A few miscommunications happen and she ends up as his assistant. We see some of the ways these stories are alike right off the bat; the heroine is totally in love and the protagonist doesn’t have a clue. You get to follow Chiyo as she gets involved in many ridiculous circumstances all as part of her life working with Nozaki. You find yourself rooting for this adorable little artist as she does her best to get the man she admires to notice her. The setting is also similar in that they are set in a high school. While School Rumble doesn’t dissect the high school experience that much, Nozaki does. You see how he sees the students he is enrolled with. A great similarity is the way you get to see her and in many ways see the inner thoughts and monologue of the heroine. The anime of School Rumble and Monthly Girls are both perfect if you are in the need for a good laugh at the awkward world of high school love.

Yamada’s First Time focuses on Yamada, a 15-year-old high school girl, and a virgin, who wants sex. She doesn’t just want sex; her outrageous goal is to have 100 sex partners despite the fact that she is still a virgin. A chance encounter with a boy in a bookstore leads to her fixating on losing “it” to him. She doesn’t realize until later that he is a classmate of hers. You get to follow Yamada and her strange pursuit of Kosuda in vignettes. The similarities with School Rumble don’t stop at the fact that a lot of it takes place at a high school and it is about a high school girl. In both you get an inside look at the thoughts of a somewhat delusional main character as she navigates young love. We also get to watch the characters’ friends, like Chika Yamada (the younger sister) and Takeshita Miharu (the best friend), watch and comment on the hopelessness of the heroines. Yamada is absolutely not appropriate for all ages. But it is very, very funny. It’s a mad cap comedy with an outrageous main character as she bumbles her way toward love.

The plot of Nisekoi is a school romance based on absurdity and a love triangle that blossoms into that of a love quadrilateral later in the series. We start the story learning that Raku Ichijou, a first-year student, is the “heir apparent to a yakuza clan,” but is determined to follow the path of the straight and narrow. We also discover he has a crush on a girl named Onodera. He then gets kneed in the face by the new transfer student Chitoge Kirisaki, leading to a case of oil meets water. We’ve seen similar plots in Shakespeare; in this case it leads to a similar set up of these two being betrothed. Did we mention that Chitoge is a mob princess? We find the two of them have to at least bury the hatchet and hopefully not in each other, to avoid a mob war. The rest of this insane comedy is filled with slapstick; most of it at the expense of Raku. If you pay attention you’ll even see a callout to the classic arcade game Donkey Kong in the first episode. The pace of this series is excellent. You move from one segment to the other without getting too bogged down by overall story of a pending gangland war. We still get to see a character pining away for another girl as everything and anything gets in the way of them being together. We get to see a couple that can’t stand each other be forced to pretend to like each other. You don’t have the weird mental pictures from our character’s minds like you do in School Rumble, but you do get to hear their thoughts in many cases in small pauses between the action. Nisekoi has been one of the most popular anime in recent years and you’ve probably already watched it. The whole series is a great example of a romantic school comedy involving a great cast of supporting characters. Also, you can’t help but smile every time Chitoge says “darling.”

The story (or should we say stories) of Hatsukoi Limited focuses on the first loves of several middle and high schoolers. The episodes tend to focus on a different character in each episode, giving you the chance to look in on the lives of these young people. You will definitely develop a favorite as the story progresses and the various threads are woven into complex plot. The relationship between Ayumi and Zaitsu is the first one you get to see, and the story of beast loves girl feels like it could have been one of the inspirations for “My Love Story.” The following story features Kei, your classic tsundere, and Kusuda and is one of the best plot arcs because of its depth. The cast of characters and the stories of finding true love are one of the elements that make Hatsukoi like School Rumble. The Ayumi and Zaitsu storyline is similar in several ways to Tenma and Harima. Zaitsu is considered a tough guy and easily scares everyone despite his truly gentle personality and his only objective is to be with the girl he fell in love with. The humor is great, but a lot lighter on the slapstick. While there is some slapstick, you just have to keep up with the dialogue for the best jokes. You do have to be patient with this series; its pace is a little slow, but the payoff is wonderfully sweet at the end. We can’t help but think this is one of the more underrated series out there. Yes, its art style is showing its age a little but get over it, the girls are still cute in their seifuku (sailor style school uniforms).

Let’s start off strong on this list with a hard core parallel to Phantom: Requiem for the Phantom. First on our list is Gungrave. Brandon Heat and Harry MacDowel, practically brothers, were nothing more than some thugs looking for a good time. Until, one day, they found themselves working for Big Daddy, leader of the mafia syndicate Millennion. Harry works his way up to replace Big Daddy as the leader of Millennion, with Brandon’s help. Through a disagreement, Harry ends up killing Brandon. However, the story doesn’t end there. Brandon comes back to life through the necrolization process, and uses his new life to take down the one who betrayed him, Harry. Phantom: Requiem for the Phantom and Gungrave have a good amount of similarities. Zwei and Brandon/Harry end up working for a giant syndicate where they take whatever job they are handed. Though this doesn’t last long, both Zwei and Brandon end up pointing their guns towards the organization's, Inferno and Millennion, that allowed them to hone their skills.

Sometimes a person isn't so susceptible to the life of a killer. That just makes their development more real. You can see this kind of development in our next pick in the line up, Black Lagoon. Rokurou Okajima is a former business man gone rogue. While delivering a package from his employer he gets captured and held for ransom by a group known as Black Lagoon. Turns out, Okajima’s company has no intentions of retrieving their employee. Instead, they decide to cover up their transaction by eliminating Okajima. Alone and betrayed, Okajima joins Black Lagoon and slowly trains himself to become a mercenary. In both Black Lagoon and Phantom: Requiem for the Phantom, we have formerly passive individuals, Zwei and Okajima. They begin their journey for a new life as killers, but on the way question what it is they are doing. While either finding or keeping their morality, Zwei and Okajima find that being a killer is more complicated than they could have imagined.

Let’s add a little bit of sci-fi to spice things up. Next on our list we have Darker Than Black. Hei was once like any other human, until Hell’s Gate appeared in Japan. Just beyond the gate, where logic and reason mean nothing, Hei loses his humanity to gain supernatural powers. No longer human he becomes what is known as a Contractor. With these powers, he works for a company known as the Syndicate. His job, assassinate other Contractors Both of these anime’s have a mysterious main character, Hei and Zwei, that have particular skills in assassination. These two characters work for a powerful underground organization, Syndicate and Inferno, that pick their targets. The ultimate similarity is the usage of masks in the shows. Similar in style and use as an alias, these masks give a similar feel to each anime in a very detailed way.

So far we’ve seen what it’s like to be forced into this lifestyle of assassins and mercenaries. Let’s take a look at some individuals that chose this life style and know how to handle a job. Next up we are taking a look at Gangsta.. Nicholas Brown and Worick Arcangelo are known as the “Handymen”. In the city of Ergastalum, they are seen as being the only neutral party in a city that’s split four ways between different syndicates. Nic and Worick are guns for hire to take on any job by the mob, or even the police. An underground organization rises up to tip the balance of Ergastalum by hunting down Twilights, people who have super-human abilities from a drug. Nic and Worick keep their guns ready to defend the head’s of the syndicates, known as the Four Fathers, and figure out why Twilights are being targeted. Well, let’s see. We’ve got Gangsta. in one hand, and Phantom: Requiem for the Phantom in the other. Both have a two man team, Nic/Worick and Ein/Zwei, of mercenaries or assassins. There’s also the organizations they get hired by to kill targets, The mob and Inferno. These anime’s even have one of the team members having some sort of above human ability, Nic and Zwei. These shows compliment each other by showing two sides of a similar life style. Either show is a great follow up for the other.

Being an assassin is a tough job, you would think. How hard can it be if a little girl can do it? Take a look into the world of Gunslinger Girl. This story follows the viewpoints of five little girls, Angelica, Claes, Henrietta, Rico, and Triela. Given a second chance at life by the Italian government, these girls are brainwashed and are only filled with knowledge and skills for assassination. However, they are still little girls. These five girls struggle with their emotions as they carry out their missions and seek recognition from the ones they love. Gunslinger Girl and Phantom: Requiem for the phantom are really similar in theme and execution. Angelica, Claes, Henrietta, Rico, and Triela are brought into an organization and lose their memories, much like Zwei did. These five girls and Zwei aren’t a cookie cutter image of what an assassin should be. All of them have questions and emotions that guide them to form an opinion on why is it they do what they do.

To finish our list, we have an exciting thriller and action anime you don’t want to miss out on. Coming in for the final kill we have Noir. Mireille Bouquet, an assassin located in France, ends up crossing paths with Kirika Yuumura. Kirika has no memory of who she is, but she does have plenty of skills in the art of assassination. After meeting, Kirika and Mireille team up to discover both of their pasts. During their journey, they have to fight off the organization known as Les Soldats. Which was an organization mean for doing good, but now they’re nothing more than the evil they once swore to defeat. Where to begin the comparisons? Much like in Phantom: Requiem for the Phantom, Noir has a two person assassination team, Mireille and Kirika. These two teams of Ein/Zwei and Mireille/Kirika have to fight against a large criminal organization, Inferno and Les Soldats. Zwei and Kirika have no idea who they are, but have exceptional talent in assassination. Along these lines, Zwei and Kirika also question their own reality. Zwei wonders why they are killing for Inferno, and Kirika wonders why her life is consumed by lies.

A clumsy and bothersome third-year high school student named Kotoko Aihara develops a crush on a fellow high school student Naoki Irie. The problem with this scenario is that Naoki isn’t interested in “stupid girls” which initially he feels she is. Just like in Marmalade Boy, the male main characters are originally cold to their female counterpart. With that being said, Naoki proceeds to shun Kotoko away, much to her dismay. Shortly thereafter, an earthquake hits Tokyo and it levels Kotoko’s house leaving her in a rather unfortunate situation. Due to a bittersweet twist of fate, Kotoko finds herself living in the same house as her love interest, Naoki. She believes with this opportunity given to her that she will be able to win him over and show what she has to offer. Itazura na Kiss is a very sweet romantic anime that tugs on your heartstring. It offers up some of the same situations that Marmalade Boy offers. Such as, the love interest living in the same house and the main character’s ability to cope and change throughout the course of the anime.

This anime also features a heavy love triangle scenario complete with all the drama you would come to expect from that given situation. The main female protagonist Tsukushi, is comparable to Miki, in that, they’re both outspoken individuals and have a similar physical look to them. This anime goes through the trials and mistakes that youths make while in love. Tsukushi Makino comes from a poor family thus she learns to be very frugal with her choices. She doesn’t tolerate bullies and she will let them know when they are out of line. All she wants to do is get through her final two years of high school, but things won’t be that easy for her. One day her friend gets into a sticky situation accidently and ends up getting picked on by the leader of the Flower Four clique, Tsukasa Domyoji. The F4 group consists of rich friends who have known each other since childhood. They also have no problem in bullying the less fortunate. After that incident when Tsukushi stuck up for her friend she received a red card in her locker. It was the F4 letting her know that she is to become a target and it wasn’t appreciated what she did. From then on, Tsukushi was determined to make sure her morals would not be overthrown by this clique. The one thing she did not anticipate was developing feelings for one of the F4 members in the process. Although grittier in the animation department, this show is very comparable.

Peach Girl, as the title suggests, is about an average high school girl who is labeled as “beach bunny” because she has such tanned skin, hence the “peach”. With that riding on her back she hears that the boy she likes, Toji, doesn’t like tanned females. There’s a dilemma right there for the young Momo Adachi as she struggles to remake herself into something that she believes he likes. What’s interesting to note, while in the process of trying to win over Toji, she starts to take a liking into another boy named Kairi. The story continues as Momo becomes confused as to which boy she would like to date. Throw in a childhood friend who also likes Toji and you have a recipe for drama. This anime was well done at portraying what teenagers can go through just for the sake of love. This resonates with Marmalade Boy because it shares that romantic love triangle of being indecisive and excited at the possibility of snagging that elusive boy.

Bokura ga Ita, is a love story about an innocent baby faced teenager by the name of Nanami Takahashi. She aspires to make many new friends on her first day of high school. She meets this handsome boy by the name of Yano Motoharu, who is beloved by nearly every female in that school. Right away Nanami knows she is in for a challenge to win his affection. The similarities to Marmalade Boy start to creep up as the anime moves along, however there are certain instances that jump out at you right away. For example, the main female characters from Marmalade Boy and Bokura ga Ita are both innocent and are absent-minded at times, leaving them in unenviable situations. Yano can also be hurtful to Nanami when he pushes her away. Lastly, they both take place in a school environment with other characters interfering with what seems to be destiny for the main two. Just like Marmalade Boy, there is also a haunting secret from the male protagonist that later is revealed and plays a big part in the development of their respected relationships. There are laughs and uncomfortable situations in this anime. I feel it does bring a serious tone when called upon and it has sexual references throughout, as to be expected in some romance series.

Futaba Yoshioka was at her peak in popularity in middle-school. She was well received from boys but it didn’t carry over too well to the girls and she was often snubbed because of it. It didn’t matter to her however, as the only opinion that did matter was of a classmate named Kou Tanaka. They had shared some precious memories together and then all of a sudden, a misunderstanding and a disappearance from Kou turned everything upside down for Futaba. Now in high school, Futaba is determined to not have history repeat itself as she takes a different approach to make new friends. It all seems to be going smoothly, until one day the former love of hers reappears complete with a new last name and other changes. Although it has a different start to the anime, it later has the same traits that Marmalade Boy expressed throughout. One of those character traits is Futaba being passionate and caring. Like all of these anime on this list up to this point, they take part in a school setting and involve teenage exploration of love and rejection. The characters will deal with confusion, indecision and heartbreak along the way. There will be unwanted scenarios from other boys and girls that figure into this plot. The story felt real and true to itself.

Tohru Honda, is a 16-year-old girl who found herself living in a tent by herself after the untimely passing of both her parents. Yuki, a handsome boy, and his cousin Shigure, found poor Tohru living on their property and invited her to live with them after a recent landslide destroyed her tent. This instantly reminded us of the living situation in Marmalade Boy, with the lead female living with a potential love interest. Little did sweet Tohru know that these males she is living with have a family curse that the inhabitants have inherited. Now with her interest in Yuki, she has to be careful with her advancements otherwise she might end up having Yuki transform into a beast from a Chinese Zodiac. All it takes is one hug for the bizarre situations to be created, and bizarre they are. The lead female has similar characteristics to Miki that include being sweet, cheerful and loving. Yes, there is teenage love and drama, but it doesn’t rely on the school setting and it mixes in some fantasy elements, which is a pleasant change. It’s probably the most unique on this list but it still supports some of the likeness from Marmalade Boy. It’s quirky, It’s different, use whatever adjective to describe it, it’s worth a shot.

Blue Spring Ride is focused on Futaba, a beautiful high school girl who changed her life and personality after being ostracized by the girls in her middle school class. She tossed away the girly ways she was known for and embraced a louder, brasher version of herself in an effort to gain friends. The romance in this story starts several years before her reinvention. Like so many other stories that deal with young love, it starts with a chance encounter on a rainy day. Young Futuba and young Tanaka both take shelter from a storm under the eaves of a shrine. We don’t get to see much of their early relationship, but young Tanaka’s transfer to a new school is one of the catalysts for her change to the brash girl. The first twist comes when the older Futuba and the older Tanaka, now called Mabuchi due to the divorce of his parents, meet again in high school. The viewer as well as our heroine immediately wonders “Can you turn back time?” Blue Spring Ride has its comedic moments, but isn’t what we would call a romcom. We really think it is best defined as a shoujo school romance with some slice-of-life elements. The more specific way it’s similar to Suzuka is the pacing. The story doesn’t take off at a sprinter’s pace; it takes a while to develop. We also watch Futaba and Yamato -- both considered to be sloppy, unreliable and fun to be around -- chase after cool and distant love interests. You get see the experiences of the hero and heroine of their respective stories examine their lives and consider what the changes in their lives (for Yamato joining the track team and Futuba becoming less girly) got them if it doesn’t get them the romantic partner they desire.

Our protagonist is Shingo Uryuu, a second-year student at Kagamidai Private Academy. The Academy is about to be integrated into Yuihime Girls School. Shingo is part of the first class of boys ever to attend the old all girls’ school. We quickly see that not all the “little princesses” at the school are open and accepting of the change. The story revolves around Shingo as he makes friends at school and in the Neko Club, a club dedicated to taking care of stray animals. You get a lot of harem elements in Mashiro-iro Symphony as it centers on a guy attending a girls school and it doesn’t take long for Shingo to collect quite a few friends who all happen to be female. We also see quite a few ecchi moments in the beginning as boys, mainly Shingo, adjust to a world where a girl’s privacy had never before been in question. The romance elements develop slowly, much like in Suzuka. You also get a big hint about Shingo’s main love interest in the very beginning he spots a 3rd year girl named Amaha Miu playing with a rather strange looking cat in the grass near one of the classrooms. Their tale is sweet; we watch them slowly warm up to each other. We think the biggest connection Susuka and Mashiro-iro Symphony share is their ability to take the classic trope of the transfer student and look at the difficulties of trying to fit in to a new environment and make new friends. In Suzuka’s case, Yamato joins the track and field team; in Mashiro-iro Symphony’s case, Shingo’s attempts to melt the icy heart of the school director’s daughter, Airi Sena, who opposes the integration of schools.

Eita Kidou is a smart guy on a mission. He plans to devote his life to medicine and, after his parents decide to split up, he decides that love and romance are just nuisances, too. We also know, however, that this is a romance and the protagonist is bound to change his mind on the subject of love. The cool, somewhat aloof role is played by two characters in this drama. The protagonist, Eita, and the prettiest girl in school, Masuzu, both play it cool even though it is all a lie. In a way the story is an anti-version of Suzuka, where there is a confession by the cool beauty, an initial rejection by the nice guy and – eventually – a contentious dating relationship. The most significant similarity to Suzuka is the way Eita’s childhood friend Chiwa does everything she can think of to be popular with guys, changing the way she looks and the way she acts all to get him to notice her as more than a next door neighbor. The story may not be filled with the angst-ridden teen drama of Suzuka, but the romance and the love triangle involving the protagonist, a childhood friend and a school beauty who can be quite mean-spirited is all there in this harem romcom.

Kazunari Usa is a high school freshmen who has the amazing opportunity to live on his own after his parents’ jobs are transferred. The young man takes up residence as the Kawai Complex, a boarding house filled with a rather interesting cast of characters. The rooms host the likes of masochistic Shirosaki, a beautiful Mayumi who is hopeless with men; a college girl named Sayaka; and cool and aloof Ritsu, the Senpai whose attention he’s trying to attract. Kawai Complex offers a bit more slapstick than Suzuka, but it at its heart has a few real similarities. The most obvious is the parallel of a young high school boy living on his own in an apartment. The second major similarity is the protagonist living in the same complex as his love interest. The two also often have meals together since meals are part of the boarding house benefits. A final similarity is that the beautiful object of the protagonist’s affections, Ritsu Kawai, is shy, cool and often alone when she is not at school.

The story starts with a confession two years in the making, a rejection, and an earthquake that levels our main character’s brand new house. It’s just the beginning of the misfortune for Kotoko Aihara, who soon finds herself moving in with the boy, Naoki Irie, who just rejected her. The disasters would break most people, but not Kotoko. She soldiers on and, like a great heroine, finds a spark of hope and decides there is a chance for her with Naoki Irie. The theme that makes Itazura na Kiss similar to Suzuka is the idea of transformation. Kotoko and Naoki both evolve and change in the course of the story. That’s what good characters do, especially over the incredibly long story arch in this anime. We watch Yamato and Kotoko both use their significant others as catalysts and attempt to change themselves. For Yamato it’s committing himself to track and field. For Kotoko it’s deciding to become a nurse. A simple similarity is both Yamato and Kotoko are looked down on by their love interests for not measuring up to the standards that they, Naoki and Suzuka, set for themselves.

Haruto Kirishima leads an uncomplicated life in his small town in the country. He goes to school. He is a member of the cooking club. He even has a girl he likes. He then has his world turned upside down when a girl named Yuzuki Eba comes to live with him. She doesn’t take too long to confess her love to him, complicating his life as he still tries to win the love of another girl, Nanami Kanzaki. The set-up is very similar to Suzuka. You have a character that moves in from out of town, in this case Yuzuki and in the former Yamato. You have the new character, Yuzuki or Yamato, living under the same roof as their love interests. You also have a very early confession, so like Suzuka, Haruto knows that despite the agreement to just be friends they are still the object of unwanted affection.