One of several ever present sub-characters, Noct is roommates with Airi Arcadia and is often seen helping her like some kind of bodyguard-maid-assistant combo. Noct is like the smartphone of the group: logical, informative, helpful, but not exactly one for conversation, and with an almost chameleon-like ability to blend into the background. Despite that, it would be a darn shame to leave this quiet cutie out. With her bob-cut hair and sleepy eyes, Noct has an innate cute and harmless look to her. Along with her soft voice, yet direct way of speaking and acting, Noct fits the cool and calm kuudere character type. Even filling the kuudere archetype, though, there is this softness and sweetness to her voice, which along with her petite, blushing face give her the charming warmth that got her put in the ranking.

Like Noct, Tillfur is one of the ever present sub-characters in Saijaku Muhai no Bahamut, honestly, some of them are around more often than the main heroines! A member of the Royal Knight Academy's Triad squadron, Tillfur is one of the top brass of the school, though not on the same level as the main cast. Her main goal in life seems to be getting Lux into ridiculous and embarrassing situations, as well as pushing along his relationships with the main girls. Tillfur actually has one of the most adorable voices in the whole show or at least one of the most unique. The way she speaks is much more girlish than many of the other more adult or high-class sounding characters, which makes her seem very bright and energetic. On top of that, her expressions are drawn so that she always looks cheerful, and her super high ponytail makes her seem fun and bouncy. It's nice that even as a minor character Tillfur gets plenty of screen time because we think she's funny and cute to boot!

Lux in a wig, yeeeah, that's what we're talking about. Some traps are okay to fall into. Luno came about when Lux was sent to investigate a strange man who was seen lurking about the academy, supposedly creeping on the female students. It all got a bit out of hand though when he spotted Celistia talking to a cat and she decided to befriend him. On the bright side, he did get to go on a nice shopping trip and pick her out a swimsuit so y'know, gotta take the good with the bad. Being just a female version of Lux, Luno is the ordinary nice girl who's fun to be around and easy to get on with. It's surprising how well Lux's figure suits female clothes as well: he was always skinny but blimey. With long hair and Lux's constant troubled expressions, Luno quite resembles his sister Airi, although understandably substantially more nervous. Whenever a trap pops up, they tend to be made surprisingly cute for comedy reasons if nothing else, and Luno is a great example of this.

A lost technology of days gone by, La Krulshe is the robotic supervisor of one of the ruins that Lux and the group explore, waking up after being touch by Krulcifer. Child-like in appearance, La Krulshe is half informative ruins guide and half kid that wants to be left alone to sleep. Sadly she doesn't stick with the group for very long, seemingly bound to the ruins, as well as being easily controlled by their enemies. Shame really, as the series is slightly lacking in the loli department. With her petite frame and long hair, La Krulshe is already pretty darn cute right off the bat. The unusual attachments on the side of her head have a similar appeal to animal ears, as well as her pale green hair and eyelashes making her seem pure and innocent. La Krulshe's helpful, servant-like attitude makes her sound sweeter than she perhaps is, given that we know she has a childish, lazy personality when there isn't a job for her to do. Although only making a brief appearance, La Krulshe is definitely a cutie, and perhaps if she was a more major character would have ended up higher on the list.

Lux's ever troubled little sister, Airi Arcadia seems to be constantly worried about her brother's actions and frequent slip-ups. Despite being a member of the previous Arcadia Empire's royal family, Airi seems to have settled into life in the new kingdom with few problems, though like Lux she has been called upon by the New Kingdom for favours. Although Saijiku Muhai no Bahamut does not appear to have gone down the imouto route, Airi still often seeks affection and compliments from her big brother, getting jealous of how friendly he is with the other girls. Airi is probably the girl most prone to pouting in the series, often exaggerating and poking at Lux to get his attention. Despite this she is might also be the most genuinely kind and ordinary girl out of the cast, with an incredibly sweet smile, and a cute frown when she's troubled. Seemingly without her own Drag-Ride, Airi is also very much the innocent maiden who needs her prince around to protect her, being unable to fight for herself. With her occasional tsundere moments and overprotective tendencies, Airi is a truly adorable little sister.

The strongest Drag-Ride user in the Academy, bar Lux, of course, Celistia Ralgris is the daughter of one of the Four Great Noble families and in possession of a pretty awesome white and gold Divine Drag-Ride. Although in public Celistia portrays herself as a strong and noble lady, in private she's incredibly caring and sweet, being much more sensitive than you'd expect. Although supposedly a man hater, this rumor is fairly quickly debunked by Celistia herself, only making her sensitive and nervous side more apparent. Being scared of interacting with men is one of Celistia's charm points, with her beating even Liseharte in terms of how nervous and embarrassed she gets. The contrast between this side of her personality and her mature, noble appearance is easily the cutest thing about her, as, despite her obvious beauty, she's not really sure what to do with it. Her desire to be friends with Luno though is possibly one of her most adorable moments, showing her to be just a lonely young girl who wants someone to hang out with.

The strongest Drag-Ride user under the old Arcadia Empire, Yoruka remains loyal to her contact despite the empire's collapse, now serving Lux himself. Despite her youth, Yoruka is not only an incredibly strong Drag-Ride user but also an assassin, living her life very much in the shadows. With a harsh life behind her, Lux's kindness is both cause for confusion, and a rude awakening for the emotions that she has long kept hidden. Filling the goth loli role, Yoruka wears traditional Japanese style clothing along with numerous red ribbons in her hair, making her one of the most prettily dressed girls in the series. On top of her already short stature, Yoruka's super long hair and bangs covering her face make her seem even smaller than she is, as well as making her face look cute and petite. With her goth loli look, traditional clothing, and heterochromia, Yoruka has had several charming and cute tropes used in her design, making her surprisingly adorable despite being a ruthless assassin.

The adopted daughter of the Einfolk House, Krulcifer was excavated from Yimir's Ruin as a child and is a member of the race who originally inhabited them. Though she doesn't seem to be the emotional type, Krulcifer works very hard in hopes that her family will accept her as a daughter, although they sadly only seem to be interested in her for research purposes. She seems happier now that she has Lux and friends whom she can trust around, which is not something she's used to. A mix of formal, high-class lady and teasing teenage girl, Krulcifer's cutest moments are when all her barriers fall away, normally due to Lux's heroic acts, and she becomes a helpless damsel who isn't sure what to say. With one of the sweetest and most satisfying blushing faces in the series, her flustered reactions are the perfect reward for a job well done. Although Krulcifer looks quite strong and proper, the ribbon in her hair adds femininity that makes her seem younger and more innocent, as well as her pale blue hair adding a softness to her appearance. Starting off quiet and cool, Krulcifer was the surprise cutie of Saijaku Muhai no Bahamut.

Princess of the New Kingdom and future Queen, Lisesharte was a prisoner of the Arcadia Empire before it was brought down and has their mark branded on her lower abdomen. Her original resentment of Lux is partly due to this, and of course partly due to him seeing her naked, though as we know that all gets cleared up fairly quickly. Lisha is surprisingly skilled when it comes to fixing and modifying Drag-Rides, something she takes a great amount of pride in and we see often throughout the series. Despite being constantly jealous of the other girls and inexperienced in love, she's determined to cling to Lux like her life depends on it. The group's tsundere, Lisha spends more of the series with a bright red face than not, with there seeming to constantly be something for her to be embarrassed about. This adorable feature of hers is more often than not a result of her jealous and clingy attitude towards Lux, a sweet and girlish part of her personality. On top of that, Lisha's dainty, petite form is very appealing, along with her stylish side-tail hairstyle. Although tsunderes can be a bit much for some, Lisha manages to remain a loveable girl throughout the show.

Little sister to the Academy's Principal and childhood friend of Lux, Philphie has been fortunate enough to have some very caring people in her life, although she's also had her share of bad luck. Almost dying and having an Abyss seed planted in her are among such unfortunate experiences, though those demons of the past are largely vanquished now. Having known Lux for such a long time, and being quite dim-witted when it comes to concepts like personal space, Philphie is naturally closer to him than anyone else, making her a formidable opponent for the other girls even if she isn't quite aware of it herself. Being such a ditzy airhead, Philphie gets away with some ambitious and affectionate acts that none of the other girls dare to pull off quite yet, such as her unexpected appearance in Lux's bed. Despite the raunchy implications, however, her innocence and sweetness make her actions cuter than they are sexy. Her light pink hair with pigtails, soft voice, and sleepy expression all come together to give a constant charm to everything she does. Designed from her toes to the tip of her ahoge to be an absolute sweetheart, Philphie is the girl you want to pat on the head and feed strawberries to on a warm summer's day.

While we usually try not to double-down on previously recommended shows, sometimes they’re so good that they’re worth mentioning twice. If it’s popularity ranking on most anime sites is any indication, then most readers should already know about this show, so this is for the uninitiated who are still missing out. The story takes place at the titular prestigious high school, Ouran Academy, and follows Haruhi Fujioka, a scholarship student who becomes a de-facto indentured member of the school’s strangest extracurricular activity after an expensive, vase-shattering accident. This show works on a lot of levels, and really rewards multiple viewings. From the endearing opening theme “Sakura Kiss,” to its bizarre but always earnest cast of host club members, the over-the-top freeze frames that candidly and hilariously break the fourth wall by summarizing the goings-on of the characters, the episodes clip by at a fast pace from start to finish. Under its saccharinely slick art style and popping color palette, the show addresses a lot of important social issues, such as gender identity and sexuality, privilege versus economic awareness, and what it means to truly embrace one’s self-identity, all wrapped up in a reverse harem package. It’s as close to essential viewing for fans of the genre as a show can get.

Ritsuka Tachibana has an ordinary-seeming life typical of high school students, until she is randomly called into an inquiry by the student council under the pretense of having broken school rules. All isn’t quite what it seems, as the questions have little to do with the rules of the school, and upon returning home to find her house broken into and her family injured, Ritsuka realizes she’s been pulled into something much bigger than a simple demerit on her record. She is, in fact, caught in a war between devils and vampires at her school, both of whom think she is the key to discovering a powerful, lost grimoire capable of giving either side the advantage they need to come out ahead in the conflict. Dance with Devils has plenty for fans of Vampire Knight. With its supernatural premise, it’s reverse harem of beautiful bishounen on either side of the conflict, and even nods to idol culture, the fact that it has a dark, atmospheric story with plenty of twists is just icing on the cake. It’s worth noting that it does have rather mature content, and may not be suitable for younger viewers, or those who are a bit squeamish about blood.

Based off of a popular otome game of the same name, Amnesia focuses on a young girl who wakes up in the back room of a café she apparently works at after startling dreams, who has no memories of her life up until that point. All she has is a cell phone with some contacts in it, and two of her friends, Shin and Toma, are called to get her home safely. After she arrives, she encounters Orion, an otherworldly boy that only she can see and hear, who explains that her amnesia is the direct result of his manifestation in her world. Feeling guilty, he vows to help her recover her memories, which is easier said than done, as she reacquaints herself with the handsome men that orbit her life. Amnesia combines expected elements from a visual novel, with a healthy dose of fantasy and mystery, combined with reverse-harem romance. While each episode often focuses on the individual men in her life, the dimension-transcending plot offers enough surprises to keep even the most seasoned veterans of the genre guessing as the main character picks up the pieces of her past.

Saiunkoku Monogatari is set in the fictional, titular empire of Saiunkoku, which is divided into eight provinces, each named after a different color. It centers around the life of Kou Shurei, a young girl born into a noble house that has fallen on hard times. Her father has a prestigious position at the Imperial Palace library, but makes so little money he struggles to make ends meet. Shurei teaches at temple and works odds jobs to help earn whatever additional income she can, to keep their family afloat. Although she’s happy to help out the family, she dreams of taking the imperial examination in order to take a governmental post, which women are forbidden to do. Her fortunes seem to take an upturn when the Emperor’s advisor approaches her with a proposition; a position as the Emperor’s consort for half a year, to rein in his untoward behavior and ignite his interest in politics. As she spends time at the Emperor’s side, she becomes embroiled in politics, and her passion for government reignites. Saiunkoku Monogatari blends elements of historical fantasy with comedy drama. The Emperor and other court officials create an interesting, reverse harem power dynamic unlike other shows. The show has surprising heart, and deals with the difficulty women face in trying to create change, paralleled by Shurei’s commitment to her country and the court.

In search of her missing father, Chizuru Yukimura takes a trip to Kyoto to search for news of his whereabouts. On the way, she is set upon by men who are torn apart by seemingly mindless killing machines, Rasetsu. In turn, they are defeated by Hajime Saito, a skilled member of a band of brave swordsmen that keep order in the city, the Shinsengumi. After Chizuru is taken back to the Shinsengumi headquarters, she learns the mysterious truth surrounding her father. A famous practitioner of western medicine, he was commissioned by the Bakufu to create the “Water of Life,” an elixir that bestows those who drink it with superhuman physical attributes, usually at the cost of their sanity. She agrees to assist the Shinsengumi in their efforts to contain the Rasetsu, as their path leads them into increasing danger. This particular reverse harem anime is based off of a popular series of otome games. The historical-fantasy setting is the perfect arena for this particular style of dramatic action, and although vampires are traded for samurai, the beautiful members of the Shinsengumi still go up against a supernatural foe with mysterious origins. With plenty of follow-ups, this series is sure to keep fans of the genre busy for a long time.

King Il is the pacifist ruler of Kouka, a fantastical country where he is beloved by the citizenry. Because of the kingdom’s peace, his only daughter, Yona, lives a carefree life, happily whiling away her days at Hiryu castle under the watchful eye of her companion and bodyguard, Son Hak. However, such an idyllic life was bound to come to an end. Her childhood sweetheart, Soo-won, visits the King under false pretenses, and commits the ultimate betrayal when he murders King Il in front of Yona, and grabs power for himself. Yona and Hak flee to Hak’s hometown, and begin a quest to reclaim her kingdom by seeking out the power of reincarnated dragons of legend. Akatsuki no Yona tells a surprisingly poignant story rarely found in the genre. While the show blends elements of drama, action and comedy expertly, it tells the story of one girl’s growth into adulthood as she comes to understand the harsh realities of life outside the palace walls, alongside with its cast of breathtaking bishounen warriors. A story fans of the genre would be remiss to miss out on.

Misaki Ayuzawa is the first female president at a school that recently transitioned from an all boys school to a co-ed one. As you can imagine, that isn't the most fun of jobs especially when you're dealing with a majority male population that tries its best to trample you in its testosterone. However, she manages to control them through her Akido techniques and swiftly became known as the Demon President. However, Misaki has a secret. Because of her poor family finances, she works part-time at a maid cafe to help pay the bills. Whilst she has managed to live a double life all this while, it is soon shattered when pretty-boy Takumi Usui walks in on her during a shift. Instead of revealing her secret, he decides to blackmail her so he can get closer to her. The two are similar in the sense that Kyouko and Misaki are both strong female leads that take control most of the time but tend to have vulnerable sides. They also tend to get into random hijinks with a particular guy because they can't stand him at all. And finally, they're both dense blockheads who can't sense when the love of their life is standing right beside them.

If you ask anyone in their school, Ryuuji Takasu is a delinquent that goes around intimidating people with his scary face and Taiga Aisaka is the cute mascot of the school. However, in contrast to their looks, Ryuuji is a gentle soul he spends much of his time helping around his house and taking care of his single mother when she's overworked while Taiga is a fiesty hot-head who goes around attacking people with a wooden katana. They soon discover that the other has a crush on their respective best friends, and form a pact to help the other capture their crushes. Nothing can go wrong, right? While thematically Toradora! and Skip Beat aren't the most similar, they are a very similar type of romance anime that rarely exists nowadays. They both deliver a close to realistic approximation of what romance in real life is actually like, and most of the time you can actually see that the characters really would react that way in a certain scenario. There and ups and downs and all arounds, but they'll eventually find a way.

Shinichi Chiaki is one of the most talented young musicians to ever grace the soil of Japan. He is a first class musician that pushes himself daily to the ever lofty goal of perfection. His dream is to one day play on the stages of Europe and showcase his talent to the world. Unfortunately, he is deathly afraid to fly on planes, so he is stuck in Japan. Megumi Noda is directionless piano student that fails in all aspect of managing herself. She doesn't really know what she wants to do most of the time and ends up playing the theme song for a children's show. When the two first meet, he gets annoyed with her. But when he hears her play, he becomes enraptured by her music. This does not change the fact that Chiaki doesn't want her as his neighbour, nor does he want her to be in love with him! The chemistry between Megumi and Shinichi are extremely similar to that of Kyouko and Ren. Megumi and Kyouko are ditzy, directionless air-heads that seem to move in seemingly random patterns. Ren and Shinichi are cool and skillful players of their art who have the greatest misfortune of being saddled with their respective girls. But what better to melt an icy heart?

Ever watched the movie "The Ring"? Remember that creepy central character that crawled out of the well and scared the pants of anyone who watched it at the time? Unfortunately for Kuronuma Sawako, all of her classmates remember. Though she tries her best to be a kind and sweet girl, she is often mistaken to be a serial killer because of her resemblance to the girl from "The Ring", leading her to be called Sadako by her classmates. However, Sawako doesn't want to give up. She tries her best to make friends and comes across Kazehaya Shouta the most popular guy in class who is well known to be extremely friendly and charming. When he starts responding to her advances, she figures that maybe she actually has a chance at friendship, and maybe something more. If you enjoyed the Shoujo-ness of Skip Beat and want more of that particular feeling, this is the anime for you. There aren't an abundance of similar elements, just the cut and dry ones like being a romance and having a likable guy plus girl to form a relationship. But the romance in both animes are realistic enough and they are both very Shoujo in their execution that you just can't miss this if you liked Skip Beat.

Hikari Hanazono and Kei Takishima met at the age of 6 when their pro-wrestling fathers introduced them to each other. With the assumption that she was the best around, she challenged Kei to a match and was trounced soundly by him. Ever since that point, she has been unable to defeat him in anything, from grades to the most innocuous of things like pole vaulting or fishing. In order to get more opportunities to defeat him, she has joined the same elite school that he did. The school, Hakusenkan, takes its students' rankings very seriously, and rewards the top few students with the distinction of Special A. This grants them privileges and luxuries that other students don't have, provided they can maintain their grades. Kei holds the first place and Hikari keeps trying to beat him from her second place. She'll keep trying, constantly unaware of his feelings for her. If you liked the boyish, dense and blockheaded character of Kyouko you'll definitely love Hikari because she's quite similar in that regard. She does everything in her power to excel and finally defeat him but she's completely oblivious of his feelings for her, just like Kyouko doesn't realise Ren loves her. Ren and Kei will do their best to take care of their girls, but it isn't really an easy task…

Princess Yona lives your typical princess life; she is enthroned in a palace of decadence and lives a life of luxury that normal people like us could possibly never experience within our entire lifetime. However, that all comes crashing down when her cousin Su-Won betrays her family by plunging a blade into the chest of the King. Yona is soon forced to flee the castle with her childhood friend Son Hak into the outskirts of their land Kouka, but is soon shocked to discover that her country isn't the idyllic land she thought it to be. Kouka seems to be wrought with poverty and and corruption, painting a sordid picture that she almost refuses to acknowledge. With naught but her childhood friend at her side, she must try her best to restore her country, or die trying. While it seems that the two anime couldn't be further apart, they are actually quite similar. Yona and Kyouko both start out with a love interest whom they deeply cherish that betrays them in one of the worst possible fashion. They are then forced to develop from the annoying twits that they were into fully mature women. At some point, they also meet another love interest that they initially dislike, but come to like over the course of the show. So with that said, just watch it.

The release of Pokémon Go has been one of the highlighting events to shake this year. As it is one of the most downloaded and profitable apps to date, it is fitting that we include one of the original characters on this list to cosplay. Pokémon, at its infancy in 1997, includes Misty, a sassy gal, determined to be the best water-type Pokémon trainer. Misty throughout the series, with Ash and Brock as her companions, acquires more knowledge of Pokémon and progressively develops as well. We believe that her outfit reflects her intrepid and cheeky spirit. Misty’s trademark outfit includes a yellow crop top tank, red suspenders, jean shorts, red sneakers, and an orange pack. As she is continually active with capturing Pokémon, battling various trainers, and traveling with Ash and Brock, what she wears encompasses ease and is acceptable for her active life. Misty is a great choice to cosplay because of her namesake in a highly classic and acclaimed series in the world of anime!

Hell Girl, for the most part, surrounds the concept of revenge, watching people reap what they sow and essentially getting their “just deserts.” Imagine if inflicting this punishment was possible by simply accessing a website to send your intended victim straight to hell. The concept in and of itself is extremely scary. This “Hell Correspondence” will call up Enma Ai, whose sole task is to ferry the chosen target to hell. As this is only the half of it, the remainder of this contract must be completed when the requesting person submits payment of himself or herself into hell as well. Yikes! Enma is a great choice to cosplay for this Halloween because of the swift and unforgiving nature of her job. The fear of death and damnation is something one does not look forward to when their time is up. This circumstance is heightened when someone as sinister and creepy looking as Enma is the one to bring you to your doom. Often seen with a floral kimono and piercing red eyes, she may appear harmless, but don’t be fooled, she is far from friendly.

Tomoki Sakurai’s peaceful life is forever changed when a strange, bright, white, meteorite-like object falls from the sky. As this entity lands on the surface, its appearance is angelic and adorable. The purpose and function of Ikaros, as she is called, is to find a being to call her master. As she gazes upon Tomoki, from that moment forth, servant and master experience a ton of craziness and shenanigans. As Heaven’s Lost Property is recognized for providing a great deal of fan service, Ikaros for cosplay, Halloween 2016, is no doubt an eye-catching and sexy choice. Her ensemble includes a white revealing bustier dress, thigh high socks, knee high boots and a set of angel wings. In combination with a look of innocence, Ikaros redefines the description of what a virtuous angel should look and act like.

Can you keep a secret? Misaki Ayuzawa’s part-time job as a café maid may seem embarrassing to her, but place the utmost confidence in Honey’s, as we are certain that this outfit is the one to choose for cosplay. As Misaki’s character in Kaichou wa Maid-sama! reflects her strong and stern demeanor, her maid attire contrasts this completely. The concept of maid cafés allows for patrons to be serviced at their whims and desires by loveable and charming maids, willing to please their “masters of the moment”. Maid cosplay is a common and timeless choice and we can think of no other maid to choose from than our favorite, Misaki! As maids have a reputation for alluring, with a short black dress, white apron, white headband and a “can-do attitude”, this maid ensemble is perfect because it is an enticing idea to have someone do whatever you want, so you can kick up your feet and relax. Ahh, this is the life!

Attack on Titan focuses on humanity’s struggle as they face these monstrous beings called titans, destroying and devouring the human race without reason. In an attempt to blockade the titans, mankind has built three enormous walls, where for a century, people have been able to live without trouble. One day, the peace is disturbed and the outer wall is breached. The people living within these walls are scared, as everyone scrambles to safety towards the center. However, there are those that believe their existence is worth fighting for and train to face the threat on humanity. As one of the three main soldiers in this anime, Misaka Ackerman is a very quiet and stoic individual. She has a very close bond with Eren because as children, he saved her life. As she is loyal to him, Mikasa joined the ranks to fight alongside him. She is extremely skillful, graduating at the top of her class and essentially is a paragon. Dressed in her combatant uniform, which includes a khaki jacket, white cargo pants, white button-up top, combat boots and her equipment, she sets herself apart from the others with a lovely feminine red scarf. Misaka is a great character to cosplay because of how awesome and ass kicking she is.

Tokyo Ghoul takes place in a time where humans and human-like beings called ghouls coexist. These ghouls possess superhuman abilities. As they can only eat human flesh, the ghouls are mercilessly hunted down by a government agency called CCG. Consequently, humans constantly fear becoming prey to these ghouls. In contrast, the ghouls face the challenge of living among humans, attempting to blend in. Engaging in the internal fight against instinct and external issues of avoiding capture by the CCG, Ken Kaneki, being from both worlds, demonstrates the difficulties and ease of each species. Touka Kirishima is a ghoul in the series, who can successfully balance living as herself among people. She is a significant character because of her accessibility to the ghoul community; as an informant and food supplier. Touka works hard at protecting her kind as well as establishing harmony with humans. However, don’t let her appearance fool you! She possesses superhuman abilities, in addition to her smart and perceptive attitude. Dressed in a school uniform, with her dark black eyes and piercing red pupils, her ominous look is fitting for Halloween. Touka’s sinister looks will definitely scare you off, as she is someone you would not want to run into in a dark, cold alley!

Cyan Hijirikawa from Show By Rock!! has a tremendous passion for music. Cyan is incredibly shy, but wants to join her school’s music club because of her love for music. In one attempt to sign up for the music club, she backs out, hanging her head low and burying herself in her phone app, Strawberry Heart. Harboring such musical talent, all of a sudden, Cyan is sucked into an alternate world called Midi City. Through her phone, Midi City is where music is profoundly critical to one’s life. Tragically, Midi City is faced with the problem of shadow monsters taking over musicians and music, where eventually they will become monsters as well. Cyan was intentionally sent to help destroy the shadow monsters for good. With the help of her Plasmagica bandmates, they set out to complete this mission, restoring musical bliss to Midi City. Cyan’s outfit is absolutely adorable! Cyan is a great choice to cosplay because her whole look is super cute. She wears cute cat accessories, a long sleeved navy dress, striped thigh high socks, and black mary janes. Additionally, she has her guitar/weapon, Strawberry Heart. Moreover, who wouldn’t want to be a rockstar and a hero in one?!

Overlord follows Momonga, a powerful wizard who is a part of a guild called Ainz Ooal Gown. As Momonga’s coveted virtual reality game comes to a close, due to it being shut down, he spends his final moments remaining in the server. As he observes the final countdown, something unexpected happens. Although the time is up, Momonga still remains in the game. However, the setting has vastly changed and the NPCs are fully involved with him, with developed consciousness as well. Eager to figure out this new development, Momonga tackles on this new adventure! In Overlord, Albedo is the highest-ranking NPC in the game and Overseer of the Floor Guardians of the Great Tomb of Nazarick. Albedo was not always as she was programed to be. As they were transported into the new world, Momonga made some administrative changes to her character, so that Albedo is now unconditionally in love and devoted to him. In appearance, Albedo wears a strapless, cold shoulder, cut-out dress, has black angel wings, and horns that kind of resemble a crown. Albedo is another fantastic choice for cosplay because of her otherworldly look paired with a touch of feminine elegance.

Dimension W is an exciting sci-fi, futuristic, action anime. Dimension W is a newly discovered fourth dimension. With a newfound technology called coils, humanity can now use an inexhaustible source of energy to power up robots that closely resemble people. However, our lead character, Kyouma Mabuchi, is skeptical of the usage of coils because of his affinity for classic and old school technology. As he is an independent contractor, his job entails retrieving these coils. Upon one of his missions, we run into Mira Yurizaki, an android. Mira is an interesting character that has been sheltered for more of her existence and must cope with learning how to interact with humans. Mira insists that she is human, despite having robotic mechanisms and equipment attached to her body. After a tragedy occurred in Mira’s life, she decides to join Kyouma and help him retrieve coils. As such, Mira’s look includes an interesting looking headpiece, yellow frill tank, pink biker shorts, and thigh high white boots. She also has a tail and technological markers all over her body. Mira would be an attractive pick for cosplay, adding a twist to the robot getup.

Bananya is a cute and carefree, optimistic, kitty in a banana. Bananya wants to become a chocolate covered banana and is obsessed with this idea. As many of us are guilty of watching kitty videos on YouTube, watching cats doing absolutely nothing but groom and play with random things, we can observe Bananya doing just as much; doing cute kitty things, all the while being in a banana peel. We feel that Bananya for cosplay for this Halloween is a simple and cute look to create. As there are various colors and characters of cats to choose from in Bananya, all that needs to be done is to choose your breed and pair this with a long yellow skirt or pants with some fabric that folds over! Silly and adorable, Bananya is so cute we at Honey’s “CAN’T EVEN!!!” Furthermore, Bananya is a choice that will definitely stick out!

So to kick start the list we have ‘Show by Rock!!’ on the number 10 entry. Initially, this anime might differ slightly from most anime in terms of the animation style. The anime has a sort of ‘chibi’ cartoonish added to some of the plot-pertinent scenes, which to be fair, might turn some people off. But this anime does make up for it, in terms of the characters’ personalities. Aside from the character development of the main protagonist, side characters are just as fun to watch as they interact with each other. Cyan Hijirikawa is the average girl next door, who seem to be pretty good at playing the guitar. Having her shyness overshine her guitar skills, Cyan struggles to find the courage in her to actually audition and join in a band. But on one faithful night, when she decides to play a rhythm game on her cellphone, she was suddenly sucked into another dimension, where she transform into a cat-like figure and ultimately utilizes her musical prowess to defeat evil monsters!

For the next entry in the list, we have K-On! By far, K-On! has become one of the most well-known music anime that existed. Aside from the great original music piece this anime produced, it also seems to be delivered in a distinctive moe-like anime style, that seem to attract a huge fanbase for K-On! and its similar genre anime. K-On!’s main storyline is centered on Hirasawa Yui, a carefree, airheaded young girl that somehow becomes the lead guitarist of the Sakuragaoka High School’s Light Music Club. Prior to her joining the club, she had no guitar experience whatsoever and was only interested in joining the Club because she thought “Light Music” meant easy music. But eventually, it becomes apparent that she was actually talented even though she still needed some work to it. Join Yui and her struggles, as she balances out her music as well as her school in this series that’s full of cute and moe stuff!

Moving on to the number 8 of the musical anime list, we have Beck! Beck has been known by people and became popular for quite some time now, from its manga to the anime, and even the live action movie. The story centers on a 14-year-old boy named Yukio Tanaka, who is on a journey of seeking his identity in life. Feeling lost and basically cut off and misunderstood from the rest of the world, Yukio eventually stumbled upon a weird dog named Beck, which was bullied by some kids. Upon saving the peculiar dog, Yukio met Ryusuke Minami, the owner of the dog as well as the lead guitarist of the BECK band. What’s so great about this anime is how a lot of teenagers was able to relate to Yukio, the protagonist of the series. The emotional rollercoaster that every teenager went through during their adolescent years was emphasized in this series, and thus making this anime not only a great music anime but also a touch of slice-of-life genre anime. So sit back relax, prepare your guitar, and get ready to jam together with Yukio and Ryusuke in BECK!

Next, on the list, we have Nodame Cantabile. Taking the number 7 spot on the list, this anime has some quality traits to vouch for that position. To start it all, the character chemistry between the two protagonists is quite enjoyable. Although some might find it a bit cringy, but nonetheless, it’s quite the breath of fresh air you needed to get away from the dullness of watching other anime. Not to mention the storylines and music pieces that will leave viewers entertained. Initially, Nodame Cantabile is a story about how the tense, square personality conductor Chiaki Shinichi, met with the “unique” pianist Noda Megumi and how she fell in love with Chiaki through the music that they share. Watch as these two characters come together and brings the laughter out of you!

Taking the number 6 spot on the list is Uta no☆Prince-sama♪! In hindsight, this anime is considered to be very colorful, as the animation and overall settings were filled with extravagant color palettes. With its peculiar set of male protagonists and its Shoujo-themed genre, this anime is likely to attract and appeal to the female audience better. Nevertheless, this is still a decent music anime to watch. Uta no☆Prince-sama♪ features a girl named Haruka Nanami who has a lifelong dream of becoming a composer for her idol. In efforts to achieve that goal, Haruka enrolls at Saotome Academy, a prestigious academy of performing arts, where she meets other students such as Ittoki Otoya, Kurusu Shou, Jinguuji Ren, Shinomiya Natsuki and much more! Will Haruka be able to achieve her goal as well as developing a romantic interest along the way? Find out more in Uta no☆Prince-sama♪ Maji Love 1000%!

Although Angel Beats! is not necessarily an anime about music, but this anime still deserve recognition, thanks to its interesting story flow and plot. If you’re the one who likes shootings, action, suspense, and music as a side dish then this anime would probably appeal to you as it brings you the thrill of fighting between life and death, well technically they are already dead but, still Angel Beats! is the anime to watch! Upon waking up, Otonashi Yuzuru had realized that he was already dead and was existing in the after-life. After some time, Yuzuru finally accepted his fate of being dead and was recruited by Yuri Nakamura to join the Shinda Sekai Sensen or SSS in a rebellion to defeat Angel or Tenshi.

Having placed on the number 4 of the list, Hibike! Euphonium is a decent music anime. To begin with, its character development of the protagonist Kumiko Oumae, having her to rediscover her passion in playing the euphonium once again. What’s great about this anime is that it develops in a nice pace, able to bring viewers the touch of ‘slice-of-life’ genre, making the experience of watching this an overall heartwarming one. Kumiko Oumae who plays the euphonium, decides to give up after an unpleasant experience during a regional brass band competition in the middle school. Now, upon entering high school, she seeks to start a new leaf. But as fate would have it, Kumiko managed to found herself surrounded by friends that were interested in joining the high school brass band, ultimately helping her to find her lost passion for playing the euphonium again.

As you might already noticed from the title, this anime is some sort of School Idol thing, and it’s not just about the idols that made this anime popular amongst the other musical genre themed anime, it’s also about the journey and overall character development of each individual that boosts the appeal. Having great music piece from the anime was just a mere bonus. Kousaka Honoka is a student of the Otonokizaka High School which was inconveniently located at the border of three major cities, causing it to lose popularity, and ultimately making the school under threat of shutting down due to lack of students enrolling. Being enthusiastic of saving the school, Kousaka came up with the idea of creating a school idol that might help gain popularity of the school itself. But will her plan be successful? Find out more in Love Live! School Idol Project!

Singing its way to the number 2 spot is Macross Δ, or often referred to as Macross Delta. This anime is a very unique one if compared to the other anime that are on the list, having a mix of futuristic mecha vibe, with action and suspense, the combination might seem a bit weird when paired with the musical genre, but the writers of this anime did a great job of making viewers ‘adapt’ to this flow, slowly pulling you towards the story and you’d only notice how great and exciting this anime is. The plot starts with the mass evacuation of people on Earth to another planet to avoid extinction, and how humans have grown to live amongst the stars and planets. Whilst roaming in space, they discovered a disease, Var Syndrome that could turn people violent, making it unsafe. That’s where Walkure, a tactical sound unit was established. With their voices they sing to protect what humans call home in space.

Taking the number 1 spot of the Top 10 Music Anime [Updated Recommendations] is Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso! Basically strap on your seatbelt and get ready to board the feels train because that’s what this anime will do to you. Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso is an emotional anime that successfully pulled the heartstrings of many, even jerking some tears out of your eyes along the way with its amazing plot. Kousei Arima, having to be a prodigy in piano, suddenly just loses it after his mother passed away. Claiming to be unable to hear out the sound of his piano, he dropped piano altogether. But as fate would have it, he met with Kaori Miyazono, a cheerful violinist, and slowly, Arima was able to gain back his old self again, eventually feeling the lost music he had long forsaken.

Ame-iro Cocoa is back once again and is ready to open up a new café branch in Hawaii! Koji Amami picks Aoi Tokura’s older brother, Nozomu Tokura, as the new store manager in Hawaii. Now that the store is up, Nozumu must do his best to make the cafe a success. Of course, along the way, he meets new people that will be part of the cafe and part of his life. Like it’s previous seasons, Ame-iro Cocoa in Hawaii is only a 2-minute show. The highlight of the series are the interactions between the gorgeous looking male characters. And now that the 3rd season is up, it will double up as there will be new characters that will be introduced during the show. Simply put, this anime is about “Good looking boys, doing cute things together”. The show is very straightforward but, nonetheless, entertaining and good. Since Ame-iro Cocoa in Hawaii doesn’t have any trailers/PVs, you better take a look at the show right now which is airing this season.

In the world of Magic Kyun! Renaissance, artists who exhibit magic in their artworks are called artistas. Once an artista is in the process of making his/her her art, they emit sparkles and lights that can be different in shapes and sizes. These sparkles and lights can also feel and smell different depending on the artista who creates them. Ohana Aigasaki is inspired to become an exceptional artista just like her mother. She follows in her mother’s footsteps by showing art through different kinds of flower arrangements. Aigasaki is indeed talented when it comes to her own field but unlike her mother, she does not emit any magic through her works. Until she luckily goes to the distinguished Hoshinomori Private Magical Arts High School and meets the king himself, Teika Ichijoji, and discovers the hidden magic inside her. Magic Kyun! Renaissance is a multimedia project from Broccoli (the same makers of Uta no Prince-sama and B-Project), Sunrise, and Pony Canyon. Before the anime’s initial announcement, this multimedia project released different mini-episodes on their website to introduce each character. Not only that, Magic Kyun! Renaissance just released its own game last September for the PS Vita. The trailers/PVs alone are enough to convince anyone that this show will be very nice. As seen in the mini-episodes and the trailer, the singing voices of the male characters are enough to captivate viewers. The artwork and the visuals also don’t disappoint, as it is well done too. Viewers who like pretty men who can sing, and have other artistic talents, with magic mixed in it will totally enjoy this show.

In the year 2205, the History Retrograde Army is attempting to change the course of history by going back to the past and altering it in some kind of way. The Saniwa who is in charge of protecting the history, has the ability to give life to legendary swords. With the legendary swords coming to life, they aim to help the Saniwa in protecting history by stopping the History Retrograde Army’s evil intention. Touken Ranbu: Hanamaru revolves around the everyday life of these powerful renowned swords. Touken Ranbu is originally a free browser card video game made by Nitroplus and DMM. The game has a lot of similarities to Kantai Collection because of its same creator, DMM. While Kantai Collection has warships personified as cute girls, Touken Ranbu, on the other hand, has legendary famous swords that are personified by cute and hot males. The game was released early January 2015 and has garnered a lot of attention among female fans and some male fans. Because of its popularity, it was adapted into stage plays which were applauded by many, and also has two anime adaptations. The first adaptation is Touken Ranbu: Hanamaru which is produced by studio Doga Kobo and is airing right now. The second adaptation is tentatively called Touken Ranbu and will be produced by Ufotable in 2017. For now, we got Touken Ranbu: Hanamaru. Since it’s a slice of life anime, it will be interesting to see their interactions with one another, and maybe hopefully, get a glimpse of their past regarding the masters who handled them. If you are a true fan of bishounen type characters, then you mustn't miss this show as it is overflowing with attractive males all around! An anime that truly a feast for the eyes.

Second-year high schooler Kanade Amamiya, has a unique trait of making other people happy with just his sparkly smile. That’s why, on a certain day after his part-time job, he was scouted by the great idol and producer, Haruto Mikami, to make his debut in Dream Festival!. Amamiya refused but Mikami tricked the boy into coming to his agency. With Junya Sasaki constantly provoking Amamiya, saying that he doesn’t have the guts to become an idol, Amamiya decides to prove Sasaki wrong. However, he starts to like the prospect of becoming an idol after his first sudden performance on stage. Just like our last selection, Dream Festival! is also based on a card video game that was created by the company Bandai. If you know the gameplay of Love Live and Aikatsu!, which is by the way under the Bandai Company, then you can pretty much imagine how the Dream Festival! game works. The unique trait that is both applied in the game and in the anime is catching Dream Festival! Cards or “Dorika”, which are given by the fans. Each card holds a different unique costume for the catchers to wear before they start their performance. Idols collect this as a proof of how much they shine in the eyes of their fans. Also, unlike our other selections here on this list who showcase famous and known Seiyuus, the Seiyuus of Dream Festival! are relatively new and debuting in the voice acting industry with the exception of Haruto Mikami’s Seiyuu who is Morikawa Tosiyuki. Viewers will surely feel that the rookie idols of Dream Festival! are indeed starting out because of the new Seiyuus; while Mikami, a character who is a veteran in his field, will sound more fluid and mature because of Morikawa’s experienced voice due to years of voice acting. Dream Festival! is surely a must watch show, especially so when you like this kind of genre.

Idols, for some, are the source of inspiration. For Haruka Nanami, her source of inspiration to enter the glamorous world of music was her beloved idol, HAYATO. Ever since she heard HAYATO’s touching singing voice, Haruka was determined to become an amazing composer in order to write songs for her favorite idol and hopefully bring happiness to people with her written music. However, in order to fulfill this dream, she enters the prestigious Saotome Academy with the prospect of harnessing her special talents. Now a well-known composer, different groups are willing to challenge ST☆RISH in order to make Haruka their very own personal composer. Of course, ST☆RISH wouldn’t want that! After the shocking cliffhanger from the 3rd season, Uta no Prince-sama is back once again with more wonderful music to listen to, with even more handsome hot idol males to drool- ahem, choose from! From the last season, ST☆RISH and QUARTET NIGHT gave a superb show to their fans in order to win the Super Star Sports event, aka Triple S. The surprising part, however, is that the group HE★VENS is back with their chilling performance with more members! Challenging both ST☆RISH and QUARTET NIGHT during the event. From 1000% to 2000%, to Love Revolutions, and now Love Legend Star, we have seen how Haruka, along with ST☆RISH, grew up from ordinary students to famous artists. Along the way, they have indeed encountered some hardships, but with them come new rivals and companions. Now that the 4th season is up, We get to not only know more about ST☆RISH and QUARTET NIGHT, we also have the chance to get to know another group, HE★VENS. Fans of this show will surely be delighted to see how these three groups and Haruka evolve again for the sake of offering good music to their fans. Of course, newcomers are welcome to watch the show, especially if you like great music and good looking males~. Just like Ame-iro Cocoa in Hawaii, there is no available PV/ Trailer for Uta no Prince-sama’s 4th season, so why not go on your way now to watch the already released episodes and see your favorite male idol group become a Legend!

Yaoi and shounen-ai anime are getting produced more as of lately, even with its niche target market. Not only that, even anime in different genres aren’t left out, as shippers are ready to pair some characters whenever imagination calls for it. Of course, for this anime, Fujoshi and Fudanshi are able to relate to some degree because of our adorable and hilarious main heroine. Still, even if you are not a Fujoshi or Fudanshi, Watashi ga Motete Dousunda is a good RomCom that will surely not disappoint you! Meet second-year high schooler, Kae Serinuma, who is 100% otaku and definitely a 100% full-time fujoshi. Everywhere she goes, whether it’s 2D or 3D, she ships any men or boys together as long as she sees the chemistry between the two. She believes that any boy’s charms are wasted on her and therefore it’s better to pair them up instead. Unfortunately for her, during a certain night, she watched her favorite anime character, Shion, die. Out of sadness and grief, she went into a depression and lost a lot of weight in the process. Now looking like a whole new person who is more attractive than average, eyes are on her and 4 boys are out to get her attention. But she doesn’t need the attention, she needs to see the 4 alluring boys kiss each other! Watashi ga Motete Dousunda is written and created by a BL mangaka, Junko, who is well known for making sweet and adorable stories between men or boys. Watashi ga Motete Dousunda is her first shoujo piece, and despite being a BL mangaka, Junko did a very good job of putting up a reverse harem anime that is both funny and cute at the same time. This show is undoubtedly a must watch for this season. Viewers will absolutely anticipate who Serinuma will end up with!

Nanbaka follows the story of four prisoners who are currently held up in the well-secured prison: Nanbaka. The four prisoners are highly acclaimed masters of escaping every prison, and for them, Nanbaka is no different. Well, except for their prison guards, particularly, Hajime Sugoroku who is somehow good at stopping their escape attempts. It seems with Hajime around, Nanbaka will remain inescapable, or wil it? Now, if you want some attractive guys doing weird and random stuff, then this show will be to your liking! It’s a slice of life anime that will unquestionably make anyone laugh at every scene. The visuals for this anime are definitely good and colorful, just like the characters’ comedy skits, and of course, their attitudes. From watching the trailer, the prison inmates, specificity, Jugo, Uno, Rock, and Nico seem to be so optimistic that they make anything fun and enjoyable. Not only that, the guards of Nanbaka don’t help, as they too are contributors to the comedy of this whole show. Also, if you watch the other trailers/PVs of this anime, viewers will notice that Nanbaka Prison looks like a wonderful, fun theme park, despite the high-security traps all over the place. A good setting for well-rounded hilarious characters, don’t you think? And did we mention that everyone and everything here sparkles a lot? From objects to the background, to the characters, they sparkle brilliantly. Put Nanbaka into your watch list if you just want to relax and have a good laugh and also maybe relish in this show’s bishounen characters...

When Japan puts together an anti-paranormal force catered to diverting supernatural and paranormal proceedings, some would assume it meant spending the day around a circle table confiding their life to the divine eight ball, or dancing their fingers around a Ouija board. However, for the Supernatural Disaster Prevention Office; unfortunately, things aren’t always so laid back. With their lives filled with the ups and downs of the paranormal, it pays to take a dip back into the pool of the normal every now and then. These two dolls; Yomi Isayama and Kagura Tsuchimiya, are a perfect taste of what kind of magic lies between two girls and a Pocky stick. No supernatural flare, and no paranormal hubbub. Just good ol’ lady to lady lip tasting fun in the backseat of a minivan. If you’re already dying to know what type of sight can come from this, then head over to episode 4 of Ga Rei: Zero and see it all for yourself. Apparently that Pocky stick just wasn’t sweet enough to handle their deep rooted cravings.

Finally, in middle school, Akari Akazawa gets to reunite with her best friends Yui Funami and Kyouko Toshinou. With the trio back together, it only made sense that Akari join the “Amusement Club”, a group created by her friends dedicated to pure entertainment. But when it comes to amusement, the saying ‘the more the merrier’ can be held as prayer; thus, when Chinatsu Yoshikawa comes looking for the now defunct Tea Club, the three girls convince her to climb aboard the train to nonstop fun. Let us inform you, these girls certainly know how to enjoy themselves. Rolling in at episode 12 of YuruYuri, these ladies seem to take the word pleasurable to a whole new level. Or should I say Chitose Ikeda does, given that she’s the one bearing the surprise lip kisses up her sleeve. Whether she’s out of her mind or crazy in love is up for debate, but the way she’s passing out kisses from girl to girl is what we all can agree to be a beautiful sight for sore eyes. At least she’s got enough for everybody. Sharing is caring after all.

In the real world, young girls sleep with their favorite teddy bears for a little comfort to get through the night; in the world of Yuri Kuma Arashi, teddy bears are kept at a safe distance for fear of the human race being turned into a six course meal. Now is probably the right time to start pulling some threads don’t you think? Believe it or not, it wasn’t always a fight for survival against the flesh eating teddies. Humans and Teddy bears were once harmonious; but with those days now in the past, the only thing left to maintain peace is what is known as the “Wall of Severance”, built to keep man safely on one side, and evil teddy on the other. That is, until two naughty bears sneak their way past the wall and into Arashigaoka Academy. Now, lovers Sumika Izumino and Kureha Tsubaki find their Romeo and Juliet fantasy falling to pieces as they try and fend off these cotton stuffed forces of evil. That’s not to say that this show is in danger of losing out on its share of to die for love scenes. Even evil teddies can find themselves wrapped around a love complex, and Yuri Kuma Arashi lays it all out on the table for us to enjoy. There are enough lips smacking on lips to fill anyone’s appetite, and these dirty minded stuffed animals know how to keep their eye on the prize. Seemingly always up to no good, these peeping tom teddies stumble upon some hot gal on gal action while peeping through a school dorm window in episode 9 that’ll make you melt from satisfaction. In regards to everything, let’s reconsider our teddies’ intentions the next time we choose to lay down in bed with one.

Waking up as the opposite sex might not be what we all hope for in the early morning, but Natsuru is going to have to get used to it really quick; as per the words of a talking stuffed Tiger, he is going to have a whole lot more to face down the line. Natsuru is now a Kampfer, and with his mystical gender bending abilities, he’s going to have to take on other Kampfers before they get the best of him. Strangely, that may be the easy part. How do you get through life when you’re constantly shifting gears? Sounds like the precursor to one hell of a school experience. Although it may be a nightmare for Natsuru, it’s nothing short of pleasurable for us peeping in on the show. Akane and Mikoto from Kampfer für die Liebe provide us with that pleasure on a silver platter during this striking special. Despite the numerous things that wanting to be the best kisser in school could imply about a person, what’s important here is how these girls let their practice run take them away right before our eyes. Go hard or go home, right? Becoming great at something takes practice; so leave the slackness at the door, because kissing class is in session. Pucker up ladies.

Looks like these best friends have something a little deeper hidden below the surface. With three years left before the closing of Misato West High, Haruka Takayama and Yuu Sonoda find their budding flowers pushing to full bloom. It all started with one kiss, and now these two lovers can’t keep their lips to themselves. But things aren’t going to keep on so smoothly when an older sister gets wind of what these two have been up to lately. Let’s hope she doesn’t catch on too quickly, because what these school girls have got going on is wrong in all the right ways; and we’re all for it. Nothing spells sexy more than a girl propped up on top of another girl, teasing us with the sweet aroma of lust. Watching Yuu situated on top of Haruka’s lap engulfed in a deep kissing serenade will make your knees fall weak. The sun may be setting in this sensual scene here at episode 4 of Sakura Trick, but love certainly is on the rise; and if it brings more beloved girls kissing moments like this, then we’re all down for it.

Protecting the weak can sometimes feel like a fool’s initiative, but this time around the payoff is impressive in many ways. After Seigi uses his martial arts skills to fend off a few no-gooders from harming a homeless man, he is repaid in the form of an interesting mark tattooed onto his palm. This tattoo, turns out to be a secret weapon, not only bringing with it immense power, but a killer female looking to retrieve it from Seigi by any means necessary. Worst of all, she has one also. Looks like Seigi is going to have to get a handle on his new weapon pretty quickly if he plans on staying alive. Watching tattoo bearing, living weapons take each other on isn’t the only sight to set your eyes upon, because in every great action series, is an even greater kissing scene. Seeing Aryabhata get down to business with Iltutmish sure says a lot, but what it says the most is that assertive women can sure orchestrate a sexy kissing scene. It may be all one sided this time around, but the magic is there, ladies and gentlemen. From boot licking to mouth sucking to cheek squeezing, all in a matter of moments. This is one escalated scene people, and we suggest you go and see exactly what it’s all about. An anime with this kind of action only forty seconds into episode 3 has to certainly have a lot more going for it that you wouldn’t want to miss out on.

In the fifth grade we all ran around with our friends out on the playground, pretending to have our own set of magical abilities. The good ol’ days right? Well when it comes to Illya and Miyu this isn’t just a bit of roleplaying; it’s their everyday life. Following the first season of Fate/kaleid liner Prisma☆Illya comes Fate/kaleid liner Prisma☆Illya 2wei!, and things don’t seem to be quite over for these young girls as the Class Cards from the first season they worked so hard to recover have left some strange side effects. One of which, comes in the form of Illya’s doppelganger, better referred to as Kuro. Are these girls prepared for what’s to come next in their life of misadventures? Who knows, but what we do know is that these girls sure know how to get busy. The dark side can be naughty in many ways, and in this steaming hot scene during this episode of the Fate/kaleid liner Prisma☆Illya 2wei! OVA, we find out just how ‘naughty’, naughty can really get. With Kuro working her way on top of Illya; encircled by the erotic haze of a babbling hot spring, the world around you may feel like it’s floating on top of cloud nine. This may be way too much lip locking goodness for one segment, but it sure is worth every second; nothing much else to say. We’ll let these ladies do all the talking instead.

in the words of Uncle Ben himself; “with great power, comes great responsibility”. So when some people are blessed with power, we could only hope that they uptake the responsibility. Unfortunately, in the world of Shinsekai yori, that wasn’t exactly the case. Following a period of pandemonium, those blessed with the power of psychokinesis have isolated themselves in hopes of preventing the rebirth of the chaos that once shook the world. Amongst it all, is a young girl named Saki Watanabe. She has just awakened her powers, and looks to understand the workings of the so-called utopia she lives within. Can the dark truth of society be too much for a 12-year old girl to handle? Will the answers to her questions be too far above her level of comprehension? We’ll just have to watch in order to find out. The matter-manipulating powers that work the plot behind Shinsekai yori may have some lasting effects upon the viewer as well, because this next girls kissing scene will disperse your mind into fragments of insanity. This scene is like watching a dream turned reality; a fantasy fulfilled. Two lovely girls; Saki and Maria, trading saliva in the middle of an open field against the backdrop of a setting sun. This moment is beautifully crafted all throughout, and deserves to have your hungry eyes feast upon it. Besides, Saki goes apple bobbing in between Maria’s breasts. What else could you ask for?

Glitz and glamor is sought after by anyone who is born into this society created by man. As the saying goes, ‘what you don’t know won’t hurt you’, and for Princess Angelise Ikaruga Misurugi, she may have known too much. Having her wonderful life stripped from beneath her, the high kite floating above the clouds that was once her beautiful future is now crashing down. A life story rewritten once she is found to be a “norma”. Unable to use, or be effected by mana, she is forced to work in the military as a Paramail pilot alongside other norma. Will she be able to patch the hole and set her kite aflight again, or will her life remain torn into pieces? We don’t know what we have until it’s gone right? So with that statement out for interpretation, it’s safe to hope that we will all be grateful enough to admire this next scene that will transcend us all above reality. Three girls, one bed, and a whole lot of trading places. Only good things can come from such a combination. We can assure you, that it includes girls walking away knowing very well what each other’s lipstick tastes like. A kiss can tell you a lot about a person, and our girls; Hildegard Schlievogt aka Hilda, Rosalie, and Chris from Cross Ange are looking to get to know each other quite well as Chris explores the beautiful sculpture that are Hilda’s breasts, while Rosalie’s tongue swabs in between her lips. Anybody interested in joining?

With a name that can also be read ‘virgin’, young 16-year old Mamori Tokonome is used to catching the butt end of every joke. But her bubble of a life will soon see the world from an odd new angle after she is kidnapped and left stranded on the shore of a mysterious beach. This beach turns out to be the island of Mermaid; and on it, a new strange world awaits. Luckily, she won’t go through it alone. With the help of Mirei Shikishima, Mamori will know just what the island of Mermaid has to offer. With a passionate kiss unlocking Mamori's transformative abilities, watch as this redheaded beauty becomes a daunting blade ready for war. The power of arousal is jaw dropping to say the least. This next scene will take us to a mindset so far removed, you may never find your way back home. Yes, it is as raw and straight to the point as it is made out to be. Right at episode 1 Mirei teaches Mamori true femininity by way of mouth. With her lips suction cupped to Mamori’s, she shows off her finesse and skills at multitasking as her hand and breasts get a taste of that curvaceous wonderland as well. Looks like girls know best how to water each other's garden.

A reserved and classical piano player Kaoru Nishimi had just recently transferred to a Kyushu high school. Due to the constant movement of his family, he lost all hopes of blending and fitting into his new environment. That is until he meets a delinquent named Sentarou Kawabuchi. Sentarou's endless love for the jazz genre piqued Kaoru's interest. Slowly but surely, he started to play the piano for the sake of jazz. With his skills, he realised that he had the power to bring joy to others listening to his music. Sakamachi is a story about the relationships that forms through the power of music. Sakamachi is quite similar to Shigatsu in the way that we see an uninspired musician finding joy in playing his instrument again. Aided by another individual, the characters manage to play music that not only transforms their audience, but themselves as well. Whereas Shigatsu emphasizes love, Sakamichi emphasizes friendship but both uses music as a catalyst for forming relationships. Both music animes taught us that music is the expression of the soul and how through using music, we can understand ourselves better. This is clearly seen when the music in both animes also portrays the emotions of the characters. Definitely a must try if you loved Shigatsu!

Haruki Kitahara's beloved light music club was about to be disbanded. With the dissolvent of the club, so too does his dreams of playing at the stage of the school festival. Powerless and unsure of what to do, Haruki strummed along to a piece named White Album. Little does he know that this piece was about to be the first piece he would ever play. As soon as he does that, an unknown voice began to harmonize and resonate with this guitar. This inspiring, ad hoc performance marks the beginning of Haruki's dreams. Both White Album 2 and Shigatsu use music as a plot device to progress the story as well as the relationship between characters. White Album 2 purely focuses on the romance genre though not as tragic. Both protagonists are also struggling in an aspect in their lives when a female protagonist comes along and changes their outlook on life. OSTs wise, both uses music to express the character's feelings and emotions and eventually, how it harnesses the power to transform individual lives. While not as tragic as Shigatsu, White Album 2 is equally as popular and you should definitely give it a try!

Giftias are android robots that are created to possess human emotions. The downside to this is that they come with a fixed expiry date. Thereafter, all of their memories are wiped clean. Tsukasa Mizugaki had failed his college entrance exams but because of his connections, he manages to secure a job with a corporation that deals with Giftias. Particularly, Tsukasa is assigned to collect Giftias that have lapsed their service time. His partner, Isla also happens to be a Giftias. Both of them will have to come to terms with their feelings for each other before she is finally put to rest. Although Plastic Memories does not use music as a central theme, one of the themes exhibited in Shigatsu is extremely depicted well in Plastic Memories. The theme of tragic love is heavily explored in this anime. Both animes shares the same deep level of character development in order for the concept to be fully realised. Instead of music, the emotion of love is used as the plot device to showcase its transformative effects on a human. Despite being a story of tragic love, the story does have quite a positive ending and effect for the main protagonist similar to Shigatsu.

Kahoko Hino is a student enrolled in one of the most prestigious school. Divided into 2 sections - the Normal Branch which she is in, and the Music Branch. However, Kahoko does not possess any musical knowledge until the appearance of a fairy named Lili. She was bestowed a magical violin that plays directly from her emotions. Due to this encounter, Kahoko became the only Normal student to play in the musical competition organized by the school. Now, she becomes embroiled in a competition amongst fellow competitors and her peers. Kiniro no Corda explores the struggles of being a musician. Likewise in Shigatsu, where its characters are shown to be in internal conflict with their play style, Kiniro emphasizes on the importance of using feelings and emotions to play a piece. The protagonists for both animes also feature a violinist. The romantic aspect was not touched in Kiniro, but the level of music chosen for the anime beautifully complements the story line as well with classical music being the choice and style of music used. If you're a fan of music anime and the musical component of Shigatsu, you can give Kiniro a try!

A recital is held every year at Shirahamazaka High School for music students to showcase their musical talents. Konatsu Miyamoto was a choir student but because of her performance in the previous year, she had since been barred from taking part in this recital. Earnest and sincere however, she sets up a second choir to pursue her dreams. Konatsu realises that it is harder than she thought. She has to reach the minimum number of students to form a club. Will she be able to find the people she needs and become good enough to sing at the recital this year? Tari Tari is a touching story on how singing in unison has the effect of bringing a group together as well. Once again like Shigatsu, it shows us the transformative effects of music in developing and nurturing ourselves. Wakanai Sakai in Tari Tari also shares the jaded view of music and has since sworn off it. But with circumstances and a little push, she comes back stronger than ever and even more inspiring than ever. Truly, music has become synonymous with the human emotions such that it breaks the boundaries of words. If you loved the effect that music has on the protagonists in Shigatsu, Tari Tari has a similar plot to showcase the effects of music.

Chiaki Shinichi is a perfectionist in the field of music. With his talents, he aims to play amongst the virtuosos in Europe. His life was about to change with his meeting with Noda Megumi - a free spirited pianist who simply can't follow the music sheets. Chiaki is baffled at Megumi's take on music and is appalled by her. However, Chiaki starts to change when he hears her playing every time. The music, although the same piece, sounds and feels different. Is this difference in playing due to skills or can it be something else that makes it sounds magical? He will have all the time to find out as he finds out that Megumi happens to be his neighbour, adding to his chagrin. Nodame does not have the same tragic love concept in Shigatsu. However, it utilizes music to further the blossoming relationship between the two protagonists. We see similar characters like the perfect and pianist and the free-spirited musician that changes the outlook and perspective of music for the former. Similarly, it showcases how injecting emotions into a score transform it into music. Both animes revolve around music and the pieces selected fits the mood perfectly. Nodame like Shigatsu is an inspiration to budding musicians and is a must watch if you love the music genre!

Eldest of the Hiryute sisters, Tione is a member of the Amazoness race and currently part of the Loki familia. Together with her sister the two make quite the fighting duo, though of course they're both capable adventurers in their own right. Tione is the more mature of the twins, speaking in a much calmer manner and not being nearly as excitable as her energetic sister. Though apparently it's wise not to anger her. Do we really need to justify taking a beautiful, scantily clad amazonian woman along with you on your dungeoning adventurers? Well okay, if you need another reason she's pretty darn strong as we already said. Although not on the level of some of the Loki famila's other members, Tione is a level 6 adventurer none the less and so remains one of the strongest characters in the series, even if we didn't get to see her fight very much!

Asfi has the hard job of putting up with many of Hermes's silly and dangerous antics, as well as having to follow his troublesome requests. Though that said, she tends to get pushed around easily by just about anyone despite her patient and mature visage. A high ranking member of the Hermes familia, as Hermes himself has trusted her to guard him it's clear she's a fairly capable adventurer. Although preferring to "strategically retreat" from fights, being the easy to push around girl that she is Asfi is actually very useful when it comes to battles. As in you can bully her into it. Using an unusual combination of alchemy, throwing knives, and flying magic to fight, along with her obvious experience as an already level 4 adventurer, her strength is not to be sniffed at. If do you have her in your party though, just be sure to keep an eye on her incase she tries to do a runner.

Main girl and Goddess of her own familia, Hestia is DanMachi's relentlessly popular, big boobed loli. Standing at only 4 feet 7 inches tall, and geared out in an unusual white one piece, random blue ribbon included, Hestia is adorable both in appearance, and her obsessive personality. Not only is her obsession with Bell amusing and cute, but she's got the whole tsundere thing going on as well (although she hardly leaves the dere state). Being a Goddess, Hestia can't actually attack anything in the dungeons of DanMachi. So you might be thinking, "but why would you want her in your party if she can't do anything?". Well you see, Hestia is the perfect party mascot character! She's cute, funny, and surprisingly confident, the perfect addition to take along to boost morale! Just maybe don't take her anywhere too dangerous.

A member of the Takemikazuchi Familia, Mikoto didn't leave a great first impression when her party ran a pass parade of monsters into Bell's. However, being an honourable person, it was not an order she was happy to follow, and was quick to rectify what she had done by going back into the dungeon to save Bell's party afterwards. Although she's only level 2, her desire to uphold her honor and repay her debts has led her into fights way above her level, which makes her worthy of some respect in our books. Respectful of orders and bound by duty, Mikoto is not one to panic in the midst of battle and listens to the commands of her party leader, even when her level exceeds theirs. As we've seen from the number of less than reputable adventurers throughout the series, this level of dedication is rare, and is what makes her stand out amongst her party. Also her magic is awesome, gravity attack? Hell yeah. Gravity magic is bad ass.

Riveria has a fairly backseat role in the anime, with her having a higher, officer ranking position, rather than fighting. Despite this, she is said to be one of the most powerful mages in the series thus far, and has trained a great deal of the Loki familia's members, including the Sword Princess Aiz Wallenstein. Strict and serious, Riveria has seen many things over her time as an adventurer, and so is a lot more sensible and less judgemental than the youngsters that surround her. Although unseen, her experience and perceived power is enough reason to take her along on your dungeon runs, wrecking the lower level areas much like the rest of the Loki familia members. On top of that, being the vice captain of the familia, she has plenty of experience leading large parties on dungeon raids, something that could certainly come in useful. With her serious attitude, Riveria isn't exactly fun and games, but if its efficiency and reliability you're after, she's the perfect party member.

Quite the mischievous and sneaky supporter, Liliruca Arde is someone you can really trust, probably, maybe, you should keep your eyes on her. Just kidding, it's all good now, she's a lovely person really, she just had a bit of a crappy time. Being a supporter isn't the easiest thing, having to trust your party to look after you with little to no way of defending yourself. Even if she can't fight too well, Lili's spirit is certainly stronger than most. If you wanna rake in that moolah, you better have a supporter with you, how else are you going to carry all that loot? And who's the best supporter we know? Lili of course! With that ridiculously large backpack of hers and constantly positive attitude, Lili is the one you want to have chanting "Fighto!" from the sidelines. Also her mad crossbow skills, seriously how does she fire it that fast?

The rebellious son of a renowned blacksmith family, Welf refuses to make the incredible magic weapons his family is known for, opting for more reliable, and permanent, weapons and armor. Despite the loss of fame and fortune, Welf is dedicated to his craft, and is pretty darn good at it, producing the awesome light armor that Bell uses. Besides his blacksmithing skill, Welf is a half decent adventurer too, handy with a blade, and with some pretty nifty magic up his sleeve. Your own personal blacksmith, sounds pretty great right? Two birds with one stone, you get a great party member, plus constantly up to date weapons and armor! Not only that, but Welf is the kind for person willing to sacrifice himself for is party if necessary, a rare and admirable trait, and a display of how fundamentally good he is as a person. Though of course hopefully the situation never gets that dire.

Cool and stoic, Ryu is one of the maids at the Hostess of Fertility tavern and a member of the now largely deceased Astraea Familia. Despite her current status as a maid, Ryu is still a level 4 adventurer, with the skill and experience to prove it, constantly helping out Bell and the rest of the Hestia familia. Despite her previously mentioned stoic appearance, Ryu cares deeply for her friends, as will not think twice before risking her life for them. Ryu is one of the most badass adventurers in the anime so far, largely because we get to see a lot of her awesome fighting, largely using a combination of wind magic and insane speed. Not only can she easily deal with foes solo, but she knows how to work as part of a team, as she demonstrates during the encounter with the Black Goliath on floor 18. Ryu's experience and strategic knowledge alone make her an incredible party member, even before taking her combat prowess into account.

The young and ambitious main character of DanMachi, Bell Cranel starts as the sole member of Hestia's familia, and as a total newbie. Bell's appearance, with his white hair and red eyes, is fairly unique amongst protagonists, and is a nice offset to how ordinary he seems starting off. On top of that, he's by far the bravest out of the cast, even if it does often get him half killed. With his Realis Phrase skill providing him with insane stats, Bell is your party's free pass to end game content. He might not seem like it now, but carry this low level around long enough and he'll be the one carrying you in no time. Of course we say carry, but even at level 1 this guy is wrecking silverbacks and taking out floor bosses by level 2. With his pure and valiant heart, Bell is sure to never leave you alone in any dungeon, and protect everyone till the bitter end.

The beautiful, blonde, and somewhat aired headed Sword Princess Aiz Wallenstein, she's strong enough to solo floor bosses, and generous with lap pillows. One of the top brass in the Loki familia, she's already level 6 and hanging around floor 50, making the rest of the cast look like newbies by comparison, with even her own familia looking up to her. Not that she's full of herself of course, by all means Aiz is happy to help out others, including training young Bell. Aiz's strength alone is enough of a reason to have her in your party, you'll have no problem blasting your way through the low level monsters. Or the high level ones for that matter. Whether it's fighting, training, or chilling at a festival, Aiz covers all the bases no problem. What's more, you get to have a stunning girl with you whilst you traverse those deep, dark, dungeons. Wait, that sounds weird.

Let's start this list with Ryunosuke Oohara, heir of the fourth boss of a yakuza clan and a troublemaker as he can't seem to step back from fights! As we said, being a yakuza heir, he's supposed to act accordingly, but Ryunosuke doesn't care. He doesn't want to succeed his father, and opposes to the idea with all his might. The reason? Well, he is in love with Naoki and his plans in life are to build a happy family with him, and quit being a yakuza. As we can see, Ryunosuke is a perfect seme character, maybe he is even too perfect. He doesn't mind being straightforward, in fact he tells Naoki that he loves him whenever he has a chance to do so. Ryunosuke is willing to throw his family behind and all in the name of his love for Naoki... who will give our Ryunosuke a very hard time!

Let's move on with a very funny seme, and a very funny show! Ryouma Ichijou from Love Stage!! is one of those seme who didn't know he could be into guys. What we can say about this character is that he was tricked by the appearance of Izumi Sena, the boy he fell in love with. In fact, Izumi happened to play the female role during a shooting with Ryouma, starting the misunderstanding. When Ryouma overcomes the shock felt after discovering Izumi was actually a boy, and after realizing that he loved Izumi in spite his being a boy, he suddenly turns into the perfect seme. He is very sweet, caring and loving. His peculiar trait, though, is his way to support Izumi – who doesn't like Ryouma in the beginning – when nobody else does. It's impossible to forget how Ryouma was the only one to cheer for Izumi and his dream to become a mangaka, while Izumi actually sucked a lot at drawings!

Hikaru Kusakabe from Classmates had to be in this list. For starters, we need to mention that this story is simply just too sweet and full of very tender moments. Hikaru is a student who plays guitar and is well-liked by the girls. When he comes to know better Rihito Sajou, his exact opposite and his classmate, and offers to help him with the upcoming school festival, their feelings gradually starts growing. The astonishing trait of Hikaru's character is his way of loving without being afraid, and that's perfectly seme-ish. For Hikaru, it's just as simple as breathing; he loves Rihito and he has to show him how much he loves him. As an ex lady-killer, Hikaru may look a bit frivolous at first, and make Rihito step back, but he is actually in love with Rihito very much and thanks to his determination, their love will slowly bloom.

Let's move on with this “typhoon” of a seme, Nowaki Kusama! Nowaki, together with Hiroki, forms the Junjou Egoist couple in the Junjou Romantica universe. He is an orphan who did every kind of job to be able to stand on his own feet, and guarantee himself the possibility to study. For as admirable as he already is, we really need to say that he is even better, as he manages to stay beside Hiroki without trying to kill him... and it takes a huge amount of patience. Nowaki crosses paths with Hiroki – a teacher – by chances, one day in the park, and for Nowaki it's love at first sight. Like every good seme character, he has to find a way to get to know Hiroki better, and so he convinces him to be his tutor. After a little struggling, the two end up together, and it's very clear how much of a cool seme Nowaki is. He is caring, loving and he likes to do housework. What's more, he is very daring, and so he jumps on Hiroki whenever he gets the chance to do so. We already mentioned it, but he manages to stand Hiroki... Isn't he just too perfect?

Iason Mink is a controversial seme who showed love for his Riki in a very unusual way. For starters, he is the number 1 antagonist in Ai No Kusabi, if it explains a little how much of a controversial character he can be. In the Amoi planet, controlled by a computer called Jupiter, people with light hair who are considered elite, can take dark-haired people as their pets for a brief time. Iason Mink meets Riki and takes him as a pet, but keeps him longer than allowed and rumors start spreading about their relationship. Iason Mink considers Riki as a pet, but in his distorted way of acting, he actually cares for Riki a lot. He is interested in Riki at first, and that interest turns slowly into obsession. the step is very short from obsession to love, and in fact in the end he falls in love with Riki. This character deserved a position in this list right because he is a seme who is basically the total opposite of the seme archetype we mentioned up above. He is elegant and calm on the outside, but he is actually passionate and ruthless. And yet this non-conventional seme is intriguing in his distorted way of loving Riki.

Well, talking about non-conventional and yet intriguing seme, Ryuichi Asami needed to be mentioned. He is a crime lord who came to know Akihito Takaba when the poor boy took pictures of his business dealings. Talking about strangeness, as a punishment for trying to corner him, Asami took Takaba home just to rape him. This is how their obsessive love story begins! What we need to mention is that Asami is not a character who will say “I love you” and other sweet stuff like these. His peculiar trait is exactly the fact that without saying a single word, he makes it clear that Takaba belongs to him. This means that he protects Takaba with all his might, not allowing others to get closer, neither allowing Takaba to run away. In fact, every time Takaba manages to run away, one reason or another will draw him closer to Asami once again. That's called “seme power”!

Sometimes a seme happens to be a single father who struggles to be a good parent, a cool boss and a loving partner. It's the case with Zen Kirishima, the editor-in-chief of Japun who has always admired Takafumi Yokozawa for his way of taking work so seriously. When Yokozawa has his heart broken by Takano, Kirishima is there ready to take the pieces and put them back together. We see a lot about Kirishima's character during the movie: he is a worrywart father, constantly wondering about how his little daughter feels. Then, he turns into a very strict boss, when the right time comes; then again he can become childish with the person he loves, Yokozawa. Be careful, though, because Zen Kirishima is actually very near to the seme archetype! He is caring, loving, and sweet. Kirishima can be very straightforward, and if not with words, he acts very spontaneously. Facing the brokenhearted and reluctant Yokozawa, he goes as far as to tell him that he doesn't need to forget about Takano, because he will accept every part of Yokozawa wholeheartedly!

Youji Katou and Kyousuke Iwaki both started as actors in the AV industry, and both are trying to become greater actors and shake off the AV actor label. Katou is beaten by Iwaki during an audition, but something very strange happens between the two and Katou starts to have feelings for Iwaki, who – like every good uke – is very reluctant at first, giving our poor Katou a very hard time. Katou is a very interesting character. He is strong and accepts criticism, and he is not ashamed of his past as an AV actor. On the contrary, he uses his past to show everyone how he managed to climb on top. As for him being a seme, well, he is so fond of Iwaki and so determined that he can't be put down by Iwaki's refusal. What's more, Katou shows to understand very well the weak side of Iwaki, and act accordingly to make sure his beloved one gains at least a bit of self-esteem.

The editor-in-chief of the Emerald department at Marukawa, Masamune Takano, meets the person who was his first love – Ritsu Onodera – when he started working in his same shoujo manga division. Takano doesn't reveal to Onodera that he has recognized him, and that he remembers everything about their past. And yet a lot of funny gags keep on happening because the way Takano and Onodera interact is very amusing! Takano is grumpy, bored, and tired. The flip side of his character, though, is a hardworking man who actually knows what to do when push comes to shove. Even though he loves Onodera – who never admits that he loves Takano back – he doesn't treat him kindly at work. Pretty much the contrary, we'd say. That's how they start bickering, looking like children arguing over a candy. Of course, that's just an act. When the moment is right, Takano is able to be sincere with Onodera, and prove us to be a seme under all the perspectives. From high-school onward he could never forget about Onodera, and he still loves him after all those years. He covers Onodera's back every time he needs to, and he is very jealous when Onodera interacts with other girls. Now tell us if he didn't deserve our 2nd position!

Life is hard when you're a student in love with your upperclassman who hates gay people more than anything else! That's what happened to our poor Tetsuhiro, who fell in love with Souichi Tatsumi, a tyrant with a bad personality who, due to an accident happened in the past, became a homophobic shouting that all gay men should be erased! Well, it's funny to see how he will find himself followed around by our Tetsuhiro, who loves him for... five years! We put Tetsuhiro as our first position because he shows very clearly how love can be blind sometimes. Tetsuhiro is an example of patience and dedication. Plus, he has all of what a seme should have, starting with looks and finishing with his way of acting. He loved Tatsumi, because he was able to see over his facade, and managed to keep it a secret from him, suffering in silence, because he didn't want to be hated, nor he wanted to hurt Tatsumi or give him any more trouble. He is treated as a slave, as a number zero, and yet for the sole reason to be able to stand next to Tatsumi, he is happy with the way things are. What's more, when he talks about Tatsumi with his friend Hiroto, he never badmouths him; on the contrary he has always a good word for Tatsumi, and he is able to see all his bright sides. He is understanding, cheerful and honest. When he will finally become one with Tatsumi, he will prove to us to be a perfect seme, showing a manliness out of the ordinary and making the tyrant Tatsumi quiver and waver!

Risa Koizumi wants to live every woman's fantasy to fall in love and have a beautiful romantic story to share with her friends. At first, she becomes infatuated with Ryouji Suzuki, who is a handsome boy in another class. Risa is primarily attracted to Ryouji because of his height since Risa herself is quite tall for a girl, reaching the height of 172 centimeters, which by Japanese standards is quite the gap. Unfortunately, her love did not last, as Suzuki falls for another girl in their school, who Atsushi Ootani admired. Risa and Atsushi start to discover a relationship of their own, and an attraction starts to form between them. School life is always full of ups and downs, and when romance comes into the mix it creates an emotional whirlwind that can spiral out of control. In this case, this whirlwind ends up becoming the catalyst which brings everything all together. Much like Uchimaki and Umaki, Risa and Atsushi initially have a strange issue to overcome, which results in some incredibly funny moments. Both shows have a character who has to deal with a certain stereotype, and somehow must find a solution to breaking their habit. Umaki is always firing off direct shots towards Uchimaki, who just laughs it off and even mocks her by turning her into a 2D waifu during his painting. On the other end, Risa is always being mocked for being too tall, which gives off the impression of her being the more dominant and manly of the two. Both shows demonstrate that our feelings can be hard to handle, but being honest with them is the only way for the other person to truly understand what you’re going through.

Much of the story follows the passionate life of Chiyo, as she shows determination to assist Nozaki in his manga so that perhaps over time he’ll be able to notice her true feelings. All she wants from Nozaki in return is some attention, but instead receives a random autograph for her efforts. This situation then sparks more ideas in her as she tries really hard to plant her seed of love into Nozaki’s dull mind. What she doesn’t realize however, is that Nozaki is actually a very popular mangaka who writes under the name Sakiko Yumeno. Through many confusing moments and misunderstandings, Chiyo eventually becomes his assistant and from there a lot of the funny moments begin. While having to work towards confessing her love to Nozaki, Chiyo must also learn to understand and balance other relationships around her in order to truly buy Nozaki’s attention. Both Nozaki and Uchimaki are obsessed with the 2D world of art and don't seem to fancy the more three dimensional women that are out there. They don't seem to realize the prize that's lying in front of them, and both girls assume that their actions are out of selfishness when truthfully they're just too dense to realize. So with a little strategy and flirting, the two girls try to help both men notice their true feelings, while at the same time coming to terms with how to deal with their own growing emotions. Every situation the two find themselves in are awkwardly entertaining since both are observing each other from two different planets, and so they try to find a common ground to make it all work while making us laugh at it all.

Naïve otaku Hideki "Rusian" Nishimura is devastated when he builds up the courage to propose to a girl in an online game, only to be rejected by her severely. To make matters worse, the girl reveals that she is actually an older man outside of the game. With his dreams crushed and his heart broken, Rusian comes comes to an immediate decision in the midst of his raging fit, that he will never trust another girl in an online game again. After many years have passed, Rusian is now in a guild with three other players, one of whom possesses a female character by the name of "Ako." Ako is deeply in love with Rusian and desires to marry him. Being through this scenario before and keeping his guard up along the way, Rusian accepts her proposal, claiming that her gender doesn't matter as long as she is cute in the game. In spite of all that, after a discussion between guild members that led to all of them having an offline meeting, Rusian finds out that Ako, along with the other members, are not just girls, but also his schoolmates. Ako shares the same temperament like Umaki, where the two fight with all of their might to portray their emotions to the ones they love. The two become almost obsessive in their approach, trying every plan in their emotional notebook to proving just how much they love the person. Unfortunately both male protagonists aren't really convinced nor do they actually realize that both girls have genuine feelings for them, and just find it difficult to express it without coming off too strong. Ultimately the two male protagonists start to slowly realize what's happening, but still fall flat on their faces when trying to decipher the female code.

Tsumiki Miniwa is madly in love with her best friend Io Otonashi. The only issue is that she can't bring herself to come out and admit her true feelings. Io however doesn't seem to be able to pick up the obvious clues, even with all of their friends teasing that there's no one better suited for her than Io himself. The story follows Tsumiki and her circle of friends as they go through their day-to-day lives as students, while learning the values of love and relationship. Only time will tell if Tsumiki will gain the courage to finally say how she truly feels. Tsumiki just can't seem to confront her emotions and let Io know how she truly feels, and whenever she tries she turns a tomato red and avoids the topic all together. Similarly, Uchimaki is a bit of a dunce when it comes to love and he would rather not focus on 3D girls, since he fancies the life of 2D so much. Whenever the two get close together Usami just can't seem to maintain her sanity and often lashes out on Uchimaki who is just a wall. The two gather friends together to drop hints towards both males, but the two are so far off in their own distant world that the message gets lost in translation and everything fails. Both shows are a wonderful slice of life comedy that anyone can enjoy since we all can relate to the characters and their antics.

Aki is a passionate otaku, and has been obsessed with collecting anime along with light novels for years. He grows attached to various series which focus on captivating stories and characters. Now, Aki wants to have an opportunity of providing the same experience for others by creating his own game, but unfortunately, Tomoya cannot do this task all on his own. He decides in his mind to recruit an old friend to help illustrate and hires literary elitist Utaha to write the script for his visual novel, while he directs. Aki only needs an inspiration to base his project on, and luckily meets the beautiful Megumi who he decides to model his main character after. Using what knowledge he has, Tomoya creates a new doujin circle with dreams to touch the hearts of those who play their game. What he does not realize, is that to create these emotions, the creators would need to experience the same feelings in their own lives. Uchimaki and Aki have this crazy obsession with anime and the world of 2D, and just can't seem to wrap their head around the world of romance. They express their emotions so brilliantly in their art work, almost poetic in a way, and yet when it comes to love they require some form of instruction manual to understand it all. Both Umaki and Megumi have become inspirations for both the main characters, as they start to become part of their artwork. These boys display great romantic and genuine qualities but are so blind to it all due to their incredible dedication to what they really enjoy. So both females end up displaying cold and sarcastic behaviors, but overtime learn to also express their emotions more openly to create a more well balanced relationship.

Sakurasou no Pet na Kanojo is an incredibly entertaining romance comedy, that looks at the life of five characters who all provide an important dynamic around the story. Every character surrounds main protagonist Kanda Sorata, who is banished to Sakura Hall because of the rules pertaining to school dorms not allowing cats. Due to his overwhelming love for them, he constantly finds himself in trouble every time, which results in him deciding to live within the Sakura Hall. During his stay at the Sakura Hall is where he ends up meeting with the five characters, Misaki, Shiina, Aoyama, and Jin that change his entire life forever. The relationship between Aoyama and Kanda is where things get extremely funny, as the two are completely air headed when it comes to confessing their true feelings. Their constant back and forth with words really displayed their immaturity on the subject which made it very cute and relatable. You weren’t really sure who would win the battle, but were certain that at some point someone would fess up and the balance would be restored. Similarly, Uchimaki was like a brick wall always nonchalantly rejecting Umaki, but somehow her feelings grew stronger every time she tried listening to her emotions. Every moment you’re rooting for the two to come out, then hilariously something stupid happens and it’s back to square one again. This show had us cracking up at each characters inability to just be honest, which again is something we can admire and relate to.

Ready to get stabbed in all the feels to the point where it feels like you will never ever be able to recover? Welcome to Clannad: After Story. Picking up where the first season, CLANNAD, left off, Tomoya and Nagisa graduate from high school and Tomoya lands a job working to support his new wife aka Nagisa. They struggle a lot but together they are able to persevere with each other and Nagisa becomes pregnant. They push forward to have their child Ushio, but at what cost? Keep a box of tissues nearby because this one will make you cry. When comparing these two, some people are thrown off. Itazura na Kiss is a bright anime while Clannad After Story is very serious. Ah ha! This is where you have to look beyond the surface and first impressions. The stories are actually quite similar, high school romance that turns into something more which leads to marriage. The struggles that Nagisa and Tomoya go through are very similar to what Kotoko and Naoki go through as well. The growing pains of growing up. No one is a child forever. There is, of course, central themes like romance, and really anyone can enjoy these series. The final major thing to note is that both of these anime actually show what life is like DURING and AFTER romance. So many shows end too soon! But don’t take our word for it, check out the PV yourself!

Ready for dem good feels after bawling your eyes out? Great! Kimi ni Todoke is about Sawako Kuronuma who has a heart of gold. She just has one problem, everyone thinks she is actually super evil! People even call her Sadako, from The Ring, due to her quiet personality and long black hair combined with her scary demeanor. Till one day when she is drawn to a bright and upbeat boy named Shouta Kazehaya. Sawako though looks up to him because of his refreshing personality. Hoping to become friends with him, Sawako makes friends with unlikely classmates and Kazehaya, before suddenly things are moving in a new direction for her. Itazura na Kiss and Kimi ni Todoke are actually very very similar. Both are sweet and upbeat though the personalities are a bit dialed back. Unlike semi-aggressive Kotoko and cold Irie, Sawako and Shouta are much easier to take. If you are looking for concrete solid lines, both Shouta and Irie are super popular in their classes and the relationships that develop between the girls and the boys of the respective series are between two very unique personalities. Kimi ni Todoke will also calm you down and help you refresh and relax after bawling your eyes out at Clannad After Story.

Hikari Hanazono met Kei Takishima when she was six years old. Their fathers, both wrestler aficionados, introduced them. Hikari challenged Kei to a match and promptly lost! They became friends regardless, but Hikari was determined to beat Kei in something! Anything! She just needed the chance! So she is enrolled in an upper crust of society high school called Hakusenkan. Unfortunately, or rather, fortunately, for her, Kei is there too! He is the top student in the school and she is the student right underneath him. Completely KY, she does not realize Kei’s feelings until she begins to challenge him as her rival… Where these two shows are similar is there is that upbeat feeling and Special A also plays to its comedic elements. The upward battle of Hikari to reach Kei is much like how Kotoko pushes herself from the bottom class upwards to try and get closer to Naoki. Speaking of Naoki, he and Kei are both at the tops of their respective grades. Kotoko is quite the klutz much like Hikari as well. This is supposed to appeal to a Shoujo audience, but anyone can enjoy it!

Misaki Ayuzawa is the most terrifying student council president at her school. Why? Well, the school used to be an all-boys school, she is the first female president, and… a deep secret. She works at a Maid Café! Complete with a maid uniform, she works to help support her family who is struggling to pay their bills. Misaki is doing a fantastic job of juggling her lives until one day, the most popular boy in school just strolls into the maid café where she works! Takumi Usui could say something and watch her burn, or keep her secret. What will he do? For Misaki and Kotoko, the struggle is real – a common theme here. Kotoko has to dig herself and her grades out of a hole while Misaki has to keep juggling everything and now deal with Takumi knowing her secret. Much like with Special A, Naoki from Itazura and Takumi from Kaichou both are calling the shots at their schools from the top. The clumsy humor is also rampant in both of these series. The enjoyable difference here is that Takumi chases after Misaki while Kotoko chases after Naoki. You gotta keep things slightly different!

Chiyo Sakura is a young high school girl with a crush. In love with a boy named Umetarou Nozaki, she confesses her feelings. Umetarou is so out of it, that he hands her an autograph? Umetarou is actually another KY character who cannot realize how other people feel because he is actually a massively big shoujo manga artist! Chiyo then somehow becomes an assistant to Umetarou. She decides that she will do her best to help him while getting him to notice her feelings. Much like Itazura na Kiss, Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun has an aloof male protagonist. While Naoki refuses to engage, Umetarou is just out of it. Stoic in nature they are hotly pursued by an upbeat girl who wants to be noticed by the male counterpart. Rolling in gags, they are also a bit on the comedic side while Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun is actually shonen and Itazura na Kiss is Shoujo. Regardless of the target audience, fans of either will enjoy the other!

Ore Monogatari is how you properly write a romcom. Sweet and kindhearted Takeo Gouda looks nothing like the previous two adjectives. Extremely tall for a tenth grader and covered in muscles, he is the stereotype of “masculine” to a T. Takeo can never get a girlfriend though because all girls are terrified of him and they always confess to his best friend and pretty boy, Makoto Sunakawa. One day, though, Takeo saves the cutest little girl named Rinko from a train groper and through a series of mishaps, actually starts to spend time with her. Suddenly, Takeo’s love story begins. Unconventional love is a theme between these two shows. Naoki would never go after a girl so beneath him, but he eventually does. Rinko, a delicate little girl, and Takeo, a hulking brute of a man, are the last people that would get paired up in people’s minds. From day one, you are in a sea of emotions with these two as you support them and they grow together. The best part too is as you watch, the comedic jokes and the little things make you appreciate these two series even more. This is DEFINITELY one that you will want to catch!

The first anime on our list is Little Busters! An anime about a boy named Riki Naoe who has a condition known as narcolepsy, which he developed after the tragic deaths of his parents when he was young. Because of his problem, he couldn’t have a normal life as he could have collapsed at any moment. Fearing this, Riki becomes a shut-in and had detached himself from the world. Until one day a boy named Kyousuke saved him, who created a team known as the ‘Little Busters’. Along with Masato, Kengo and Rin, these kids spent their childhood days fighting evil and enjoying youth. Their friendship lasts many years, despite eventually growing up and out of the Little Busters childhood playgroup. Until high school where Kyousuke is on his last year of school before he has to leave everyone behind, he decides to make the best out of his final year and re-ignite the Little Busters by forming a baseball team with them. With only the five of them, Riki is tasked to find new friends to join the Little Busters. Little busters! is a light novel adaptation that comes from the same creators as Clannad. Its similarity can be seen in how the story brings a lot of the same characteristics, a similar style in expressing the values of family and friendship, and also with plentiful romance, and drama embedded in the heartwarming story. They both also follow a similar format in where characters are introduced one by one, each with their own unique story in the form of an arc but still stay true to the main story. If you loved the light humor and the dramatic turns in Clannad, then you’ll definitely want to check out Little Busters!

Next up, we have not an anime series strictly speaking, but rather an anime movie called Byousoku 5 Centimeter. A movie with a unique style in which it is split into three parts, following the story of Takaki Toono and Akari Shinohara. Byousoku 5 Centimeter is about two very close friends who eventually come to love each other, but then get separated when Akari’s parents decide to move to another part of Japan. They keep in touch by writing letters but inevitably begin to grow apart, until one fateful day Takaki discovers that his family is planning to move to the other side of the country. Takaki decides to personally see Akari before he moves, as it will be very difficult for him to ever see her again. After their meeting, they grow even further apart as the years pass, until eventually they completely lose contact. Even though from time to time they still remember each other, they wonder if they will ever have the chance to see each other again. Byousoku 5 Centimeter is a very emotional story, with a lot of stunning visuals. It is very similar to Clannad After Story in the way it tells a story of the protagonist and his relationship with someone, and then how that changes over time. Byousoku 5 Centimeter illustrates the painstaking reality of the world, in showing that life is more complicated than it appears and it also contains a lot of tear jerking moments. Byousoku 5 Centimeter is a short movie that will make your heart melt.

The third recommendation that we have for you is the anime, Plastic Memories. A story about an 18-year-old college student named Tsukasa Mizugaki that failed his college entrance exams. However, he was able to find himself a small job at the Sion Artificial Intelligence Corporation, otherwise known as SAI Corp that is responsible for the creation of human-like androids known as ‘Giftias’. However, the technology has not yet been perfected and Giftias have only a lifespan of 81,920 hours, which is approximately nine years and four months. After Giftias expire they lose their memories and become hostile, which is why Terminal Service One, a SAI Corp station, is assigned to collect Giftias and reset them. Tsukasa joins this station and becomes partnered with a Giftia by the name of Isla, who is a veteran in Giftia retrievals. Tsukasa and Isla soon begin to fall for each other, despite Tsukasa being a human and Isla being an android. However things become much more complicated when Tsukasa finds out that Isla is losing time, as she is already near the end of her own lifespan. The similarity of Plastic Memories to Clannad After Story lie in the fact that they both tell a love story between the protagonists that eventually comes to a tragic end, and how they end up facing the reality. Both Plastic Memories and Clannad start off with a relationship that has a high potential for a great future, and just when things are looking good and promising, disaster strikes and it hits hard on the protagonists. If you loved Clannad then Plastic Memories is a good, more recent anime to watch. Just prepare some tissues for those tears beforehand!

Coming next on the list is Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai! An anime about people who have what is called the ‘88h grade syndrome’, an apparent ‘disease’ that regresses the mature mind back to a point in time where your imagination could go as wild as believing you had innate magical powers. Where you would feel like you are a chosen special hero, with no shame in doing what would be seen as embarrassing things in public. Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai! follows the story of Yuuta Togashi, a boy who once had the ‘8th-grade syndrome’ and had called himself the ‘Dark Flame Master’ during his middle school days. Which he now regrets ever doing it and even had to go to such lengths as, moving far away from his middle school to not get recognized in public anymore. Yuuta aims to have a normal high school life with his past locked away and forgotten until one fateful day, he meets Rikka Takanashi. A female classmate at his high school who currently still has the disease and goes by the name of ‘Wicked Eye’, whom inevitable gets intertwined with Yuuta’s life. Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai! is a very lighthearted anime and has very similar vibes to Clannad. Yuuta is very comedic in nature and has a similar sort of a humorous personality as Tomoya in Clannad. Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai! also has a relationship between the protagonist that grows and develops over time, until one point they realize they’ve become deeply in love with one and another.

Our next recommendation is Hyouka, a lighthearted anime that follows an intelligent but 'energy-conservative' high school student by the name of Houtarou Oreki. Who joins the school's classics club to avoid doing any strenuous activity. Though Oreki thinks he found the perfect way to have a peaceful and calm life when one day he meets a girl name Eru Chitanda, whom together with his friend Satoshi Fukube and another girl by the name of Mayaka Ibara, become involved and entangled with local mysteries to solve. Although Oreki wants the conserve energy where possible and just get through school, he is constantly dragged into solving mysteries thanks to Chitanda's curiosity and charm. Oreki from Hyouka is actually voiced by the same voice actor as Tomoya from Clannad, both characters have a similar personality. Oreki is lazy whereas Tomoya is a 'delinquent' who likes to skip class. They have a similar tone to how they interact with the female protagonists, gentle and can't help but to give them a hand when they are in trouble or in need. Both anime have a very similar tone in the way they present friendships and the school life. If you enjoyed the calm pace and character development of Clannad, then you will be guaranteed to like Hyouka.

The final recommendation that we have on this list is Angel Beats! Made by the same creators of Clannad. It follows the story of a boy named Otonashi who wakes up in a world with no memories other than his name, where he finds out that he had actually died. Otonashi meets a girl named Yuri who tells him that he is in the afterlife and that there are others like him, and that he is trapped in this world where he can't die permanently. Yuri is the leader of a group called the Shinda Sekai Sensen (Afterlife Battlefront) who are at war with a girl named Tenshi, who they believe controls the world. Otonashi ends up joining with the SSS to go against Tenshi, but somehow Otonashi seems to find himself strangely drawn towards her. He follows Yuri in her ridiculous antics to try and defeat Tenshi, whilst trying to find out the truth of the afterlife and to regain his lost memories. Angel Beats! has an emotional story that is as heart-tugging as Clannad, though it has a lot of humorous moments too. Otonashi has a similar personality to Tomoya in the sense that he is someone who will help people from the kindness of his heart. Like Clannad, Otonashi ends up trying to help each individual character with their own problems. They both have very dramatic moments and draw upon the same themes such as life and death, and the struggles of coping and tackling obstacles in the world they exist in. Both anime share a very similar thing, which is that both will make you crave for more after watching them.

The onset of this countdown is going to bring us straight to episode two of the anime. Approximately eleven minutes in we get to the point where Ako Tamaki decides to swing by Hideki Nishimura’s class and greet him by the only way Ako knows how, by referring to him as his in-game character name “Rusian.” Initially taken back by Ako’s greeting, Nishimura is quick to downplay his Rusian name to his friends, stating that he doesn’t know anyone by that name. Ako remains persistent and continues to refer to him as Rusian, much to the dismay of Nishimura and Segawa. An innocent greeting now leads to an even bigger problem, for most notably Nishimura. Now irritated, Nishimura asks what Ako wants and she simply replies that she didn’t get enough time to spend with him last night. Needless to say, that reply caught the attention of the entire class. What now turned into a simple misunderstanding has Nishimura searching for answers. Before he could truly explain himself, his friend asks what their relationship is and Ako replies that Rusian is her husband. Oh yes, she went there! We feel your pain, Nishimura!

Moving right along to our next favorite moment, we come across the debut episode roughly sixteen minutes into the anime. The episode builds up to this landmark meeting between the newly formed guild called “The Alley Cats.” Nishimura has essentially written off the idea that there are female gamers that play “LA” which stands for Legendary Age. During one online meeting with the guild, he is assured that Ako and Apricot are indeed girls. This leads to an offline meet up where the fun begins. After Nishimura comes to the realization that his entire guild consists of “real-life girls” they head to a restaurant as their first commemorative offline party. One of the reasons that make this scene great is Ako’s inability to call Nishimura anything but Rusian and her supremely clingy behavior. She’s simply fascinated by the fact that Nishimura is a living, breathing, warm-blooded human being. Another solid moment is during the introductions when Segawa is reluctant to say her character name “Schwein.” Kyou is quick to remind her that it’s German for pig, much to the chagrin of Segawa. The best part about this scene is when the rest of the guild recognizes that Segawa has a “normie” persona at school. Both Kyou and Ako go in a twisted trance and want to eliminate Segawa because they hate “normies.” Their faces and movements are to be feared, but it’s also very comical!

A cultural festival was brought to the club's attention from the club advisor Yui Saitou. They wanted to do something special to show what they’ve accomplished for the time they’ve been together. What better way than to take part in the “Siege Warfare” that takes advantage of the PvP (Player vs. Player) update. All they would have to do is survive the guild-on-guild action and claim their stake as the winners of Siege Warfare. Easy enough right? Later on, we will explain why it wasn’t. As for the reason that this is number eight on our list, we’d have to go midway through episode ten during their preparations for battle. The highlights come when Kyou takes to the battlefield. She first clashes with Segawa but makes a critical error and miscalculates the AoE (Area of Effect) of her “Meteor” spell. This leads to her getting thrashed by Segawa. This is followed by Nishimura amusingly launching his shield at her repeatedly. Kyou is thwarted once again. Finally, she takes on Ako, but falls to Ako’s “Skill Seal” magic and staff attack. Kyou was initially portrayed to be the strongest as the guild leader with the highest stats, but she was shown otherwise. It’s generally not right to make light of someone else’s failures, but in this case, it’s worth a laugh.

Continuing on this reflection of some of the best character moments in Netoge. We come to the beginning of episode five where Ako asks the club if they could play a different game. Something that’s “exhilarating.” Kyou brings up a FPS (First Person Shooter) game by the name of “Ultra Force.” Obviously, this is unknown territory for the group. To get Ako in the spirit of shooting her enemies Kyou suggests that Ako treats the enemies as if they were normies. From then on, Ako is revitalized with the heart of a lion and is ready to take on all challengers. If nothing else she would provide motivation for the entire guild to try and overcome a new challenge. Immediately loading into the map, we get a scene of all the characters in different roles, as well as a tight shot of Kyou’s ample assets. Their inexperience instantly leads them to disaster as Kyou shoots her “self-destructive bazooka” and it takes out five people, including herself and Segawa. Now pinned down, Nishimura finds himself seconds away from certain death. From a building far away, Ako surprisingly gives him support in the form of a sniper rifle. She pulls off three consecutive headshots and wins the game for them. Who would have thought Ako would have such precision?

This next moment came as a big shock to some people. Nekohime is this adorable female character in Legendary Age that turned down Nishimura’s advancements early in the anime. Nekohime told him that he was a male posing as a female character. Later on, we find out that Ako went behind Nishimura’s back and arranged an offline meeting with someone. Naturally, that got Nishimura’s attention and when he arrived at the scene he found out that not only was Nekohime the one Ako was standing with, but Nekohime is a female and a teacher at their school. Towards the end of episode three, we see a confrontation between Ako and Saitou. Yes, that’s right, a student and teacher ‘battle.’ To defend her husband’s previously hurt emotions, Ako comically proceeds to pull out a life-size replica of her staff she carries in-game and tries to whack Saitou with it. She charges with all her might but all she ends up getting is a devastating clothesline that knocks Ako right off her feet. Despite Ako’s good intentions, it probably wasn’t best for her to take on her sensei like that. Regardless, this moment proved to be pivotal in both character and story development. Immediately after that incident, Saitou becomes the club's new advisor.

We’ve reached the midway point of this list and we’ve already come across some great moments. Let’s continue, shall we? Our number five choice brings us a nice and refreshing summer camp approach to episode seven. The club heads to Kyou’s cottage to enjoy the outdoors. With that in mind, Kyou implements a 24 hour no net game policy. The idea is to try and get Ako to enjoy more of the normal things in life, thus potentially being able to regulate both sides of her life properly. The moment gets started not too long after Segawa and Kyou show up in cute swimwear after the arrival of Ako. Kyou notices almost immediately that Nishimura doesn’t have any sunscreen on and she offers to put some on him. Before he could give a good reason not to, the other two girls offer to help as well. What Nishimura gets is a trio of attractive girls using their heavenly hands to rub nearly his entire body with sunscreen. It’s something that we think most males would only dream about, but for some reason, Nishimura was less than content with it. More so, he felt “defiled” after it was all said and done. The girl’s eagerness and swimwear, with Nishimura’s reaction, makes this an enjoyable moment in the series.

This next scene is a real doozy. This awkward but amusing moment appears in episode five a little more than fifteen minutes in. Nishimura travels to Ako’s house to see what she is up to. He’s greeted by Ako’s mother who has a striking resemblance to her daughter. If it wasn’t for the age difference, they could get away with being twins. He receives the key to Ako’s room shortly after Ako’s mother takes off for work. Nishimura then swiftly heads in the direction of Ako’s room and knocks to let her know that he wants to see her. Ako, shocked that he’s standing outside her door tells him “now isn’t a good” ― before she could finish the line, Nishimura inserts the key and opens the door. To his astonishment, he has Ako within arm’s reach in nothing but her pink bra and underwear. What’s most indecent about this is the fact that it wasn’t even securely on her body. Well, due to the awkwardness he exits the room and waits for Ako to get herself ready. When he receives the clearance to come back in, she’s now completely naked on her knees telling him to “be gentle.” Woah, what a sight! There’s no doubt they had different intent. However you want to look at it, this one will be a standout for this series.

This next choice essentially spans the entirety of episode twelve. It’s during the aforementioned Siege Warfare. Now for this selection, we are going to mention several different parts that happened throughout the episode due to the length of the battle. There wasn’t just one moment after all; it was a collection of moments. With that in mind, we’re going to start with the formation of the “Stray Cat-Princess Elite Guard “and the battle between the high-ranked Wallenstein guild who had previously turned their backs on the Alley Cats in a previous episode. The Wallenstein guild was pushing towards the throne and Nanako did the most honorable thing she could do. She distracted the four remaining members to focus their skills on her, killing Nanako instantly. Nanako wasn’t the only one who played an important role as Ako stood in front of a shield stun to save Kyou. Finally, the last line of defense was Kyou who was constantly being attacked by Bats, the leader of Wallenstein. Yet he couldn’t penetrate her defense because she used a 10 million coin item 487 times to make sure that she didn’t lose. Ultimately it was worth it in her eyes as the club did end up getting that commemorative photo for their cultural festival.

This next scene brings a lot to the table, including laughs, sexuality, a cell phone and net game lingo. It all comes together nicely to form our number two selection. The scene has the four girls spend the night at Kyou’s immense mansion. It gives Ako a chance to be away from Nishimura, despite her pleas against it. The girls jump into the bath around 14 minutes into episode nine. Initially, Ako is reluctant to get into the bath with everyone else but she later realized that she had her “first time” with Segawa at a camp. The “first time” she was referring to was not sex, but bathing with someone else. While in the bath Segawa starts to feel overwhelmed in the presence of three busty beauties. Addressing this to all three of them, they end up referencing net games to convey their message about the sizeable differences between their breasts to Segawa’s. This comes complete with a droll delivery from Segawa “I don’t have enough materials to make that item.” The final shenanigan to come out of this bath scene was a discussion about what body type Nishimura liked the best. Ako decided to video chat him, much to ire of her company. That produces a naked scramble that leads them outside. If only Nishimura knew was he was missing!

After plenty of thought, Honey’s Anime decided on episode eight of the anime, when Nishimura gets his Legendary Age login compromised. It’s a telling story about teamwork and eventual triumph for the club, both in-game and in real life. Luckily for Nishimura, Ako was able to quickly identify that it wasn’t Nishimura and whatever sufferable advances the hacker made on Ako was discarded. Naturally, after an incident like that, they would want him to get his account back, so the club worked together to do so. The Black Magician offered some help by giving the guild a URL to the swindler’s blog. On there he relishes at what he did to Nishimura. The club devises a master plan that went above and beyond to make sure justice was served. After countless days creating a similar blog and writing fabricated posts dating several years back, the club was able to attract his attention. From there they baited that miscreant into an RMT (Real Money Trade) that is illegal in Legendary Age. With all the evidence against this spiteful player, he was banned. The determination and large payoff are what made this a superb episode and our favorite moment of the series.

Watari is the playboy of the show. He is the best friend of Tsubaki and Kousei and he tags along with their development throughout the show. Though he ends up being used by Kaori to fulfill her greater ambition, he actually presents a very important message to the viewers. Many of the characters in the series have tragic backgrounds or harsh regrets. Watari is one of the most normal ones. And that’s exactly the point. Many a times, we imagine that we are the hero of the story and have to carry the greatest of burdens on our shoulders. But that’s not usually true. We are usually just the average Joe with very normal everyday problems. However, it doesn’t diminish his character in the slightest. He provides support to his friends, lives each day with enthusiasm and grieves when tragedy strikes. Being normal is completely okay.

Many viewers won’t remember who Saitou is just from hearing his name alone. For all you viewers out there suffering from amnesia after a year of not watching the show, Saitou is the guy that Tsubaki dates during a majority of the series. She confesses to him and they start dating early on, developing a strong rapport. However, Tsubaki is actually in love with Kousei but is unable to come to terms with it. Saitou is one of the first characters to learn the theme of the series; letting go. He recognises what Tsubaki doesn’t, and breaks up with her not out of malice, but out of care. Rather than drag on the relationship for the sake of attachment, he lets her go so that she can pursue the one that she can truly love.

Nagi is the younger sister of Takeshi Aiza, one of Kousei’s rivals. She initially despises Kousei because of her natural loyalty to her older brother. Later on, she gets saddled with Kousei as her tutor and is extremely unhappy about it. They have to practice a piece for her school performance and she constantly protests over that arrangement. Over time, she gets closer to Kousei but is still nervous about performing for her schoolmates. This nervousness carries forward to even the point right before the performance. However, when it’s her time to shine, she buckles down and performs with all her heart. She presents a simple message of growth, and her natural character development shows us that anyone can become a better person each and every day.

Tsubaki has been best friends with Kousei since young. She has seen his rise and fall as a musician and has stayed with him every step of the way. She harbours a crush on him but doesn’t seem to be aware of the fact. Because of this, she is reluctant to “allow” Kousei to revisit his musical roots, because she fears that music will take him away from her. The important fact here is that she goes along with the theme of the show despite her reservations. She let him go so that he can pursue his own happiness. Despite that, she still remains his friend and doesn’t angst about his decisions at all. Sometimes letting go isn’t just about our happiness, but that of our loved ones as well.

Like Kousei, Takeshi has been playing the piano since young and religiously practices each and every day. He was inspired early on by the methodical and masterful performances that Kousei puts on and he dreams of surpassing him as a result. This all comes crashing down when Kousei faces his tragedy and quits out of the blue. While viewers and characters close to Kousei understand why this happened, Takeshi wouldn’t know why his inspiration has disappeared. Despite that, he continues to practice constantly to pursue the figure that he looked up to, even if it is now a ghost and no longer present. His dedication alone is a testament to what any person should aspire to. And now, years later, he gets to pit himself against Kousei at last.

Emi has similar roots to Takeshi with regards to Kousei. She sees a performance of his while she is still young and gets inspired by the high level of performance. However, here is where the deviation lies. Takeshi sees Kousei as a rival, but Emi sees him as an ideal. She saw how pure and passionate his first performance was and becomes very troubled when his later performances become dull and monotonous. She spends a majority of the series trying to push Kousei further in order to once again see the Kousei that she believes is real. Her insight into his character seems to be very unique from the other characters. And she shows us that sometimes a different perspective is important when evaluating our lives.

Saki is vilified by the show early on and is often attributed as the reason that Kousei has lost the ability to hear the notes that he plays. Often, she is portrayed with a shadow cast over her face as she pushes him harder and harder, straying further into abuse territory the more she goes on. However, we later learn that she has good intentions for doing so. Upon learning that her son has talents in playing piano, she pushes him to become the best he can be because she wants him to have the capability to make a living when she’s gone. This, coupled with her desperation brought on by her terminal illness causes her to act more and more deranged. While it might sound macabre, Saki shows us just what kind of lengths a mother will go to protect her children, even if it means to harm them as a result.

Hiroko is the tutor of Kousei and she was the one who initially introduced Kousei to the joy of playing the piano. When she discovers his natural talent, she encourages him and his mother to allow him to be tutored by her. This goes well at first. He advances at a significant rate and everyone is proud of what he has done. But it all goes into a downward spiral his mother’s death. With him falling into depression and Saki departing the mortal realm, the one that gets saddled with all the guilt is her. She constantly second guesses her decision to bring him into the world of music. The inner turmoil that comes with her new responsibility for Kousei coupled with her guilt must be absolutely crushing on a normal person. Despite all that, she forges forward and does her best to take care of her daughter and Kousei at the same time. It’s understandable for anyone to give up under these circumstances, but she didn’t. And it’s a simple concept, don’t give up.

Kousei is one of the protagonists of the series. When his mother left the mortal coil, his ability to hear the notes he plays goes along with her. For years, he has lived under the crushing pain of depression at his inability to pursue the art that he once held a great passion for. As the series goes on, he learns to acknowledge that it is not her death but his fear that holds him back. And he faces his fear head on by the end, playing a beautiful song with the greatest passion he can muster. It is said that courage is not being fearless, but having fear and carrying on in spite of it. Kousei possesses a courage that very few possess. After all, who can claim to shine despite being under the oppressive weight of depression and the death of a loved one?

“We should live our lives to the fullest. You never know, we may be dead by tomorrow.” Kaori is a violinist that was also inspired by Kousei when she was younger. Originally, she played the piano. But after seeing his performance, she dropped the piano altogether to play the violin because she dreamt of playing alongside him on the stage. However, she is hindered by a crippling illness that causes her to constantly revisit the hospital. At some point, she learns that she might die anytime from her illness, despite her parents’ best effort to keep it from her. Yet, she doesn’t give up. Instead, she starts to live each day like it's her last, because it could literally be her last. She eats what she wants, dresses how she wants and does everything in her power to pursue Kousei despite being too shy to do so before. We don’t need an illness to do the same. Each day could literally be our last. It is very easy for us to do due to a freak accident or a sudden onset of illness that we couldn’t diagnose earlier. So like a violinist once said: “We should live our lives to the fullest. You never know, we may be dead by tomorrow.” And so she did so. Starting by contacting Tsubaki and pretending to like Watari, all so she can get close to Kousei. It was her lie in April.

We’ll start off the list with an obvious pick. Spanning up to 3 seasons with an upcoming 4th season in the future, we can’t deny that Utapri paved the way for male idol anime. It’s a fairly famous show that started off being an Otome game that got an anime adaptation which was a huge success. The story revolves around our heroine, Haruka Nanami, who dreams to one day write songs for her favorite Idol, Hayato Ichinose. Determined to make her dream come true, she enrolls in Saotome Academy, where she encounters different kinds of people that will one day become famous. The overall premise of these two anime is the same. To start off, B-project is made by the same creators who made Uta no Prince-sama. They have been produced by the same studio, which is A-1 pictures. Both also feature girls who have a unique talent when it comes to music. Haruka of Utapri is gifted with exceptional composing skills while Tsubasa Sumisora of B-pro has keen hearing that can detect the slightest wrong note/ tone in any music. These two girls are also surrounded by talented young males who would like to get their attention. As the show progresses, Haruka and Tsubasa learn something new about each male character that will help these talented idols to work together as a team and reach their full potential. The similarities between these two shows are endless! In terms of atmosphere, characters, and music, you can never go wrong with Utapri!

Tsukiuta has gained wide success and an anime adaptation through wonderful music made by Vocaloid producers. Initially having female idols as well, it seems the anime will only be focusing more on the male idols that form Six Gravity and Procellarum. Each episode features one character at a time and they each represent and are themed around the 12 months of the year. With well known Seiyuu and talented Vocaloid composers, Tsukiuta will never disappoint! Tsukiuta. The Animation is another ongoing anime that is currently airing alongside B-pro. Just like some selections in this list, Tsukiuta and B-pro revolve around handsome male idol singers. The songs, the characters, even the dance moves and the overall vibes will remind you of B-pro. In Tsukiuta, the groups Six Gravity and Procellarum are often paired together to perform. Each character’s interaction with the other team ranges from friendly rivalry to sibling-like relationship. Just like in B-pro, the group Kitakore, THRIVE, and MooNs perform together as one team under the name B-project. Though they are essentially rivals, they bicker, help one another, work together as a whole, and treat each other like a family. Watch this along with B-pro and be amazed at Tsukiuta’s jaw-dropping visuals during their performances which are done by Studio Pierrot by the way.

During his 2nd year in middle school, Yuuta Hoshitani was dazzled at the touching performance of a certain high school student. Dreaming of one day performing alongside that unknown student, he uses the performer’s uniform as a hint to where Yuuta can encounter the person in question. He then enters Ayanagi Academy and applies in the musical department. There, he was paired with 4 other potential candidates under the team of Itsuki Ootori. Yet another anime that has a great remembrance to B-project is Starmyu. Much like B-pro, Stamyu offers talented, good looking males with wonderful music to boot. 5 unlikely males are paired together to work as a team in order to be accepted permanently in the musical department section of the school. As they train hard to become future idols, each individual’s own back stories are revealed, showing how these people are heavily connected by music. They don’t start off well, but as the show progresses, they reveal their closeness to one another and make a great team. The improved relationship of team Ootori reflects the amazing relationship within B-pro. Like some of our other selections, Starmyu has an upcoming new season for its fans! So while waiting for it, why not go on your way to watch it and its ongoing OVA this season.

Shounen Hollywood was originally a novel that revolves around the 1st generation of the group of the same name. This anime, however, tells a newer story. It starts 15 years after the original ending of the novel where it now shows the 2nd generation of Shounen Hollywood. If you want something that is a bit realistic when it comes to the world of male idols, then Shounen Hollywood is your best bet. Shounen Hollywood exhibits not only the bright side of being an idol, but it also presents us with the darker side of the industry. You will literally see them being upset at things that male idols must uphold for the media and realize that the great competition in the industry is not at all fun and games. Just like B-pro, the viewers are given the chance to know each male character and why they chose the path of being an idol. You will see them work hard and train hard just to give the perfect performance for their fans. Shounen Hollywood is more than attractive male idols who just sing and dance, it is a slice of life anime that will show you what it truly takes to become an idol, despite their sparkling image. If you want to see more of Shounen Hollywood, then watch Shounen Hollywood: Holly Stage for 49 and maybe help them in their crowdfunding for new animation.

Cyan Hijirikawa is a cute shy girl who has a hidden talent when it comes to music. One quiet night, she was sucked in her favorite game and turned into a catgirl in a place known as Midi city. She is then recruited by Branded Rocking Labels where she becomes the leader of Plasmagica. Along with her new found friends, she defeats evil with her music in hopes of getting back home. Show by Rock!! Short!! Is currently airing as of now with an upcoming season 2 Show by Rock!! # is on the way. Similarly, Show by Rock!! and B-project are both music anime about idols. Show by Rock!! has a fair share of male and female idols for viewers to watch. Though, unlike B-pro who mainly sing and dance as a way to entertain their fans, Show by Rock!! uses only the harmony of their instruments to touch the hearts of their fans. They may differ overall when it comes to plot progression, but one thing is for certain for these two shows. They aim to be the very best in their field as they give the magic of music to their beloved fan base. Much like B-pro consists of 3 different idol groups, Branded Rocking Labels consists of 2 different groups which are Plasmagica and ShinganCrimsonZ. Being a music anime, Show by Rock!! Also gives off the same feel that B-pro has. It’s an unpredictable Kemonomimi anime that you definitely don’t want to miss!

Miki Ishimoto, an art student graduate, received the great news of her life when Holbein Entertainment Co. Made her the manager of “The Rockies”. However, upon meeting the Idols, she is in shock to discover that “The Rockies” are indeed hard rock. They are statues that have feelings and personality. The boy band features 4 well-known sculptures, St. George, Medici, Mars, and Hermes. Follow along with Ishimoto as she ventures into the world of entertainment! This is one of those shows that will make you question yourself, “What am I even watching?”. Despite the weird funny roller coaster that this anime has to offer, you just can’t simply take your eyes off of it as you watch along. Sekkou Boys has a lot of base elements that B-pro has, the trials of becoming an idol, the hardships of being a manager, handsome men (in these case statues), the quirkiness of each character, and the comedy. Oh the comedy! In B-pro you are left breathless because of how handsome they are with their magnificent music, in Sekkou Boys, however, it will leave you breathless because of their hilarious comedy. Sekkou Boys’ comedy centers around funny puns and good old parodies about idol anime. And just like Tsubasa Sumisora who acts as a manager for B-pro, Miki Ishimoto takes on this role for Sekkou Boys. They do their job very well in supporting their assigned male idols for their respective companies. Sekkou Boys doesn’t showcase any music unlike our selections above. But hey, if you want to hear them sing, then listen to the anime ending song as it was sung by the same Seiyuu of the Rockies. It’s a rare hidden gem and a good short watch for the fans of this genre.