In an era where pirates were “everything” on both land and sea, Gol D. Roger was the most prominent “Pirate King” to sail the Grand Line. Upon his capture and death by the World Government, his last words invoked and echoed a great challenge to the next generation of pirates. Among the challengers is Monkey D. Luffy. Unlike most pirates, Luffy quickly distinguished himself by setting the highest bounty in pirate history. Together, Luffy and his crew, the Straw Hats, take on their dreams of sailing the Grand Line in search of riches, fame and glory. Their adventurous spirits take them on an incredibly exciting voyage, with countless twists and turns. Emporio Ivankov or Iva-chan is introduced to viewers at Impel Down, the Marine’s maximum-security prison. Iva-chan is the former Queen of the Kamabakka Kingdom, where the inhabitants are cross dressers (okama). Recognized as a “miracle worker”, Iva-chan is a current inmate in Impel Down’s notorious Level 5, which is also the secret location of the “Okama Paradise”. As a renowned Okama queen, Iva-chan does everything in the most outrageous fashion. Her makeup includes dramatic eyeliner and lashes, blue eye shadow, and purple lipstick to match her showy afro. Even in her other feminine form, she rocks this look with the utmost confidence.

Fullmetal Alchemist follows two brothers, Edward and Alphonse Elric. The Elric brothers live in a world where alchemy exists. After their father abandoned them, Edward and Alphonse lived peacefully with their mother. Some years later, the boys tragically lose their mother at a young age. Having a talent for alchemy, the boys decide to bring their mother back. In explanation, alchemy utilizes the laws of equivalent exchange; something of equal value must be sacrificed in order to receive what is desired and things cannot be produced out of nothing. However, human transmutation, what the boys attempted to perform to get their mother back, is strictly forbidden and unfortunately goes terribly wrong. Consequently, as the anime progresses, we discover the heart-wrenching lengths Edward and Alphonse must go to in order to regain the parts of them that were lost. Lust is a homunculus, an artificially created human. She disregards humanity and compels people to act upon their lustful desires for her own advantages. Lust is heartless and capricious, until later on, memories of her humanity gradually emerge. Classified as one of the seven deadly sins, Lust’s appearance is dark, always dressed in form-fitting, feminine attire. Her makeup includes winged tip eyeliner for a sultry cat-eye look, in addition to the classic red lip that contrasting her pale complexion. A timeless, recognized look, you can’t go wrong with a red lipstick to any outfit.

Kamisama Hajimemashita is a romantic comedy that follows a young lady named Nanami Momozono. Nanami is in a bit of a bind when she loses her home due to her father’s gambling problem. Without any direction on what to do and where to go, she wanders into the park to figure out what her next step is. In happenstance, she hears a commotion, finding a guy stuck up a tree, blockaded by a barking dog. After Nanami saves this man from the harmless dog, he bestows to her a special mark deeming her a “land god”, along with a place to stay, which happens to be a shrine, and the responsibility to care for it. As she accepts this task, Nanami’s exciting escapades begin. Narukami is a horrific, bratty god with a shrine located in the sky. Harboring huge jealously towards Nanami because of her close relationship with Tomoe, Narukami steals the mark bestowed to Nanami and temporarily gains control of the shrine. Cold and heartless in the most immature way, Narukami needs everything to be her way or the highway. Moreover, she treats her familiar in the most nasty and unpleasant ways. Dissimilarly, her horrible personality does not reflect the beauty she displays on the outside. As she is very alluring, Narukami has gorgeous blue and purple ombré hair, purple eye shadow, purple lipstick and wears beautifully matching kimonos. Essentially, she does not embody the phrase “beauty is only skin-deep.”

Ergo Proxy is an interesting, deeply intricate and philosophical anime that surrounds the dark elements of humanity at the brink of extinction. As most of the planet is inhabitable, mankind must rely on the usage of autonomous robots called AutoReivs. Re-l Mayer enters the story as an AutoReiv inspector who must investigate a number of defective and contaminated AutoReivs due to contracting the Cogito virus. As she dives deeper into this investigation, Re-l further discovers mysterious and mythical beings called Proxies. As such, she must uncover what purpose they hold for the city of Romdo and the entire planet. As Re-l has the fate of humanity to be most concerned for, we cannot help that her appearance is what draws viewers into this anime. In an all black ensemble, she wears heavy blue eye shadow around her eyes. Surrounded in darkness and dreariness, the blue that she wears may perhaps interpret tranquility within herself, as the world around her is in chaos.

Hunter x Hunter captures the story of Gon Freecss, a strong willed young man who is determined to be the very best hunter. In doing so, Gon must face perilous challenges, testing him in every way possible. In completing the prestigious Hunter’s exam, Gon meets several people who grow to become his close friends; Leorio, Killua and Kurapika. Each with their own goals in mind, the four of them always have each other’s backs. As time goes by, Gon, Leorio, Killua, and Kurapika encounter various characters, creatures and obstacles that demonstrate more challenging than the previous ones. Overall, they never lose sight of their ambitions, continuing to grow as skilled Hunters. Hisoka is a memorable character because of his strength and abilities, climbing to the top in the most cruel and deceitful ways. As he is constantly scouting for challenging opponents, Hisoka quickly takes interest in Gon. Although he doesn’t wear much on his face, Hisoka is recognized with his star and teardrop adornments and his thin but dramatic eyebrows. With an affinity for cards, this look is flattering to his brash personality.

Peach Girl is a drama-filled romance comedy about Momo Adachi, who is caught in a love triangle with a boy she likes, named Toji, and a boy who likes her, Kairi. Momo is not your typical-looking high school girl, in that she is very tanned due to her being on the swim team and tanning very easily. Her ginger hair also stands out from the rest as the chemicals in the pool water have lightened it significantly. As she is very gorgeous in her own way, her looks do not attract her crush, which notably crushes her self-esteem. Unfortunately, Momo tries her best to be the girl Toji wants, but has trouble doing so. Peach Girl reveals the events and circumstances of Momo as she is faced with everyday high school challenges. Momo’s look covers blue eye shadow and hot pink lipstick. As the anime is called Peach Girl, her skin tone is very glimmered and sun-kissed. As this warm tone is very flattering, Momo should remember that she should embrace her differences and not try to change who she is for anyone!

Oshiete! Galko-chan shows the daily on-goings of Galko and her friends, Otako and Ojou, in and around school. In addition, the girls attempt to “bust” the myths surrounding the female anatomy. Galko-chan is “a bit sharp-tongued, but a good-natured, popular girl in the class.” As such, we explore the minds of school-aged youths and what they experience as they go through various physical and psychological changes. To highlight her bubbly personality, pinks are featured in Galko-chan’s appearance. Galko-chan’s makeup includes pink eyeshadow, blush, glossy lips and pink nail polish. Unlike the typical schoolgirls surrounding Galko-chan, she is more full-figured, but does not let this aspect of her become the target of intimidation.

Nana is the story of two women named… Nana, lol. Nana Komatsu, the narrative of this anime, is an adventurous spirit, who moves to Tokyo to be closer to her boyfriend. Alternatively, Nana Osaki is an aspiring musician in a punk band that is slowly making its way to the top. They coincidentally meet on a train, unexpectedly bond, and later end up as roommates. Nana captures the lives of these two women, joined by their name, as they live out their lives beginning new adventures. Nana Osaki’s edgy and dark look includes heavy eye makeup (eye shadows, liner, and mascara) and various hues of red lipstick. Her color schemes include a lot of red and black with little variation of anything else. In addition, she also has painted nails, piercings and tattoos and wears tons of accessories to brighten her look.

In Bihada Ichizouku, the Bihada sisters, Sara and Saki are involved and compete in the world renowned “World Beautiful-Skin Competition” to retain their legacies as prominent figures in the beauty industry. Sara, the younger twin, is more personable with natural beauty to compliment. Saki, the older twin, is equally beautiful. However, Saki is more opposed to the industry and vindictively wants to steal the crown and spotlight from her outshining younger sister. Throughout this anime, we observe the drama unfold and the competitive nature between the sisters and other competitors. “It’s about to be a girl fight!” Although both Saki and Sara are beautiful in their own right, Sara is the face for Bihada Ichizouku. Sara resonates very pleasant and magical features; like a fairytale princess, if that makes any sense! Her makeup look includes eyeliner, mascara, blush, and pink lipstick. Her full and voluminous hair is always accompanied with a lovely accessory, whether it’s a crown or a floral headpiece. Furthermore, Sara’s look has influenced a line of beauty products to include facemasks, creams and cosmetics!

Kuragehime is the story of Tsukimi Kurashita and her four awkward, nerdy, and anti-social roommates, all possessing strange fixations. Tsukimi and her roomies all live in a sharehouse in Tokyo with a strict ‘no boys allowed’ rule. Tsukimi’s world, along with the other girls’, is greatly impacted when she meets a gorgeous ‘lady’ who is actually a guy name Kuranosuke. Tsukimi and Kuranosuke are from vastly different worlds, but offer each other great advice, teaching each other the benefit of stepping out of one’s comfort zone and accepting yourself as you are. Kuranosuke, aka Kurako, is extremely fashionable. Not only has he helped Tsukimi and the other girls in the sharehouse open up, he discovers and puts forth more efforts into his own dreams and aspirations; that is, to make a name in the fashion industry. Kurako likes who she is and is not afraid to experiment with new styles and trends. It’s hard to keep up with the many looks Kurako uses, but she usually pairs her makeup, a bold lip color, eye shadow and eyeliner, with different wigs and trendy outfits displayed throughout the series. As such, we feel she is number one on this list for the countless, limitless, and various ways Kurako uses makeup, inspiring beauty in herself and others.

Mihaya is a former noble who mistakenly decides to kidnap Shirayuki for her rare hair color with intentions to sell her. His plan fails, but he still tries to keep pulling himself up by the bootstraps to recapture the nobility he’s long lost. Later in the story, Mihaya reappears and offers important information to Zen regarding people looking for Shirayuki and aids Zen in finding them. Even though he isn’t the most loveable of the bunch, he is a handsome familiar face who is dependable in his own special way.

Garack is the onee-san we all wish he had. Not only is she highly accomplished as a pharmacist, she’s also friendly and fun to be around. Intelligent and sometimes eccentric, Garack is the Chief Court Pharmacist for the royal family of Clarines. She mentors Shirayuki and Ryuu and cares for Zen’s health and well-being. Although we don’t see too much of Garack, we can count on all her lines being inherently important or wise. Her easygoing personality even wins over Obi’s friendship. This is the dictionary definition of a woman that anybody can get along with.

Sakaki is Prince Raj’s devoted aide sworn to the kingdom of Tanbarun. Only a saint could put up with the finicky Prince Raj, but Sakaki is more than a saint, he’s also a comedic timing master. Playing the straight man to Raj’s eccentric behavior, Sakaki dotes on the prince and occasionally shows flashes of sarcasm in front of Raj’s immaturity. He is dedicated to making Raj a better prince and a better person in general, and we can’t think of a better man for the job! All of these characteristics culminate into a character that we are happy to see on screen.

If the second season didn’t happen, it’s highly doubtful Raj would be on this list, but oh man, did the second season happen. At first, Raj is all about making Shirayuki his concubine, but after getting a talking to from Zen and later from Shirayuki, he is perfectly fine not having anything to do with the girl. Although he could easily be seen as a natural romantic rival in the story, Raj instead builds and treasures a friendship with Shirayuki. This friendship is misinterpreted by Sakaki and Raj’s family, but Raj is certain has no intention of trying to “win her over.” Raj is a spoiled brat, but he’s a well-read spoiled brat who understands he will someday rule Tanbarun. Watching this spoiled prince change his tune from trying to own Shirayuki to respecting her and ultimately giving her the title “Friend of the Crown,” we can’t help look forward to Raj becoming a prince that can rival the ideal that is Zen.

As with Garack and Shirayuki, most of the female characters in Akagami are pretty impressive. Kiki is also a shining example of a strong, intelligent character in this anime. One of Zen’s trusted aides, Kiki has excellent swordsmanship and has an even more impressive dedication to protecting both Zen and Shirayuki. A bit more on the serious side than other characters, Kiki is somewhat of a mother hen character for Zen and Mitsuhide. They respect her opinions, trust her plans, and are sometimes afraid of her angry side. If you ever give Kiki a job, you know she’s going to complete it with flying colors. With measured discretion and talent to boot, Kiki is a character you just can’t hate. If there are haters, they’re just jealous.

With Kiki, Mitsuhide is Zen’s aide and his highly skilled in swordsmanship, as well. Although they had rough patches, Mitsuhide and Zen have a strong and open friendship. Mitsuhide has a tendency to be over-protective of Zen, which leads to Zen’s frustration, but Zen knows that Mitsuhide is someone he can depend on. If anything, Mitsuhide is overly caring for those around him and has a strong emotional connection to both Zen and Kiki. He is very understanding and easily empathizes with just about anyone. From his very first scenes, we could tell this guy is a trustworthy guy.

Ryuu is only 12 years old, but he’s already a court pharmacist in Clarines. He is also a mentor to Shirayuki. As an herbal genius, Ryuu’s accomplishments have him isolated from others. He rarely shows emotions on his face, but he’s still just so darn loveable! Ryuu’s interactions with Obi and Shirayuki are some of the most endearing scenes in the series. Even though he is a genius, his character is still very true to a 12-year-old’s character. It’s so nice to see this in an anime! Moreover, he’s pursuing what he loves. Intelligent but misunderstood, Ryuu is a character we want to relate to. He doesn’t let the misunderstandings get to him too much, but we’re glad there are people like Shirayuki, Obi, and Garack who make the effort to understand him.

Shirayuki might be in a fairytale setting, but she’s a role model for modern girls. A prince seeks out Shirayuki and demands that she enters the castle as his concubine, but home girl says no and sets off on a journey to anywhere but there, leading her right to Zen. She then saves Zen’s life, who in turn, helps her out with the whole concubine thing. After that, we would expect Shirayuki to go straight lovesick mode, but she doesn’t. She instead focuses on her career and balances her dreams of becoming a royal pharmacist and her affections for the silver-haired prince. Anime girls are supposed to be cute when they blush, but Shirayuki’s blush timing takes the cake. She blushes, we blush, and then the giggling starts. Giggles aside, we respect that Shirayuki doesn’t depend on her looks, like many a fairytale princess. Instead, she gains favor with all these princes by her resourcefulness, dedication, and knowledge. As far as shoujo protagonists go, Shirayuki is a rare specimen, indeed, and we shall keep watch over her development from here on out.

Obi, the mysterious bodyguard (cue the music) with a sly sense of humor, is so very loveable, one hundred and ten percent. Originally coming off as an antagonistic character, after seeing how Zen handles things, Obi switches over to serving Zen and being Shirayuki’s secret service. With his special stealthy skills, Zen entrusts Obi with many tasks that he can’t give to Mitsuhide or Kiki. Although there is low-key flirting with Shirayuki, the girl only really has eyes for Zen, so thankfully, we don’t have to choose sides. We still choose sides, but we don’t have to. We ship at our own leisure. Obi’s past is by far the most interesting in the whole series. We are begging for more about this walking mystery. The biggest mystery is Obi’s true feelings. A perennial jokester, we only get glimpses of Obi’s true feelings through the occasional blush or drunken conversation. Nonetheless, be it love or respect, as the second season progressed, Obi proves he has an unwavering dedication to Shirayuki and Zen. As time goes on, this character just keeps getting better and better.

Every good fairytale needs a perfect prince. He’s attractive, charming, kind-hearted, skilled in fighting, and a little mischievous. He’s a prince who also chills with normal people. Zen is the classic “perfect man,” but Akagami has upgraded this ideal in very specific ways to make him the evolved perfect man. Zen is straightforward with his feelings, once he finally realizes what they are. He’s very clear with how he feels about Shirayuki and doesn’t waste his time trying to hide his feelings or act cool. He’s still plenty cool, but he doesn’t let something like pride get in the way of their relationship. Instead, his responsibilities as the second prince of Clarines get in the way, but that kind of responsible behavior just makes us love him even more. Instead of becoming the “I’ll provide everything for you” type of prince, Zen supports Shirayuki and roots for her success as a court pharmacist. Zen and Shirayuki gain strength to reach their respective goals by looking as each other’s determination. Akagami isn’t about an ideal prince; it’s about an ideal couple. Zen is particularly sensitive to Shirayuki’s feelings. He doesn’t force his feelings onto her even though it could be pretty easy for him to do so. These are only small differences with the traditional prince archetype, but these small differences really go miles for how much we love this couple.

In the year 12,090 A.D. the world has been ravaged by destruction and war, which has left humanity with little to survive with, as well as mutants and vampires that have spawned known as the Nobility. Once a person has succumbed to a bite from a Nobility, they become a member of the undead. Now D, a lone mysterious vampire hunter, enters the fray as he was sought out by Doris Lang to save what’s left from further ruin. Now he must go out of his way to save the people, but to also rescue Doris Lang from her curse received from Count Lee before it’s too late. This series initially started as a novel before it republished as a manga, but unfortunately the manga had to be cut short due to an injury the illustrator received, preventing him from drawing. The 8 volumes covers a great chunk of the story which is full of sword slashing, and D going out of his way to destroy anything that opposes him. As a rare Dhampir, he doesn’t suffer from any normal vampire weaknesses but instead possess godlike abilities that allow him to tear down any enemy with ease, and stay in the sunlight for as long as he needs.

Kana was known to be an extremely athletic girl until a freak accident ended her career, which resulted in losing her scholarship among other things. However one thing seems to be off with everything because despite living what seems to be a normal life, her childhood friend Aki is actually a pureblood vampire who then turns her into his slave one evening by drinking her blood. Even more twisted than that, Aki is taking part in a game to find seven stigmas so that he can revive his twin brother and Kana’s other friend Eriya from their slumber. If you’re into romantic tales of vampire love and relationships, then Junketsu + Kareshi is right up your alley. Kana’s life was in complete disarray after her serious accident, which left her life in shambles. So Aki comes along to save the day by granting her immortality, but now she must work under his possession. Plot twists are thrown in and a werewolf character makes an appearance adding more flavor to this already juicy plot, which is starting to sound a lot like a popular vampire movie. This love triangle creates a more interesting direction in the story and the ending will leave you speechless.

Chiyuki was born with a unfortunate heart condition which prevented her from doing certain activities, and her doctors are telling her that she may not have very long to live. As fate would have it, one day Chiyuki meets Touya, a vampire who’s lived for more than a thousand years. Based on his customary practice, Touya is to find a mate with whom he can live another thousand years with, but he can’t stand the sight of blood and refuses to take any of Chiyuki’s. So the two must now figure out another solution as they build a fond relationship, and see the world in a different light. The early parts of the manga are quite somber as you come to learn of Chiyuki’s misfortunes, but as things progress you start to see a strong development between both Touya and Chiyuki, as their relationship grows. When Satsuki enters the picture it becomes a funny and light hearted atmosphere as Satsuki purposely flirts with Chiyuki to get under Touya’s skin, and we come to realize that he’s a werewolf. There’s a lot of ups and downs that happen throughout the later chapters, so if you’re into the lovey dovey halloween romance then be sure to read Sennen no Yuki to find out what happens.

This crime based vampire fiction looks at the life of Misaki and her strong attachment to Kuroe, an investigative author, as they learn to understand their differences in a world that’s unforgiving. Misaki had just become a vampire so she lacks experience in the field, but as her lover Kuroe starts to become a target for other vampires and undead creatures, she feels that the only way to protect the one she truly loves is to turn Kuroe into a vampire himself. Much of the story is shrouded in mystery as you try to unlock clues to Kuroe’s past, and just what type of life he had prior to living with Misaki. The more you read into the story the more you start to piece things together, and come to realize the truth behind it all, but also you’ll become more engaged in their deep relationship as vampires. The plot doesn’t focus entirely on one area, but rather it takes you in different directions to help you further understand each character's backstory, which in turn makes further chapters much more appeasing and full of intrigue.

After hundreds of years of seeking and clue finding, Mary finally finds the whereabouts of Maria, an exorcist that possesses the ‘Blood of Maria’ that can exterminate him. It turns out that the Maria Mary had been searching for was not the Maria that stood in front of him, but still somehow possesses the same power as the original. Maria is a target for vampires and so Mary makes a proposal to Maria stating that if he can kill him, Mary will protect him from the vampires until the threat is erased. While the story at times may confuse you due to the appearance of more than one Maria, it will most surely shed light on the truth so that you’ll see a much clearer picture after. Basically Bloody Mary wants to die and Maria wants to live, so the two must work together to ensure that their agreements are met before the worst happens. As everything unfolds between the two characters, you start to see just how limited in knowledge these two are, and that they must learn from their past mistakes in order to make the right decisions in the future. Will Bloody Mary get exorcised, and will Maria be saved from the annoying horde of vampires? Be sure to read and find out!

Vampire King Akabara Strauss struggled to keep his kingdom in one piece and eventually loses everything, including his queen. Since the queen was quite difficult to get rid of, the humans sealed her away, placing a thousand fake seals around her so that Akabara couldn’t find her true whereabouts. Despite being hunted by dhampires, Akabara desperately continues his search to find his queen and bring her back to safety. Things grow much worse when Akabara is confronted by The Black Swan, who has the power to take over another human body of a girl every 50 years, granting her enough power to kill both Akabara and his queen. As you jump straight into the story you’ll more than likely find yourself wondering just what’s happening, and why the Vampire King is the main target. Random battles take place and there are so many plot twists surrounding the truth that when you eventually do reach the climax, you’ll be in complete shock. There’s just something not totally right with the Vampire King and as you dive deeper into each volume, more and more of his past is unraveled that it becomes this emotionally romantic tale of hardships and pain.

Charley and Rayflo are two separate beings who somehow must work together to track down vampires and kill them. Charley is a cyborg vampire and works for the Vatican, while Rayflo is a vampire who enjoys the playboy lifestyle, but deep down truly cares for Charley. As the two continue to battle crime, they often find themselves in each other’s way and scuffle with each other in the most hilarious ways in this action packed vampire drama. There’s a lot that takes place in Vassalord that’s always full of laughter and action at every corner. You’ve got two vampires, one who simply can’t control his urge to drink blood, while the other can’t seem to stop flirting wherever he goes. Their constant bickering often gets in the way of the more important things like when they have to fight a powerful vampire princess, and deal with a corrupt Unitarian Church. That’s just the beginning of this crazy dramatic story, so read on further to see just how heated things get.

Tohno Shiki had been in an accident that nearly cost his life, but through divine intervention he received a mysterious power which allowed him to perceive lines which covers just about everything around him. Fortunately one day a mysterious young magician enters his life, presenting him with glasses that prevent him from seeing these lines which have been an eyesore for some time. After a serious turn events pertaining to his family and school life, destiny tells him to return home which becomes a series of events that now puts his life on the line, but are somehow connected to his childhood accident and dark unsolved past. You’ll be seeing quite a number of flashbacks throughout the story which pretty much tie things together as you progress through the chapters. It becomes the selling point of the series because of how it adds just the right about of intrigue and suspense to keep you satisfied, but it also ties into the entire plot. You’re left questioning the details surrounding Tohno’s family, and come to realize just why he’s had to struggle and suffer through all the ordeals thus far. If you’re wondering where the vampire bit comes in, you’ll most likely find it in the mid parts of the chapters, and we simply can’t spoil that for you!

Vanitas is a well known doctor who looks after vampires in hopes that he can save them from their pain. He carries around a book of magic known as The Vanitas Grimoire to rid of a deadly curse that corrupts vampires, turning them into blood sucking fiends. Per contra, the very same book that he wields is rumored to be the cursed tome that spawns vampires when the blue moon is full. Noe, a vampire, is now on a quest to seek out the Grimoire to uncover it’s true secrets and just who Dr. Vanitas really is. Mochizuki is notorious for leaving readers in a minefield of unanswered questions, and Vanitas no Shuki is no exception. Within the first few chapters you’re already thrown into the shark pit with spoilers directly shown to you, but then just before you think you understand it all, the gears shift and you find yourself wondering if that spoiler even meant anything. It starts off as this wonderful fantasy-centric tale as backstories are developed, and much of the characters are being introduced but then it hits you like a truck towards the end. You’re left wanting more and more as your initial intentions of the story have now been scattered, and you’ll need to piece everything back together in this exciting vampire shounen series.

There’s only one vampire that can truly hold the throne and that’s Alucard with his incredibly godlike powers. This vampire just knows how to handle his business, and does so in such a way that leaves you both mesmerized and full of excitement. Alucard was hired as an exterminator for the British government to help assist Integra’s army, who just weren’t capable enough to take out all of incredibly strong enemies. Along with his vampire minion Seras Victoria, the two set out to destroy anything in their way and uncover the dark secrets behind the Vatican and a group of mad men who run the corrupt band of madmen known as The Millennium. From the minute you jump into the story the action has already begun, and you’re right in the middle of it all as Alucard kicks some serious tail, and makes it all look easy. Every vampire, zombie, or supernatural being that gets in his way, Alucard simply just annihilates them while Seras is there to pick up the pieces along the way. It’s a non stop rollercoaster ride of events as Alucard needs to desperately find clues behind the Vatican and their plans, as well as The Millennium who are terrifying in their own way, and are eagerly trying to obliterate mankind and claim everything. Will their dastardly plans ever see the light of day? Follow Alucard on his adventure to find out more!

Starting from number 10 is the first opening theme from Macross Delta, Ichido Dake no Koi Nara, or If It’s a Once in a Lifetime Love by the in-series idol group, Walkure (modern German for Valkyrie, the fighter jets from the original series). Its lyrics capture all of the series qualities of romance, soaring through the skies, and exploring the stars. With anything that can happen in an intergalactic war where anyone can die at any given moment, experiencing a love that could only come once could not be more appropriate as a theme. If you are the type of anime viewer that likes to judge an anime based on its opening song or have music that is high on your criteria, this song should seal the deal. The song does an effective job serving as a preview of what the series has to offer with its intense lyrics and energy. The song does a great job of exhibiting each performer’s talents and how the pitches of their voices fit within the group and individually. The fact that not just the Delta series but also the Macross saga itself can fit into this song is why we blast off with Ichido Dake no Koi Nara.

an Hikou. Though intended to be used in her official debut concert, due to circumstances with Alto’s birthday and being stuck on a mission dealing with some rebellious Zentradi, Ranka comes to the rescue and demonstrates that her singing abilities has the same capabilities as Minmay’s from the original Macross in which she can calm down hostile situations. It’s melody and lyrics perfectly compliment Ranka’s feelings for Alto and her adorable natural charms. A majority of the performance is presented like a music video with special effects with stars coming out of her winks. The lyrics share how Alto catches her eye and how his presence makes her feel. The performance also demonstrates that despite being a relative newcomer to the idol industry, she already has a strong fanbase to the point that her abilities are effective in combat conditions. This song would later be paid homage through Freyja in Macross Delta, who is a fan of the song.

If there is one song that became a breakout hit in the original TV series, it has to be Watashi no Kare Wa Pilot (meaning My Boyfriend’s a Pilot). The song is an obvious reference to the relationship between Minmay and Hikaru. The song is very cute as an idol song appropriately should be, and appropriately reflects the style of the most innocent style of the 1980s. The tune is very simple but catchy. The song could have been universal within the series itself since some of the girls aboard the original Macross could have either a boyfriend that were pilots, or pilots were the ideal men with young-ins like Hikaru and manly men like Roy. But as a means of being cute, one of the lyrics also happens to sing about how the boyfriends are crazier about their plane than a girl, which could also symbolize a likable quality that they are serious about their jobs. In Macross 7, the song would pay homage to one of the main leads, Ranka Lee, at an idol audition. Like Minmay, Ranka also comes from humble beginnings, has her own brand of cuteness, and happens to have a crush on a pilot showing that its themes are timeless in its own world.

Appropriately ranking in at number 7 is Totsugeki Love Heart from Macross 7. Though Canna Nobutoshi would voice Basara, Fukuyama Yoshiki sings the character’s songs. Fukuyama is a collaborator of the JAM project, consisting of many artists famous for composing anime music. Fukuyama’s talents do an amazing job of convincing viewers that it could be Canna himself singing. If anything, Totsugeki Love Heart could probably best serve as the image song for the character himself. The instrumentals bring a party like feel and just want you to get up and air guitar to its sick chords. Through these lyrics, Basara sings about wanting people to put aside their differences and enjoy life. The song teaches its audience and its cast members on the battlefield to cast away all negative emotions, listen to some awesome music, and let love take over. Its universal message and sense of optimism in a dark world are what makes this song an amazing addition to this list.

At a solid six, we have Submarine Street from Macross 7. This is a song that perfectly blends the masterful singing and guitar playing of Fukuyama Yoshiki. In addition to its regular rock version, there is an acoustic version as well to present the song in a calmer and softer tone. The regular version of the song has a wonderful hook with its high-pitched guitar cords that get your attention and then eases itself to its romantic lyrics of wanting to be with that special someone. While a Protodeviln named Sivil is in a deep slumber, Basara repeatedly tries to wake her with this song. This song and the use of it is a great representation of Basara’s true character who wishes to move everybody with his music no matter who they are. Even though Sivil tries to repeatedly slaughter him, he is willing to let that go and demonstrate that he wants to extend his heart. Outside of the context of the story, what also makes it a great song is that many people have someone they want to be with, and not only does this song express that, it also shares how that loneliness can tear someone apart on the inside exhibiting the desperation someone wants to be with the person they hold dear.

At number 5 is Axia ~Daisuki De Daikirai~ which was a song Walkure released prior to the beginning of the series and mostly features Kaname when she was the leader. The role of this song is to show how much Arad, one of the top pilots of the Delta Squad, has feelings for her because he secretly has this song stored on a bracelet that serves as a communicator and MP3 player. The song itself has its own unique story that Arad uses it to calm his Var Syndrome because it was the song that calmed it down the first time he got it a couple of years before the events of the series. The lyrics and melody are a great representation of Arad’s and Kaname’s feelings for each other that despite having a deep connection, they still have a complicated love for each other due to their circumstances. The song is very relatable because relationships themselves are complex and the song does a great job of exploring those realities.

Though there are solo versions with Sheryl and Ranka singing it, the song would be solidified as a duet between them. The duet version demonstrates a great chemistry between Nakajima Megumi and May’N with their talents and energy. Though their characters physically differ as if they were a child and an adult (despite being 3 years apart in age), when they bring their talents and passion together, all of that disappears. The lyrics are all about how crazy they are about a guy. This is pretty obvious in episode 15 when they start singing the song to Alto exhibiting a friendly rivalry for his love. The song is pretty blunt but it’s all about having fun and being with that special guy. Though the opening verse is rather soft, but it gets progressively louder and when it gets to the chorus, its captivating energy entices you to how innocent the song really is and you just want to go out and have a good time.

Coming in at number 3 is the song that introduces the Walkure idol group into the battlefield is Ikenai Borderline. With a catchy fast paced hook that keeps the tone consistent and accompanied by some sexy brass instrumentals, on a foundation the song does a great job of complementing the fast paced high octane action of Delta and pumping up the adrenaline of Hayate (who goes as far as dancing with his mech) and Freyja (who sings along with the idol group). This song also demonstrates that Walkure’s role is not just to calm down the battlefield, but how their singing and their combined power with fold receptors are used to calm down the symptoms of a bio weapon called the Var Syndrome. The lyrics are appropriate for the situation because it talks about love being capable of breaking down all barriers. The song can also be interpreted to symbolize the developing relationship between the co-leads with how they are trying to cope with their feelings and surroundings which make it one of Delta’s best songs.

If any song has to be one of the most emotional songs in not just Delta but all of Macross, it is mostly certainly Giraffe Blues. The great thing about this song is that it can work as both a group song, and as a solo. Probably for some fans and for some of you listening for the first time, this is probably a song that you’d probably want played at your own funeral. The song beautifully shares that it is ok to share your pain with others and ultimately carries a message of hope once you open your own heart. This is just one of those songs that you just have to listen to really get it. Even if you don’t understand Japanese, the presentation of this song is just enough to let listeners know what the song is emotionally sharing. When Freyja tried to sing this song at the blast zone in her own home planet, and was assaulted by one of the Aerial Knights, that moment alone just proves the point of this song and how powerful this song truly is and why it should not be on a list of best Macross songs, but of best anime songs.

If there is one song that solidified Macross and has to rank in at number 1, it is Do You Remember Love from the movie, which is its namesake. The role of this song happens to end the war between the humans and the Zentradi. As Hikaru and Misa discover some Protoculture ruins, they happen to find an artifact that contains song lyrics and another artifact that plays a melody that goes with the lyrics and it is decided to have Minmay sing it. Upon the final battle, Minmay gives it her all and shows great enthusiasm and passion into its emotional lyrics of re-discovering love the first time. The song also symbolizes the Zentradi re-discovering their roots and that they share a similar origin with humans despite their differences. It is a great song to listen to when you feel you are down and don’t know what to do, it can lift your spirits up by taking you back to what put you on your feet and get you back up again! Not only did this song help Iijima Mari’s breakthrough in J-pop, it paved way for the relationship between anime and other forms of popular music, which continues to this very day.

Saint Oniisan is an OVA that truly takes the serious and complex nature out of religion, in addition to questioning how the foundations of life came to be, by twisting it into a relatable, modern and light-hearted story. The main characters are the founders of Christianity and Buddhism, Jesus Christ and Gautama Buddha, respectively. Jesus and Buddha take a vacation on Earth together to observe humanity. They are roomies in a Tokyo apartment where they both must discover the various ways that mankind lives their lives, abiding to one’s morals and ethics, in conjunction to rules and guidelines provided by society. While inhabiting their apartment in Tokyo, being celestial individuals themselves, they have a force more threatening to worry about: the landlady, Mrs. Matsuda. Upon their arrival, Mrs. Matsuda notices something is “off” with the “Saints” and investigates what that “something” is. In this two episode OVA, we watch Jesus and Buddha unveil the mysteries of life on Earth, as they attempt to hide their identities and miraculous powers to the public, and combat the ever scary Mrs. Matsuda. What is fantastic about Saint Oniisan is that it’s a very entertaining concept to watch, easing the tension that is often connected to comparative religion.

Robotica Robotics is about two robots, Natsu and Haru, who were abandoned by their previous owner, and now live with their new owner, professor/scientist Masa-san. Natsu and Haru narrate their thoughts about the meaning of love. Is it possible for robots to feel love, or any emotion for that matter? This OVA will definitely tackle “the feels” as it highlights Natsu’s conflicted emotions of deep depression, the meaning of his life, and suicide. Moreover, Haru’s curiosities are underlined as he provides proof to the question of whether or not robots hold any emotive consciousness. Lastly, differing from Natsu and Haru’s previous owner, Masa-san shows a strong and passionate paternal bond for the boys, something they have not experienced before. Robotica Robotics is an excellent slice of life OVA because it addresses many dark issues that aren’t normally presented in anime, with the final product being that there is some good that exists underneath the negative.

Marriage: Kekkon is a two part episode OVA that focuses on the subject of finding someone special, falling in love, and making the ultimate commitment with marriage. The first part chronicles the lives of five mid-aged women, who have just made their mark in the workforce after being out of university for several years. They have just established themselves, but are seeking a little more to their lives, particularly finding someone to share things with. Four of the five girls are actively dating, while one, Shizuka, has not taken the subject of dating enthusiastically because she is very shy. As such, Shizuka’s friends sign her up onto a dating service to increase her odds of finding the right person. Here, we observe that when it comes to finding Mr. Right, love takes patience and is something that can’t be rushed. The second part documents the story of five ladies as well, with one who is not married due to personal barriers. The single Kiyomi, unlike her sisters, seems to have no interest in being attached to someone and getting married. Eager to push Kiyomi into being in a committed relationship, her sisters convince a young man from her work, who is completely infatuated with her, to propose to her on their first date. With Kiyomi being a strong and intimidating individual, her suitor finds his forthcoming task incredibly challenging, even more so because she is his superior at work. Whether or not he gets the answer he wants to hear is the intense pinnacle of this episode. Additionally, this proposal must be perfect, as this moment in a girl’s life is one of her most memorable.

The Karugamo High School baseball team has been doing their best when it comes to playing the game, but unfortunately, they lack what it takes to make it to the top of the leagues. Their ferocious competitors, the Eagles, with their talented players and advanced sports robots, have made many members lose confidence and quit the sport altogether. Now, the Karugamo team is short one player. Desperate to keep the team together, Shunpei Harumaki decides to buy a robot, but sadly is short the funds for a decent one. Shunpei ends up buying a maid robot named Azusa, immediately seeing something in her when she was on display, but can’t quite put his finger on it. Outdated and coming short in athletic abilities, Azusa is determined and willing to help the baseball team come to a win. While practicing, when Shunpei was in immediate danger, Azusa’s instincts kicked in, demonstrating her unseen agility and strength. Over time, Azusa has built strong bonds with the members of the baseball team and regardless of her lifespan; she wants to fulfill her role and duty. As the day finally comes for the rematch against the Eagles, the Karugamo team is reminded by Azusa that the players and their efforts are what make the sport of baseball and overall drive the team’s spirit.

Tabisuru Nuigurumi: Traveling Daru illustrates a child’s imagination and her greatest efforts into creating her stuffed toy, Daru. Rushing onto their flight one day, the young girl drops Daru. As Daru has become her first true friend, she is very upset and has no chance in retrieving him. With a mind and spirit of his own, Daru stows away on another child’s carry-on, trying to find his way back to his owner. Exceedingly determined, Daru travels to many different countries asking around various characters if they have seen his owner. Time passes on and as we are drawn into this story, many ponder as to whether or not this girl will ever reunite with her long lost friend. In this captivating slice of life OVA, the innocence of a child and the wonders of the world display the strength of the human heart and the value of meaningful relationships. As the years have gone by for our female lead, Daru found his way back into his loving friend’s arms, in due course, by the most creative and unlikely way.

Kanojo to Kanojo no Neko is told from the perspective of the loving, loyal, and passionate cat, Chobi. Chobi first encounters his human on a gloomy and rainy day. His new owner, in his eyes, is the most beautiful person he ever saw. From that day forth, he was rescued from the cold, darkness, and loneliness into warmth and bliss. Many days have passed and over time, Chobi falls hard for his owner. He even, for a time, has a girlfriend, Mimi, whom he becomes close with, but unfortunately does not feel the same passion as he does for his human. As Chobi endlessly observes and watches over his master day after day, he knows her behaviors and emotions, glorifying all that she does and knows that nothing she does is ever at fault. With the recent release of Kanojo to Kanojo no Neko: Everything Flows earlier this year, this OVA captures the nature and relationship between people and their pets. As it is narrated by a life form that cannot express itself linguistically, us humans can only speculate that our pets really love us as much as Chobi does.

Chizuru, whenever on the verge of love, seems to always screw things up. Chizuru is a bubbly and charismatic girl, but unfortunately doesn’t have the best luck with guys. Currently, she is dating Yuudai-kun, who demonstrates to be the complete opposite of her. Kind, yet very serious most of the time, Yuudai has never responded back to the countless times Chizuru has told him she loves him. Frustrated with feeling that things are one-sided, Chizuru plans to have an all-out date and then end things with Yuudai. However, just when Chizuru was about to give up hope, Yuudai surprises her with a pet, unlike anything one would imagine receiving! This new pet creates an enormous amount of chaos, hindering the opportunity for Chizuru to break up with Yuudai. She later finds out that under Yuudai’s hard, concealing exterior, he feels just the same as she does for him. As we enter the second episode in Tokyo Marble Chocolate, we see Yuudai’s perspective to the relationship. Yuudai also believes he is a screw up when it comes to love, presuming that when things end, it is always his fault. Yuudai has a difficult time sharing his feelings that overall makes him depressed. Upon Chizuru’s discovery of her gift, her new pet, again, chaos ensues. As we wonder whether or not the couple will remain together or break things off for good, we learn collectively the effects to both sides of a relationship and the criticalness of communication throughout.

This amazing slice of life OVA, Zou no Senaka: Tabidatsu Hi touches on the heartbreaking moments of one’s life ending. With such an unsettling prognosis, how does one come to terms with such difficult news? Is it easy or difficult to accept one’s impending death? Moreover, how does one tell their closest family members? One wonders what they will do and how will they react. One also wonders if their family was truly happy with them and how each member will carry on without them. The lasting message from the main character states that crying is okay, if only for a short time. Essentially, it is important to remember all of life’s greatest memories; to cherish life; smile; to count one’s blessings; and to tell those that mean everything to them that they are cared for and loved because life is too short.

Sakura Capsule captures the story of six close girls, all BFFs, who would always play together at the park in their quiet neighborhood close to Tokyo. The six friends all knew each other from a very young age. In the fourth grade, regrettably, the girls had to change schools. As the girls sensed they might drift away from each other, each one of them promised to bury a time capsule, retaining their current memories and to one day look back at how their lives were. Much time has passed and the girls have not remained as close to one another as they would have liked. Each living their separate lives, something amazing happens surrounding all six girls. Sakura Capsule represents the innocence of incredibly sweet youngsters longing for that “happily ever after” and lasting memories. Although in reality, there is much sorrow to life, we can only hope to stay in life’s “perfect and happy bubble” for as long as it can withstand.

Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou takes place in the future where global warming has caused much of Yokohama city to be submerged, causing many higher peak surfaces to jut out of the water. Despite this adversity, the inhabitants of this city are content and satisfied to be living, enjoying the beauty that still remains in this environmentally threatened planet. Among the residents is a young woman named Alpha, who owns a lovely café called Café Alpha. Appreciating her surroundings and living life as humanly as possible, she cannot, as Alpha is an artificially created being. Nonetheless, this has no effect on how she differs from any human. One day, Alpha overhears on a radio broadcast that Yokohama is once again on the verge of being hit. As the typhoon destroys Alpha’s café, she then decides to embark on a journey, figuring out her next approach in building the café she lost. Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou makes our list for top 10 because it is the quintessential slice of life; where the main character is thrust into a circumstance out of her control and has to figure out how to deal with the situation. With many traits of this genre, viewers tag along on her journey as well, experiencing the same struggles and joys as many of these characters do. Therefore, we can abide to the saying that, “when life gives you lemons, make lemonade!”

Naruto Uzumaki is a young ninja with big dreams. He wishes to one day become the greatest ninja and leader of his village and makes grand proclamations of his intentions. However it’s not his silly antics that have people keeping their distance, but that the great Kyuubi, or Nine-Tailed Fox, has been sealed inside of Naruto since he was a baby. This gives Naruto heightened abilities but also a sense of isolation from others, who fear he may one day bring disaster down on the village. Naruto must steel his heart against the cruel words of those that fear him and the Kyuubi’s own cynical voice that encourages him to destroy everything. While the anime mostly focuses on Naruto’s path to becoming Hokage and the lives and battles of the other ninjas he becomes acquainted with, the kitsune inside him plays a huge role in how his life turns out. His incredible power is what sets Naruto apart from others and invokes respect, fear, envy, and hatred. As the series goes on (and on and on) the Nine-Tailed Fox plays more of a role in the story and we are able to see more of his power. Because we don’t get to see much of the kitsune considering how long the anime is, Naruto is our number 10 choice.

Though a descendant of the powerful and prestigious Kawahira clan, a family of Inukami (dog god) tamers who protect the world from evil, Keita fills his time thinking about girls. He doesn’t let his family’s disapproval discourage him and often complains the work doesn’t interest him. It seems fitting then that the Inukami he’s made a contract with is emotional, selfish, and quite a troublemaker. Unlike the other Inukami, Youko cares more about forcing Keita on dates with her or punishing him for his womanizing ways. She uses her powers to punish malicious spirits and her troublesome owner at her discretion. While Youko is pretty transparent in her love for Keita, she harbors a secret she fears may tear them apart. Based on this show’s inclusion on the list, you’ve probably realized that Youko is not actually an Inukami! Her secret is that she is, in fact, a kitsune, and she attempted to trick Keita into thinking she was an Inukami so that the two of them would be forced to grow closer. Just as foxes are rumored to be in legend, Youko is secretive and delights in using her powers for fun. While a good example of a kitsune with great powers, the slow reveal of her true identity takes Inukami down to number 9 on the list.

Sweet but shy Inari can’t seem to catch a break when she is running late to school and happens upon a fox pup in need of help. Unable to ignore the poor thing, she rushes to save him and ends up falling in a river. She resigns to being late at that point and brings the pup safely to the Inari shrine she’s named after and ends up winning the affection of the God that resides there. Uka-sama gives Inari the power to transform into another person and the little pup Inari saved becomes her familiar. However, having the powers of a God may prove to be too much for her. Inari Kon Kon has a ton of kitsune, though they mainly just stay in a single fox form. They are able to talk and float and serve as guides and mediators between Gods and people. Uka-sama does occasionally make them transform into video game consoles in order to play dating-sims which she seems to be very fond of. We mostly get to see Kon, Inari’s kitsune familiar, as he tries to give her advice about both love and her transformation power. Since the focus of the story is more on the human than the kitsune themselves, Inari makes it to number 8 on our list.

A misunderstood and secretly lonely young girl named Ririchiyo decides to leave her affluent family’s estate and live on her own in a special apartment complex where the tenants must be chosen. She wants to become a more honest and kind person and until she can talk without hurting others, she’s resolved to live in solitude, not intending to get close to her neighbors. When a man shows up claiming to be her servant and wishing nothing more than to take care of her every whim, it’s enough to shake her resolve. Ririchiyo finds it hard to keep the warmer and welcoming tenants away especially when they share something in common… being descended from various youkai (demons/spirits). Inu x Boku features a lot of different youkai with Soushi, servant to Ririchiyo, a kitsune. In order to stave off a large number of both human and supernatural attackers, Soushi often utilizes his transformations and swordsmanship. It isn’t revealed until later, but he has an element of trickery which is a key characteristic in fox spirits. However, since Soushi is technically not a full-blooded kitsune, Inu x Boku SS is our number 7.

Kohina, a self-proclaimed living doll, decides to test the legend that playing Kokkuri-san by yourself you will be haunted by the spirit. Sure enough, a fox-eared man with white hair appears during Kohina’s incantation… but he’s appalled at her living conditions! Thus, the fox spirit takes on the role of a housekeeper and tries to help Kohina lead an ordinary childhood. For a girl who happens to attract a lot of spirits, however, a normal childhood just isn’t in the cards. While fox spirits are rumored to value their freedom above everything, Kokkuri-san wasted no time devoting all of his efforts into taking care of the hopeless Kohina. It is later revealed that Kokkuri-san use to be revered as a god, but as people began to forget, Kohina remained the only one to continue visiting his shrine. Kokkuri-san is content however in remaining Kohina’s guardian rather than returning to his former glory as a worshiped kitsune. Despite this, he does frequently make use of his powers of transformation much to Kohina’s paw-pad-loving delight!

With the rise of Westernization in Japan, tensions between humans and youkai have escalated. The youkai’s homes are being destroyed and they are now being treated as subhuman creatures. A coalition is created between members of the army and several half-kitsune daughters to investigate and mediate problems that arise as a result of this. Kei is a human that is terrified of youkai, and Zakuro is a proud half-kitsune that can’t stand how people so easily replace their traditions with newer Western ways. When they become partners, they must learn more about each other if they are to achieve their goals of peace for their kind. Otome Yokai Zakuro has multiple fox girls which already is a huge plus for the show. This anime shows a more spiritual side to kitsune and youkai in general, despite the girls themselves lacking the trickery and mischievousness associated with their kind. This can be attributed to their human side, however. This is a great show that's a bit more serious than some of the others on this list and the spiritual aspect to how the girls fight is really captivating.

Gintarou is the kitsune herald of the Saeki family shrine, but only young Makoto can see him. She affectionately calls him Gin and often implores his help in telling fortunes and helping her friends. Though an ancient and revered spirit through her family line, Gintaro and Makoto share a close bond. Together they work to keep the community’s faith and help those that seek wisdom from the shrine. Gingitsune shows a great example of a kitsune in the role of messenger of the god Inari as in the legends. He is able to fly and predict the future with the use of his fox fire. He resides at the temple as a messenger of God but his words can only be known through the oracle Makoto. As Makoto is only a teenager she often selfishly demands Gintaro’s help. However, having such a strong bond, not limited to just hate or reverence, is refreshing for him. Gingitsune follows the lives of these two as they strive to fulfill their roles.

Kouta and Chizuru are absolutely inseparable, and their whole high school knows it. What they don’t know, however, is that while Kouta is a normal human boy, Chizuru is a kitsune. She hides this even from Kouta at first, for fear he will reject her, but Kouta proves Chizuru’s love for him is not unrequited. In fact, Kouta’s far less worried about her hurting him and far more concerned she’ll steal his innocence while they’re still high schoolers! Things become much more complicated when Kouta finds out Chizuru is not the only youkai at the school… nor is she the only one after his heart! Kanokon features the fox spirit Chizuru, who showcases many of the powers associated with kitsune. She's mischievous and sneaky, she goes exactly for what she wants, and she possesses strong spiritual powers. She can transform her appearance and also transform with Keita into an even more powerful being. Throughout the series, we get to meet more kitsune and even other youkai. Kanokon makes number 3 on our list due to the many examples of a kitsune’s abilities.

When Nanami accidently becomes the new Land God of an abandoned shrine, she has some trouble getting used to her new home life. To make matters worse, the fox spirit that's supposed to become her familiar hates her and runs away. Eventually, Tomoe and Nanami come together and try to make the best of a situation neither of them asked for. Everyday, Nanami must balance her life as a student and her life as a God. Even after she manages to seal a contract with Tomoe to become her familiar, things are not easy for the two of them. Some are displeased with Nanami as a God, and others hint of a past Tomoe, more cruel and cold than he is now. Tomoe is a powerful kitsune who is forced to become Nanami’s familiar, and expectedly, he doesn't take kindly to this. A common trait of kitsune is to fiercely protect their freedom and this we see clearly when he leaves his home upon discovering he has a new master. He also possesses many of the powers and skills associated with kitsune. He often uses his fox fire to locate what he needs and uses his charm and trickery to manipulate people. Despite his griping, he serves his role as familiar and eventually, friend.

Toru and Noboru are decedents of the Mizuchi bloodline, a family associated with spiritual powers over the element of water. They have bound and defeated youkai through the centuries, and they have always depended on a female to fully wield its power. However, the last priestess has died and her two sons become a youkai’s targets. A powerful kitsune named Tenko Kugen is unbound and granted freedom in exchange for protecting Toru and Noboru. Kugen has her work cut out for her as these two boys seem to attract all kinds of trouble. Wagaya no Oinari-sama is a fantastic kitsune anime because it really portrays the kitsune as more than just a person with fox ears and super powers, or simply the herald of a God. Kuugen makes use of her transformations all the time, often switching between male and female, a fox, and even mixing her fox and human forms. Her archaic way of speaking helps to remind you she is of a different time and her marveling at human technology and customs further serves to show her as a different entity. She often does what she wants with regard to humans, but still shows some reverence to benevolent spirits and Gods. That is why Wagaya no Oinari-sama is our number 1 kitsune anime.

Expecting...dinner to be ready. The first entry on our list is from Sakurasou no Pet na Kanojo, in episode 7, during a conversation between Sorata and his sister when he tells her that he has some important things that he needs to do, so he cannot return home with her just yet. His sister takes this the wrong way and thinks that the important things are the girls he’s been hanging out with at school. As, earlier that day, a series of suggestive situations have led to his sister believing that Sorata has been doing unmentionable things with Mashiro and Nanami, when suddenly Mashiro appears holding her belly and saying “I’m expecting…” Quick to jump to conclusions Sorata’s sister believes that his brother has impregnated her and lunges at him. Only to find out that she was only going to say “…dinner to be ready”. This moment is one of the many hilarious moments found in this episode and series, however Sorata’s sister’s reaction to Mashiro’s coincidental choice of words and gesture is what makes us really laugh out loud.

The power of friendship. The next comedic moment comes from Soul Eater, during episode 6 when Death the Kid enrolls at the school. Black Star won’t allow anyone to outshine him, so he challenges Death the Kid to a fight. Amidst the battle, Black star and Soul eventually decide to go at it seriously and join together in battle as one. The funny thing about this scene is the amount of confidence and power that the duo boasts, which even Death the Kid admires for a moment, until they mess up the combo and Souls ends up slicing Black Stars head. Having never partnered up before, adding to the stupidity, is that Black Star can’t even lift Soul up and end up hurting each other further. Then comes the over dramatic, bromance split up and re-uniting cries of friendship as they run to hug each other, only to be an easier target for Death the Kid to shoot ‘accidentally’ as his finger ‘slips”. This scene is funny because of the two idiotic characters messing up as a result of their mouths being bigger than their apparent skills, and then not taking the fight seriously and messing around the whole time, which leads to them getting their butts kicked. ‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

Backdoor infiltration. (Gone Wrong) Up next is a scene from Kore wa Zombie Desu ka? In this scene from the OVA: Ayumu, Eu and Seraphim are trying to sneak into the vampire ninja liar to obtain a scroll. Whilst trying to climb across a rope to the building, Eu accidentally sneezes and sets off an intruder trap that fires bamboo spikes, miraculously on target at Ayumu, straight into his buttocks. What’s even funnier is that Ayumu has literally no protection against the bamboo spikes as he is just wearing a leotard, by credit of Eu. One of the spikes pierces into his nether regions and somehow weirdly turns him on. As Ayumu arrives at the other side to turn off the alarm, he changes into what Seraphim describes as a new level of disgusting as Ayumu twirls, prances and laughs randomly. The fact that Ayumu is a zombie that can withstand injury is part of what makes this scene so funny. We know he can’t die, but we take joy in watching his misfortune as he is stabbed in the butt and then, to top it all off, with a strange and unexpected reaction.

The Dark Flame Master. This comedic moment occurs during episode 1 of Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai!, when Yuuta first meets Rikka and finds out that she had discovered the truth of Yuuta’s embarrassing secret. One that has resulted in his moving to another school in another city to rid himself of the stigma, Dark Flame Master. That Rikka is the one who has found out about his past, and not anyone else, is what makes this scene hilarious. The fact that Yuuta wants to find out desperately where she found out about it is what makes this scene so funny. Yuuta’s random tactics in getting Rikka to spill the truth, as she rambles on about her powers. Yuuta utilizes anything in the nurse’s room and eventually finds out that he was careless earlier at the gym. He attempts to get her to shut her mouth, only to see that she won’t let it go. This continues throughout the series, as Yuuta endlessly tortures Rikka in a cute way to get her to shut up. There are many short funny moments within the series in relation to Yuuta and also Nibutani’s reactions after the embarrassment is revealed, which makes this anime one of the funniest short comedy-moment-filled shows out there.

Separation withdrawal symptoms. Nearing the halfway mark comes No game No life, the hilarious moment happens in episode 2 when Sora and Shiro are separated for the first time ever, that we see in the anime. We have seen them together most of the time and rarely spend any time away from one another, until Stephanie kicks Shiro into the next room for accidentally falling onto her and touching her breasts. Their reactions are completely unexpected; we assume that Sora and Shiro are just really close siblings, and not so much in the sense that they literally cannot be separated. They both become reclusive, cuddled up like a baby, Sora, apologizes in extreme fear about the situation. Whilst Shiro turns into a helpless and lifeless ghost, who can’t function without her brother. However, when they are able to see each other, their symptoms suddenly vanish as they reunite like they had been separated for a long time when it has been, in fact, only a few seconds.

Shrine maiden chase. This scene from the Nisekoi OVA is during the New Year festival at a shrine where the characters are working. Raku becomes possessed by spirits that give him bad luck for the whole day, and it is up to the girls to save him. The priestess of the shrine gets the girls to exorcise him with various methods that all failed. With time running out before the New Year, they resort to the only other way to save him, by forcing him to drink holy water, mouth to mouth. The girls, eager to kiss him, load up with mouths full of holy water and charge at Raku who freaks out about the situation. They end up chasing him through the shrine until he runs into the bell striker…. head first. This is a hilarious moment as it plays on the fact that Raku has no idea what has been going on the whole day, after countless moments of bad luck and seeing the girls acting strange. Then during the night, suddenly getting chased by the girls doing more weird things, only to be struck in the head as a result of another unfortunate turn of events.

Sorry I can’t carry the coffin as I just broke my own arm. Nearing the top of this list comes Gintama, at episode 231 during the funeral, when they discover that the restaurant owner’s ghost rises out of the coffin and begins to curse people for disrespecting his funeral. Their friends get caught up in the mess and get their souls consumed, after Gin tries to escape. In order to get back their souls, they decide to pay respects by staying until the end of the funeral. The next moment is hilarious because of the ridiculousness of it. The fact that both Gin and Hijikata had the same ridiculous idea, where Gin breaks his own arm and Hijikata dislocates his own shoulder, rather than carry the coffin, is what makes it so funny.. What’s even funnier is that they do it impulsively and quickly, right in front of Gran’s eyes, and then lie directly to her face. It just makes the owner even angrier and they are forced to carry the coffin with broken limbs. The ludicrosity of this scene is what makes it one of the most comedic moments in anime, as one would not expect that level of stupidity from the two characters.

Propulsion desks. In Angel Beats! episode 6, during a test that the brigade has to take, the team are ordered to create a distraction in order to manipulate the test results. Hinata fails miserably to distract anyone with his nonsense and forces Yuri to activate the hidden jetpack she hid under his seat earlier, forcing him to fly and hit the roof to create the needed distraction. As the tests continue, the others create distractions that are also of no use, which again forces the activation of the jet pack. Later, when Oyama tries to distract Angel and fails to do it with a weak confession, Hinata finds it amusing, waiting for the moment Oyama hits the roof. However, inadvertently, the jet pack seat activates under Hinata’s own seat, forcing him to fly head first into the roof. The unexpected result is what makes this scene so funny, from the ridiculousness of a jet pack under the seat, to Hinata getting it twice, without knowing about any of it.

Accidental punch into the nether region. This comedic scene from One Punch Man happens during a fight between Saitama and Sonic in episode 4, as he unleashes his full force in trying to take down Saitama, but to no avail, he doesn’t leave a scratch. However, during one of his jumps, Saitama accidentally lands his punch in the wrong place. What makes this scene hilarious is that at this point, we know that Saitama’s fist is the strongest thing in the apparent universe, and to land on it with his nether regions…well we don’t need to spell out what happens next. The fact that this scene is in slow motion makes it that extra bit funnier as it even gives time for Saitama to apologize, knowing that it was already too late. With just a touch, Sonic is defeated and is forced to retreat after sustaining immense injuries from a one sided battle in which he cannot even come close to hurting Saitama. This scene had many of us rolling on the floor with laughter and we’re sure you’d agree that this is one of the funniest scenes as of recent.

Kakashi's mask reveal. Finally at number one, the funniest moment of them all is… the unmasking of Kakashi featured in Naruto. This hilarious moment is within episode 101 where Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura become really curious about Kakashi and decide to unveil his mask to see what he is hiding underneath. The reason he always wears a mask is unknown, but not even the people closest to him have ever seen his face. This episode is filled with many funny antics and attempts to get Kakashi to remove the mask, but the funniest moment has to be at the very end, when all the anticipation is building up to the moment that he decides to reveal what’s underneath the mask. After all the trio’s attempts, it seemed that all they really needed was just to ask. The level of anticipation after wanting to prove their predictions is intense, as Kakashi slowly pulls down his mask to unveil…. another mask. The ridiculousness of the whole situation and the fact that they will never find out about his identity is what makes this scene the most hilarious one ever. After all the time and effort they put into finding out, quickly shot down in a moment when they thought they were finally going to find out. It is a moment that will be remembered in history for many years to come.

Our introductory Kono Bijutsubu ni wa Mondai ga Aru! character moment is brought to us by way of episode seven. Usami is a love-struck girl who obviously has feelings for her fellow art club member, Uchimaki. As you will find out in this countdown, there are numerous moments between these two. Usami meets up with Uchimaki at the art club with intentions of finishing first place in a contest. Earlier in the show, Uchimaki was being mistreated by another student and his art talent was being put down. Usami became incensed and vowed that they would beat this guy in the competition. When Usami arrives, Uchimaki is already hard at work on his painting. Usami makes a comment that Uchimaki is hopeless and reminds him she is not his mom. Uchimaki retorts by saying, age-wise, Usami would be more like his wife. That immediately gives Usami a pleasant scenario in her head that involves the two as a couple. The best part comes in the dream sequence when Usami asks Uchimaki if he would like dinner, a bath or sex. Although sex is never actually said, it’s implied. Uchimaki decides on sex which leads to Usami, in real life, literally becoming a steaming hot mess with Uchimaki noticing a temperature change in the room.

This next moment also involves Usami and Uchimaki, but with a slight twist. During episode six, we’re introduced to a new character by the name of Imari. She is a charming girl who garners attention from nearly everybody in her class. Imari and Uchimaki begin to bond after he realizes that she’s into the same anime and manga that he enjoys. The two decided to have a talk about their interests outside together, but they weren’t alone. Usami caught the ending of their conversation. Needless to say, Usami became jealous. The next portion of the episode seen Usami disconcerted, while lying on the club couch. This confused the other club member, most notably, Colette and the club president. No one knew what to do with Usami until Uchimaki came in and got one heck of a reaction. Uchimaki was initially unsuccessful at making her talk but what he did get was a pillow thrown at his face. The president hilariously quips “that pillow is expensive” instead of worrying about Uchimaki. Uchimaki surprisingly retaliates after being called an idiot, by throwing it back at Usami. They exchange the pillow with force, back and forth, much to the chagrin of the president.

This next moment is the first portion of episode five called “Mistake Train.” At the beginning of the episode, Usami and Uchimaki are drawing the model in front of them of a male head. After the two of them leave to the art supply store, Colette is left alone in the art club. Playful as ever, Colette decides to paint the head to make him look “healthier.” Upon completion, she worries that the rest of the club will not like what she had done. In a frenzied state, she takes the head and hides it and then proceeds to sprint out of the room. Tachibana shows up and after viewing a couple of the clubs drawings, she finds a box and pulls out the head. Usami and Uchimaki come back to find Tachibana out cold. Uchimaki hysterically looks for a manga to help him figure out what to do. He gets spooked after realizing that he needs to give her mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. In his attempt at doing so, the president sees what’s going on and stops Colette from entering the room. They discuss what had happened but many of them are confused and misinterpreted the situation. This scene was effective at showing the hilarity of a mischievous situation where misunderstandings led to wild imaginations.

Continuing on with the countdown we come to the episode that involves a treasure hunt. In the secret room that Usami and Uchimaki found during the first half of the episode; Imari and Uchimaki are in there sharing stories and reading manga. Usami is off in the distance studying and complains that the two are being too loud. So Imari and Uchimaki comply and reduce the noise from the room. Unfortunately for them, they can’t seem to win because Usami worries that they are doing something indecent and tells them not to be so quiet. Usami’s ambivalence was fantastic. In the room, Imari has a treasure map fall out of a manga. The three of them gather together and decide to take part in a treasure hunt. The map leads them to several places including the male’s bathroom and outside the school. Usami ultimately deciphers the riddles and finds the treasure. Then comes the best part of the hunt…. Their reward! Expecting to split the treasure three ways, they open up the box only to find an erotic book. This hunt was built up so well and the payoff was wonderfully done.

Number six on the countdown takes place early on in the season. Episode two is where this takes us. To set this moment up, we need to highlight a couple scenes that took place prior to this episode. Usami and Uchimaki were out on a stroll one day when they ran into a little girl who couldn’t find her mom. Usami was unsuccessful at being able to comfort her, however Uchimaki was able to. He showed her a sketch of what her mother looks like. From then on Usami decided that Uchimaki wasn’t a bad person. After that, Uchimaki meets up with a girl from his school that has a crush on him. She expresses her feelings towards him but much to her dismay, Uchimaki rejects her. Keeping in mind that Usami and the president have a watchful eye on the situation behind some bushes. This brings us to the moment where this entire layout comes to fruition. Like before, Usami and Uchimaki are seen walking home together and they spot another young girl. As she heads towards them, Uchimaki stops and claims it's “love at first sight.” Usami was relieved to find out that Uchimaki was making a comment about how cute the girl's strap on her bag was. She can rest easy knowing he isn’t a “Lolimaki.”

We have now reached the medial portion of the countdown. We hope you have enjoyed the list thus far; it’s only going to get better from here. This moment takes place during the latter portion of episode three. It involves Usami and Uchimaki (naturally) as well as three of Usami’s friends. They are joined in the art club room after a brief competition between Usami’s friends. During the aftermath, Kaori is sent to get drinks for everybody and this is when things start to heat up. Upon returning, Kaori hands drinks to everybody. The problem is, she finds out from Usami that Uchimaki can’t drink fizzy drinks. Kaori offers up her drink, that she drank out of, in a trade. Uchimaki accepts as Usami spits out her drink in shock. Usami doesn’t want them sharing an indirect kiss. Usami steals the drink off of Uchimaki before he could put his lips to the can, and proceeds to drink the entire content of the can. In retaliation, Uchimaki jumps up and pounds back Usami’s drink that she left unattended. She pretended that she didn’t like the fact that they shared an indirect kiss; oh what a scene!

This moment is a continuation of moment number seven. At the start of episode nine, Imari tells Colette of an evil grimoire called the Necronomicon, which is hidden in the school. Colette is frightened by this and tells Tachibana about it. After receiving their reward, the erotic book is left for the president and Uchimaki to fight over. As the two argue over who will get to take it home, Usami walks in on them. She is disgusted by that book and wants to get rid of it before they get caught. Tachibana storms into the art club and the president hastily moves the book to the secret room. She informs the club that she is on the lookout for a dangerous book. Misunderstanding the situation the three of them worry even more about getting caught. Half of the episode consists of the three of them playing keep away from Tachibana and Colette. After several close calls, eventually their luck runs out and Colette gets her hands on the book. She opens it up just as Tachibana walks in on them. Everyone is embarrassed as Uchimaki gets blamed for that obscene book.

Episode ten brings yet another awkward moment to the mix. While the club is gathered in the art room, a disappointed Tachibana walks in and informs Colette and Uchimaki that they have average exam scores. Usami isn’t overly concerned about Uchimaki’s predicament until he comes to the realization that he might have to stop coming to the club if he doesn’t improve his scores. Usami isn’t having any of that and she makes it her mission to get their scores back up to a respectable number. Usami decides the best bet would be for the two to come over to her house and study over the weekend. After a disastrous start, Uchimaki begins to get tired and is led by Usami to her bed. She lays him down under the rule that he only gets to sleep for thirty minutes. After the thirty minutes are up, Usami instructs Colette to wake Uchimaki up. Several minutes go by and there is no sign of them. Usami goes up to check on the situation, only to find Colette in her bed sleeping with Uchimaki. Usami goes ballistic and they receive one rude awakening. But hey, they both improved their scores!

Rounding out the list with our number two spot, we have an uneasy situation set up between, Uchimaki, the art club president and Usami. This would be our second moment from episode two. This time, however, it takes place immediately at the beginning of the episode. Uchimaki and the president get themselves in a very sticky situation early on. Uchimaki accidently knocks over a can of red paint and it spills all over the carpet. This was then followed up by the president accidently knocking Usami’s painting from the chair and falling into red paint. A series of accidents lead the boys to try and comprehend what had just happened. Hearing Usami off in the distance, Uchimaki is sent out of the room to delay her. The president’s solution was to lie on the painting in the red paint, acting as if he got murdered. Humorously enough, Uchimaki was quick to pretend like they were playing a murder mystery game. The tension was at its boiling point when the president wrote in paint, to Uchimaki, that he needed to take a leak. Eventually, Usami found out when she fell and landed on the president. Needless to say, she wasn’t pleased with what had transpired.

We’ve made it to our top character moment in Kono Bijutsubu ni wa Mondai ga Aru! This memorable scene did not show up in the anime until the season finale. Episode twelve is where you can find this gem, as it’s still very fresh in our minds. The moment starts off with Imari and Uchimaki outside sitting on a bench as they discuss their feelings for “Usami.” It finally looked like Uchimaki had fallen in love with Usami. Imari suggested that he should tell her how he feels. Little did they know that Usami was watching over them once again. They meet up in the art club and Uchimaki confesses his love, but not to the Usami standing in front of him. Dumbfounded by this turn of events, Usami says that she overheard Imari and Uchimaki talking about her. Uchimaki clarifies that this character that he has fallen in love with happens to share the same name as Usami. It’s hilarious because he’s able to shut down every question she has with a proper explanation. First off, what a great way to tease the audience! Secondly, poor Usami, we feel sorry for her. She has been on a rollercoaster of emotion ever since episode one. Finally, despite all the hints, we never did see Uchimaki commit to a “3D girl.”

For those who finished Uchuu Kyoudai longing to see what it would be like if the series showed more of actually living in space, Planetes has got you covered. Taking place in the not too distant future of 2075, Planetes is largely about humanity’s progression into space. Space travel is in its early stages of development, with the Moon having recently been colonized. Unfortunately, even a single piece of debris left hovering over the planet from the construction of star bases, can mean devastation for a commercial liner traveling in between the Earth and the Moon. Enter Ai Tanabe, a relatively new employee of the Technora Corporation. She, along with her other coworkers in the Debris Section, work to keep space safe by removing astral trash from the skies. What makes Planetes work so well is how it contextualizes what most would consider a boring, routine job into the grander scheme of the narrative. Much like how Uchuu Kyoudai is largely about Mutta escaping from a dead end job into becoming a key player in shaping global events, Planetes is not so much about just collecting space garbage, but is also an interplanetary tale about how the commercialization of space has affected Earth’s political balance. We see nations scrambling to come up with their own technologies for interstellar use, not simply out of the sheer passion of the field, but just so that they can remain relevant in a world that no longer wants or needs them. Yet, it’s not entirely cynical. We can see in Hashirota Hoshino a yearning to reach further than we ever have before, and he trains to join the crew of the first starship to ever travel to Jupiter, using his job within the Debris Section as training for something greater. What may seem like a simple story ends up as an allegory for modern politicking and the necessity of both fiery passion and somber pragmatics in society, and the dangers of taking either side too far.

Question: anybody else think “Man, I love all these training sections but I really wish Mutta and Serika would hook up already”? Then have we got the series for you! Moonlight Mile covers the story of Saruwatari Gorou and Jack “Lostman” Woodbridge, 2 mountain climbers who have just conquered Mt. Everest and are seeking their next great challenge. And, really, what greater challenge is there than the final frontier? Well, they certainly have their opportunity now, as the recent discovery of a new material on the moon, called “Hellium 3”, means there’s a large demand for astronauts on the workforce. Watch as the series delves into Gorou’s and Lostman’s preparation to go into the great unknown! One look at the trailer provided below should showcase the most striking aspect of the series: the animation. Despite the series being almost 9 years old, it’s quite the looker and still holds up even today. It serves the gritty subject matter of the series, from the dangerous, adrenaline-pumping spectacles of star ship accidents, to the saucier, rampant sexcapades of Gorou. Make no mistake: Moonlight Mile doesn’t shy away from any of its material, and bares it all in wonderful detail. Those who loved the meticulous training sections in Uchuu Kyoudai but craved for them to be even showier will be in for a treat.

Those wanting another relatively lengthy story about the realistic pursuit of a dream will feel right at home with this shounen-battle take on the art of drawing manga. Much like Mutta, Moritaka Mashiro starts off the series living an incredibly dull and boring life with no real prospects or hope of change; having given up his dream of becoming a mangaka due to the death of his mangaka uncle, Tarou Kawaguchi. Thankfully, a fellow classmate by the name of Akito Takagi, noticed his excellent artistic sensibilities and practical approach to life and bugs Masahiro into writing manga with him. Initially skeptical of the prospect, Mashiro eventually gives in once he discovers that his crush, Miho Azuki, wants to get into voice acting. He confronts her on the subject, and Azuki promises that if Mashiro can write a manga that gets an anime, she will work towards becoming a voice actress and voice the female lead of his series. Mashiro and Takagi from there on set out to conquer the world of manga! Bakuman is much like Uchuu Kyoudai if we had a more linear take on Mutta’s and Hibito’s journey to become astronauts right from their childhoods, rather than starting from adulthood and cutting back to their childhood at times. For the most part, Bakuman is a pretty well-grounded take on what goes into the creation of manga, from how rankings affect what a mangaka will write, to how a mangaka will evolve their story. Fans of Uchuu Kyoudai’s attention to its portrayal of astronaut training will relish in Bakuman’s description of the Shounen Jump office and how it uses the internal systems of the magazine as a creative set-up for a battle type series where characters compete for the highest rankings in the reader polls. However, and most importantly, Bakuman is at its heart a story of a promise made amongst family, with Masahiro’s desire to follow in the footsteps of his uncle. Fans who were drawn to the genuine story of Mutta and Hibito’s promise of self-betterment will find a lot to like in Bakuman.

Twin Spica will go over really well with fans of Uchuu Kyoudai who may want just a touch of the supernatural. The story follows Kamogawa Asumi, a young girl with the hopes of becoming an astronaut after her mother is put into a coma due to a rocket crash. Unfortunately, after about 5 years in said comatose state, Asumi’s mother eventually passes away. Unable to deal with this tragedy, Asumi eventually meets a mysterious figure who goes by the name Lion-San, a young boy who wears a lion mask. Thanks to him, Asumi is finally able to spread her mother’s ashes and he helps Asumi realize her dream of becoming an astronaut. Anyone really yearning for another series that goes into hardcore detail over what it takes to become a full-fledged astronaut, will immediately take to Twin Spica. Much like Uchuu Kyoudai, it really goes in depth with the programs put in place to get someone trained up to the right level. Also noteworthy, is the more nonlinear story-telling, with frequent cuts back to the tragedy that shaped Asumi’s motivations, similar to how Uchuu Kyoudai likes to cut back to Mutta’s and Hibito’s past. With dream sequences that can even get a bit on the surrealist side, Twin Spica should hopefully please.

Wanna move away from the near future into the not-so-long ago past? Rakugo Shinjuu will definitely please. Taking place over the course of 2 eras, the series begins with Yotarou finally being released from prison, and immediately tracks down Yakumo Yuurakutei, a master of the comedic theater art of rakugo, and begs Yuurakutei to take him under his wing. After some cajoling, Yuurakutei eventually agrees to at least shelter him along with his deceased friend’s daughter, Sukeroku Konatsu. Unfortunately for Yotarou, he ends up falling asleep during one of Yakumo’s performances and snores so loud it causes a disturbance. Yakumo is about to give up completely on Yotarou, until he decides to tell the story of Sukeroku in order to warn Yotarou about the dangers of the carefree lifestyle he leads. Make no mistake, much like Uchuu Kyoudai, Rakugo Shinjuu is a story of brotherhood first and foremost. While not related by blood, the story of Yakumo and Sukeroku is one of the bonds of brotherhood and finding family in those around you. The pursuit of perfection in their chosen craft leads Yakumo and Sukeroku down two very different paths. Those craving some lengthy, in depth training sessions will be happy to discover that Rakugo Shinjuu gives some incredibly detailed rakugo performances and shows how movements and craft work. A lot of the intrigue comes not just from the plot, but the attention to detail in character movements.

For those looking for something maybe a bit on the lighter side, Tiger & Bunny should do you well. “Wild Tiger” Kotetsu T. Kaburagi is a NEXT, or someone with special powers that effectively make them a superhero or villain. Any NEXT working as a Hero looks to either acquire corporate sponsorship or hero points, which bring them closer to becoming the “King of Heroes”. Unfortunately, Wild Tiger isn’t doing too hot in the hero circuit and risks losing his sponsorship, leading him to work with Barnaby Brooks Jr., aka “Bunny”. The two work together in order to rise through the ranks despite their conflicting personalities. Tiger & Bunny is all about the progression of the central characters’ relationship. They go from openly resenting one another into a brotherly bond when they realized how much they depend on one another. Much like Uchuu Kyoudai though, amongst the development of the sibling-type relationship, it keeps its messages straight to the point and focuses on the characters learning to believe in themselves and in one another. Plus, Tiger, much like Mutta, is actually in his 30s and even is old enough to have a daughter. Those older fans of Uchuu Kyoudai who were just happy to have a hero their age, will be in for a treat.

The first Masou Gakuen HxH character moment that we’re going to talk about is from the season premiere episode. That’s right, episode one is where we’re going to start off this list. After Kizuna had arrived at his new school Ataraxia, he was given orders from his sister Reiri to come to headquarters and meet with her. In the process of trying to complete his objective, he ended up getting lost. Kizuna stumbled upon a lovely lady named Aine. Unfortunately for Kizuna, Aine was very unpleasant with him. After some time of belittling Kizuna, Aine got summoned to defend Ataraxia when a group of Magitech showed up to attack. Aine transformed using her Zeros gear and quickly took flight to combat the enemy. As the battle heated up Aine’s hybrid count started to lower and she was overthrown and sent spiraling down. Kizuna wasn’t sure how he could help her, so Reiri instructed him to raise her hybrid count by essentially molesting her. He rubbed nearly every inch of her body and even had his face in her crotch. Naturally, when Aine woke up she wasn’t overly impressed with Kizuna’s actions. This moment was the start of many sexual encounters between the two.

This next moment involves Kizuna and Aine once again. It takes place during episode four, which happens to be named Climax Hybrid. At the beginning of the episode, Aine is battling it out with a Dragorie. During this fight, her hybrid count gets critically low and she gets knocked out. When Aine comes to, she is greeted by Kizuna who was in the tuning room checking on her well-being. Aine, as persistent as ever, thought that she could get right back up and take the battle to the enemy. Despite what her mind wanted, her body simply couldn’t keep up. Kizuna talked some sense into Aine and explained to her that she needed to increase her extremely low hybrid count. For that to happen, Kizuna had to perform a Climax Hybrid with her. A Climax Hybrid is essentially the next level up from their previous engagement. After a drama-filled back and forth, they got down to business. They achieved the Heart Hybrid but Aine wasn’t quite satisfied and was begging Kizuna for more. He complied with the understanding that she will receive her Immoral Weapon called Pulverizer. When they hit their climax she immediately took to the skies in hopes of revenge. Aine got just that, as summoning her Immoral Weapon was too much for the Magitech to handle.

The number eight pick comes to us by way of episode two. This engaging sequence takes place well over half way through the episode. The Amaterasu crew is sent to a remote island to gather data from resource samples. This was Kizuna’s first mission as the Amaterasu captain and wanted to make a lasting impression. It’s safe to say he did just that, to a certain blonde member of the group. Kizuna and Yurishia were together on the island when they encountered a Magitech beast known as a Dragorie. Despite Yurishia’s low hybrid count she activated her Kuros gear and took the fight to the A-Class Dragorie. Her willingness to outlast this beast was inspiring, but she eventually succumbed to the low hybrid count. With Yurishia in a vulnerable state and nearly on death's bed, Kizuna comes in and makes the save, throwing himself in front of her. His heroic actions were met with the two sharing a Heart Hybrid with each other right on the island. After that lust-filled sequence, Yurishia was brimming with energy and used her Hell Fire ability to easily eliminate the threat. The Heart Hybrid was a little less explicit than the meeting with Aine in our first selection, but it wasn’t the last between these two.

The number seven choice showcases the strength of the villains in this series, in particular, Gravel. Aldea is fresh off retreating from the Amaterasu during the previous episode. Immediately at the start of episode seven, there is a meeting that takes place between Aldea and Gravel. During this meeting Aldea relays a message to Gravel, pertaining that she found the Zeros gear and it’s being used by Aine. Gravel, intrigued by the newly acquired info, seeks to find Aine herself and take the Zeros gear back to the Batlantis Empire. Gravel drops down from an airship and is met with Ataraxia’s defense, who tells her to leave immediately. Naturally, she doesn’t comply and demands that they hand over Zeros right away. The Ataraxia forces realize that negotiating is futile and start to fire at her. This is where Gravel showcases her Zoros gear and dominates her enemies. The force she conjures up literally turns buildings into rubble; it was as if a giant bomb went off in the vicinity. It’s no surprise that Gravel handled the defense force so easily, because when the Amaterasu arrived they didn’t fare much better. Gravel takes down the entire team and leaves them injured before taking off to recover.

Number six on the countdown goes back to Gravel, but in this sequence, she is the one being humbled. After Gravel’s failure to produce in the previous episode, she and her lover Aldea are punished for their actions. They both get put into humiliating situations all to please the Batlantis Royal Guards. Aldea is turned into a slave. She crawls around on a chain leash and is strictly obedient to the Royal Guards. Their mind control tricks are clearly in play and it’s too much for Aldea to handle. Gravel, on the other hand, is chained up in a vertical position and is subjected to physical and psychological abuse. The Royal Guards start by accusing her of being a traitor. Gravel tries her best to alleviate the situation by defending herself through words, but to no avail. All she gets in return is a slap to the face. Gravel then gets molested by a few of the Royal Guards, in what is an uncomfortably sexual scene. When you factor in the whip and all the fondling in this scene it can be concluded as a highly erotic piece. However, having said that, it’s still very unsettling when you see her in such a compromising state. After all, it was only a couple episodes back when she looked nearly unstoppable. What a significant fall for the general.

Continuing on to the midway point of this list, we come across an important character-defining moment for both Hayuru and Aldea. In episode six, Hayuru was fueled with rage and vengeance to strike back at the Batlantis Empire who had left her city in a depilated state. She wanted to capture Aldea in hopes of finding out more information about this Batlantis Empire. Hayuru channeled her anger and against the orders of high commander Reiri, she went and challenged Aldea one on one. This perhaps wasn’t the best idea for Hayuru, who is normally the clear-headed member of the group. When Hayuru finds Aldea she immediately attacks her. Aldea activates her Magitech armor called Zeeru; which is similar to a Heart Hybrid Gear that the Amaterasu wear. The Zeeru is extremely powerful and had illustrated that when it reflected Aine’s Immoral Weapon prior to this meeting. What makes this a character defining moment for these two is that Hayuru shows that her past still haunts her and that she wants to redeem herself from those mistakes. On the other hand, this is Aldea’s shining moment of the series. She exhibits strength that easily overwhelms Hayuru and defines herself as a true manipulative threat to the Amaterasu. Moreover, Aldea was the direct cause to Hayuru performing a Climax Hybrid with Kizuna in this episode.

Now if you happened to read Honey’s Anime review of Masou Gakuen HxH you should be able to recall a moment in there where we talked about this specific scene. It happened to be a scene that we liked very much, so it was only natural for us to add this sequence into our top character moments. If you didn’t read our review, shame on you. In all seriousness, though, this moment took off during episode five. In what was one of the more steamy episodes of the series, we got to see the reserved but often strict Hayuru, and Kizuna ‘bonding.’ The scene was set up by Reiri who wanted Hayuru and Kizuna to start bonding more than they had to this point. Hayuru viewed Kizuna as a lewd individual and was unwilling to perform a Heart Hybrid with him. This led to Reiri setting these two up in one of the more awkward situations presented in this anime. Reiri told Kizuna he could use the bath in the girl’s dorm, but not to worry, he would have it all to himself. Once Kizuna arrived at the bath, he realized that wasn’t the case. He stumbled in on Hayuru who had her back turned to him. When she turned around their eyes were locked on their nakedness, and instantly Hayuru ducked down in the water. An overwhelming sense of panic fell over the room as Hayuru proceeded to shout all sorts of hurtful words at Kizuna. “Eros Overlord” had to be our favorite of the bunch.

The Connective Hybrid scene makes episode eight potentially the most risqué episode in the entire series. The Connective Hybrid is when the Eros gear and two other units simultaneously share a Heart Hybrid together. In other words, it’s a threesome. The participants in this episode are Yurishia, Scarlett and of course, Kizuna. The reasoning that Reiri suggested that the group do this is because of Gravel and Aldea. They were a thorn in the side to the Amaterasu and they needed an edge. This is where The Connective Hybrid comes in. This scene between the three could literally be considered a softcore hentai; reminiscent of Aki-Sora. The steamy goodness starts in the “Mobile Hybrid Special Bath Mk. 2” where the three of them essentially dry hump each other in the bath with their bikinis on. Things get taken up a step further with everyone getting out of the bath and stripping down completely naked. There is a bonding scene between Yurishia and Scarlett and then the main event happens. The girls tackle Kizuna and simultaneously pleasure him. This passionate scene includes, Yurishia straddling Kizuna, body rubbing, finger sucking, breast squeezing and some other desirable positions that we won’t give away. Watch it for yourself, if you haven’t already.

Our number two selection comes down to episode twelve where the captain of the Batlantis Royal Guards, Zelshione is there to ‘greet’ the Amaterasu. After Zelshione disposed of Scarlett and her crew in the episode prior, she looked to take on the Amaterasu in the final assault. This prompted Kizuna and Aine to retreat and perform a Climax Hybrid while, Sylvia, Hayuru, and Yurishia, try and handle Zelshione. That’s no easy task as the Amaterasu defenders found out, as each one of those girls were incapacitated. After a supremely erotic scene between Aine and Kizuna, they were both fully charged and ready to take on Zelshione, or so they hoped… Zelshione was a powerhouse and was handling even Aine and Kizuna together. When push came to shove, Kizuna reached his top form by receiving stimulation through the minds of all the unconscious Amaterasu members. At this moment, Kizuna took on the powers of all the Amaterasu members and was able to wipe out the enemies surrounding Zelshione. Despite Kizuna’s enhancements, all he could do is push Zelshione to her limits. Just then, Aine rises up, and in a massive glow activates Zeros. Aine’s hair turns pink and she uses her ultimate attack called Code Breaker to vanquish Zelshione and save the day.

In this thrilling episode, we are introduced to a new member of the Amaterasu crew. The young Sylvia Silkcut had been a support character up until this point in the series. She had been helpful to Kizuna and the rest of the crew when called upon, but she never really factored into many important decisions or outcomes. That all changed in episode eleven when Sylvia takes on the lead role during a decisive battle against the Batlantis Empire. During the battle to take Tokyo back, the Batlantis Empire sent one of their top Royal Guards to capture Aine. It appeared that Ragrus was going to accomplish just that, but before she could capture Aine, Sylvia showed up in her hulking Taros gear. Sylvia dismantled her competition both physically and mentally. Ragrus would not admit defeat, so in an act of desperation, she used her Inferno attack that propelled her Magitech armor into the sky with the intention of blowing everyone up. Heroically Sylvia advances to the giant ball of impending doom and uses her Immoral Weapon, Titania to snuff out the major threat. It’s a masterpiece of a scene; the Titania is large and looks extremely impressive. The fact that it was able to box all that energy was amazing. This episode was ‘The Sylvia Silkcut Show’ and rightfully so. Between the raw emotion, the powerful display of Taros and the importance of the battle, it’s only fitting that this is our number one moment in Masou Gakuen HxH.

Ayano, aka Ayano Tateyama, is known as member 0 of the Mekakushi Dan, and has two songs associated with her character, “Transparent Answer” as well as “Ayano’s Theory of Happiness.” Her backstory is somewhat tragic. She was a cheerful youth who performed poorly in school, due to her stressful family dynamic. Her parents adopted three young children with red eyes, and she originally created the Mekakushi Dan to support them as their big sister. Ayano’s mother died horrifically, in a landslide, and her father, Kenjiro, began experimenting on her friends to try to find a way to bring her back from the dead. After discovering that her father was possessed by the spirit of an evil snake, she commits suicide by jumping off the school roof to help him snap back to reality. She is eventually possessed by a snake and obtains an ability called “Favoring Eyes,” which allows her to project her thoughts and emotions onto others.

Also known as Haruka Kokonose, Konoha is a frail-seeming albino with a large appetite and a rather absent mind, as well as member number 9 of the Mekakushi Dan. He has four songs, “Yesterday Evening,” “Outer Science,” “Summertime Record,” and “Konoha State of The World.” He suffered from attacks as a child that left him weakened and vulnerable, inspiring a wish for a stronger, robust body from a young age. Due to the experiments of Ayano’s father, Kenjiro, he suffered a stroke and died. However, he received the ability “Awakening Eyes,” which allows him to live in his ideal body at the expense of his previous memories. His current body is his favorite video game character, which finally allows him to live without fear of his childhood illness. In various timelines throughout the show, he is antagonistic towards other members of the group and even goes so far as to kill some of them.

Member number 8 of the Mekakushi Dan, Hibiya, aka Hibiya Amamiya is the youngest member of the group at only 12-years old but is thought to be rather mature despite his youth. His songs are “Moon Viewing Recital,” as well as “Heat Haze Daze.” Originally from a small, countryside village, Hibiya traveled to the city to take summer courses. However, he becomes involved in a mysterious supernatural event, wherein he is forced to relive the day that his best friend died in a car accident. Each day ends with him sacrificing himself to try to save his friend. When he encounters a snake, he escapes his cruel loop and is granted the ability “Focusing Eyes,” which allows him to see objects from a great distance, and from an aerial view. Although he is no longer forced to relive his own private hell, the inability to save the person he cared about threw him into a deep depression.

The younger sister of the series protagonist, Shintaro, Momo Kisaragi is member number 5 of the Mekakushi Dan and an incredibly popular idol. Although she is a happy (if clumsy!) person, the stress caused by the pressures of her lifestyle take their toll on her. Her songs are “Moon Viewing Recital,” (along with Hibiya), and “Kisaragi Attention.” As a child, she was often overshadowed by her brother and yearned for attention, although that changed once they turned towards adulthood. During a school trip to the beach, Momo and her father were swept out to sea and drowned. She was possessed by a snake and given the power of “Captivating Eyes,” which draws attention from everyone, regardless of their preferences or interests. Because people respond to her regardless of their tastes, she has a rather eccentric style and often disagrees with others.

Shuya Kano is the number 3 member of the Mekakushi Dan, who has an unfocused and aloof personality. He is a shameless flirt and loves to tease, and he always has a smile on his face. His song is “Night Tales Deceive.” When Kano was younger, he was raised by his emotionally unstable mother, who refused to send him to kindergarten. Although he was abused by his mother, he tragically thought he deserved it and often sought to hide the abuse from prying eyes. When the apartment he and his mother lived in was broken into by thieves, they were both stabbed to death. When he was possessed by a snake, he was given the ability “Deceiving Eyes,” which allows him to deceive those around him and perceive anything he comes into immediate contact with, which he often uses to hide his true feelings. Despite the deceit, he is often relied upon by other members.

Ene is member number 6 and is a mischievous prankster cyber girl that lives inside the computer of series protagonist, Shintaro. Her songs are “Artificial Enemy,” “Yesterday Evening,” “Headphone Actor,” and “Ene’s Cyber Journey.” Ene was once a human named Takane Enomoto, who suffered from a debilitating illness that caused her to randomly lose consciousness. She was obsessed with videogames, and stayed up late playing under the moniker “Dancing Princess of the Spotlight.” She died by poisoning in an experiment performed by Kenjiro and was possessed by the snake of “Opening Eyes,” which granted her immortality. Although she resides in Shintaro’s computer, she can travel through electronics at will. Shintaro views her as a virus since one of the pranks she loves the most is deleting files randomly from his computer.

Mari is member number 4 of the group and was the first non-founding member to join. She is only ¾ human, and the other quarter is Gorgon (the most famous of which was Medusa) and has white hair that moves involuntarily depending on her mood. She has the appearance of a shy young girl but is over 100-years old. Her songs are “Imagination Forest,” and “Mari’s Fictional World.” In the past, Mari lived an isolated life in the forest with her mother, who was ½ Gorgon. From a young age, her mother warned her to never look people directly in the eyes, for fear of turning them into stone. One day, Mari was attacked by a group of boys, and although her mother intervened by turning them to stone, they were both beaten to death by the townsfolk. Mari was gifted with the “Combining Eyes” snake from her mother, who in turn received it from Mari’s grandmother. As well as her “Paralyzing Eyes,” which can temporarily freeze people, it allows her to unify the powers of all the mystical snakes, which is her ultimate goal in joining the group.

Kosuke Seto is the 2nd member of the group and is considered a rather nice guy since he gets along with everyone. His song is “Brave Boy,” for reasons that become apparent through his backstory. Seto was a small, timid boy who was frequently bullied and had few friends, except for a stray puppy. Because of his inability to communicate with others, he always wished there was a way to understand people without having to talk to them. One stormy day, the bullies threw his beloved pooch into a river, and although Seto tried valiantly to save it, he drowned in the process. After death, he was possessed by the “Stealing Eyes” snake, and acquired the ability to read the minds of those he makes eye contact with. Due to his nature, he tries to use his power sparingly, and only when he and his friends need it. He often gets into sticky situations because of his tendency to wander.

The 1st member of the group and the de-facto leader, Tsubomi Kido is a good-natured, androgynous girl who sometimes struggles to keep the other members of the Mekakushi Dan in check. Her song is “Blindfold Code.” Kido was the second daughter in a wealthy family, but because she was the child of an affair her father had with another woman, she grew up distant from the rest of her relatives. Because of the way she was treated, she often desired to disappear. When her father suddenly declared bankruptcy, he burned the family’s house down in a mad fit, along with Kido and her sister inside. Her sister’s body was never found. She was possessed by the “Concealing Eyes” snake and can hide her presence, as well as anyone within two meters of her vicinity. She uses those powers to great effect, as demonstrated when she foils an attempted robbery in a department store.

Shintaro Kisaragi is an 18-year old hiki-NEET who has shut himself into his room for two years, living vicariously through his computer after befriending a strange cyber girl named Ene. His songs are “Lost Time Memory,” and “Transparent Answer.” He is the main character of the series. As a child, Shintaro was a brilliant but cold student. He eventually became very interested in his classmate Ayano, who won him over despite his shyness. After Ayano’s suicide, he retreats into himself and embraces a hikikomori lifestyle. His life of solitude changes drastically when he spills soda on his computer and is forced to head to a department store to buy a new one since stores are on holiday hours and refuse to deliver. When his shopping attempt is interrupted by a band of robbers, he is saved by the powers of the Mekakushi Dan, and he eventually becomes the 7th member. Shintaro’s ability is “Retaining Eyes,” which allows him to remember past events. This ability becomes increasingly important as events with Shintaro and the rest of the group come to a head.