With countless streaming options, you’re going to have plenty of things to watch. But don’t know where to start? Check out this anime list for some great anime recommendations!
Death Parade
Genres: Supernatural, Drama, Psychological
1 Season, 12 episodes
Whenever someone dies, they are sent to one of many mysterious bars run by bartenders serving as arbiters inside a tower in the afterlife. The souls must participate in Death Games where their fate will be decided.
Death Parade is a great anime to watch if you are in the mood of whimsical yet morality questioning anime. Death Parade focuses on the humanities darker side. When forced to play a game to determine their salvation the uglier side of people appear. What happens to people when they are forced to pick. Are humans more likely to be evil or good? This series dives into the humanities morality leading to controversial questions of basic human needs and desires. Although this anime touches on these topics it doesn’t go into great depth. The animation is beautiful, and soundtrack is fantastic. This is a great anime to watch if you are interested in watching a unique take on death related anime.
Chihayafuru
Genres: Comedy, Drama, Romance, Sports
3 seasons, 25 Episodes, 1 OVA
Chihaya Ayase has always supported her sister in her modeling career. Things change when she meets Arata Wataya, a talented karuta player. Chihaya takes on a new dream of becoming Japan's best karuta player. Now in high school, Chihaya forms the Mizusawa Karuta Club. With her teammates and friends, Chihaya tackles the karuta world.
This may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but you should really check it out. I started this anime on a whim little did I know I was going to binge watch the entire series. For a card sports anime it gets you so hyped and invested. This show filled me with some serious glee. I loved the show for at it’s worth. The characters are well designed for an anime released 10 years ago. Chihayafuru is mainly a character-driven show, which in its own way can produce its own heart-wrenching entertainment equivalent to an amazing plot. The characters are all entertaining and the progress they make is great. Although, I do have grips with main character the series kept me glued to my screen throughout the series. In honestly, Chihayafuru has a riveting plot with many twists and turns. However, a set back with the show is the slow start of the anime, with a long five-episode flashback. Overall, this is anime you will not be disappointed in starting.
Another
Genres: Thriller, Horror, Gore
1 Season, 12 episodes
The Yomiyama North Middle school holds a secret that nobody must speak of. However, everything changes when Koichi Sakakibara transfers into class 3-3. Can Koichi discover the secret before it’s too late?
This is a great mystery anime. From the get-go you are drawn into their cryptic world. This entrancing anime will have you second guessing yourself throughout the series. The art and the soundtrack truly go all out in this series. The soundtrack sets the tone for series with the sense of eeriness, from simple melodies to electronic effects and string to send cryptic and mysterious undertones in the anime. The character design in this series is clean and sharp. The characters have just enough depth to help add to mysterious atmosphere. Overall, this anime is a great short thriller/ horror anime you won’t be disappointed in starting.
Elegant Yokai Apartment Life
Genres: Slice of Life, Fantasy, Supernatural, Drama
1 season, 26 episodes
Yushi Inaba is forced to look for new place to live after his high school's dormitory burns down. Having no parents and wanting to live independently from his uncle, he finds a cheap apartment. But why is the apartment so cheap? How will Yushi's new daily life begin?
A great slice of life anime is you are looking for some comedic, casual anime to watch. What I love about this anime is the straightforward the series presents itself. We have our main protagonist Yushi who accidentally moves into a yokai apartment complex and now his daily life isn’t normal. In my opinion, I feel that the anime is well balanced in the story telling and character development especially since this is an episodic anime. The anime doesn’t drag on or dwell on trivial matters but sticks to the overarching plot. This is also a great introductory anime to watch with friends who may not know what anime is like. Overall, a fun and casual anime to watch on a Late Friday Night.
Terror in Resonance
Genres: Thrillers, Psychological, Action
1 Season, 11 episodes
Tokyo has been hit by a terrorist attack that has devastated the city. The only evidence of the culprits is a cryptic video uploaded to the Internet. Lisa Mishima’s problematic life both at home and school leads her to encounter the terrorists, changing her fate forever.
Terror in Resonance is an underrated anime. Terror in Resonance is a mature and compelling story that kept me entertained throughout the season. This anime focuses on terrorism with the culprits being two adolescent boys. We are engaging in a tale of generational conflicts, post-war nationalism, isolation from modern society and the hopeful rebellious spirit of youths. As our protagonist are the “villains” in within the series, we as the viewers become conflicted with the actions. Although our protagonists commit heinous crimes, they themselves were victims of brutalities committed against them. The anime not only presents complex themes but provides an interesting cast of characters. Alongside, the unique character dynamic, the anime has great animation and soundtrack to accompany the series. Overall, this is an anime is a great standalone anime to binge watch
Assassination Classroom
Genres: Comedy, Actions, Slice of life, Shounen
2 seasons, 22 episodes
Earth is left in jeopardy after an immensely powerful organism suddenly appears and destroys 70% of the Moon. The organism claims that within a year he will destroy the planet next, but he offers mankind a chance to avert this fate. In class 3-E, the End Class of Kunugigaoka Junior High School, he starts working as a homeroom teacher where he teaches his students regular subjects, as well as the ways of assassination. The students must assassinate the organism or have their world destroyed.
Assassination Classroom is a great comedy, slice of life anime. I really enjoyed this anime, but I will say this series is not for everyone though. As a show about deconstructing the assassination trope, the humor can be a hit or miss for some. As for the cast of characters, we have a class of 26 students who are assigned to assassinate their teacher. Although, the characters are the students, we do have a few characters that are that are the center of the anime. Such as Nagisa and Karma. Furthermore, the animation is fluid and pleasing to the eye. This is a fun, easy-going anime to watch.
Erased
Genres: Thriller, Supernatural, Seinen, Action
1 Season, 12 episodes
Satoru Fujinuma, a young man possessing an ability known as Revival. The ability that allows him to travel back in time before a life-threatening incident occurs allowing him to prevent it. When his mother is murdered by an unknown assailant, Satoru's ability suddenly sends him back eighteen years into the past. This gives him the opportunity to not only save his mother but also change the lives of three of his childhood friends.
Now this is a great anime to watch. I have rewatched this series a few times and it is always a great show. If you have ever seen the movie Butterfly Effect, then this is animated version of the movie. Or if you are a fan of the series Stein Gate then you will enjoy this series. Our protagonist Satoru has strange occurrences happen to him where he is transported back in time for a few minutes. However, when a tragic event happens to Satoru, he is forced to go back in time his childhood to stop a killer. We see the daring situation Satoru is placed in as he tries to stop the future events from happening. The whole series is a suspenseful since you do not know who the killer is or how a 10-year-old child is supposed to stop the killer. With every step we take we are thrown back two spaces. With every episode building on each other we are able to see the desperation of Satoru as he tries to prevent the future. Alongside strong character development we have great soundtrack to accompany the anime. The suspense and thrilling atmosphere raise the anime to a new level. Once you start this anime you will not be able to stop until you uncover the killer.
Psycho-Pass
Genre: Crime, Cyber punk, Dystopia, Action
3 Seasons, 24 Episodes, 3 Movies
Akane Tsunemori is a rookie Inspector within Division One of the Ministry of Welfare Public Safety Bureau's Criminal Investigation Department. Shinya Kogami is an Enforcer overseeing her during her first mission. The unit uncovers the crimes of Shogo Makishima, a prolific criminal mastermind. The unit must uncover Shogo’s plot before he strikes again.
Now this is an oldie but a goodie. This anime came out in 2012, about 10 years ago. This is a sci-fi anime that questions the line between good and bad. We are taken to a distant future where potential violent tendencies can be monitored and overseen before becoming actual threats. However, when a psychopath threatens this world, it is up to the enforces to return the peace. This anime touches on the morality of people and whether we should be allowed to act as “god” to prevent these incidents. This is a great anime that has well developed and intricate characters that lead the anime. The interactions between the enforcers Akane and Shogo as they confront the psychopath truly elevate the anime. The sci-fi mechanisms make the show fun and entertaining. This is anime that will have you glued to your seat as you try to figure out who the killer is as question the morality of the series. 10 out of 10 for me.
Parasyte-The Maxim
Genres: Horror, Sci-Fi, Thriller, Action
1 Season, 24 Episodes
Shinichi Izumi is an ordinary high school student until, one-night a strange worm-like creature burrows into Shinichi’s body, altering his life forever.
This is a fantastic anime that was overshowed by animes like Your Lie in April or Seven Deadly Sins. If you’re a fan of sci-fi horror, then this series should no doubt be something of a must-see. From the first episode this anime set up the expectations of what the series is going to be like. Our protagonist is a weak and meek young man but once invaded by an outer space parasite, he transforms into a popular, athletic person. Shinchi’s development over the course of the series along with Migi development throughout the series is well crafted and hits you in the feels. The action scenes in this series are well animated and good. I expect nothing less from Madhouse. This remarkable work of Madhouse leads this to be one of my favorite works from them. In the end, it’s just another great series. A great recommendation if you a fan of the individual elements that included in the story, and if you seek an anime with full of excitement, proper character development, & intense storyline then it is a must watch.
Natsume's Book of Friends
Genres: Slice of Life, Supernatural, Drama, Shojo
6 Seasons, 13 Episodes, 1 Movie, 4 OVAs
Takashi Natsume has inherited had the ability to see spirits from his grandmother Reiko Natsume. This ability has resulted in him having a lonely and cruel childhood. Takashi also inherited Reiko’s Book of Friends, a book containing the names of spirits she had bested and forced into servitude. The Book of Friends is considered a highly prized item in the spirit world and has changed Takashi’s life.
This is one of my all-time favorite series. I have seen this series from beginning to end multiple times. This is a slice of life with episodic episodes. We follow our protagonist as he tries to figure out himself and understand the world around him. This anime isn’t for everyone this is slow paced and relies on dialogue to progress the story. This is a melancholy anime that circles mature themes, such as loneliness, acceptance, and companionship. Each episode is wrapped up so beautifully, leaving you with complex emotions. The messages and lessons conveyed are pertinent as they are meaningful. At some point in everyone's life, there will be something that they feel is impossible to talk about, that no one can relate. As Natsume illustrates, isolation is rarely the answer, and through interactions, inner peace can be achieved. Furthermore, the character and the art style encompass the show in a beautiful way. Allowing the soft color palettes and unique character design to emphasize the morals of the story. Overall, this is great anime to check out.
Honorable Mention
Violet Evergarden
Princess Jellyfish
Attack on Titians
Blue Excorist
Fruit Baskets
One Punch Man