Coming in at number ten, we have Gungrave. An anime based on a game about two best friends, Brandon Heat and Harry MacDowel who were once partners in crime working for a nice easy-going life, until everything changes when they join an infamous mafia syndicate known as Millennion. They both have a goal to reach the top, however, Brandon does it through conviction whereas Harry through deception. Their friendship slowly grows apart following their own beliefs till one fateful day Harry betrays Brandon and kills him out of loyalty for Millennion. Thirteen years later, Brandon is resurrected from the grave and sets out his plan for revenge against the syndicate and his once best friend, Harry. This is a story of friendship and betrayal that takes place over the course of many years. The beginning part of the anime follows Brandon and Harry as they enter the syndicate and reveals the relationship between them. Gungrave is an exhilarating anime with many intense moments that will keep you on edge wanting to watch more and more as the story progresses.

Our next recommendation at number nine comes an anime called Gankutsuou. Loosely based on the French novel Le Comte de Monte-Cristo by Alexandre Dumas, it follows the story of a naïve fifteen-year-old boy named Albert Morcertif, living in the 51st Century. Albert finds himself by chance befriending a wealthy nobleman known as The Count of Monte Cristo during a festival on the moon colony of Luna. Albert invites the Count to visit him in Paris, unknown to the fact that the count has an ulterior motive, to take revenge on those who have once betrayed him. What Albert doesn’t know is that the count has a past that involved his family, that he would never let go of until the day he gets his revenge. With a unique art style, Gankutsuou is a new twist on an old story that brings forward an engaging plot packed full of mystery and action that will never leave you bored. It follows a genius mastermind who has brilliantly planned his vengeance, setting up and manipulating people to achieve his sweet revenge.

Next up, we have Kuroshitsuji. Set in the Victorian-era of London, it follows the story of a young boy by the name of Ciel Phantomhive who had a tragic past involving the death of his parents. Shortly after, Ciel became a tortured slave and a sacrifice in a cult ritual. From all the suffering and pain, he was able to summon a demon named Sebastian Michaelis that aided his escape. Vowing to take revenge on the people that murdered his family and humiliated him, he trades his soul to form a contract with Sebastian. He appears to be a top-notch and loyal butler who answers the needs of his master, but behind that perfect façade is a hungry demon waiting to consume Ciel’s soul. They both work for Queen Victoria as the ‘Queen’s Watchdogs’, solving cases and eliminating threats to the queen in the underworld. Working in hope to find the people that killed his parents, to get his revenge. Kuroshitsuji is a story filled with a strong resentment for revenge. Not only that Ciel’s life was ruined the moment his parents were murdered, but to get tortured and humiliated on top of that? One can really feel the hatred stored up inside Ciel as he is bent on the path of revenge, undertaking many cases to find any leads to satisfying his long pent up anger.

Up next we have one of the most merciless, gory and violent anime to have ever existed, Elfen Lied. Following the story of a girl named Lucy, she is a newly mutated species of human known as ‘Diclonius’ born through a series of inhumane governmental scientific experiments. Unlike humans, she has a pair of horns on her forehead and has special invisible telekinetic arms known as ‘Vectors’ that are able to tear apart anything in its path. Resenting the way she was created and held captive, she escapes the facility that she was confined in and kills everything in her path. However, Lucy’s escape is not so easily achieved as she receives a head injury that causes her to gain a split personality. She takes on the mentality of a harmless child and finds herself protected by two kind college students, Kouta and Yuka whom unknowingly becomes involved with something they shouldn’t have. This recommendation comes with a warning, as it is extremely graphic and should only be viewed by responsible adults, as Elfen Lied portrays revenge in its darkest light. An inhuman being that is not empathetic in the slightest and has no sense of morality, sadistically destroying everything until she gets satisfaction for being alienated as a being. That being said, it is a great anime for revenge at its true form. If you are not squeamish, then this is a must watch!

Our next pick is a short OVA series within the larger anime, Rurouni Kenshin: Trust & Betrayal is about a destined swordsman by the name of Kenshin Himura, who has a soft heart and a strong desire to protect the innocent. When he was younger, Kenshin’s honest mentality caused him to become enslaved by a group of bandits. Kenshin was rescued by a man named Hiko Seijuro, who took it upon himself to raise him and gave him the swordsman name. Kenshin leaves his master to go on a journey to help the weak and innocent. He eventually meets a woman by the name of Yukishiro Tomoe, the fiancé of a skilled assassin named Kiyosato Akira whom he assassinates. Kenshin is unaware of this fact eventually develops a love interest for her, Tomoe originally wants revenge but also falls in love with Kenshin and dies to protect him. Rurouni Kenshin is a different kind of revenge anime focused on a kind-hearted man who is one the receiving end of the vengeful hatred and is focused more towards secrecy and deception rather than pure raged desires.

Coming in at number 5, we have Claymore. A world where demonic humanoid predators called Yoma exists to feed on humans. A mysterious organisation that created half-human, half-Yoma hybrid warriors known, as the ‘Claymores’ exist to hunt down Yoma for a fee. One such claymore goes by the name of Clare, a revenge-driven warrior that seeks to destroy the Yoma after an incident where they murdered her parents. Clare was abused and tortured by the Yoma until the once strongest claymore named Teressa, saved her. Teressa was the one who inspired her to become a claymore, though the Yoma kills her. Adding fuel to the flames of revenge as she seeks to risk everything to prevent anyone else from being killed. Similar to Kuroshitsuji, Claymore also follows the story of a protagonist filled with hatred and resentment from losing loved ones and from being tortured. However, Claymore follows the conviction and determination of a strong girl who fights with her own power to bring an end to the constant threat of death.

The next recommendation is an anime called Berserk, which is about a young mercenary named Guts who fights to survive on a daily basis. He is a strong warrior that is haunted by his past; he lost everyone he cared about to a man named Griffith who was once his best friend. Griffith sacrificed all his comrades to ‘God Hand’, an evil deity organisation whom Griffith wanted to become a part of. God Hand is able to grant people power in exchange for their humanity, and in turn transforms them into monstrous apostles that roam the earth. Guts fights his way through these creatures, hoping to find clues that will lead him to his revenge on Griffith.

Skip beat! is a more light-hearted anime in comparison to the other anime on this list. It follows the story of Kyouko Mogami, a naïve 16-year-old girl who loves her childhood friend, Shoutarou Fuwa whom she helps to support his career and dream. After working tirelessly to bring in the money to help him, Kyouko finds out that Shoutarou sees him as nothing but a free servant and is then betrayed by him. Heartbroken and filled with anger, Kyouko vows to take revenge on Shoutarou by entering the entertainment industry herself to become a bigger star than he will be. This entry is on our list because of the unique aspect of revenge in it, Skip beat! takes the revenge concept in a more entertaining and humorous way that makes it worthy to be one of the top ones on our list.

At number 2, we have Shingeki no Kyojin. If you haven’t heard or seen this anime yet, then you must go watch it as soon as humanly possible because this is an anime you’ll never forget. Following the story of Eren Yeager, his adopted sister Mikasa Ackerman and his childhood friend Armin Arlet, Shingeki no Kyojin is about a world where mankind is near extinction as they are forced to live in fear if giant creatures known as ‘Titans’, humanoid monsters that feed on humans. Our protagonist lives within a city surrounded by huge walls that prevent the titans from attacking. The walls were able to protect humanity for one hundred years until one day; an enormous Titan suddenly appeared and tore down the outer wall, which leads to an invasion of Titans and a huge loss of human lives. One of which is Eren and Mikasa’s mother, whom Eren witnesses with his own eyes as she was devoured. Traumatised by the loss of his mother, Eren vows revenge against the titans and joins the ‘Survey Corps’, a team of elite military soldiers that fight against the titans to save humanity. Shingeki no Kyojin has a lot of action and many moments which makes you want to watch more of. Fuelled by the thirst for revenge and the desire to protect his friends, Eren serves to fight in a seemingly hopeless battle in hope to end the tyranny.

Our number one selection for the best revenge anime goes to Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion R2. Following after the events of the first season, Lelouch Lamperouge lost all of his memories of his time as the masked vigilante Zero and lives peacefully with his friends at Ashford Academy. C.C. attempts to help Lelouch in restoring his memories so he can resume his crusade to exact revenge on his father. Infuriated knowing that his father has used the ‘Geass’ against him to wipe his memories, Lelouch still has the dream to recreate the world. With many shocks and suprising twists, Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion R2 will keep you on edge to find out how exactly Lelouch is going to achieve his revenge. The theme of revenge drives the plot of this story however it's the clever psychological battle between the characters that make the excitement of revenge that much better.

Casshern is a film adapted from the 1973 anime of the same name. Casshern is the movie about genetically-modified human mutants which threaten the peace of mankind. Mankind’s only hope is Casshern, a reincarnated warrior. Casshern is directed by Kazuaki Kiriya, the ex-husband of Utada Hikaru who had created colorful and avant-garde music videos for the songstress. Like the colorful music videos directed by Kazuaki Kiriya for Utada Hikaru, Casshern has a similar stunning art style. The cinematographic is fantastic with beautiful colors but it is not enough to save the movie. The plot has obvious loopholes meant to make the flow of the story convenient. For instance, the character Tetsuya can miraculously travel quite a distance. Don’t expect anything more than the beautiful visuals in this movie.

Nao Kanzaki receives 100 million yen and a black postcard stating that she is selected as a participant of the liar Game Tournament. The first round of the game is to trick the opponent into handing the 100 million yen. As Nao is honest and naïve, she was tricked by her opponent into handing the money, so she gets the help of Shinichi Akiyama to win the game. Despite the brilliant methods to solve the puzzles, the acting is so cringeworthy that you may want to bring along some grip squeezers while watching the drama series. Virtually everyone in the drama series tries too hard to act like anime characters. It does not help that the main character, Shinichi Akiyama, is the most cringeworthy of them all due to his tendency to act all cool but he really just appears annoying. By the end of the drama series, you would have developed some pretty strong hands.

Shiori Genpou is a descendant of Phantomhive. As only males can be the heir of the family, Shiori disguises as a boy and takes on the pseudonym Kiyoharu. Alongside her is a faithful demonic butler named Sebastian who protects her. Ignoring the hairstyle, the director had picked a really cool-looking Sebastian so we have no complaints about that, although, in all honesty, he looks more like a hairdresser than a butler. Unfortunately, they had to ruin it by casting a girl to be Sebastian’s master. Make no mistake, that girl is not Ciel Phantomhive, but Kiyoharu, who looks almost every bit like Ciel that we wonder why the name change and gender change. The main attraction of the original series is the chemistry between Sebastian the butler and his 12-year-old master, Ciel. The film lacks such chemistry, and the choice of casting a girl in place of Ciel’s character is probably a lame attempt to create a silly teenage romance story.

100 years ago, the appearance of titans had devastated most of humanity, that mankind decided to build walls to protect them from being harmed by the titans. The peace does not last for long as the Colossal Titan suddenly attacks and causes a hole in the wall. Eren Yaeger and his friends join the Scouting Regiment to fight against the titans. With the existence of tanks and helicopters in the film, why the heck does the Survey Corp still use the crappy 3D gear? In the original series, the 3D gear was made based on the best technology available, but if you can have tanks, why sacrifice yourself by going solo and flying around the titans and risk getting slapped like a mosquito? The characters aren’t like the ones in the manga and anime series despite the same names that you kinda root for the titans to eat them up. We are actually thankful that Levi does not appear in the film as it would spoil the image of our beloved character.

The world is threatened by Galactor which is a mysterious organization. Galactor threatened to eradicate the human race and has occupied half of the earth. Meanwhile, the International Science Organization discovered some stones containing mysterious powers which can be harnessed by individuals known as “Receptors”. Gatchaman’s only saving grace is that the special effects are not too bad compared to live-actions made in the olden days. In an attempt to make this classic 70s series cater to the modern audience, it is unfortunately filled with uncreative plots which do not steer away from the movie clichés we often seen nowadays. Just because such movie clichés are so overplayed does not mean the young generation loves them. We are pretty sick of them actually.

Nana is the tale of two different girls who have the same name, Nana. One is a bubbly girl while the other one is clad in black who is interested in getting into the rock and roll scene. They rent and share the same apartment and develop a strong friendship. The manga and anime of the NANA series are simply wonderful in portraying the friendship between the main characters. However, the film simply falls short as it tries to squeeze everything in such a short time, which is understandable as the manga series is very long. NANA works better as a series than as a 2-hour long film. The audience simply could not care or make a connection to the many characters introduced in the film as it all felt too rushed. The film ends up looking like it is just filled with characters in attractive clothes so you may be better off watching a runway show instead.

After the death of Akira Fudo’s parents, Akira lives with the Makimura family and falls in love with Miki Makimura. Akira is a weak teenager so he is constantly protected by his best friend, Ryo Asuka. Ryo’s father accidentally open the gate to hell which releases the demons that would then merge with humans. The method of storytelling is so poor that it is hard to make sense of what has happened. To solve this problem, off-screen events which are implied to have happened are referenced in the movie so that the audience can make a connection between all the messiness. And that’s not all. The acting was kinda bad seeing that the main cast were comprised of teen idols with no experience in acting.

Dr. Tetsu Segawa hides an alien device known as the Guyver among a pile of garbage. When Sean Barker is attacked by a gang in the back-alley, the Guyver suddenly activates and merges with him. From then onwards, strange creatures appear and try to take the device from Sean. The trailer of the movie does not seem too bad considering the year it was made. However, the trailer is a huge misrepresentation of the movie. The Guyver manga has a serious tone to it but the movie attempts to inject some humor which would be decent if it isn’t coupled with mediocre acting. Despite the terrible movie, it manages to spawn a sequel, Guyver 2: Dark Hero, which is, fortunately, better than the first one.

The effects of World War III render the earth barren so human race has to fight for survival. The tradition is that the martial art schools known as The North Star and The South Star should not fight with each other, but Shin from The Southern Cross broke this rule in pursuit to be the strongest man. Shin defeated Kenshiro and wounded him badly, and took his fiancée. While many may argue about the use of the actors which mainly comprises of white people, we do not see a problem with that. We actually think that Gary Daniels is a good fit for the role of Kenshiro due to his very buff appearance and strong jawline. Kenshiro does not look very Japanese anyway but we admit that it still feels a tad strange to call a white guy Kenshiro. The main problem in the movie is the fight scenes which look ridiculous and silly. There is nothing badass about it, and it seems like your average fight with your sibling when you were a kid. Moreover, the villains act like the villains in Power Rangers which would definitely work in Power Rangers but just NOPE for a movie like Fist of the North Star that is known for its hyper-violence.

When Lord Piccolo came to earth 2000 years ago, he wrecked havoc so he was then sealed. However, he manages to breaks free from the seal that contained him and goes searching for the 7 dragon balls alongside a female ninja, Mai. Son Goku is given the 4-star dragon ball by his grandfather when he turns 18. He sets on a quest to find the rest of the dragon balls. If there’s anything you cannot afford to screw up, it would be a big franchise like Dragon Ball. Otherwise, the atrocity will be remembered. FOREVER. Even though most fans already expected the movie to turn out bad, we went ahead and watched it anyway, because it was Dragon Ball and we didn’t want to miss anything related to the franchise. In that sense, the crew involved in the movie production achieved their goal, which is to reap profits from the usage of a big name. Obviously, the director did not watch the Dragon Ball series at all, and that the only similarity with the franchise is the characters’ names. This would be a perfect movie for Dragon Ball haters.

Counting down our top ten at the tenth spot is Lain Iwakura. This mind boggling anime series looks at how the role of technology has made an impact on modern society, and its perception on reality. Lain finds herself in an awkward scenario when she receives a strange email from classmate Chisa, who earlier had committed suicide. Uncertain is what would this all could mean, she hesitantly opens the email which then leads her into a mysterious world called Wired. The world is akin to that of our current internet infrastructure, but is flooded with a wave of mysterious cryptic messages that Lain finds herself plunged into. Lain was chosen for our tenth spot because along her crazy journey through The Wired, she starts to develop a different sense of judgment about herself and the world in which she is situated. As she dives deeper into the unknown she discovers more bizarre and darker messages pertaining to her existence, and consciousness. This leads Lain to developing two types of twisted personalities, one that exists in actual reality and one in The Wired. It most certainly is spooky to say the least, but it is a prime example of how much our media has manipulated our psyche, providing us with a different mask to wear not knowing who we truly are in this world.

Continuing on with our dark anime girl list, we've hit number nine. Kaede Fuyou grew up with childhood friend Rin in the same house after their parents died in a car accident. She is usually very down to earth, polite, and soft spoken. There are times however, when she begins to show signs of psychosis and even last out violently when a great shock upsets her. Due to this unknown trait, Rin tries not to upset her as he knows of her tendencies, and would rather not get on her bad side. Much of her relapse comes from the accident in which she believes that the reason for it all happening was on Rin. Kaede hits our number nine spot because despite all of the positive things she shares with Rin pertaining to their relationship, her mind is in a different zone filled with darkness and shrouded with uncertainty. One half of her wants to believe everything is how it should be, while the other is filled with an enormous bowl of depression and resentment towards Rin since she claims he was the reason for everything that happened. Her bipolar attitude reflects her lifestyle as she can't seem to stay entirely focused throughout school, and resorts to self-hate when something goes wrong. While this is just an dark anime girl list, we do encourage you to find time to help one another in times of distress because in the end we all need it.

Coming in at number eight on our dark anime girls list is Reina Ryuugu from Higurashi no Naku Koro ni. She's a 15-year-old happy go lucky individual who is usually in high spirits most of the time. She is in love with all things cute in the world, and ensures that those around her are filled with good vibes. Despite her cheerful character, a lot of her past was filled with unfortunate events which left a terrible scar on her psyche. Rena's mother committed the act of adultery and was pregnant with the child of the man whom she had an affair with. She asked Reina to go along with her to start a new family, but Reina shunned her mother out of anger and decided to stay with her biological father who was depressed. Thinking that everything was her fault, Reina decided that cutting her wrists and neck were the solution to ridding herself of her mother's filth. Throughout the ordeal she suffered from hallucinations, thinking that maggots were coming from out of her wounds, and behaved violently towards classmates at school smashing windows in the process. This anime is full of interesting back story entertained, but this one is so chilling that we can only feel for Reina as she's been through so much in her life. It is best to stick with the cliché and never judge a book by its cover, because you just never know what it's inside.

This next one isn't so dark and dangerous as the others, but it is still something that can be quite scary if it happened to any of us. Kotoura has the ability to read the minds of others, and while this might sound really cool there are drawbacks from this. She was completely unaware that she could even perform such a feat, assuming that the voices she was hearing were just people talking out loud. Time after time people kept getting hurt while around her, so everyone decides to avoid her. This eventually led to Kotoura giving up on everyone stating to herself that she no longer wants to be hurt anymore. Many people called her names stating that her ability was that of a monster, even her best of friends leaving her behind. In the end Kotoura felt all alone in a crowded world, and it brought pain to her spirit. Now this is a touching yet dark emotional story because at some point we've all been there (not mind reading) and can truly feel how Kotoura feels. This example of abuse is still quite common in today's society, with many children and adults feeling left alone due to their differences. The truth is that we are all the same, but we just have managed to come from all different walks of life. So instead of picking on people on where they came from, embrace the truth and be comfortable where we are now.

Kurome is the youngest members out of the Jaegar Clan, and the younger sister of Akame. So what makes Kurome so dark? Despite not liking to share her candies with anyone, she shares a more twisted side when it comes to the hatred towards her sister. The resentment comes from the fact that she feels Akame betrayed her which leads her to inflict that inner pain upon her enemies in battle. She is extremely cold and ruthless in battle, cutting her opponents limb from limb leaving no survivors. The way she kills them is the dark part of it since she behaves in such a kind manner pretending to let her foes die peacefully, then before you could blink she kills them without mercy. Despite her dark past and resentment towards her sister, throughout the show she does tend to a softer side when she has her candy nearby, and when she spends time with Wave, who is the polar opposite of main character Tatsumi. We highly recommend checking out this action packed thrill ride of an anime, because you will not be disappointed!

Revy is the main protagonist of the action packed anime Black Lagoon. Not much can be said about Revy's past, although throughout the series we learn a few things about her. Revy grew up in the noisy streets of Chinatown, Manhattan, spending most of her youth as a thief and murderer. Something troubles her however as numerous flashbacks often lead to a scenario which involves her shooting and killing an unknown man while using a pillow. We don't know whether the pillow was used as noise suppression or to withhold the identity of the victim who she killed. One thing is thing is certain though, her dark past has turned her into a sadistic and merciless killer, who without much thought, will kill anyone even unarmed civilians for fun. She is one of the deadliest fighters in the series due to her superhuman like abilities to dodge bullets and put an end to just about anyone who stands in her way. Revy tends to speak the foulest out of all the characters, and really has no shame in how she takes her enemies down. She is always constantly living on the edge of life, relying solely on her power and skills to get her through to the next day.

Lucy is a very dark and disturbed individual but her insane past has everything to do with it, and so let us dive right into it. Lucy stood out from everyone else due to her physical appearance, she had horns while other's didn't. This led to a lot of bullying from those around her, causing her to become fearful of her surroundings. She thought she could trust one of her school colleagues who then broke her promise, which led to the boys who bullied her to kill her dog. Out of sheer rage from this torment and abuse, she summons this power called Diclonius, killing each boy instantly with a single blow. Nothing seems to get better for Lucy as she befriends a boy named Kouta, who she finally felt a strong connection with after all that happened. Kouta mentioned to her that he'd be going out of town to visit his friend and would be back to spend time with her. Unfortunately, it was a lie, which Lucy discovers and so decides to kill his entire family in rage. This of course is just a gist of the dark and crazy things Lucy committed to throughout the series. Her story comes from feelings of betrayal and abuse, which led to her lashing out in anger towards anyone who misused her trust. The moral of the story here is to stop bullying others because of their differences, because not only can it severely scar the lives of others, but it can also backfire on you as well.

We are coming very close to the number one spot, but before we get there let's talk a little bit about Nakamura Sawa. Sawa is a classmate of main character Kasuga who is defined as alone, isolated, and aloof. She doesn't really associate herself with anyone, and so many assume that she has no friends. One afternoon Sawa witnesses Kasuga stealing someones uniform and decides to blackmail him in order to become friends with him. Though she tends to display a saner and peaceful attitude, she has emotional outbursts towards Kasuga which throw him off. This dark and twisted turn of events leads Kasuga to believe that she is stalking him, since her only true desire is not feel alone so she targets him for that reason. The creepy part about this is that Sawa believes with all her heart that even if Kasuga chooses to stay or leave her, she will ultimately be isolated. We've all had those moments where someone who liked us just maybe liked us a bit too much, and turned us away. Perhaps not as creepy as Sawa's situation, but the show is something that many of us can relate to. Will Kasuga end up giving in to Sawa's desires? Or will he decline her only to be left with uncertain fate looming in his presence? Only one way to find out, and that's to watch the rest of the story to see how it all turns out for Kasuga.

Making her way into the number two slot is Ai Enma from Hell Girl. Her dark past is just as serious as the ones prior, so grab your popcorn and continue reading. Ai grew up in a normal rural village near the mountains. Her experience was turbulent however as strangers would bully her for being freakish in her nature. At the age of seven she was selected to be the town sacrifice, but was spared as her parents managed to hide away deep within the mountains. Sentarou was her cousin and was one of the very few who knew of her whereabouts, and would bring her food when necessary. Unfortunately, the worst had arrived as Ai was discovered and brought back to the village where not only she was the sacrifice, but her parents also. The three were buried alive with Sentarou being the first one to shovel the insect ridden mud all over them. Ai later broke out of her grave seeking revenge, which started with burning the entire village into ashes. A spider who came to her as The God of Hell was the one who had given her these powers of destruction, and told her she must sign a pact in order to become immortal. Part of this pact also is that she must act as a deliverer of people's hatred, and must remain on the shores of hell. She now becomes a cursed girl without the right to life on earth or rest in peace in hell. This deep dark story is enough to make you realize how karma can behave when you mistreat others. Hell Girl is a cruel reminder of what our world used to be like, and how grateful we should be for the lives we have now.

The history of Yuuko is most definitely the darkest out of all the girls on our list, and we're here to tell you why. Yuuko and her sister grew up in an era where a deadly plague had spread killing thousands. Each day that passed more and more innocent victims would perish to this disease. She was chosen out of all the villagers as the town sacrifice, since the village heads speculated that the shrine God was angry. She was locked in a pitch black underground base without light, warmth, or food to sustain a healthy living. Yuuko also suffered a broken leg from being pushed aggressively into the base, and through this process she slowly started to lose her sanity. Despite her desperate attempts to seek help by screaming and hitting no one came to her side, leaving her to die where she laid. 60 years later with her heart filled with extreme resentment, and memories filled with darkness, she vowed to seek out why she was killed along with the help of another past spirit. This chilling story was the very reason why we chose Yuuko as the number one filler. It shows us the life that humanity had lived prior to our modern times, having no remorse for one another openly willing to sacrifice another for the sole benefit of oneself. Tasohare x Amneisa is a brutal reminder of our dark times, and how far society has come that we no longer must resort to such barbaric and inhumane forms of human sacrifice to seek peace.

Light was a character who was extremely intelligent with his plans, and used magnificent manipulation tactics in order to get his way. Light’s sadistic yet extremely crafty schemes would always give him the advantage in the chase, leading his foes in all different directions. Joker Game provides that same depth in its story where it leads you in a variety of different directions, leaving you pondering what could happen next. It takes place in the era surrounding World War II, where eight agents have been assigned to infiltrate and observe some of the world's most powerful nations, and report on any activities that are associated with the war. Each agent's supreme strength lies in their ability to manipulate people in order to obtain information that is necessary to get the upper hand. Death Note and Joker Game share very similar plots where the main goal is to lead your enemy so far away from the truth as much as possible, that it leads them into various dead ends. Light is very manipulative in his actions, ensuring that he leaves no trace of evidence behind. The same can be said for Colonel Yuuki's team of skilled agents where they go in empty handed, but come out with a handful of pivotal information that tips the scale dramatically.

Zankyou no Terror tells a story of two boys who plan to steal extremely potent plutonium from a nuclear plant in Japan. This leads to the two plotting dangerous schemes to terrorize the city of Tokyo, which end up putting thousands of innocent lives in danger. We learn throughout the story that Nine and Twelve were used as pawns in an experiment conducted on young children. This had a long lasting effect on the boys which compelled them to retaliate by planting bombs, and destroying buildings. They also use videos as a way to taunt and threaten police who are trying to uncover the truth behind it all. All of these lead to the police using specific clues in order to solve the puzzles that these two boys have created. As you've just read this story shares a twisted plot that leads the investigator in every single direction, much like Light did. The two boys were very crafty in their plans, using swift judgment and thinking two steps ahead of their opponent to create traps. This led to a number of deadly scenarios where many lives were taken due to their sadistic tactics which only added more terror to the people of the city. Light was very calm and stoic in his approach which made it very difficult to track him down, since he never panicked under severe pressure by the police. Similarly, the two boys made it quite clear that they didn't fear anyone who stood in their way, mocking them at every opportunity and laughing while doing so.

There's something truly mysterious taking place in the small town of Sotoba, as a young woman named Megumi was found lifeless due to what police presumed to be disease, which sparked a deadly epidemic and spread like wildfire. Doctor Toshio Ozaki comes to his own conclusion that there's more to this epidemic than it seems, and so he decides to abandon his work to find out more. Meanwhile, Megumi's friend Yuuki receives the tragic news of Megumi's death and must come to terms with the reality of the situation. Both Toshio and Yuuki must work together to unravel the truth behind the spooky town and put a close to the mysterious deaths that are plaguing Sotoba. From the very start you're invited into a town that, by first impression, seems to be like your ordinary country side. What we don't realize is that there's a lot of deception happening right in front of our very own eyes. The Kirishiki family are extremely tight lipped about their agenda and keep us guessing about their motive. The way they plan out their killings are extremely clever, since they leave everything unblemished after doing it. The evidence is wiped clean leaving Toshio with no direction to choose. Light was the same in that he carried his Death Note around, so it was extremely difficult to point a finger when there were no fingerprints to point at. Both anime at first give the impression that the enemies are in fact the victims, but in the end we find out how that all changes instantly.

Hellsing revolves around Alucard and an organization who are dedicated to destroying supernatural creatures who threaten the existence of humanity. At the head of the pack is Integra Fairbrook Wingates Hellsing, who leads her own military while devoting her time to fighting the deadly creatures that lurk in the dark. Alucard serves as the organization's greatest asset as he is the most powerful vampire to ever set foot in the organization, along with his vampire assistant Seras. The objective that everyone must accomplish is to ensure that no one stands in the way of Hellsing despite being good or evil. Alucard is just an all around terror as he inflicts pain on his enemies using various methods of mind games, in order to get his way. Alucard is ruthless in his actions, taking no prisoners and showing no mercy for anyone that stands in his way. Both Light and Alucard at first seem like heroes at first glance, since the two seem to be fighting for justice and saving mankind from evil. However what we don't see is that these two are extremely persuasive in their movement, making sure that every mind is controlled, and ensuring that no one can find any traces that lead to them. They both also have to serve allegiance to someone higher than them, with Light having being observed by Ryuk, and Alucard by Integra. Despite that small setback, they both build an incredible story that will always have you on the edge of your seat.

Umineko no Naku Koro ni tells the story of the Ushiromiya family, who every year, gather on the island of Rokkenjima to look over financial matters regarding their inheritance. Problems arise however, when the head of the family Kinzo, confesses that his life is fading and that his wish is to be with his true love Beatrice, who is the golden witch. Kinzo has had a fascination for the dark arts for years and insists that the family conduct a ritual to revive Beatrice. Things turn ugly fast when suddenly, a typhoon hits the very island they're on, trapping all of them without much assistance to rescue them. Mysterious murders begin to pop up and so now the family must fight for their lives. Umineko uses the form of witch craft to perform mind manipulation, inflicting pain and suffering onto others. Psychological witchcraft is used frequently to commit murders throughout the series, leaving you wondering who will be next. Death Note is very much the same where unexpected events occur at every turn, leaving you with clues that either lead you somewhere or end up getting you killed. Both main characters use abilities that stretch far beyond the human capability, adding more elements to the story giving us a challenge to work with.

No Game No Life stars two NEET siblings who find themselves plunged into a video game realm, who then come face to face with Tet, the god of games. Prior to this encounter, the two had formed a strong partnership and used the name “Kuuhaku” to defeat their opponents online. It was at that moment they received an email from an unknown source, challenging them to a chess match. From there, their lives evolved into something unimaginable. Tet welcomes the two to Disboard, a world where disputes are not solved by wars and trivial quarrels, but rather high stake games. Their new goal now is to unite all of the gamers in Disboard, defeat Tet, and become the new reigning champions of the gaming world. The whole premise around Death Note was that Light created a game with the world around him, to the point that it was hard to stop playing. He became addicted to the sensation of having absolute control, overpowering his enemies with his supreme logic and reasoning, while leaving us in wonderment every time. Sora plays a similar role in No Game No Life, where he has to get himself out of the game he became addicted to, and must use sound judgment along with manipulation to get what he wants. Both revolve around the gamble of life and death, rolling the imaginary dice to see where it lands in order to know the final verdict.

Tokyo Ghoul looks at the city from a corrupt and merciless perspective, as vicious evil creatures called ghouls now exist alongside humans. The citizens who once lived in a peaceful society are now facing fear as the ghouls are now terrorizing the city, devouring every helpless human in their path. The worst part of it all is their ability to take the form of humans and blend in with the rest of the community. Much of the story revolves main protagonist Ken Kaneki who unfortunately meets his demise when Rize confronts him, leading him down a dark path of uncertainty. After he awakens and looks in the mirror, Ken now realizes he has transformed into a half ghoul, half-human and must now find a way to blend in with the evil corrupt society. Tokyo Ghoul and Blue Exorcist star two main characters who initially have a normal life which eventually ends up turning into a crazy mess. They become introduced to a world that was unknown to them and must now come up with solutions to solve these new problems that they're confronted with. Their unexpected encounters opened up a new world where both Rin and Ken must now deal with humanity versus the opposing race, Rin disposing of demons, while Ken must kill ghouls to restore order in the system.

Allen must deal with his dark past, and cope with the loss of his mother along with his torment. A much darker future awaits him as the evil Millennium Earl plots to destroy the entire existence of humanity with his creation of Akuma. This special weapon uses the souls of the dead which are then trapped within it until the use of Innocence, an Anti-Akuma weapon, releases them from their prison. After spending a number of years under the guidance of General Cross, Allen signs up with The Black Order in hopes to prevent Earl's evil reign of terror, while using his new weapons to bring peace back to the souls that have been tormented. Allen and Rin were both cursed in the sense that, they were born into their struggles, and must find a way to ensure their skills are put to good use. The two realize that their lives are being threatened, and so they enlist in organizations that will guide them along their journey, entrusting them with stronger weapons. Allen and Rin are out for some sort of revenge for their past, and so they team up with other strong individuals in order to seek the answers they're looking for. Both have a mission to stop demons from creating a massacre, and must deal with new threats at every waking moment. The action packed in these anime are absolutely nuts, so we really suggest checking them out along with D.Gray Man's second season which is currently airing!

As a reminder, we'll be focusing on the first season of Ushio to Tora, but we encourage you to check out its second season because it's truly epic. In the first season, Ushio comes across a mysterious creature located in his grandfather's secret storage area. The intimidating creature, Tora, was sealed there with the legendary Beast Spear and cannot leave unless someone pulls the spear from out of his shoulder. Ushio confronts Tora reluctantly with Tora warning him if he were to do so, he would not hesitate to rip him apart. Having no fear in his heart, Ushio rips the spear from Tora's shoulder thus granting him the supreme power of the Beast Spear. From here, the two join forces to help put a stop to the endless army of ghouls who terrorize the city, and to discover the truth behind who created the Beast Spear. Both Ao no Exorcist and Ushio to Tora feature two characters who are out to eliminate a deadly enemy that threatens their existence. Ghouls invade their territory and so they must rely on their partners to get the job done quickly, without causing harm to the environment around them. The two are relatively young and still in school, so much of their life is either saving the lives of others, or saving their grades. Ushio looks up to Tora as his brother much like Rin looks up to Yukio, and despite their disagreements at times they both show compassion for the main character when in trouble.

Blood Lad stars Staz, who is the boss of vampires in the demon world, but has no intention to seek blood from the human race. Staz comes across a teenage girl named Fuyumi, who mysteriously found herself in this new universe. Staz finds himself allured by Fuyumi and befriends her. This friendship soon turns deadly however, as Fuyumi is killed by a monster while Staz had his back turned. This unfortunate death led Staz to fight for the sake of Fuyumi to bring her back to life. Rin and Blood are both out for revenge for someone being taken from them. Staz finds himself in harms way in every direction, trying to discover the right solutions while avoiding death. Rin follows the same path also, along with Yukio, as they risk their lives to bring down the evil that's corrupting the nation. Rin and Staz are quite hot headed and need the assistance of others in order to see clearly, and keep their focus primarily on the priority at hand. The relationship that Staz has with his brother Vlad is very similar to that of Rin and his father Satan, where there are constant disagreements which lead to even bigger troubles along the way.

Owari no Seraph is a post apocalyptic supernatural anime that looks at the life of Yuuichirou and his constant search for retribution, while fighting for friendship and loyalty against what seems to be an impossible journey. Yuuichirou was the victim of a hostage takeover and was taken captive, along with other children. Being the only survivor of a deadly massacre by the vampires, Yuuichirou is discovered by the Moon Demon Company, a military unit dedicated to exterminating vampires in Japan. He now vows to seek revenge for the death of his family, not realizing the cost that he must pay throughout the ordeal. Rin and Yuuichirou have both been stripped of their dignity as well as their family, and so they must learn to fight back to regain it all. They decide to enlist in a powerful organization that will allow them to avenge their loved ones, and to take down evil as soon as possible. They both find themselves in tight binds constantly throughout the series, where they must decide whether they must kill an enemy or leave it behind in order to seek out more clues to the problems lying ahead.

The tale of Tokyo Ravens begins when main protagonist Harutora Tsuchimikado, is attacked by Suzuka, a powerful onmyodo-user. She is convinced that he is to be the heir of the Tsuchimikado family,who intends to conduct the exact same ritual that led to a terrible disaster in the past. Suzuka then comes to realize that her beliefs were a mistake, but now in order to defeat her, Harutora fulfills a childhood promise he made to Natsume, the true heir of their family. He decides to become her familiar to aid her in a battle between onmyouji. Rin and Harutora deal with a new threat which forces them out of their comfort zone, and into a world they're clearly not prepared for. Both start off as ordinary students, until a new hurdle is placed in front of them prompting some sort of change. They both undergo intense training in order to fend off evil demons that threaten to kill anything in their path, so they must rely on their instinct and special abilities to protect the ones they care for. The two had been attacked early on in the story by random enemies, which prompted them to react and figure out a way to stop what was in front of them. They eventually develop enough confidence and strength to overcome and slay the demons with relative ease, bringing peace back to their surroundings.

Sometimes a villain is needed to present a challenge for our protagonist, this creates a foil for our hero and allows him to show a depth of character by overcoming adversity in order to fight for his ideals or protect his loved ones. So what happens when a protagonist is so powerful that he’s able to defeat something it takes hundreds of people to kill? They create a villain that can outright cheat. Kayaba Akihiko is the creator of the virtual reality that has trapped 10,000 players in. He also happens to be the final boss of the game. When Jesus-kun (or Kirito-sama) comes across him in the dungeon, Jesus-kun is forced to fight Kayaba one on one for the lives of his harem mates. But Jesus-kun has met his match, because even though Jesus-kun is so powerful that he can’t be killed, Kayaba is literally immortal.

Ajin are an immortal race that cannot be killed by any known means. You can’t shoot them, hang them or even starve them to death. It’s theorised that these beings are able to do so by a form of matter that is lodged in their bodies, which they can use for offensive purposes. The worst part is; they look human and can easily blend in. Multiple characters in the series are Ajin, so what makes Sato so different? Before discovering he was an Ajin, Sato has already shown psychopathic tendencies by killing random animals to satiate his blood thirst. He later joined the military and become the equivalent of a black ops team. He is like Jack the Ripper or Hannibal Lecter, except he’s immortal. A psychopathic, military trained, immortal. Cue shudder.

Early on in the series, Satsuki is built up to be the final villain that Ryuko must face in the series as she stands behind a long line-up of bad guys in the form of her thugs in school. Each one of them seems to act like a mini boss while she herself is the final boss. Thus, it comes as a surprise later on when she’s actually not the villain, but her mother is. Ragyō Kiryūin is the mother of both girls and she is more powerful than both of them combined. With the life fibres she commands, she is easily able to trounce both of them in her base form by herself. She possesses high vitality, endurance, regeneration and strength. She is also able to manipulate life fibres to utterly trounce anyone in the series. Talk about overpowered.

Devil Fruits are a one-time deal. After consumption, the user will gain a power but they cannot get rid of the power neither can they acquire another Devil Fruit ability. So if you’re stuck with something silly like being made of rubber, you’re just going to have to improvise. So what makes Marshal, or Blackbeard, so terrifying? He has consumed the Yami Yami no Mi, making him into a darkness user. He has all the abilities associated with being a darkness user, but he also has the ability to steal the abilities of other Devil Fruit users as well. This means that he can accumulate powers and have potentially an unlimited number of Devil Fruit abilities. He demonstrated this by absorbing the powers of Whitebeard who pretty much destroyed the Marine HQ with a massive earthquake. Left unchecked, Blackbeard could easily become the Pirate King.

Byakuran possesses the usual powers that an extremely powerful villain would have. He has more control over his flames of will and higher physical capability than most characters in the series. All in all, he’s a capable fighter that can trounce almost anyone that comes his way. But that’s not what makes him terrifying or overpowered. His key ability in the series is to peek into parallel worlds. In the infinite spectrum of parallel worlds, he can grasp the technology, abilities, and information that his alternate selves have mastered throughout the years. This has given him unlimited access to futuristic technology and powers that would be otherwise unattainable by a single person. In perspective, Mafia Byakuran can learn medical skills from Doctor Byakuran and CQC from Military Byakuran. The only thing more horrifying than a powerful villain is one that can grow even stronger.

Zeref is known throughout the series to be the darkest and most vile black mage to have ever graced the lands of Fiore. He has raised countless demons to raze the lands of honest people and is nigh unstoppable by any mage who challenges him. The usual package of immortality and regeneration are present as well. His greatest strength lies in his death magic; that is so powerful and incredible that he himself has difficulty controlling it. When utilized, it can instantly kill any living thing around it, regardless of any defenses put up by combatants. Very little can counter this magic, and a by-product of that means that very little can stop him.

Father is the dwarf in the flask who became so resentful of humanity that he consumed hundreds of thousands of souls in order to become humanoid. With the power of countless souls at his disposal, he continued his quest to surpass humanity and took the next logical step in the equation, godhood. Using a similar method to his previous conquest, he took the souls of even more humans and proceeded to capture the god of their world within himself. This gave him the unlimited power of not only the souls he captured previously but literally the god of their world. His power was raised to such heights that he was able to create a miniature sun at his fingertips.

Aizen is one of the most iconic villains of the anime world. Ruthless, cunning and manipulative, Aizen has received a zanpaktou to reflect his nature; the power of illusions. His control over illusions allows him to manipulate all five senses of countless individuals at once. He has dubbed it to be the Complete Hypnosis. He has also reached the peak physical condition possible for a Shinigami. It is stated that he has maxed out parameters and is literally capped at that power level. That all goes out the window once he gets his hands on the Hongyoku, a wish-granting device, and breaks all his limitations and ascends into godhood. At this point, Aizen is so powerful, that he can’t even be killed.

When trying to end the series, Kishimoto-sensei has stated in an interview that he wrote himself into a corner and was unable to find a feasible way for the good guys to defeat Obito. Thus, Obito was destroyed by a stronger villain, Madara. But there was still no way for them to defeat him, so Madara was destroyed by a literal goddess, Kaguya. Madara was already seen rag dolling a majority of the characters in the series, and he gets taken over by an even more powerful being. She can instantly kill anyone and even shift dimensions at a whim. Neither Naruto nor Sasuke, the most powerful heroes at this point, can even come close to scratching her or defeating her. In the end, they can only do it by using the powers of the past and even then, it doesn’t even seem to be an absolute victory.

Beerus is the God of Destruction. Full stop. He’s literally a god. We’ve had villains who aspired to ascend to godhood on this list, and some who even succeeded in achieving some pseudo temporal state of godhood that allowed them a great measure of power. But Beerus is a real life god that has existed since the birth of time. When paired against Goku in a fight, he is able to defeat Goku with ease and still looked bored while doing it. And Goku was in Super Saiyan God mode while he was defeated. This easily highlights that his power level is not just above 9000, but it is probably impossible to measure his power level, period. It’s a good thing he’s not bent on world domination because our heroes have yet to defeat him even once.

Before Togashi, Yoshihiro made the famous Hunter x Hunter, he first made the big hit classic that is Yu Yu Hakusho. Urameshi, Yusuke, a delinquent, made a surprising act when he saved a child from being hit by a car. Now laying dead in place of the child, he wonders around town to see how his death would affect those who are around him until he was brought to the spirit world. Because of his sudden death, the spirit realm is not ready to accept him yet, instead, they gave him a chance to live again, but this time, he has to take cases and be the renowned Spirit Detective. One case that he has to face is to fight his predecessor Sensui, Shinobu. Sensui, or known as the Black Angel, was the former Spirit Detective that Koenma recruited. Sensui is considered a powerful fighter who has a great sense of morality of what is right and wrong. That is until he begins to question his views about humans and demons when he saw the brutality that was happening in the Black Black Club. Since what he witnessed has given him quite a burden on the psychological department, he instead made 6 more personalities apart from his original one to help him punish humanity.

Okajima, Rokurou or “rock” was a normal businessman having his own business trip. Until he was kidnapped and put to ransom by the group of pirate mercenaries known as the Black Lagoon. With his bosses not willing to pay the ransom, they abandon him instead. Feeling betrayed, he decides to join the group leaving his boring life behind in exchange for the adrenaline rushing adventures. Hansel and Gretel are twins that were born to a family that has abandoned them. They are twisted ruthless killers who have no mercy on their victims' lives. What is so scary about these two is that they do such sadistic things to their target while acting all childlike as if they were playing an innocent game of tag. Due to being subjected to child pornography and forced to do snuff films, they have both developed a split personality disorder wherein they interchange their personality together along with their appearances. You might know one child as Hansel and the other as Gretel, but the next thing you know Hansel is now Gretel and Gretel is now Hansel! It’s confusing, but hey, they were complex from the start.

Vessalius, Oz, who just turned 15 was pulled down into the abyss during his coming of age ceremony. The only choice to go out of the world of the abyss is to form a contract with a chain, Oz takes the bait and made Alice as his chain. Now back in his original world, he was shocked to find out that 10 years have passed. He decides to join Pandora to find the answers he seeks and to help Alice bring back her memories. We have another character that suffers from this disorder which came about when their chain Duldee, created another personality causing the original identity having an alter ego. Echo is the personal servant of Nightray, Vincent. Echo’s initial personality is that of a doll, simply put, she shows no emotions at all. She does, however, start to show more of herself after meeting Oz. She begins to decide things on her own as she discovers to know more about her situation. On the other hand, her second personality is Noise or otherwise called as Zwei as a member of the Baskerville clan. Zwei acts more like our crazy twins from our last selection. She is selfish, vicious, mentally fragile, and extremely obsessive of her master Vincent. No matter how much different these two identities are, the only thing they share is their loyalty towards Vincent.

Shigofumi are letters of the dead that are addressed in the living world. This contains the words of the dead that they did not manage to tell while being alive. Fumika and co-worker Kanata are mail carriers that are given the task to deliver these letters. Being abandoned by her mother was the first step of developing her alternate self. Mikawa, Kirameki, Fumika’s father, took all of his sadness and anger out of Fumika when his wife left them. He continuously abuses her to the point where Fumika created “Mika” for her not to be lonely. Fumika’s personality is one that is quiet and shy while Mika is the stronger personality where she shows a reserved, stoic attitude that does her job earnestly. Both do communicate with each other with Mika incredibly trying to watch over Fumika.

Ridiculous his name might be, this perplexing character hides a dark side. Allelujah is one of the main characters of the series as well as a member of the Celestial Being. His story began when an orphan child like him ended up being a test subject at Super Human Research Institute. He ended up being a modified human designed to fight in battles. In this way, he was able to exhibit his other identity named Hallelujah. Allelujah is a pacifist by heart. He displays a more reserved side who is caring and gentle. Meanwhile, Hallelujah is a survivalist with no qualms about killing anyone who would threaten his life. They both have different morals to adhere to but once their goals collide, they do no hesitate to rely on one another.

Based on the game Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc, tells the story of students who enrolled to gain their respective titles based on their talents and skills. However, there is a catch, students must murder their way to the top while not being noticed that they are the killers. Let the death match begin! This Megane girl doesn’t only suffer from dissociative identity disorder, she also has a persecution complex to boot. She is a victim of bullying which may have caused her to adopt a more cautious exterior. Touko is a shy fidgety girl who usually assumes the worst in everything resulting to people pulling away from her. Despite this, she has great talent when it comes to writing earning her the title of the ultimate writing prodigy. Her dark alternative self comes with the name Genocide Jack, who is quite a wild character. Genocide Jack is more outspoken and very quite outrageous. Contrasting they may be, both hold their crush intact towards Byakuya, Togami with Genocide Jack being more aggressively obsessive than Touko.

Kuroko, now a 1st-year high school student in Seirin High, joins the basketball club. Not much is expected of him, until he shows what he's capable of, making him the partner of the hot-headed boy Kagami, Taiga. Together they strive to be Japan’s number one as they face one by one the former teammates of Kuroko that is the Generation of Miracles. Akashi was the former captain of the Generation of Miracles and the current captain of Rakuzan High. Since childhood, he has been taught to be the best in everything. This is why Akashi is so focused on becoming a winner and will not take defeat by all means. Akashi’s primary personality is that of a person who cares and respects his teammates. He may come out strict in the eyes of other people, but for the generation of miracles, he is more like a nagging mother. All this changed when Akashi was about to lose on a one on one match with Murasakibara. His character became more intense and desires to be in control of everything. He views himself as always right, being aggressive when one disobeys him. After a couple of episodes, it shows that the feeling of being left behind is the catalyst of having his alter ego. Akashi is one of the characters who has this disorder that confronted and emerged stronger than his former self.

If you have been reading the manga, Agito has three primary identities. Since the anime introduced us two personalities only, we will stick to that. There are 3 identities that make up the Fang King of the Bloody Road and all of them are now part of the team Kogarasumaru. With Kogarasumaru new to the world of Air trecks, Agito is considered the most powerful out of the group which makes him a valuable asset. Agito is the third and the last personality that was made as well as the current dominant identity. He was created solely to protect his other identity that is Akito. Agito is a foul-mouthed boy who is aggressive, irritable and quite distant. Akito, on the other hand, presents a more feminine side out of the three. He is more mellow, sweet, and gentle. The funny thing about Akito is how he shows his affection towards Ikki. Before he became attached Ikki, it was shown that he was abused frequently by his brother Wanijima, Kaito. In order to cope up with the pain he was receiving, he created Agito. In spite of his innocent childlike attitude, Agito has stated that Akito is much more fearsome when he fights seriously. But since Akito is a pacifist, Agito generally takes over to avoid Akito being hurt.

Now let’s go back again to one of the classics that also contributed to the world of cyberpunk. Lain suddenly receives a message from her classmate Yomoda, Chisa who just recently committed suicide. She was suddenly pulled into the virtual world of “wired” which basically like a social media of today. Lain now embarks on a journey of knowing more about herself through vague enigmatic mysteries. Lain is supposed to be your typical shy, quiet girl. Of course, she would be on our list as she as a ton of multiple personalities. She can be bashful, then bold, then playful and the list goes so on and on and on. Her personality is too many to count it with your fingers. What is interesting in this show is the way it tackles such sensitive topics in an intriguing way. As we watch along, we definitely start to know Lain as she searches her true identity. If you would like something that will make you think so hard with a dark setting, then this show is for you!

Ganta was supposedly having a normal life when his life suddenly turned upside down when he was convicted of the murder of his classmates which was really done by the deadman, Red Man. Now in Deadman Wonderland, he struggles to survive despite the brutal realities that the place entails. Being among the rare characters who is an albino, Shiro’s dominant personality shows that of an innocent child. While she is a quirky character that is full of surprises and likes sweets, Shiro has experienced cruel experiments that resulted in her being the first deadman to be made hence making a new alternate self which is the Wretched Egg. The Wretched Egg, or as Ganta calls her the Red Man, is more brutal of a character than Shiro. Since the Wretched Egg remembers the suffering she has undergone, she views the world as hateful and therefore she, in turn, would inflict pain in everything. The two share the same affection towards Ganta but with the Wretched Egg showing it in a more twisted fashion.

Erratic and irrational; if there was ever a reason to maintain your distance, these telltale signs are barely brushing the surface. Someone whom can’t maintain their own directive is about a few miles off and counting from someone worth lending your trust to. A sickened state of mind is lethal poison and Love-pon is its incubator. Right at the turn of the page, Love-pon is off the rails. Her reason for going to Nanaki Village? to protect her identity. For someone whom is first to petition murder and torture as a means of settling a situation, the idea of her still having things other than her murderous intent worth hiding just makes the hairs on your neck stand up. She’s a rigid obstacle that needs to be hurdled over, but not before we shake her clean of all her misaligned secrets. What makes her even more worth the spotlight, is the fact that throughout the series, seemingly, no one cares. She’s a little devil in plain sight and would only make sense for her to kick start our hit list of Top 10 Suspicious Mayoiga Characters.

Beware of those who tout rationalism. Elevating oneself above the populace’ way of thought, believing you are separate from the primates, can often be nothing short of a bold cry of instability from within. From the beginning, he introduced himself as a person whom is not necessarily restarting his life over because of tragedy, but instead joined the tour because “treading the beaten path” was unappealing. Someone who is supposedly just tired of going through the motions, and yearned for something new. Nothing, in particular, to see here right? In truth, Mikage Yura may be the bread and butter of the type of person worth keeping an eye on. While he often does maintain a sense of logical thinking amongst the group, you just can’t help but question what’s really going on in that big brain of his. Mikage Yura, you may sing the song of a man whose well-intentioned, but you are awfully out of tune.

Living straight out on the edge at all times is like a ticking time bomb without a clock. Untimely spasms hidden amongst the trees of a fragile tranquility. We have a name for these type of people, and that’s “crazy”. With an absence of appearance, it’s worth saying that those whom speak the least, may often have the most to say. Thus, we urge Jack to come to the front of the congregation at once. Clearly logic is not a part of this kid’s daily meal. His response to a life threatening situation? make it even more so. In short, this oddball’s outbursts are rationally deficient; and when followed by, frankly, nothing given his lack of screen time, it makes you wonder what his next appearance might entail. Beware of the quiet ones!

The calm before the storm is a saying that just never gets old. Acting aloof and levelheaded could simply be a byproduct of a struggle to keep the heavy tides from rolling in. Pragmatic at every turn, and fixated on the well-being of his close friend, Mitsumune; but might we ask, why? If looked at in the right light, these may be the only details necessary to breed suspicion, and Speedster, you’re certainly one suspicious character. What is his reason for hopping aboard the bus to the wonderful world of Neverland? To deny its existence. Claiming to be hell bent on deciphering the code behind the myth is the perfect paper to place over a cracked wall. He has overwhelming rationale towards everything he does, but on a bad note, expresses a need to be in control of something at all times. It takes no level of convincing to realize that those whose motive lack reason, are the ones to remain the most skeptical of in the long run.

Body language often screams louder than words. Shut your ears and open your eyes if you want to know what the truth entails. You’d be surprised at just how much can be read from a single expression, as opposed to what one may lead you to believe with their words. Especially, when your first course of action during a heated argument is to gun down on the gas pedal and take thirty lives into your own hands. Driver, we have reason to believe that you may be holding onto more than you're willing to let off, and we aren’t going to let you skate by under the radar so easily. He mocked his passengers for their life changing decisions. He laughed in the face of a ‘new page’; a’ do-over’. He was a hardened individual that believed in facing the devil head on without ever looking away. He called everyone out for trying to escape their problems, until he cracked and let his beaten past show its colors. Now he’s a part of the troupe, and to put it simply, he just doesn’t set very well. His directive feels off, and his aura stained. You are a mysterious person Driver, and that’s all that needs to be said.

A tricky case at best, Lion will have you tight roping on a thin line between whether to trust her or suspect her. The youngest of the bunch, Lion usually appears to be the most mature. She tends to remain very balanced throughout most situations, but can be condescending simply for her own amusement. At first look, there’s not much to question here, but peep through the keyhole of this locked door and maybe there might still be something worth finding. “I see dead people, all the time”. Maybe not iterated in those exact words, but it’s the thought that counts. Her childish back and forth claims of seeing ghosts, and knowing when someone’s clock is about to expire has creepy written all over it. She may be small, but little dogs can carry a big bite too, so it’s best to keep the safeguards up. Rule of thumb when playing detective; never overlook the calm ones, never ignore the quiet ones, and certainly, don’t assume innocence towards the young ones. Oh me, oh my! Lion fits the shoe just perfect.

Right off the bat, if this nonchalant, dry sponge of an attitude character doesn’t rub you the wrong way, then your survival skills are at absolute zero. A longtime resident of Nanaki Village, Reiji is a cork board for all your most endearing questions. There’s hardly a story to him, and that just helps fit him into the suspect suit even more. Sorry partner, but you’re not eating at the same dinner table as the rest of us. Your questionable character raises eyebrows at the least, and unfortunately for you, we’re here to pick people like you apart. Court is in session Reiji, and before this podium, you will be stripped bare.

Kamiyama Haruomi. Clad in a white lab coat, a once upon a time resident of the foggy mist that is Nanaki Village, this old man is ripe to be up to something. We talk about the mad scientists of the world in dozens of made-up stories every day. A genius, apt with knowledge, expertise, and is always well-grounded, simply going off the ledge. Intertwined within the strings of their own obsession. A reluctance to pull away and open their eyes to the surrounding world. A sickness, that births a lunacy capable of turning them deadly. Kami-sama put his career on the line. Trading his current reality, for the sake of a spoken legend; a myth. His mistake; finding what he was looking for. Perhaps Nanaki Village is but the playing surface for his ever wicked games, for in the world of science, ethics is easily overlooked in favor of the “betterment” of mankind. So long as the end justifies the means right? Every experiment needs its lab rats, and thirty people willing to throw away their old lives seem like perfect candidates for the job.

Knowledge is power, and power, can often be abused. Trapped in a strange village that makes the world feel as though it’s spinning without you. Eager to find a way to repair a broken attempt at a fresh start. You have questions that need answers, so why not ask the person who knows the most. Koharun… The one behind it all. Responsible for tracking the untraceable village of Nanaki; and turning legend, into reality. When you truly read between the lines, you’ll probably wonder why she wasn’t marked with a bullseye much sooner. If there are fingers to be pointed, then Koharun is definitely a target. Touted as an expert in folklore and mythology, this walking encyclopedia is one shred of information away from digging her own hole six feet under. There’s a thing as knowing too much, and while most of the characters may have set their sights elsewhere, we caution you to keep one eye peeled on this sneaky lady at all times.

The era of choosing either to drown to death or burn at the stake in order to prove your innocence; nowadays, is but an old text read only in the history books. However, those who don’t learn from their past are bound to repeat it. But could you blame those in fear of the worst? Shaded underneath the umbrella of Nanaki Village, one’s extreme obsession with superstition and its negative offset is nothing but gasoline prepped for a flame. Need we say it? Masaki, you’ve been holding a flame over your head for quite a while now. It’s only a matter of time before it slips from your grasp and sets everything ablaze. Masaki is ‘odd’ no matter how you view her situation. Her skewed sense of fortunetelling often leads her to become jittery and quite eccentric. She seemingly can’t be straight-forward as every answer that comes out her mouth is shrouded with around the bush wording and sidestepping vagueness. It was only a matter of time before everyone began noticing that there’s just ‘something about Mary’ and eying her as the odd one out. Masaki is well overdue her turn to be held under oath, and it’s about time she was brought in to have a word or two.

He is probably one of the coldest and cruelest characters you will ever see. Hibari is the leader of the Discipline Committee, a group of delinquents of Namimori Junior High. Hi is not a sociable person, and plays violent games like “I'll kill anyone who wakes me up when I'm sleeping”, and seriously, he will. He is surrounded by a mysterious aura, which made him a sexy bad boy. He also has amazing fighting skills and he is kind of a geek. Although he is cruel and violent, he loves small animals. He has a bird that can sing his school’s song. His favorite phrase is “I'll bite you to death”, and I’m sure many fans will be glad to allow him do it.

It’s hard to believe that he is Inuyasha's older half-brother. He is a full-blooded demon and he totally embraces his condition. He is really powerful and when it comes to raw power, he is almost unbeatable. His long white hair and golden eyes make him one of the hottest antiheroes. He is cold, arrogant and super strong and fluffy! I don’t think I never saw Sesshomaru smiling, probably because that will show some kindness. In spite of hating humans, he cares about Rin, an orphan girl whose village was destroyed by demons. He brought her back to life with his sword, after finding her body almost destroyed by wolves.

His real name is Lelouch Vi Britannia, as he is an exiled prince of Britannia. He is the main character and protagonist of the anime and is introduced as a brilliant student and talented chess player. Lelouch has the "Power of the King," known as the power of Geass. This allows him to make people obey any order without questioning. With this power, he has started a rebellion against the empire, gaining more and more support among the people. Because of this power, he isn't afraid of anyone or anything. He not only has the looks but also the brains. He is handsome and smart. And even though he is the bad guy, he has a protective and sensitive side that makes him impossible not to love him.

He is also called 8823, which actually can be read as Hayabusa. He is quite an Adonis: Blonde with long hair, muscular build, blue eyes. But he is also the leader of the second-year delinquent group. He is sexy, charismatic and very manly. He’s a real delinquent who will skip all the rules without being stopped. He was the last person that Sakamoto met before his departure to America. The only thing that I don’t like about him is the length of his jacket for his school uniform that only reaches to his waist, which doesn’t match with his attitude. But you can’t judge a book by his cover. Hayabusa respects honor and school hierarchies and has a soft-spot for his siblings and for sweets.

He is a cruel and deadly magician who uses Shu poker card as a weapon to kill. But he is also both beautiful and hot, really hot. He is also a psychopath, a very complex character that can be childish sometimes. He has his own moral codes that are as twisted as his personality. He is always looking for a strong opponent, one who can’t be easily defeated. That’s how he finds Gon, who attracts Hisoka’s attention. He develops a strange relationship with Gon, the potential of having a powerful adversary turns Hisoka on. He may win a special award for his perfect butt. If you saw him without wearing any makeup or strange outfits, you’ll see that his body is amazing. He could be a wonderful ikemen.

How can you not love that badass smile? He knows the little dirty secrets of every person in the town and uses that information for his own deeds by selling it. Basically, during the whole anime he is playing with people. He likes to put them in miserable conditions and watch how they react. However, he claims to love humans, which makes him seem like he is not a human, except Shizuo. He hates Shizuo more than anything in the world. But why is he so manipulative? Not for power or revenge. He does it for his own enjoyment. For Izaya, the world is a game and he plays with his own rules. He is an expert of parkour and has an exceptional mastery of his flick blade. Actually, he can shave your head bald, and you won’t even notice it. He is sadistic, psychopathic, and irresistible.

This man wants to destroy the entire world and it doesn’t bother him if he has to betray his former comrades in the process. Shinsuke isn’t the main character of the anime, but every time he appears the screen is on fire. He is hard to forget, with his bandaged left eye, his kimono and the pipe he’s always smoking. Ok, if you read this description and never seen him before, you wouldn’t think he is sexy as hell. But his evil smile, his dark purple hair, his calm nature make him the perfect villain. He’s one of the selfish characters ever and the greatest antagonist in anime. He once said: "I'm fine with being a beast, I neither want nor need anything to protect. I just want to destroy everything, until the beast stops whining." I don’t think I need to add anything else.

I have to confess that I wasn’t a big fan of Light in the beginning. It can’t be denied that he was really brilliant but he lacked any coolness. But as the anime goes on, he was turning into a bastard, and definitely increasing his sexiness. His badass intelligence makes him even more attractive and you’ll probably support the bad guy here, really wanting him to win. Under the nickname “Kira”, he uses the Death Note to create a “better world” according to his ideal of justice. But eventually, he ends up playing God. You may criticize his moral sense, but you have to admit that he is really sexy. Not a traditional sexy way, but the look in his eyes when he’s killing or about to kill someone will make you shiver.

Although he claims to be a humanist, he loves cruelty, brutally, fierceness and all the worst features of human beings. He is manipulative, sadistic, stylish, strong, evilly smart, and a hottie. And if this were not enough, he is a literature lover who likes to quote famous plays and books. He is the mastermind of many cases that the Public Safety Bureau is investigating. He has an unparalleled genius and sees life as a game. Although his greatest weapon without a question is his mind, he is also great in combat; he is stronger than a normal man. Shogo Makishima is definitely one of the hottest villains out there, ranking in second place of this top. His twisted and perverse mind gave birth to one of the best anime plots. He is beyond this world’s logic.

Oh Sebastian, Sebastian, why are you a demon? Sebastian Michaelis is the butler of the Phantomhive household. He is the best butler you could ever have, but he is a demon. He is handsome, cool, calm, and extremely seductive. I want a Sebastian in my life! His best known phrase is "I am simply one hell of a butler" and certainly he is. He can do anything, no matter if it seems impossible, he is highly skilled in everything. Seriously, he is. It is said that nobody is perfect, but Sebastian is the closest person to it. Even more important: he is immortal, so his hotness will last forever. His eyes are going to hypnotize you, and his voice is so deep and sexy. Every time he says "Yes, My Lord", I melt down. I don’t know if someone can resist his hotness, but it’s hard to handle. And that’s why Sebastian is the top winner of this list of sexy anime bad boys.

Kida is the audience’s tour guide to Ikebukuro, guiding Mikado around the strange jungle that is this wild city. He’s the cool ‘best friend’ character and always seemed to be comfortable amongst the dangers surrounding them, taking the initiative to introduce Mikado to the important figures across Ikebukuro. However, it was soon revealed that Kida was far more than just a tour guide and ended up becoming a part of this odd proxy gang war against his best friend. Masaomi Kida is a character that we’ve seen every side of. His ability to learn from his mistakes and take a step in the right direction is admirable. Entering back into the series in DurararaX2, he’s humble and prepared to face the realities of life and the consequences of his actions. And there’s nothing cooler than doing the right thing, right? ...Right?

The Blue Squares were always a fairly vague gang and within the first season, they existed as little more than flavour text as the gang that the Yellow Scarves defeated. Whilst the gang was disbanded, their name was important and it’s one that stuck with us throughout the conflicts between the Dollars and the Yellow Scarves. But jump ahead to DurararaX2 and the Blue Squares are back in a brand new form. Aoba is the original founder of the Blue Squares and ended up losing the group due to the gang war predating the first episode. But now that he’s back in town, he’s out to rebuild the Blue Squares using any means necessary. It’s a really cool progression and the conflicts between him and Mikado end up building them both as characters in this strange mutually advantageous relationship.

Everybody loves the underdog. There’s something brilliant about watching all of these powerful people galavanting around town, only to realise that our weak protagonist is perhaps the most powerful of all of them. Mikado’s place within Durarara shows a disconnect between strength and power, finally introducing the scope of community influence. The Dollars is an online chat group that Ryuugamine formed as a joke. Anyone can join the chat group as long as they were invited. At its core, it’s just a chat group much like what you’d have on Skype. However, the invite-only nature and quick expansion of it eventually led to gangsters using the name “Dollars”. It was at this point that Mikado decided to turn it around and use the group for good, eventually creating the most powerful gang in Ikebukuro.

Speaking of the Dollars, Kyohei is one such member and the leader of his own gang who try to carry out good deeds throughout the city, even if it does involve terrifying means. Among a group of eccentrics, Kyohei’s ability to stay level-headed and collected is certainly valuable. He’s regarded as one of the more charismatic characters within a show, displayed through his own honesty, acting as a direct anti-thesis to Izaya. In a town where the dynamic can change quickly and anger takes over logic, Kyohei is the one consistent force that pulls us back to reality and finds his own reasons for fighting, separate from the constant manipulation that’s consistent with other major characters in the show.

When a new season of one your favourite shows comes back after such a long absence, it’s natural to expect a gift. Something extra that doesn’t just say “I’m back!” It says, “I’m back and I’m better than ever!” The Orihara twins are that gift. As the sisters of the ultimate manipulative force that is Izaya, they’re just as eccentric. Together, they’ve manipulated their own personalities into polar opposites of each other in an attempt to make up for each other’s weaknesses at every turn. It was even mentioned by Izaya that they flipped a coin to decide who gets which personality. Everything about them is so flippant and their extreme reactions to everything and vague loyalty is a strange mix between cool and creepy. Thank god there’s a screen separating us or the Orihara Twins would be the source of my nightmares.

Most wouldn’t regard a character who seems to play the role of comic relief so often to be “cool”. However, Shinra is far far more than just a set of jokes and plays an integral role within every plot point. Despite him being an underground doctor, he’s also very good friends with both Izaya and Shizuo, two of the most powerful forces within the city. He recognises both of their flaws and as a middleman ends up becoming tied up in the largest amount of occurring narratives out of any character. The fact that someone who’s physically weak, not particularly manipulative and not really malicious can become such an important character within every conflict is just brilliant and he defies all our expectations of him. Most characters in his position would be constantly fearful of attack, but Shinra always remains calm, collected and ready to dish out a joke, even at the expense of some of the most dangerous people.

Shizuo’s possibly the easiest pick within this list. Inhuman strength, sunglasses and a profession as a waiter all seem to build up to “You’ve just been served puns” as well as the ultimate image of ‘coolness’. With possibly one of the strangest backstories within the series, Shizuo has had superhuman strength from childhood. But without a superhuman body, every time he ended up using it, he’d end up hospitalized. Through years of strain and self-abuse, he finally gained the strength to be able to support his own superhuman outbursts. However, that isn’t what’s cool about Shizuo. When we’re first introduced to him, it’s as a character to fear. Someone who will violently hunt down anyone who wrongs him. So what changes our perspective is how he’s built up later on as someone who doesn’t really like violence and gets annoyed at his own short temper. It’s just unfortunate that much of Ikebukuro don’t see it the same way.

Simon is a constant unknown force and throughout the entire first season of Durarara, we’re not even totally sure who he really is. We knew he owned a Russian Sushi place in Ikebukuro and was connected with various figures around town, but his real place within the world was unclear. The same goes for what exactly Russian sushi is. There’s this great scene in the first episode where Mikado is told that the three people he needed to avoid was Izaya, Shizuo and Simon. However, as someone with no real apparent feuds, Simon is the odd man out within that equation. That is until we get the chance to see his incredible strength and later hear his backstory as a former Soviets Special Forces operative. He is the strongest man in Ikebukuro and even Izaya mused that in a fist-fight between him and Shizuo, Simon would come out on top.

There’s nothing cooler than a motorcycle. Unless it’s a headless horseman on a motorcycle made of shadows. What’s initially presented as a fairly odd concept in the ever changing chaos that is Ikebukuro, ends up contributing to one of the most likeable characters within the series. Whether it’s escaping from the police or beating up crooks, Celty is the closest the Durarara franchise gets to having their own Batman. But in place of a growly voice, Celty instead uses a cellphone to tap out her messages. She lost her head, after all. As one of the strongest characters on the “good side”, she can create weapons and shapes from a shadow protruding from her neck. Appearing from nowhere, Celty’s presence on the scene changes the dynamic entirely, turning a gang beat-up into a supernatural slaughter. She’s the Dullahan from Celtic mythology and now she’s one of the good guys in the Ikebukuro gang wars. I believe that’s reason enough to place her on this list.

There really is no other candidate for the top place here. As one of my favourite characters in fiction, Izaya’s position as an antagonist is as complex as it is mysterious. Much like Little Finger from Game of Thrones, Izaya’s motivations are always unclear, yet most conflicts can be traced back to him. Dancing around the streets of Ikebukuro, Izaya has very few fears and always seems to be in control, even when being attacked by Shizuo, the strongest man in the city. There’s something inherently cool about winning and Izaya’s streak never seems to end. With little investments in his own plots, he’s just as happy watching them fail as watching them succeed. It’s such an odd dynamic that even parts of Durarara!!X2 where he’s bleeding on the streets aren’t considered a defeat, as Izaya’s reaction puts everything back towards him.

On an emergency trip to Canada, Haru is suddenly introduced to his adopted younger brother Ren. Haru is tasked with “civilizing” Ren, who is very rough around the edges. Haru begins to learn about Ren’s past and takes care of him diligently, and the two start to become a real family. Five years later, as part of a childhood promise, Ren moves to Tokyo to live with Haru and Haru’s two biological brothers. Despite a brewing forbidden love between brothers with a notable age gap, Ren and Haru develop a bond that can only be described as love in its purest form. Based on a manga with the same title, Super Lovers promises to be a yaoi anime about a romance that faces a lot of social boundaries. Fans of the manga will be pleased to know that the anime will be produced by Studio Deen, the creators of the well-received Junjo Romantica. If you’re looking for a BL fix this spring, check out Super Lovers.

Kagewani: Shou is the upcoming sequel to its first season Kagewani, a horror anime with an experimental art style that has more than a few heads turning in its direction. In true Japanese kaiju fashion, strange monsters are attacking humans and seem completely unstoppable. One scientist, Banba Sousuke is looking for answers to the monsters and his past. In short 7-minute episodes, Kagewani stuffs in enough suspenseful monster reveals and small bursts of plot setting to keep us glued to the screen. The first season took a fantastically interesting step into the human psyche in the last episode, but we were left with a gaping hole where a second season would fit nicely, and here it is! New mysteries have popped up for the second go-around, including the growing shadowy scar Banba has around his left eye. Brought to you by Takashima Tomoya, the director of Yami Shibai (Japanese Ghost Stories), Kagewani: Shou should be able to transition to this new direction quite nicely.

Naruhodo Ryuuichi is a rookie lawyer who is filled with passion for fighting for his clients. Based on a hit visual novel game series by the same name, Pheonix Wright: Ace Attorney brings dramatic courtroom showdowns to your anime world. Ryuuichi’s rival is a genius prosecutor Mitsurugi Reiji who has little pity for the accused, but with the help of his mentor Ayasato Chihiro and his assistant Ayasato Mayoi, Ryuuichi faces each unusual case head on. With the visual novel games as a guide, we can expect new twists and turns in each unusual case. How will Ryuuichi slip past Mitsurugi’s iron-clad prosecution? With triumphant finger pointing and a well-timed “Objection!” Ryuuichi is sure to find the important evidence he needs before the final gavel is struck. Players of the game will be the first on the hype train, but it’s possible the anime will inspire the non-gamers to pick up their handhelds and take a shot at lawyering in the visual novel age.

Kiznaiver is an original anime—code for crazy awesome plot potential—set in the ruins of a futuristic metropolis, where our protagonist Agata Katsuhira is chosen to be a Kiznaiver, a person who can share pain from physical wounds with others through the Kizuna System. Each of the Kiznaivers is distinct in personality, and they all belong to different social circles, but the Kizuna System connects them. Will the shared pain of wounds also allow them to connect their feelings? As the promo dialog states, “Everyone wants to be connected to someone.” Kiznaiver already has a lot going for it. This new anime is produced by the studio Trigger, the wonderful people who have brought us the ever-popular anime orgasms of Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann and Kill la Kill. If you’re wondering about character development, you will be pleased to know that Kiznaiver’s script is written by Okada Mari (Anohana, Toradora, Nagi no Asukara). The unique and vibrant animation from Trigger combined with interpersonal relationships guided by Okada Mari might just be the genius collaboration we didn’t know we always wanted.

The elusive village of Nanakimura is hiding a secret. The village is rumored to be a utopia, a place where you can leave behind all your troubles of the world. In a tour bus of thirty passengers, many are looking for the escape they need to bring peace to their troubled hearts in this village of legend, but when they arrive, they find Nanakimura is abandoned. What fate befell their last hope at finding the much-needed solace in their lives? For that matter, what fate awaits them in this forgotten village? This drama anime filled with mystery is the second original collaboration with Okada Mari (Anohana, Toradora) on this list. With the recent success of Iron-Blooded Orphans, Okada has been able to show her writing versatility, and this spring collaboration has all the kiddies talking. Mayoiga will be directed by Mizushima Tsutomu, the man at the reigns of Shirobako and Prison School. This mix-and-matched staff of Mayoiga may even rival the melty combination genius of taco rice, but only time will tell! Time seriously needs to hurry up.

This spring, Production I.G is blessing us with a new globe-trotting and spy-tastic seinen anime, Joker Game. At the eve of World War II, the Japanese military has developed a mysterious “D Agency,” composed of talented intellectuals who excel at manipulation. Far from being assassins, these spies live under the rule of “Don’t die; don’t kill,” and they certainly are trump card outliers in the Japanese army. Look forward to this war drama with a brainy twist. Based on a real novel, not the light variety, the synopsis looks promising. The voice cast looks straight-up, down-right great. It looks great, period. Please, let this be great. As a World War II period piece, the visuals have a good level of realistic grit to them, letting it stand out in the polished Spring 2016 crowd. Joker Game has a unique aesthetic, with its adult male characters sporting suits, and with backgrounds matched to the time period and European locations. For anime fans who like well-developed plots with historical relevance, Joker Game needs to be on your watch list this spring.

By far, the most anticipated anime for this season is Bungo Stray Dogs. Already slated for 2 seasons, Bungo Stray Dogs is adaptation of the supernatural mystery manga of the same name. In Bungo Stray Dogs, we get an eclectic group of detectives who all have supernatural powers. The main protagonist Nakajima Atsushi is an orphan who was thrown out of his orphanage, but he joins a supernatural detective agency on a hunt for a human-eating tiger that appeared around when Atsushi came to town. What is the connection between Atsushi and this tiger? The original manga for Bungo Stray Dogs is well-received, and BONES isn’t one to disappoint when they have a good story. If the anime holds true to its source material, look forward to a plot that is set up well and delivers consistently through the veil of mystery. If you looking for some supernatural action-packed detective work or some handsome guys with interesting sets of skills, Bungo Stray Dogs will have something you’ll enjoy. Let’s see if Bungo Stray Dogs will be the top-notch mystery we’ve been looking for.

What, Psycho-Pass?! Savvy readers who already watched this brilliance of a TV anime show might’ve been so immersed in one of the most riveting anime narratives of this decades to remember how disturbing some of the earlier stories had been. Possibly to fit his gory and almost nihilistic writing style to the TV airwaves, the first half of Psycho-Pass is a collection of Gen Urobuchi’s imaginatively violent murders ranging from our first exposure to death by molecular deconstruction (through the Dominators used by our protagonists) to sawing up a corpse so that it can be flushed into a toilet bowl. Admittedly, Psycho-Pass is among Urobuchi’s tamer works, especially compared to almost all of his prolific visual novels. However, it is possibly his most gut-churning anime as you realise that one of the victims in the show ended up with their legs attached to where their arms are supposed to connect with their shoulders, in an almost beautifying way no less.

16 year old Akira Tsubaki gets into a relationship with fellow classmate and loner Mikoto Urabe. Having a setup so similar to many anime romances, it shouldn’t be wrong for any innocent viewer to assume that this show is about Akira and Mikoto’s adorable couplehood and their learning to come into terms with being with one another. Well, they wouldn’t be wrong either… However, Nazo no Kanojo X is especially disconcerting because the entire basis of the main couple’s relationship and sexual attraction to one another is based on them dwelling (both mentally and very, very graphically) on each other’s spit. There’s an element of rawness in the show’s frank depiction of Akira and Mikoto’s pent up frustration despite the Ghibli-inspired fantastical aesthetics, giving an almost poetic meaning to their salivary exchanges as they learn to accept the weirdness in their significant other. Whether it is appealing to watch is something we have decide on our own. Watching Nazo no Kanojo X is akin to visiting your neighbours and then absolutely enjoying yourself as their puppy runs enthusiastically onto your lap, only for you to realise in horror that his entire body is covered in the stink of his uncleaned waste. You can definitely learn to ignore the stench and enjoy his antics, but that would definitely be more of a compliment to your strength of mind.

Shiki is an anime about vampires. Not many vampire anime exist, and among the most popular shows of the past decade are a shoujo love story and a high school romantic comedy. In stark contrast to its motif predecessors, Shiki tells a story of the conflicts between the humans and ‘shiki’, long-living vampiric creatures, in a rural Japanese village that escalates into a desperate war of survival at the cost of morality and compassion. The show does a great job of making every death count. While Shiki resembles a horror show more than anything else in the first half of its run, there comes a point when the viewer is no longer astonished by the vampires but instead by the sheer violence that both sides are capable of. In one particular scene, village doctor Toshio Ozaki becomes so consumed with his hate for the ‘shiki’ that he heartlessly dissects one of their kind both in our and his conscious victim’s view. The scene, in all its disturbing glory, ends up being a turning point in demonstrating to us that some of the most disgusting and revolting conflicts are those of when people try to regain their normal lives.

Not often in fiction does sex and violence get to the point of actually disgusting its audience. Elfen Lied accomplishes this in the beginning 10 minutes of its first episode, and continues doing so for the rest of its one-cour runtime. Just like Shiki, Elfen Lied thrives on contrasting moments of normality with unnerving images of supernatural forces at work. The anime builds upon its beginning moments of security guards being flinged about like bloody pinatas by heroine Lucy’s psychic hands that it almost has no choice but to go further into the deep end as the episodes go by. In fact, Elfen Lied is so good at doing this that it challenges our ability to stomach violence through gratuitous scenes of on animal beatings and premature girls being systematically tortured, both vivid enough to induce some vomiting from less resilient viewers. There is little reason to Elfen Lied’s violence, which makes it all the more disgusting as you realise the meaninglessness of the characters’ suffering. However, as a piece of anime history and a focal point to the levels of gore that a TV anime is capable of, Elfen Lied is a benchmark that deserves its recognition.

Most people have no idea that ufotable made Gyo, but everyone who does know about Gyo probably came across it by accident or knew about the manga that it was adapted from. Released as an hour long OVA, Gyo resembles the horror rental tapes that one might grab for a nice weekend with friends. As one of the more straightforward anime of this list, it really is a surprise that Gyo isn’t better known among anime watchers; it could easily earn a cult following by horror fans who can stomach some of its more repulsive imagery. Gyo also happens to be the kind of monster-on-man show that is deeply interested in showing the gritty physical detail of engaging in combat with armies of shark-cyborg mutants, where even a single scratch reduces you to a zombie-like sea monster. Somewhat ironically, Gyo actually tells a very compelling story of survival and loss, making it quite an impressive feat of where anime makes good use of disgusting elements for an intriguing viewing experience. Feel free to utilise this anime for a memorable bonding experience with the braver ones among your good friends.

With violence being such a common tool in fictional media to impress viewers, it takes a special something for today’s anime fans for anime violence to be described as disgusting. With Blood-C, it is the ridiculous level of creativity put into scenes of its monsters massacring the human population that immediately puts it above the two other mainstream anime featuring gratuitous violence. Bringing back to life a franchise with a dedicated cult following that started with the much-loved Blood: The Last Vampire anime film, Blood-C throws you for a loop by an nausea inducing dichotomy between awkward school life scenes and exaggerated levels of blood spilling. While this alone might be traumatising to dedicated franchise fans, the really disgusting aspect of the show are the scenes of otherworldly monstrosities indiscriminately killing innocent civilian. Whether it is people getting ripped apart at the limbs, skewered like hot snack or made into a torrent of bloody fluid as though in a blender, Blood-C finds a way to put you in awe from the sheer creativity of its violence while simultaneously forcing your eyes away from the monitor. Blood-C is the kind of anime that is perfect material to make .gif files and freak out your friends with. No one who enjoys a decent story will put themselves through it, but it does do a good job of showing how modern anime can push the limits of what makes it to the air waves.

Abunai Sisters is one of those things that no one wants to recognise as an anime, but is considered so because it was made under prolific animation studio Production I.G. The studio is best known for making great anime like Ghost in the Shell and Psycho-Pass about important things like human identity and social disorder. On the other hand, Abunai Sister is a not so great CGi-made anime about not so important issues, like Koko and Mika’s ridiculous breast physics and antagonists who obsess over them. It’s also fluently voiced in English, which is interesting since the dialogue is obviously trenched in Japanese syntax. For the most part, Abunai Sister entertains through the ridiculousness of its aesthetics and the shallowness of its story. However, this backfires by how unappealing absolutely everything about it is, from the physical appearance of Koko and Mika to the repulsive attempts at fanservice throughout the show. There is something innately disgusting about a fanservice show that is so ugly that one can only enjoy it in an ironic sense, which is made even worse when one realises that there is absolutely no point to the entire show other than inducing a few cheap laughs. In a sense, Abunai Sister subverts sexuality by making all elements of it in the show as disgusting as possible. However, describing it as such is a generous evaluation of the anime’s intellectual value.

Lasting only 3 minutes as a single episode OVA, Utsu Musume Sayuri is the shortest entry on this list by length. Despite so, it may very well be the most immediately disturbing from the moment the you are introduced to the titular Sayuri and her deformed family members, who from what any viewer can tell is part of Sayuri’s own body. The plot for this anime is simple; Sayuri, a creature consisting of many horrifying physical features is told by her family to “hit” another horrifying creature, and she does. That’s literally it. Of course, since this anime is so short, introducing Sayuri and her family takes nearly half of its entire runtime and is just as disturbing as anything else there is to see. So little makes sense about this show that it ends up sticking to the mind as an amalgamation of all disgusting behaviour imaginable, compressed into a single act lacking any rhyme or reason and provides no closure to the horror that just a glance of this anime exposes you to.

Visual novels are infamous for birthing fictional works that depict violent and disturbing fetishisations of sex, albeit with countless counterexamples of great writing in the same medium. Euphoria is a strange animal in the sense that it is without a doubt a hideous culmination of sexual extremity and torturous behaviour, but is also recognised for its smart writing. The anime, being a low production value hentai OVA, has less of the latter while retaining the most disgusting aspects of the original game. Some of you braver readers might have taken the initiative to check out the first episode and might be thinking, how does this any worse than any of the shows above? Well, resilient readers, do be aware that the first episode is alike a roller coaster building up for speed, escalating higher and higher before it all comes crashing down into loops of excretion-infused coupling and hyper-violent fetishisation forced on unwilling high school students, all in the name of surviving a crazy game that no one involved understands. Even the more venturous of anime fans will need a bucket nearby in case they can’t stomach their disgust hearing the desperate cries of the more vulnerable female characters. Even your sympathy for the hesitant protagonist, who carries out all of these acts, will wane as he adapts emotionally to the role of being a antagonistic deviant. Those who are looking for an entry point to the dark side of anime need look no further, for Euphoria is the disgust-inducing gem of the industry that awaits your curiosity.

The truth is, if this had been a list about the Top 10 Disgusting Manga, we would have came up with a much darker, much less appealing list of works. As such, it only makes sense that the top of our current list is an anime adaptation of a kamishibai (literally “paper drama”) story of young Midori during the Showa-period of Japan, who loses her parents and is forced to a position of slavery in a freak circus. That being said, this is a particularly unappetising work that cannot be recommended in good faith to anyone, and as thus its entry in this list serves as a way of your avoidance from sheer nightmare-fuel. The anime depicts in vivid detail and avant-garde creativity of Midori’s sexual and emotional abuse under a number of physically deformed circus performers with heavy use of psychotic imagery, often to the point of grotesque sex scenes that does not excite in the slightest. It therefore follows that Director Hiroshi Harada single-handedly drew the entire film after having failed to gather a proper production staff. Fortunately (or unfortunately for those forced into watching the film), this means that viewers get the complete experience of Harada’s artistic expression, which he certainly puts into use throughout scene after grotesque scene of abstract personal horror and disgusting renditions of intercourse between numerous couples. As much as this anime can be considered in either extremes as self-contained trash production or a pure expression of art, it is a dire challenge to the viewer’s stomach as well as to their sanity. There is no pleasure whatsoever to be gained from watching Shoujo Tsubaki as it is occupies a space in creative expression devoid of any intention of being entertaining. Instead, it forcefully expands the viewer’s worldview of what is possible of human imagination while raising very significant questions of how far one creator must be in a dark tunnel to be so dedicated in completing an anime that no one can possibly enjoy.

Let's get this list started with Another! This story revolves around a high school boy named Kouichi Sakakibara, whose life is shaken when he has to move from Tokyo to Yomiyama to live with his grandparents, as his father had to move to India due to his job. As Kouichi misses the first three weeks of school, because of a health problem, his new classmates go visit him to the hospital. There, Kouichi meets Misaki, a strange girl with an eye patch. When he finally starts going to school, he realizes that Misaki is one of his classmates. The strange thing, though, is that nobody seems to be able to see her, and whenever he asks the other about Misaki, no one seems to know her. Not knowing exactly what's going on, Kouichi decides to get closer to Misaki, to discover the truth firsthand. Did we talk about mystery up above? Well, Another has plenty of mysteries! It shares with Mayoiga a very eerie atmosphere and a lingering sensation that something bad is going to happen any moment. As in Mayoiga our protagonist, Mitsumune, and the others want to start a new life, for Kouichi a new life begins without him wanting it. During both these shows a lot of bad things keep on happening: people disappearing, people dying, strange visions. What's more, all the characters, struck with fear, start accusing each other in the attempt to find the culprit. Even the two protagonists are very similar: Kouichi and Mitsumune, they both try to get closer to the most suspicious of the girls, Misaki and Masaki. Although Another has a horror orientation, these two shows manage to keep you glued to the screen as you want to know how the situations will be resolved. If you are enjoying Mayoiga, but feel brave enough to watch something even stronger, give Another a try!

Higurashi No Naku Koro Ni revolves around a high school student – Keiichi Maebara – who suddenly moves in the little village of Hinamizawa and befriends his cute female classmates. His life goes on peacefully, and Keiichi thinks he has found a very nice place to live in. In fact, he sticks to his classmates and joins all the activities they do as well. Suddenly, though, the situation turns for the worse. After the annual Watanagashi Festival, a festival held to thank Oyashiro-sama – the local god – he discovers a series of terrific events happened for the last four years, related to that festival. After that moment onward, other horrific events start happening, and a bitter truth strikes him: his classmates may not be what they really seem. There are a lot of similarities shared by Higurashi No Naku Koro Ni and Mayoiga. First of it all, everything starts from a situation that could be somehow normal; Maebara moves from the city to a village, exactly how in Mayoiga they move to the countryside. Then, the initial idea of it being a calm and peaceful place gets spoiled by some inexplicable happenings. The characters, in both these anime, show a side of them that suddenly changes when their psyche is being tested. The atmosphere is eerie; it starts one way, but suddenly the viewers get the feeling that something is wrong with the entire background. Both villages, Nanakimura and Hinamizawa, are full of strange legends and have a creepy folk song. What's more, in both these shows there are a lot of fear inducing situations, like people dying, or disappearing. As like Another, Higurashi has a horror trait with it, but the atmosphere and the situations are very similar to the ones in Mayoiga, so if you like one, you will like the other for sure!

Let's go on with Danganronpa: The Animation and its protagonist, Makoto Naegi. After winning a lottery as the “Ultimate Lucky Student”, he gained the chance to attend the Hope's Peak Academy. This is a high school that only accepts elite students, who once accepted, receive a title describing their own talents and skills. Makoto Naegi, though, is just an ordinary boy who won that title by chance, so he is overly happy to attend that rumored high school, that will give him a bright future. The moment he steps into the Academy, he faints; when he wakes up, he realizes that he is trapped into the school, with no way out. When he and the other 14 students meet the school president – Monokuma, a little bear – he makes a scary announcement: they will be able to graduate only if they will manage to kill one of their classmates, without being discovered! Danganronpa and Mayoiga share the initial idea of a new hope. In Danganronpa is the idea that the elite school will give all the students a bright future, while in Mayoiga is the idea of a new life. In both these shows we find more characters, with different personalities, who don't agree with the other party's way of thinking, starting fights over and over. Of course, the creepy atmosphere is another trait they share, as suddenly the viewers have the strange feeling that the lucky chances the characters were given, are just hiding something else. In both the situations, all the characters have to find a way to sort things out, by cooperating and accepting the other party's way of thinking. As like in Mayoiga, even in Danganronpa there are murders, crazy characters and inexplicable happenings that will make you wonder what is going on. All the characters will have their psyche tested, and they will be put into situations that will shake them at the core. So, the mystery and drama traits are exactly the same you can find in Mayoiga. If you are liking Mayoiga's themes, then, you are bound to like Danganronpa as well. Why don't you give it a try?

Let's move on with a mystery anime revolving around a professor named Souhei Saikawa and his assistant, Moe Nishinosono. The story begins with the two protagonists wishing to meet the genius programmer Shiki Magata. She has been living isolated for fifteen years on a solitary island, since she was a 13-year-old, due to the fact that she killed her parents. Due to her intelligence, Shiki Magata is admired by professor Saikawa, but a shocking truth will unravel in front of him and his assistant. When they arrive to the island, and finally are about to meet Shiki Magata... They find a corpse and get caught up into a series of murders. As for the similarities that Subete Ga F Ni Naru shares with Mayoiga, we need to go deeper this time. In both these anime there's a new start; in Mayoiga there's this trip from the city, to the countryside, while in Subete Ga F Ni Naru there's this strong willing for both Saikawa and Nishinosono to meet the genius programmer, so much so that they decide to go to that solitary island to meet her. So, different backgrounds, but still something that start from a very normal situation only to get worse later on. As for the mystery part, just how in Mayoiga we find the unsettling atmosphere, the eerie sounds and visions that allow the viewers to perceive that there's something wrong, the same happens in Subete Ga F Ni Naru. In fact, when Saikawa and Nishinosono find a corpse, and start to investigate, there's a crescendo of suspense that make the viewers wonder how everything will be solved and if it is even possible to be solved. In both these shows we find people who are put in a corner, and struggle to keep themselves sane. Even though Subete Ga F Ni Naru has psychological and philosophical traits with it as well, it's not a stretch to say that it will give you the same feeling you have while watching Mayoiga!

Let's talk about this wonderful masterpiece born from Sanbe Kei's pen and adapted into an anime that gained a great popularity among viewers! This is a story revolving around a guy named Satoru Fujinuma, with a strange power that brings him back in time by few minutes, whenever a tragedy is about to happen, to allow him to fix it. Satoru calls his power “revival”. When a tragedy strikes him, his mother's killed and he is the prime suspect, his power sends him 18 years back in time. He soon realizes that probably his mother's murder is connected to the abduction and murder of his lonely classmate, Kayo Hinazuki. Satoru starts to work for that purpose, trying hard to save his friends and his mother's lives, only to discover a shocking truth that will change his life forever! Athough Boku Dake Ga Inai Machi has a strong supernatural trait with it, it's clear as day that it has some similarities with Mayoiga as well. First of it all, both these shows are mystery and drama genre. Then, let's talk about the atmosphere surrounding the characters. In Boku Dake Ga Inai Machi, the viewers have this constant feeling that whatever Satoru does, can turn out to be the wrong decision, with no time to fix it back anymore. So there's this anxious feeling that will keep the viewers glued to the screen, strongly cheering for Satoru. At the same time, in Mayoiga we find the same unsettling feeling, given by the fact that all the characters have absolutely no clue about what's going on, so it's like they're moving blindly in a setting that they don't know and anything bad can happen any moment. What's more, in Boku Dake Ga Inai Machi, bad things happened to children, who were abducted and killed by someone. Even when Satoru will go back in time for the first time, it'll happen again. At the same time, in Mayoiga there are people disappearing, leaving the viewers with a lot of questions about whom, or what made them disappear. As for the background, just how in Mayoiga they start a new life somewhere else, equally Satoru finds himself 28-year-old, in the body of a 10-year-old child, starting from the beginning his childhood. What else can we say? It's about time you catch up Boku Dake Ga Inai Machi, over all if you're enjoying Mayoiga right now!

Let's close this list with a masterpiece come from a successful novel, written by Yusuke Kishi and adapted into an anime later on. This story takes place in Japan 1000 years from here, and revolves around the lives of five children: Saki, Satoru, Shun, Maria and Mamoru. They grow up in a quiet village, in the 66° district of Kamisu. Their village is like a utopia: full of vegetation, full of clear water, with breathtaking views and the sounds of the nature. Due to some circumstances, though, the utopia comes down crushing and unveiling them the sad truth. In fact, not only they discover about the sudden outbreak of the psychokinesis that can make people become violent and destructive, and a real danger for other people's lives, but they also will finally discover the truth behind the bloody past that brought mankind to that point. They will begin their adventure, trying to save their friends from a world on the verge of the downfall! If in Mayoiga the characters want to live in a utopia and for that purpose they join the tour, in Shinsekai Yori they start from a utopia that falls down bit by bit. Everything in Shinsekai Yori is unsettling and eerie; in fact the viewers will expect the worse to happen from the first episode. The disappearing people theme here is strong; what's more, and what's very distressing, is that when in Shinsekai Yori someone disappears, suddenly no one can remember about that person anymore. The same unsettling sensation the viewers can feel in Mayoiga, for example when a certain character is suspected to be dead and disappearing. As like in Mayoiga, even in Shinsekai Yori we can find characters that try to get along, but keep on bickering because of their differences in character. The setting is very similar as well; even though Nanakimura is an abandoned village, it is very similar to the 66° district of Kamisu in Shinsekai Yori. Even though Shinsekai Yori has a horror and supernatural trait with it, it shares with Mayoiga the same drama and mystery orientation, as the viewers will keep on wondering what's going on and will remain glued to the screen until the end. Well, what are you waiting for? It's time to catch up with Shinsekai Yori as well!

Dr. Kenzou Tenma works in Europe as a renowned brain surgeon. Kenzou is highly praised and looked upon as one of the greatest young minds in the field. He has a beautiful fiancée and is just about to get promoted, but one day, Kenzou must decide between saving the life of the mayor or of a small boy. Ignoring the advice of those around him, Kenzou is compelled morally to save the boy. Soon after, a string of murders amongst the surgeons leads Kenzou to question his decision as all the clues point to the boy he saved. Now, Kenzou must figure out who the little boy is and if he really has something to do with the killer. If gripping mysteries are your cup of tea, Monster will surely quench your thirst. Monster if a fan favorite when it comes down to anime mysteries and it will not disappoint Sherlock fans out there! From murder mystery to a boy who challenges our main protagonist, Kenzou, there is no end to how gripping Monster can be! You’ll soon find yourself floating alongside Kenzou, attempting to solve the puzzle before he can, but is it really as easy as Sherlock makes it out to be?

The story of Sakurako-san no Ashimoto ni wa Shitai ga Umatteiru follows Tatewaki Shoutarou who meets Kujou Sakurako. Shoutarou is just a high schooler, but his world changes when he comes across the bone-loving Sakurako who is a bit eccentric. Together, they come across a series of cases that require Sakurako’s great ability to analyze bones. Sakurako-san no Ashimoto ni wa Shitai ga Umatteiru follows the same style as Sherlock in which each episode displays a new case in which we must attempt to unlock the case. Sakurako, much like Sherlock Holmes himself, is capable of discovering every clue down to the smallest detail, after everyone has already made their own assumptions. Using her power of analyzing, Sakurako is able to reveal what is the most likely scenario, but should she ever be wrong, Sakurako will quickly turn her assumptions around to get the right conclusion. Sakurako is also quite eccentric making her a difficult one to converse with. Does she sound like Sherlock Holmes to you?

A Death Note allows Shinigami to kill anyone so long as they can see the face of the victim and write their name down. Ryuk, a bored shinigami, decides to give a human a Death Note to see what would happen. Yagami Light is the highly intelligent young man who comes across the Death Note. He is disgusted with the current state of the world and tries out the Death Note on a criminal. When Light discovers that the Death Note works, he wants to use it to rid the world of criminals. The police soon catch on and believe there is a serial killer on the loose targeting criminals, so they recruit the help of a brilliant yet eccentric young man only known as L. If we were ever to turn Sherlock around and view the entire situation from the viewpoint of James (Jimmy) Moriarty, it would follow something like Death Note (without the supernatural powers and good Samaritan mindset). The main similarity to Death Note and Sherlock would be the battle of wits that ensues throughout both series as we root for one side (usually the side that we see the world from). If you love a thrilling battle of wits between prodigies, you will more than enjoy Death Note. It’s a never ending competition between the youngest and most intelligent minds!

Kudou Shinichi is an expert detective at the budding age of seventeen. While pursuing two suspicious men, Shinichi witnesses illegal activity. After catching Shinichi, they drug him with an experimental substance and leave him for dead. Shinichi is astonished to discover that not only is he alive, his body has reverted back into that of a seven year old! With his intelligence preserved, Shinichi keeps his state a secret from everyone. Working under the alias of Edogawa Conan, Shinichi is determined to keep solving cases while also looking for a cure to his condition. Detective Conan features young Shinichi who, much like Sherlock Holmes himself, is able to find the smallest clue in a crime scene to discover what truly happened. Shinichi uses the same power of deduction that Sherlock Holmes uses to uncover the truth in every mystery. Much like Sakurako, Shinichi is capable of backtracking if his assumptions are wrong, to come to the proper conclusion. Hell, Shinichi pays homage to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle by utilizing “Conan” as his alias. Now, this is an anime worth watching for many Sherlock fans out there!

Using the Sibyl System, each citizen in Japan is able to have their mental state examined to determine their criminal intent or “Psycho-Pass”. Anyone found with criminal intent is dealt with by Inspectors and their Enforcers, who were once Inspectors who developed a criminal intent and must work for Inspectors in exchange for their freedom. Tsunemori Akane is a conscientious woman who wants to carry out justice fairly, but she must work alongside Enforcer Kougami Shinya. While working, Akane learns of the errors with the Sibyl System which has her in a mental battle between what justice truly is and if the Sibyl System can truly keep people safe if it is corrupt. Psycho-Pass may not seem similar to Sherlock, but let us consider a few things. First off, when a crime is committed, we have no knowledge on who the criminal might be since their Psycho-Pass checks out alright so our protagonist, Akane, led by Shinya, must figure out the mystery on her own. Each crime committed has not provided many clues yet somehow, Akane and Shinya are able to eventually figure out the criminal. Then we have our antagonist who just can’t seem to be shot down. Psycho-Pass is quite clearly very similar to Sherlock, although it does have a darker tone that sets it apart as it criticizes the idea of a “utopia” and how the government treats its “criminals”. Psycho-Pass is not just a mystery, it is a statement on a utopian regime that may be more corrupt than we believe. If you love Sherlock, but also love darker stories, Psycho-Pass is one series that is for you.

Narumi Ayumu is the younger brother to Kiyotaka who was once regarded as a renowned detective and pianist. One day, Kiyotaka disappeared leaving only a clue about “The Blade Children”. It’s been two years and there have been a series of murders and incidents that are related to the Blade Children. Ayumu teams up with the school journalist, Yuizaki Hiyono, to unlock the mystery. Right from the start you have one clue: The Blade Children. While the following events unfold before you, you get to enjoy witnessing Ayumu and Hiyono unlock the mystery that is Spiral: Siuri no Kizuna. Along the way, much like Sherlock, you get to see just how all of the events affect their lives and how Ayumu changes. Not only is it about the mystery, it’s about the evolution of Ayumu and how he is able to converse with others. Ayumu may not be as awkward as Benedict Cumberbatch’s Sherlock Holmes, but we get to see just how he changes all the same.

More commonly referred to as “Dr. Nakabachi”, Shouichi Makise was a scientist researching the field of time travel, and is also Kurisu’s father. Jealous of his daughter’s academic success, Dr. Nakabachi attempts to murder his daughter in order to steal her research on time travel. Dr. Nakabachi’s popularity mainly lies in the fact that he is the main antagonist we the audience see in the series. However, compared to the other characters as well as his short screen time, Dr. Nakabachi’s popularity is pretty low. That being said, he does inadvertently play a key part in being the catalyst that helps bring Okabe and Kurisu closer together.

The owner of the CRT store below Rintarou Okabe’s apartment as well as Okabe’s landlord, Yuugo may have a small role in the story, but has a big impact overall. A big, muscular man, Yuugo earns himself the nickname “Mr. Braun” from Okabe due to his passion for CRT television, resulting in Yuugo often losing his temper with Okabe over his eccentric behavior as well as his “experimenting” in his apartment. Yuugo’s reveal of being associated with CERN and the action he takes once Okabe catches him, however, is pretty monumental, as we begin to see the first test for Okabe in terms of whether he can push through traumatic events in order to set things right. While he’s one of the least popular characters on the show due to his limited role, people still tend to enjoy Yuugo if not for his straight man attitude towards Okabe.

Moeka Kiryuu is quite the opposite of most of the other girls in the series. Unlike the others who are happy and vibrant, Moeka is very much stoic and takes matters seriously, almost dangerously so. Moeka also tends to be expressionless a lot of the time, which only adds to the accidental humor she portrays as she solely communicates to anyone via cell phone, even if they’re right in front of her. Because of her emotional walls, it takes some time before Okabe and the others understand why she acts this way. Moeka tends to be popular in the sense that she stands out from the rest of Okabe’s friends in terms of her personality. Fans can also relate to her preferred form of communication and the humor that results from that. Definitely one of the more unique personalities in Steins;Gate.

A close friend and classmate of Mayuri’s, Ruka tends to be very shy and outright feminine in terms of his interaction with others. Ruka’s story and character are different in the sense that while most of the others tend to wrestle with various terms of loneliness, Ruka struggles with his desire of wanting to be female instead of male. Okabe’s travel to different world lines actually makes this possible, resulting in Okabe having to acknowledge Ruka’s feelings toward him and how to further pursue their relationship. Ruka’s popularity tends to resonate towards those with similar feelings as well as being the subject of humorous misunderstandings Okabe and the rest of the group have with his appearance when they first meet him.

The most popular waitress at the maid café that Mayuri works at, Faris is actually very similar to Okabe. Both are characters who act a certain way in order to hide who they really are. In Faris’ case, her family is very wealthy due to them owning much of Akihabara; as a result, Faris felt that those who knew this would treat her differently, and has only confided this knowledge to those who she really trusts. Faris’ popularity lies in the “moe” personality she exaggerates while at the same time being more than just the façade she puts on. There’s definitely more than meets the eye when it comes to her backstory for those interested in mystery, and at the same time there’s a simple humor Faris portrays in terms of her interactions with Okabe and Mayuri.

Itaru Hashida aka Daru is Okabe’s closest friend as well as a hacker in various types of software. Daru also possesses an incredible amount of knowledge regarding otaku culture, making him have perverted tendencies. Despite these traits, however, Daru serves as the voice of reason in the group; it is because of his down to earth approach that he is able to keep Okabe (and sometimes Mayuri) in check whenever they get too excited about something. Daru’s popularity lies in being relatable to anime fans in terms of his style of humor as well possessing a similarity with many anime fans in real life.

First appearing as a part-time employee for Yūūgo Tennouji, Suzaha enters the series as a normal tomboy who enjoys riding her bike. As the series progresses, however, it is soon revealed how Suzaha is not only from the future, but that her father, who she spends a majority of the series looking for, is Daru. Suzaha is definitely popular in the sense that she’s quite mysterious; she keeps a polite distance from everybody and appears to be someone altogether when something catches her interest in regards to her mission to find her father. She also tends to be full of surprises in terms of her fighting ability, her mission, and her very identity.

A naïve and innocent girl considering her age, Mayuri is the childhood friend of Rintarou Okabe. Even though Mayuri can be a bit socially inept in terms of understanding the world around her (including her friends), Mayuri has an innocence about her that marks her as a kind of “moral compass” in the story. Mayuri plays a big role in the series in terms of being why Okabe is who he is as well as the decisions he makes later in the story. Many people like her mainly as being a very sweet person as well as having the type of humor younger fans of anime tend to enjoy. Even older fans who aren’t big fans of her humor can appreciate how Mayuri tends to instigate some of the other characters into their kinds of humor.

The main character of the series, Rintarou Okabe aka Okarin is a self-proclaimed mad scientist who is eccentric in every sense of the word. Constantly talking to himself, manically laughing at random moments, always on the lookout for the “Organization” that’s always after him… Okarin certainly seems to lead an interesting life to those who don’t realize he’s simply a university student who’s just a bit odd. The fact that he acts this way in order to make his Mayuri’s life more enjoyable, however, reveals the true character beneath all the bravado, and it’s just one of several key moments where Okarin’s true character is revealed. Many fans of the series like him not only because of his quirks, but also because when the moment really mattered, Okarin despite having his wildest dreams come true, chose to do whatever it took to make sure his friends would be OK, especially those closest to him. Even if you’re not a fan of his humor and awkward interactions with the other characters at the beginning, you find yourself rooting for him as he travels through the different world lines to save his friends from their fates.

Needless to say, Kurisu Makise is easily the most popular character, and for good reason. A beautiful young girl considered to be a scientific genius and quite mature for someone her age ends up spending her time researching time travel with some wacky offbeat peers (to say the least). Considering how easy it is for a fair amount of anime fans to identify with Okarin or Daru, it’s no surprise that seeing someone like Kurisu hanging out with them and revealing that she shares their interests can be welcoming to them. Add in the fact that fans feel that she’s a go-to example of a tsundere character, and you have yourselves a character that you’re constantly talking about. Kurisu does go through her own development just as much as Okarin does; by the end, she appears to be a lot more relaxed and even happier to be around people that care about her and who she can relate to. Without a doubt, Kurisu is the most popular character.

Hope’s Peak Academy is the nation's most prestigious academy that is dedicated to raising the nation's hope and future. Needless to say, to enroll in here, you have to be the top in your field of studies. Makoto Naegi was ecstatic to be offered a place. However, Makoto had no idea what his talent is. To make matters worse, the school appears to have been taken under control by the mysterious Monokuma. In order to find the truth and survive in the school, all 16 students of Hope’s Peak Academy only have one objective: to kill each other and not get caught. There’s more than meets the eye. Both series captured the essence of an intricate crime perfectly. Both Danganronpa and Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney are derived from games. Danganronpa shares many elements from Ace Attorney as well. There is an investigation phase and a class trial thereafter to pinpoint the killer. From evidence gathering and rebutting counterarguments to crime that appears to be unsolvable or simply not plausible. Both animes expertly manipulate the essence of a good mystery plot - suspense and tension before finally bringing everything to satisfying close. This is the closest you will get to Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney!

Shinichi Kudou is a brilliant detective. Shinichi is a high school student that occasionally works with the police to solve cases. During a fateful investigation however, he was attacked by the Black Organization and was forced to consume a lethal poison. When Shinichi woke up, he found that he had a body of a preadolescent boy. Retaining his memories and his intelligence, Shinichi hides his identity from those around him. Going by a pseudonym, Shinichi continues his investigative work while trying to reverse the side effects of the poison. Although Detective Conan does not fulfill the courtroom element of Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, this mystery anime will give the investigation phase of Ace Attorney a run for their money. Detective Conan is episodic, which means that each and every case is different which is akin to Ace Attorney's style of cases. Conan has a greater focus on the deductions of the detective than on gathering evidence. Whereas Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney is more graphical in the sense of evidence presentation, Conan is more of understanding the flow of logic in a simple to understand manner. Till date, this anime remains a hot favourite. If you liked Ace Attorney, Detective Conan is equally easy to understand and fun to watch!

A genius beauty in her twenties with a keen mind and her passionate love for - bones??? Sakurako Kujo is often alone if not for her assistant, Shotaro - a young high school boy. Whenever the duo is together, they are highly likely to run across a human corpse. And here, it is up to Sakurako with her love of bones to piece together the story and solve the mystery. This is yet another mystery anime you should add to your list. Centering on the gruesome crime of murder, the anime resembles Ace Attorney on the investigative aspect. Expect the same level of deductions and compelling mysteries. After all, dead bodies always have a story to tell and it is up to the detectives to paint the full story and uncover the truth.

Meet Aya Tachibana! A sixth grader worrywart. One fine day, Aya joins a group of boys who are all unique individuals. Finding her own place in this clique was hard but eventually, Aya manages to fit in and find friends at last. Here comes a tale of different people with different talents coming together to solve cases. How will this bunch of people cooperate with each other, let alone solve cases? Watch to find out! Tantei Team KZ Jiken Note leans more towards light mystery solving. Don't expect anything outrageous like a murder or an international scandal; they are still middle schoolers after all! If you feel the need to rack your brains like Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney but in something more applicable to our everyday reality, Tantei may just be the anime for you! The mysteries in Tantei Team KZ Jiken Note are more of the kind of oddities you experience on a daily basis along the lines of a missing wallet. Due to how easily we can relate to the normalcy of these mysteries, there is a better sense of satisfaction when you follow through the line of reasoning to the outcome. Love the ease of understanding an Ace Attorney case thoroughly? Then definitely check out this anime!

At first glance, you might have the impression that Alice is a closet otaku. Alice has computers all around her, is forever cooped in her room, and has a strange love for Dr Pepper. Despite living a NEET lifestyle, Alice is an astute detective whose specialization lies in gathering information from the web. No criminal is safe from the watchful eyes of the Net, and Alice is the one person that can process this vast amount of information that the Net provides. Shady deals, murders and even illegitimate business are threatened with Alice around. A mystery anime you ought to watch, Kamisama no Menchou is episodic as well and filled with many different kinds of mysteries. Alice shares the intellect of the Ace Attorney who sometimes seemingly pulls out the conclusion and overturning the situation. Although for Phoenix Wright, this is often by luck and bluff. Ultimately, it is up to the detective to speak the words of the dead and bring the truth to light!

Many would ask why the Wind Instrument Club is solving mysteries instead of playing their instruments. Well, the short answer is nobody knows how it ended up that way. After joining the Wind Instrument Club, strange oddities began to appear around Chika Homura and her club members. It is now up to Chika to solve the mysteries that ails the school! However, before that however, she still needs to recruit more members to actually compete in competitions. What kind of oddities are there in the school and how will Chika balance solving mysteries and managing the club? Just like Tantei Team , if you're leaning more towards to the light hearted side of Ace Attorney with just a dash of mystery, we would highly recommend HaruChika as well! The mystery of HaruChika is not as thought provoking due to the easy going nature of the show. It is extremely easy to watch and digest. This, and Chika's somewhat comical nature to develop a cute girl persona will be sure to make you chuckle at the very least! As a whole, this show is all about bite sized mysteries providing an overall plesant watching experience. Like Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, it is easy to comprehend and easy to watch!