Get ready to cancel all your upcoming plans.

1. 91 Days

Watch if you like: Old Hollywood, gangster flicks, mafia dramas

What it’s about: This Prohibition-era anime is a fast-paced mafia drama set over the course of…you guessed it, 91 days. Angelo Lagusa has returned to the town of Lawless after seven years in hiding after his family’s murder. Now he’s determined to befriend the son of those responsible for his family’s death in order to set his revenge plans in motion. There are no clear good guys and bad guys in this story. It’s a tight, gun-slinging series with a twisty plot that will enthrall you the whole way through.

 

2. Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress

Watch if you like: zombies, apocalyptic settings, steampunk

What it’s about: The world is in the middle of the industrial revolution when a pandemic strikes, turning humans into horrifying, infectious corpses called Kabane. Thanks to its walls and fortifications, the island of Hinomoto is one of the last refuges of humanity…until the Kabane finally manage to break through. Right off the bat, this anime’s brisk, tense pace is more than enough to keep you on the edge of your seat for a full season.

3. Orange

Watch if you like: romance, slice of life, time travel

What it’s about: Naho Takamiya is in her second year of high school when she begins to receive letters from her future self. The letters beg Naho to make choices that will help her avoid feeling heartache in the future, especially when it comes to the transfer student who sits next to her. Gently-paced and beautifully illustrated, this lovely anime puts more emphasis on its characters than anything else, and presents us with a theme we can all relate to: living life without regret.

4. Mob Psycho 100

Watch if you like: psychedelic art, comedy, the supernatural

What it’s about: Mob, a lackluster middle schooler with a bowl cut, has extraordinary psychic powers. Because he realizes the danger of his abilities early on, he does his best to suppress them, which of course, results in them occasionally erupting when he gets stressed. This anime is a standout series in many ways, especially for its unique, almost feverish art style.

5. Bungo Stray Dogs

Watch if you like: superheroes, detective stories, lovable dorks

What it’s about: After being kicked out of his orphanage, Atsushi Nakajima struggles to live on the streets until a mysterious detective agency takes him in and saves him from starvation. He quickly discovers that everyone in the agency has super powers based on famous writers, and they use their powers to complete missions and solve mysteries. Though it shifts wildly at times from fun and irreverent to dramatic, Bongou Stray Dogs has a fantastic host of characters and an enthralling story that will keep you charmed the whole way through.

6. Re:ZERO -Starting Life In Another World

Watch if you like: fantasy, video games, time travel

What it’s about: After leaving a convenience store, Subaru Natsuki’s caught off guard when he’s abruptly transported to a parallel, fantasy world full of magic and anthropomorphic animals. A silver-haired half-elf rescues him from alleyway thugs, and in return he pledges to repay her by helping her locate something she’s lost. Life in this new world seems like it could be okay…until death knocks at the door and events start to repeat themselves. It’s a fresh take on game-genre anime, and surprisingly dark for something set in such a lush, fantasy world.

7. My Hero Academia

Watch if you like: superheroes, magical high schools, earnest teens

What it’s about: We’re pretty familiar with stories where the main character stumbles upon special powers and is whisked away to a magical school to train and eventually save the world, right? Boku no Hero Academia isn’t one of them. While most of the people in this world have some type of super power, Izuku is one of the unfortunate few who doesn’t have any special ability. That is, until he meets his personal hero, All Might, who happens to be able to pass his abilities onto another…

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8. The Great Passage

Watch if you like: slice of life, documentary, realistic dramas

What it’s about: In what has to be the most mundane-sounding premise of the year, Fune wo Amu provides us with a shockingly interesting glimpse into the world of creating dictionaries. The passion behind the show is contagious, and it’s easy to get caught up in the story of dictionary editors fulfilling their life’s dreams. This series is a little more slow-moving than others, but if you’re looking for something reflective and insightful, it’s perfect.

9. Kiznaiver

Watch if you like: science fiction, suspense, comedy

What it’s about: Seven students with vastly different personalities are kidnapped and bound together by a device that forces them to feel each other’s pain. It’s a very physical lesson on how to feel empathy, shown through an otherwise incompatible group. Though the show presents us these characters in the form of their archetypes, it complicates them by introducing us to their fears and flaws as the experiment continues. This is an anime that makes you think and forces you to ask yourself: Is empathy achievable without pain? Is empathy achievable without guilt?

10. Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu

Watch if you like: historical dramas, art, slice of life

What it’s about: After he’s released from prison, Yotaru decides to leave behind his criminal past to learn rakugo: the ancient, dying art of traditional comedic theater. When he asks his rekugo idol to train him, the master storyteller — after some initial reluctance — agrees to take Yotaru under his wing. This anime beautifully intertwines past and present story lines to show relationships with a very special art on the brink of extinction.

11. Ajin

Watch if you like: demons, gore and violence, being horrified

What it’s about: After Kei Nagal is hit by a truck, he discovers that he’s an Ajin: an immortal being that can endlessly regenerate. Now he’s on the run because once discovered, Ajin are taken by the government and subjected to a life of torture and experiments. This isn’t an optimistic show, and it’s definitely not one that will show you the better sides of human nature. It’s dark and ruthless, but it’s a great watch if you want to see a tight, gritty story about morality and self-preservation.

 

12. Yuri!!! On Ice

Watch if you like: competitive sports, romance, men so beautiful that you will weep

What it’s about: When Japan’s top figure skater Yuri Katsuki finds himself in a slump after a miserable defeat at the Grand Prix Final, he returns to his childhood home to contemplate his next steps. Out of the blue, his idol Victor Nikiforov shows up and offers to coach him to victory, and together they embark on a journey to the next Grand Prix Final. Yuri!!! On Ice is stunning in so many ways, from the choreography, to the music, and to the relationships that develop between the skaters. It’s an anime about competition, but even more so, it’s a story about love in all of its forms.

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(source:buzzfeed)