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The List - 7 Anime Celebrating Their 20th Anniversary
Warning! This week's List might make you feel old, as several treasured anime classics round off their second decade in history this year!
― This week marked Japan's annual "Coming of Age Day" where individuals who turned the age of majority within the last year put on their very best and celebrate together. Hot spots were filled with smiling 20-year-olds in yukata. If the idea of someone born in 19...
The List - 7 Tezuka Manga for Grown-Ups
Osamu Tezuka may be famous for family favorites like Astro Boy and Kimba, but some of his best creations are strictly for adults. Experience the darker side of this master's work.
― Even for the uninitiated, Osamu Tezuka's work has left a lasting mark. Your dad probably knows who Astro Boy is, even if he doesn't know he's a Japanese creation. Tezuka was a powerhouse creator in his time and is the mi...
The List - 8 Ghost Bustin' Anime to Keep Spooks Away
The Ghostbusters themselves haven't made many anime appearances (except for Tokyo ESP, shown above) so you'll have to count on these other anime heroes to keep specters at bay!
― When there's something strange in your neighborhood and Dan Aykroyd is busy, there's plenty of competing ghost busters available to take on your ectoplasmic problems. Investigating the things that go bump is a time-honored ...
The List - 7 Strangest Pieces of Evangelion Merchandise
In this Classic edition of The List, we discovered some truly bizarre Evangelion gifts. Are you a big enough fan to shell out for these strange items?
― Editor's Note: Lynzee's off this week for the holidays, so we've left you with a Classic gift-giving themed List for the Christmas weekend! We'll see you with a new List next week! This year (2015) was the 20th anniversary of Hideaki Anno's genre-de...
The List - 7 Women Who Changed Manga History
Women you may never have heard of have been shaping the history of manga since it began. Meet the generation that created some of your favorite genres!
― Few manga artists are lucky enough to leave an indelible stamp on the industry to the point where their names are synonymous with changing the medium, like Osamu Tezuka, Leiji Matsumoto, Go Nagai, and Fujiko Fujio. Now all of those pioneers were me...
The List - 7 Anime About Women in Sports
While most sports shows these days are sausagefests, there are still a handful of sports anime about the feminine side of the equation in this classic edition of The List.
― We're approaching the end of Keijo!!!!!!!!, so it seems a perfect time to revisit a classic list about women in sports. Keijo has really taken a twist on these classic approaches, and we've also gotten a multitude of other women...
The List - 7 Clowns to Haunt Your Nightmares
Let's face it: clowns aren't funny, they're terrifying, especially in the bizarre worlds of anime. You'll definitely want to keep these seven freaks away from your next birthday party.
― Clowns as a horror device are relatively new. You can thank Edgar Allen Poe, Ruggero Leoncavallo's Pagliacci opera, and actual clown serial killer John Wayne Gacy for planting the seed and of course, Stephen King's ...
The List - 7 Movies That Need Licenses ASAP
There are a whole lot of incredible anime feature films that have never - or only rarely - seen the light of day. Here are seven anime films we'd love to see get an official US release!
― Access to the latest anime releases in Japan is at an all-time high. The convenience of streaming allows viewers access to a huge library of current and past shows with the click of a button. Whether someone wants ...
The List - 6 Anime About the Awesome Power of Music
Short of the power of love, nothing can top the power of music to change lives in these super-sonorous anime adventures!
― The power of music, utilized by magic bards wielding flutes and lutes, is a familiar staple to roleplaying gamers. Their original task was to commemorate the great deeds of their patrons and ensure history was passed down via song. It wouldn't be inaccurate to credit bards, and ...
The List - 7 Powered-Up Forms That Are More Weird Than Awesome
Usually when an anime character in an action show gets fully powered up, they look intimidating and awesome - but that isn't always the case!
― Hey everyone, we have a Classic for you this week. I'll return to your regularly scheduled list next week with the Power of Music and Lost Anime Films. Until then, enjoy these silly power-ups! It's right about when all hope is lost that a character finally p...
The List - 7 Anime That Take You to The Wild Wild West
Yee-haw! Giddy up little dogies, as we blaze a trail through the desert to worlds of cattle wrangling, saloon brawls, and giant gunslinging robots. Hey, it's still anime, after all!
― West of the Mississippi used to be a dangerous place teeming with outlaws, cattle thieves, sharpshooter duels in the streets, and the long arm of the law coming to track down any who disrupted the peace. The setting is...
The List - 6 Coproductions That Challenge the Definition of Anime
What's the true definition of "anime?" These internationally-produced animations may surprise you and challenge your own perception of the medium!
― Back in early 2014, I wrote a column about international co-productions with Japanese studios. That column had a general "here's some shows you might not know were animated in Japan or financed outside of Japan" focus, but this column is more of a look ...
The List - 7 Magical Girls that Fandom Forgot
In the name of the moon, you shall be punished for forgetting these old-school magical girls existed! Of course, some anime may be better off left in the past after all...
― New magical girls have been seen a marked uptick in anime since Madoka Magica made them cool again. Certainly, some transforming teens have never left fandom's consciousness; Sailor Moon, the ongoing PreCure franchise, Cardcapto...
The List - 7 Devilish Angels
Leapin' Lucifer! You'd better be wary of these servants of heaven, because they might be serving up something deadly. These seven angels aren't as benevolent as they appear...
― If Lucifer's fall from grace is any indication, being born holy isn't always an indicator of purity. This week's list proves that it isn't the wings that make the angel. These characters are right at home with their demon co...
The List - 7 Female Anime Directors Worth Checking Out
It can often be tough for women to build a career in the entertainment industry, but these seven standout female directors have all shown they've got what it takes to inspire!
― The anime industry, not unlike Hollywood, is widely a male-dominated business outside of certain roles. Plenty of women fill artistic roles like colorists and animators, and to some degree script writing, but few actually di...
The List - 8 Strange Versions of Western Historical Figures
In this Classic edition of The List, we take a more colorful look at history, as famous figures from the past return in wacky ways in your favorite anime and manga!
― Hey everyone, this classic List is brought to you courtesy of an uncooperative baby. Infants are rough and mine decided naps were out of the question this week. Thank you for understanding! I rocked out to Ozzy Osbourne's Prince of Dar...
The List - 6 Anime Series to Help You Relive Your Goth Phase
Grab your fishnet shirt, your latex pants and your Sisters of Mercy LP because it's time to relive your dark phase with six classic anime so goth that bats will fly out your nose!
― Goth subculture really hit it big in the west in the 1990s, fueled by films like Interview with a Vampire and The Crow. A preoccupation with death, dark poetry, Victorian romance, and period clothing can all be attribute...
The List - 7 Heart-Pounding Tournaments
From friendly tests of skill and prowess to no-holds-barred death matches, here are just seven of anime's most memorable battle tournament arcs.
― When trying to discover the best of the best, anime pits contenders against one another to see who will reign supreme. Many a shōnen anime has a tournament competition of some sort. Most are physical showdowns where protagonists reveal new powered up abil...
The List - 6 Families You Don't Want to Cross
From packs of mobsters to long lineages of tyrants, these broods spell bad news for anyone who runs afoul of their plans! It's best to keep your head out of these family matters...
― The phrase "blood is thicker than water" is widely used to demonstrate that familial allegiances trump all else, but these families stretch that oath to the breaking point. Rites of inheritance or generational power can...
The List - 6 Strange Reinterpretations of Classic Literature
Legends never die, and old stories can always be made new again. Just add robots! Here are a few strange anime takes on memorable classic tales.
― Classic literature is a resource regularly mined for new visual adaptations, whether it's a Jane Austen romance or another mystery starring the unflappable Sherlock Holmes. These stories and their characters are immediately familiar to audiences around th...
The List - 6 Things You Might Not Know About Masashi Kishimoto
How well do you know the creator of Naruto? Here are a few snippets of trivia about the author of one of the most beloved shonen manga in the world!
― Masashi Kishimoto ended his main Naruto manga after 15 years of serialization in November 2014. The manga and its equally popular anime series introduced a whole generation to the medium, not unlike Dragon Ball Z and Sailor Moon before it. The anime r...
The List - 7 Cruel Gods
Life in our world isn't always fair, but these dastardly deities make it clear that the powers-that-be could always be a whole lot nastier to the puny humans under their heels.
― Famine, rivers of blood, locusts, or a death game of mentally unstable teenagers trying to kill each other with their cell phones, life is hard enough without the powers that be actively working to make things as horrible a...
The List - 7 Strangest Harem Set Ups
Just when you think you've seen every anime trope out there, Japan comes up with some of the weirdest harems you've ever seen. Take a look at these seven bizarre dating set-ups!
― Hey everyone! Lynzee here with what I plan to be the last classic column before returning to full capacity next week! I welcomed a healthy baby boy, named Felix, on June 25. I'm still recovering, but he's finally taking to...
The List - Six Anime Trips to New York City
NYC is no stranger to the big screen, but why should Hollywood have all the fun? Here are six anime that'll take you on a tour of the Big Apple!
― You don't have to make your bed in the city that never sleeps to know a lot about New York City. The Big Apple has been featured in so many movies and TV shows from blockbusters to indies that many of its landmarks are now international iconography. So it...
The List - 7 Anime Beach Episodes Worth Watching
As the scorching summer heat reaches its peak outside, you can crank the A/C and enjoy this Classic edition of The List instead, with seven beach episodes that won't leave you feeling high and dry.
― We're reaching the peak of the summer heat, so it's time to keep it cool with a Classic List installment from yester-year. Take it away, past-Lynzee! Beach, pool, and hot springs episodes usually operat...
The List - 10 Pokemon You Don't Want to Become Real
Pokemon Go showed us that the experience of catching monsters in the real world can be magical, but these ten terrors are a healthy reminder that some Pokemon dreams shouldn't come true.
― One week after the release of Pokemon Go, I think it's safe to say we're all living in a Pokemon world. Everyone's walking around town trying to complete their Pokedex now, from your littlest cousin to your great-...
The List - Anime's 8 Deadliest Children
The kids are not alright in this Classic edition of The List. You definitely wouldn't want to get stuck babysitting this batch of anime's creepiest kiddos!
― Your list-maker extraordinaire is on maternity leave this week, so it's time for another Classic installment of The List! It seems only fitting that this throwback countdown be child-themed, and it also happens to be the first edition of The Li...
The List - 7 Horrible Girlfriends
Run for your life from these wicked waifus! They may look cute and innocent on the outside, but these seven girls are definitely too deadly to date.
― The long-anticipated companion piece to 8 Horrible Boyfriends! Let's be fair, some of these women are downright nuts. The term yandere was coined for the sweet-on-the outside-but-possibly-murderous-on-the-inside girl. They'll love you forever, whether...
The List - 6 Anime to Watch With Your Dad
Introducing anime to newbies can be a weird experience, especially if that newbie is your own dad! Here are some pops-friendly anime options just in time for Father's Day!
― Father's Day is this Sunday, and while we've previously looked at anime parents (albeit bad ones) and "gateway" series, this week we're taking a little from Column A and a little from Column B. Here are seven shows you could sit...
The List - 8 Horrible Boyfriends
These 8 scrubs are definitely not long-term relationship material; plus: last week's poll results, including your favorite (and least favorite) anime trends of 2016!
― Hi guys, first I want to thank everyone who reads this column each week. I read your feedback in ANN's yearly reader survey last month and saw how many of you voted in The List as your favorite Anime News Network column. It totally ma...
The List - 7 Genre Trends of 2016 So Far
We're about halfway through 2016, so here are seven noteworthy genre trends in anime - including all those reboots and male harems you've been seeing lately.
― Each season, viewers are treated to over 20 new shows ranging from the latest entry in a long-established mecha franchise, an adaptation for Shonen Jump's top-rated manga, or a vehicle in a multi-arm merchandise-selling machine. Certain stapl...
The List - 7 Anime to Ring in the Summer
The summer is just about here and what better way to spend those long hot months than parked in front of your favorite anime? Here are seven perfect shows to get your summer going.
― Summer is quickly taking hold as temperatures climb and the school year winds to a close. Three months of freedom are knocking on your door. You can spend your time at cookouts, watching blockbusters in the oasis of you...
The List - 7 Super Bizarre Dating Sims
Dating sim games have become increasingly awesome over the years, allowing you to date dinosaurs, bug men, alpacas, and all sorts of strange stuff. Here are seven of the weirdest!
― Romance simulators, and more recently romance training game hybrids, are always looking for a new way to spin the "one protagonist, many love interests" set-up. A company can only push so many run-of-the-mill high school...
The List - 6 of Anime's Less-Than-Finest Officers
When you're in trouble, call the police - just hope you don't get any one of these particularly unqualified officers.
― Incompetent cops are a common foil in Western fiction, especially if the main character is a vigilante superhero or the victim of a crime that's gone unpunished. It isn't nearly as common in anime though, where blue bloods are filled with types like Akane Tsunemori, Natsumi Tsujimo...
The List - 7 Twisted Wishes Gone Wrong
The monkey's paw rules are simple: you get one wish, anything your heart desires, but there will be horrible consequences as a result. It's happened at least seven times in anime!
― Last week's list was all about lovable monkeys, but this week I'm taking on a side of our furry relatives that's a whole lot more sinister: the Monkey's Paw. Thanks to a famous short story by William Wymark Jacobs, this ...
The List - 12 Lovable Anime Monkeys
They said it couldn't be done, but when asked to compile a list of monkeys in anime, you simply can't have less than twelve, including Dragon Ball Z, Blood Blockade Battlefront and much more!
― Our regular list-maker extraordinaire, Lynzee Loveridge, is going on hiatus for a couple weeks, so I'll be filling in while she's away. My name's Jacob Chapman, and this week, I've got monkeys on my mind. Why...
The List - 8 Dubious Anime Dub Opening Songs
There once was a magical time in anime dub history where North American anime licensors dubbed over Japanese opening and ending songs. These eight songs represent the very worst the English anime song genre has to offer.
― Lynzee Loveridge is on a short hiatus, so this week we're reprinting a classic List. New columns will return next Saturday! There once was a magical time in anime dub history wher...
The List - 7 Weirdest Short Programs
Short-form anime has exploded in number over the last few years, ranging from comedy to drama to the downright surreal. Here are seven of the strangest!
― Japan's offering of short anime programs, ranging from five minutes to 15 minutes, has gotten more diverse in recent years. The format was previously relegated to flash-animated comedy like FROGMAN'S long-running Eagle Talon series or shoddy attem...
The List - 7 Anime from When Maids Ruled the Earth
Journey with us back to a land before time, an era when sea, sky and land were dominated by the majestic, the proud, the beloved and eternal Maido.
― Anime cycles through trends, like all fictional media. Twilight gave rise to plenty of supernatural teen lit romance series trying to mirror Meyer's success while other authors are turning to fairy tale reimaginings to cater to Once Upon a Time viewers...
The List - 6 Steampunk Anime to Whet Your Whistle
If it looks Victorian and it has a bunch of gears and watch parts on it, then it's Steampunk! Anime has a rich tradition of embracing the steampunk aesthetic - here are six of the coolest!
― Steampunk is one facet of geek interests that even the uninitiated has probably seen at anime conventions thanks to cosplay. Steampunk versions of popular characters, be it Disney princesses or Ghostbusters, hav...
7 Original Pokemon Rumors Unmasked
Back in 1998, the original Pokemon game spawned countless urban legends and rumors about hidden secrets in the game - here are seven of the most outlandish!
― The Pokemon game franchise's 20th anniversary is in full swing this year, with nostalgic revisits to Red, Blue and Green in the form of merchandise, game ports, and event tie-ins. When the games first debuted in the U.S. in 1998, few were expe...
The List - 6 Most Dangerous Military Organizations in Anime
Sometimes our heroes aren't fighting against just one villain and a few henchmen - sometimes they're taking on an entire globe-conquering military force.
― There are few tropes capable of mirroring real world fears like a world power gone corrupt and its military running rampant. The backdrop is a common one, be it a dystopian future or a righteous war against a neighboring nation. Heroes have fough...
The List - 7 Highly Questionable Videogame Adaptations
There are plenty of decent anime based on videogames, but the genre has kind of a crummy reputation for a reason: there are plenty of not-so-great game anime out there. Here are seven of 'em!
― Anime productions pull from a lot of places; in addition to manga and light novels, anime also routinely adapts storylines from popular videogames. While there are plenty of decent anime based on videogames, ...
The List - Six Completely Dissimilar Twins
Everyone expects twins to be the mirror image of one another, but in these six cases, sibling rivalry takes on an entirely new meaning.
― Twins remain a topic that entertainment loves to revisit. Genetically identical people are used in horror to highlight fears of lack of individual identity. Fiction looks at twins as having a mythical connection from the time spent in the womb ranging from psychic...
The List - 6 Anime to Satisfy Your Need for Speed
Slam that NOS button and get ready for six high-speed racing anime that will take you on a breakneck trial through the Night of Fire. On your mark!
― Japan's obsession with racing hit an all-time high in the 90s with enthusiasts drifting around mountain bends or speeding down the Bayshore Route in Tokyo. This bled over into anime too, with series looking to capture the rush of hobbyists for the ente...
The List - Six Manga & Anime About Raising Kids
Anime usually takes us on incredible flights of fancy, but when it gets down to earth, the results can be incredible. Here are six manga and anime about the trials and tribulations of parenting.
― Anime and manga target a wide array of age demographics. Sure, there might be more in the teenage bracket but whether you're an office lady or a second grader, there's a manga magazine for you. This includ...
The List - Six Lost Mysteries of Anime
Mystery anime is back in vogue lately, but the genre is famously underrepresented in the US. Here are six mystery anime that still need an official US release!
― Recent anime seasons has shown a renewed interest in the mystery genre, from lighter fare like Haruchika to dark thrillers like this season's ERASED. This is boon for fans of an oft neglected genre, doubly so because its previous entries ra...
The List - 7 Manliest Bromances
Everyone has found themselves inspired by a deeply-felt friendship between two big manly men; here are seven of them that will bro you away!
― Valentine's Day (also known as Singles Awareness Day) is sneaking up. If you're one of the many without a significant other on the sugar coma-inducing holiday, have no fear. Even if romance isn't on your to-do list for the 14th, there's plenty of room for bro...
The List - 6 Villains That Saved the Day
Sometimes all it takes to save the day is a bad guy with a change of heart. Here are six anime where the villain became the hero!
― The heroes might be the stars of the show, but a work of fiction is really made by an awesome antagonist. Someone the audience loves to hate or finds catharsis through a villain's disregard for the rules in lieu of getting what they want. The audience grows attachment t...
The List - 7 Manga for the Canine-Inclined
There's a ton of cat manga out there, but when do dog people get their due? Well, just wait until you get a load of these puppies.
― Cats are undeniably the darlings of the internet thanks to their antisocial, self-serving characteristics. They easily mirror the nerd stereotype and those of us who spend untold hours at our desks see them as fluffy kindred spirits. Dogs, on the other hand, are consid...
The List - 7 Silly Pieces of Weaponry
Anime goes by the same code as everyone else: live by the wet towel, die by the wet towel. Here are seven of the most unusual weapons found in anime.
― Anime seasons get more crowded every year. Staff members still have to manage to somehow make their character designs distinctive. This has lead to curiouser and curiouser weaponry in an action genre already filled to the brim with katana, broadsword...
The List - 7 Truly Gruesome Body Transformations
People sure do turn into disgusting things in anime alot. Why not take a little trip through some of the most stomach-turning?
― When you picked your New Year's Resolution this year, did you consider the possibility of turning into amorphous flesh monster? How about being possessed by an alien that restructures your cells so you can grow biological weapons at will? These are important scenarios to c...
The List - The 7 Most In-Demand Japanese Voice Actors of 2015
We already counted down the most prolific Japanese voice actresses, so that means it's time to find out which male Japanese voice actors racked up the most voice roles in 2015!
― Last year we counted the most in demand English voice actors and actresses after Nikkei Entertainment published a similar list for the Japanese voice acting industry. We're keeping up the tradition by stepping into Nikkei E...
The List - 6 Examples of Futuristic Space Travel
Common space travel isn't here yet, but anime has come up with a wildly creative bunch of ways to hop around the universe with ease. Here are six of 'em!
― Modern space travel is largely dictated by complicated math equations. Scientists have to carefully plot the trajectories of its satellite probes to utilize gravitational forces of other heavenly bodies. How else would we get the New Horizons to ...
The List - The 6 Most In-Demand Japanese Voice Actresses of 2015
We tallied up the six busiest, most in-demand voice actresses working in Japan right now, the ladies you heard most often during the anime of 2015. The results may surprise you!
― Last year we counted the most in demand English voice actors and actresses after Nikkei Entertainment published a similar list for the Japanese voice acting industry. We're keeping up the tradition by stepping into Nikkei ...
The List - 6 Idols that Fandom Forgot
Anime idols have sung and danced their way into the hearts of otaku everywhere for years now, but here are six examples where the phenomenon failed to ignite.
― The popularity and success of the idol genre is undeniable; Love Live continues its almost unbelievable hold on Japanese otaku, and shows like Idolmaster: Cinderella Girls burn up the bluray sales charts. Unfortunately, not every idol anime ...
The List - 6 Times Evolution Went Horribly Wrong
Anime is overflowing with villains playing God, trying to determine the next stage of human evolution. Here are six times where mankind was the endangered species.
― They say people never change. Humanity, as a whole, seems to have reached its physical limit. We're taller and faster. We climb higher and jump further. In fact, much of the next stages seem tied to possible biotech and enhancing existi...
The List - 6 Anime Based on Eastern Legends
We've been over anime based on fairytales, but what about all those anime based on Eastern myths and famous bedtime stories? Here are a bunch of 'em!
― In 2013, I wrote up a list focusing on reimagined fairy tales. A few focused on Eastern fairy tails (Fruits Basket, Saiyuki, Ceres, Celestial Legend) the other five pulled from Western staples like Cinderella, Snow White, and The Little Mermaid. Enou...
The List - 6 Times It Was All Just A Dream
It's one of the most predictable and unpopular endings in storytelling history: the hero wakes up and everything you just saw was a dream. Here are six times anime went to that well!
― Considered one of the cheapest writing tactics in the book, "it was all dream" is so notoriously denounced that it occurs more often as a punchline nowadays than as an actual plot device. Classic examples include The ...
The List - 6 Times Anime Went Full Halloween
Halloween episodes are commonplace in American television, but you don't see it quite as often in anime. Here are six spooktacular instances of anime getting into the spirit.
― Christmas and Halloween are easy themed go-tos for Western television programming. The former is also common in anime where Christmas is synonymous with "romantic date." Halloween, on the other hand, has only recently caught ...
The List - 6 Ridiculous School Uniform Designs
When you're trying to come up with ways to make your school uniforms pop in a medium with stiff competition, sometimes you come up with some... less than practical outfits.
― School uniforms are an anime staple. Plot settings regularly take place in middle school or high school and the sheer number of anime, manga, and light novel series released each year means character designers and artists have ...
The List - 7 Vampires That Don't Suck
Okay, so, they do, technically - they ARE still blood-drinking children of the night - but we mean 'suck' in the pejorative sense.
― Bram Stoker's Dracula and F. W. Murnau's Nosferatu immortalized vampires in the public consciousness as dangerous, shape-shifting monsters living off the lifeblood of virginal humans. Sexually-charged metaphors aside, some theories have argued that the legends are mere...
The List - 7 Beauty & The Beast Couples
If you don't read this list of mismatched couples before the last petal falls on your 21st birthday, you'll be cursed forever. On the plus side, maybe all your anime figures came to life.
― One character is capable of immense, sometimes even supernatural strength while their partner is an example of grace and elegance. The two work as a balancing act for one another, with the "beauty" often calming ...
The List - 7 Adventures on the High Seas
If nautical nonsense is something you wish, these 7 anime feature deck-swabbin', treasure-hunting, ocean monster-fighting thrills on the open ocean. Just try not to get sea sick.
― Before man ventured into space, he wondered about what lay out beyond the horizon in the vast open sea. Maps were adorned with monsters; sea serpents and boat-wrecking squid. Mermaids (or were they manatees?) flicked thei...
The List - 6 Smarties with Blue Hair
Anime characters with blue hair are often portrayed as smarter than the rest. Here are six of 'em, all up in your grill with their smarts and their blue hair.
― One of the first things new fans notice that sets anime apart visually from western animation is the non-standard hair colors. Western animation might dabble in this, especially if the character is supposed to be rebellious, but most charact...
The List - 7 of Evangelion's Strangest Tie-In Goods
When it comes to merchandise exploitation, Evangelion is the Star Wars of Japan - and here are seven of the outright oddest knick-knacks the franchise has spawned.
― This year's the 20th anniversary of Hideaki Anno's genre-defining giant robot anime. The series has cultivated a large fan following dedicated to its immersive lore. Viewers still argue for Rei or Asuka and its iconic characters have, f...
The List - 7 Dessert-Obsessed Manga
These seven dangerously sweet manga insist you eat dessert before your dinner.
― Elegant tea houses, delicately decorated cakes, and equally gorgeous chefs populate this week's sister list to "7 Manga To Improve Your Cooking." These manga focus on finding sweet love or using a little magic to become the next great patissier. Life is short, eat dessert first. 7. Yumeiro Pâtissière A children's manga,...
The List - 7 Anime Beach Episodes Worth Watching
Beach episodes are a time-honored cliche, but most of the time, they're only fanservice-infused filler. Here are seven that manage to do a little more than that.
― Hi readers! I'm writing to you from the from the future for this Labor Day-inspired column this week. I've been writing this column for three years now, with a total of 142 installments. Also, by the time you're reading this, I'm getting ...
The List - 7 Plucky Kid Detectives
These pint-sized sleuths will solve the murder, unravel the international conspiracy and catch the bad guys, all before it's time for Lunchables.
― Kid detectives are a staple of children's fiction. They're the Robin to Batman, the Scooby Doo gang unraveling the schemes of adults, or the hard-nosed Nancy Drew who can't get away from a good mystery plot. Sometimes they're pint-sized versions of adult...
The List - 7 Anime for Grown-Up Romantics
The endless parade of anime about teenagers figuring out love for the first time is heartwarming but sometimes, if you're a little older, you want a show about adults who have been around the block a few times already.
― Romance anime, or the medium in general, is dominated by adolescent stories. Characters between the ages of 14-18 getting in trouble, saving the world, or enjoying club activities m...
The List - 7 Righteously Confident Protagonists
A new breed of hypercompetent badasses who know full well they're awesome are the headline attraction in a lot of new anime series these days. Here are seven of 'em. Try not to fall in love.
― The milquetoast protagonist is a well-known one. He's the guy in an anime where every girl wants him, for no discernible reason. His primary goal is to be a self-insert but this usually means he's generic in e...
The List - 6 Misplaced Ninja
Anime features a lot of ninjas, even in shows with a premise where you really wouldn't expect a ninja to show up. Nobody expected THESE ninjas, though.
― At the top of the list of Japanese things people are familiar with, there are samurai and their shadowy ninja counterparts. Shrouded in mystery, the ninja's reputation as covert assassins that poisoned dignitaries while they slept, disappeared into...
The List - 7 Eras of Japanese History via Anime
Travel back in time (and maybe have your gender swapped) to seven different periods of Japanese history, all from the comfort of your couch.
― The history of Japanese civilization is expansive, predating the Common Era by 10,000 years (the Jomon period). There's much more ground to cover compared to what kids get in U.S. history classes in high school, which rarely cover anything before the Boston T...
The List - 6 Deadly Maids
These six maids will wait on you hand and foot, but are also quite capable of wasting some fools. PLUS: results from last week's Love Live poll and a new Pokemon poll!
― Maids, like catgirls, are an anime staple. Heck, some characters are even both. There's something alluring about the frilly dresses and sworn dedication to their "Master," even if that dedication involves killing a tavern full of gr...
The List - 7 of Anime's Friendliest Ghosts
Not all of the wailing spirits of the dead are here to cause trouble - some of them just want to lend a spectral hand. PLUS: the user poll to end all user polls!
― They haunt our homes, slam our doors, and break our best china. Poltergeists, vengeful spirits, and the residual energy of the wrongfully killed wreck all kinds of havoc. But what if all ghosts aren't creeping out of abandoned wells or hi...
The List - 7 1990s OVAs to Revive After Ushio & Tora
Dragon Ball, Sailor Moon - everything old is new again. Here are seven OVAs from the 90s that deserve another shot.
― The gritty aesthetic of late 80s and early 90s anime is experiencing a small renaissance right now. Companies are reaching back into the vault and dusting off the action and sci-fi series, dated character designs and all, and giving them the anime treatment they missed out on during ...
The List - 7 of the Worst Sore Losers
Some people just don't take defeat very well. These seven folks could use a lesson in being a good sport.
― Losing gracefully and admitting defeat is a skill and some characters, especially villains, aren't particularly good at it. It's never the losers fault that they didn't succeed. Blame is either passed around to the nearest person, or worse, the loser seeks revenge against whomever bested them....
The List - 7 Government Organizations That Would Make the CIA Blush
This rundown of shadowy cabals that perform their insidious machinations behind the scenes, secretly controlling everything, will get your SEELE of approval.
― America's Central Intelligence Agency has fueled numerous conspiracy theories and espionage plots in films, books, and real life. Anime is no exception, with many protagonists uncovering all the dirt their utopian governments swept under the ...
The List - 7 of Hello Kitty's Most Expensive Accessories
Almost no other mascot in the world gets merchandise as expensive as Hello Kitty. Here's a collection of some of the most outrageously-priced luxury Kitty items.
― Hello Kitty is a cat, or a girl, or both that wants for nothing. She has her own pet cat and friends of all shapes and sizes. She's been to outer space and to countries all over the world. Collectors of Sanrio's popular mascot will quickl...
The List - 7 Useless Magic Attacks
These seven magic users have decidedly un-phenomenal, less-than-cosmic supernatural abilities.
― In a creative medium where more shows than average are full of magic users, it's hard to come up with unique abilities that haven't been done before. The classic elements and standard psychic abilities like telekinesis are done to death. The alternatives become super-specialized magic that has little to ...
The List - 7 Pieces of Anime Technology We Wish We Had Right Now
From persocoms to capsule corps, anime features a wealth of technological advances that would come in very handy in real life.
― Technology is constantly moving in directions only thought possible in the likes of our favorite sci-fi shows. The launch of Google Glass brought comparisons to Vegeta's power visor or the glasses used in Denno Coil. Sharon Apple now enthralls sold out shows in the form of...
The List - 7 Characters That Can't Resist Cats
These seven folks just can't get enough feline companionship; meow might be the time for an intervention.
― Dogs may be man's best friend, but it's cats that rule the internet. Scientists have gone so far as trying to classifying the key qualities that make up "cat people" and "dog people." Male cat owners are perceived as "nicer" than those who don't own a cat, but also lean more "neurotic." Regard...
The List - 7 Deadly Games of Survival
An evil organization, a crowd of unwilling contestants, a bloody battle to see who will survive; it's a familiar setup, but these stories find new ways to keep it fresh.
― When Resident Evil was released for PlayStation in 1996, many video game fans caught their first taste of survival horror. The game, and the many that would follow, places players in deadly situations where they have to be fast on...
The List - 7 Mad Re-Imaginings of Alice in Wonderland
Almost no other classic story has been twisted by manga and anime as much as Alice in Wonderland. We're through the looking glass, people.
― There might be no other example of Western literature whose themes, plot line, and characters appear in more anime than Lewis Carroll's The Adventures of Alice in Wonderland. Quin Rose's PC game is one example that has inspired an ever growing series of manga b...
The List - 6 Real-Life Japanese Robots Moving into the Marketplace
Hold on to your job for dear life: these automatons are coming for you, and they're impossible to resist.
― Technology is a constant presence in modern lives. Most of us carry a "phone" that contains more capabilities than what we used to land man on the moon. What once was a technological dream is slowly becoming reality as developers introduce more intricate, accurate, and personable robots. Each ...
The List - 7 Manga Banned Around the Globe
Seven manga that were just too hot or otherwise objectionable for a variety of countries all over the world.
― Censorship of anime and manga is often met with derision by fans for its alteration of the source material. Anime targeted towards children or racy manga series have gotten their share of script changes, painted on bathing suits, and Christian imagery cut. It takes another level of parental...
The List - 7 Thief Characters That Could Steal the Shirt Off Your Back
These anime thieves steal whatever isn't nailed down: cash, artwork, priceless artifacts, and your heart.
― Fiction has always had a love affair for charming rogues. They steal from the rich and elude bumbling detectives who are always two steps behind. In many cases the story is written around their crime; the victims are corrupt or the items in question are fakes. This way the burglars are anti-he...
The List - 7 Anime About the Performing Arts
Those who tread beneath the proscenium arch take the spotlight this week as The List highlights anime all about the performing arts.
― Last week's column was all about women flexing their athletic muscles, so this week we're looking at the other side the coin: performing arts. The traditional Western performing arts include music, theatre, dance, comedy, and opera. In the East, performing arts expan...
The List - 7 Anime About Women in Sports
Anime about female athletes are a time-honored tradition. Here are seven examples of women who bring it hard on the court and also, you know, solve murders and stuff.
― Sports fans got exciting news this weekend with Yen Press picking up competitive biking manga Yowamushi Pedal. Sentai Filmworks also plans to bring the hit volleyball anime Haikyu!! our way. Both these announcements are important, be...
The List - 7 Bits of Sailor Moon Merchandise No One Really Needs
In the name of the moon, she'll punish your wallet, your eyes, your tissue boxes and maybe your gastrointestinal system.
― Ever since the Sailor Moon remake was announced way back in 2012 (and subsequently delayed for a year), the series' license holders have dished out more merchandise than you can shake a wand at. Tie-ins like new figures, clothing lines, and even lingerie were brought out for nos...
The List - 7 Manga for Monster Girl Lovers
First there were catgirls, then maids, then robot girls; presently, we live in the age of the monster girl. Here are seven shining examples of the genre.
― Supernatural romantic comedies have a strong, dedicated fanbase among both male and female readers. Commentary on its quality aside, Twilight was immensely popular and shone a light on a new sub-section of young adult novels. Vampire stories, inc...
The List - 7 Things You Might Not Know About Hideaki Anno
A few things you might not have known about the man who told Shinji to get in the robot.
― There are few "household" anime names in the English speaking anime community: Hayao Miyazaki, Kunihiko Ikuhara, Osamu Tezuka, Shoji Kawamori, Yoshiyuki Tomino, Riyoko Ikeda, and Shotaro Ishinomori to name a few. Hideaki Anno is easily one of those names fans recognize as the creator of the Neon Genesis Evange...
The List - 7 Tragically Unlicensed Shojo Anime
Everyone has a list of shows they'd love to see get licensed, and on most of those lists there are at least a few shojo series. Here are 7 of the most wanted.
― Next to sports anime, shojo are routinely left on the wayside during licensing pick ups. There are plenty of theories why. Older shojo series, including magical girl shows, have high episode numbers that cost more to produce. Things have got...
The List - 6 Greatest School Teachers
Sometimes you need to learn a lesson, and there's no one better than these 6 teachers to dish one out to you.
― Teachers are asked to go above and beyond just feeding students information and handing out tests. They're counselors, trusted advisers, and can foster a safe place for troubled kids. These week's list looks at teachers who really care for their students despite being adult delinquents the...
The List - 7 Reasons Gentlemen Prefer Elves
Every good fantasy series has a few incredible elf ladies on display. Today, Lynzee decides to finally share the elf.
― The term "bombshell" was coined, very appropriately, during World War II to refer to the likes of Marilyn Monroe, Jane Russell, and other sex symbols of the era. There aren't any elves in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, but there are plenty of wild, voluptuous fantasy women wielding swor...
The List - 7 Trips to the Anime Underworld
Take a tour through the wildly imaginative ways anime has depicted the dark side of the afterlife.
― Cultures have pondered about life after death about as long as humanity has been capable of doing so. This includes differentiating between "good" humans and "bad" ones and sometimes further into "good," "mediocre," "bad," and "really, really bad." Some souls are denied reincarnation, others tasked w...
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