I’m a very avid anime fan and manga reader. I’ll put it this way, I could easily have a full time job doing nothing but watching anime and reading manga.
Here is my list of anime and manga I recommend. I’m not going to list the manga if I list the anime since you should read the manga anyway. Anime and Manga in red are my favorites of all time. All of the Anime and Manga here are amazing, but those are the best in my opinion.
Anime
Vampire Knight and Vampire Knight Guilty
Cross Academy is attended by two groups of students: the Day Class and the Night Class. At twilight, when the students of the Day Class return to their dorm, they cross paths with the Night Class on their way to school. Yuki Cross and Zero Kiryu are the Guardians of the school, there to protect the Day Class from the Academy’s dark secret: the Night Class is full of vampires.
Naruto and Naruto Shipudden
Twelve years before the events at the focus of the series, the nine-tailed demon fox attacked Konohagakure. It was a powerful demon indeed; a single swing of one of its nine tails would raise tsunamis and flatten mountains. It raised chaos and slaughtered many people, until the leader of the Leaf Village – the Fourth Hokage – defeated it by sacrificing his own life to seal the demon inside a newly-born child, whose origins are as yet unknown. That child’s name was Naruto Uzumaki
Soul Eater
Maka is a scythe technician, working to perfect her living scythe and partner, Soul Eater. By feeding on the souls of 99 humans and one witch, Soul Eater aspires to become the perfect weapon–the Death Scythe! Along the way, the two will face innumerable challenges, including an enormous cat, thieves, and even a teacher turned zombie. It will be a wonder if Maka can even survive, much less turn Soul into the Death Scythe…
Bleach
Ichigo Kurosaki has always been able to see ghosts, but this ability doesn’t change his life nearly as much as his close encounter with Rukia Kuchiki, a Soul Reaper and member of the mysterious Soul Society. While fighting a Hollow, an evil spirit that preys on humans who display psychic energy, Rukia attempts to lend Ichigo some of her powers so that he can save his family; but much to her surprise, Ichigo absorbs every last drop of her energy. Now a full-fledged Soul Reaper himself, Ichigo quickly learns that the world he inhabits is one full of dangerous spirits and, along with Rukia–who is slowly regaining her powers–it’s Ichigo’s job to protect the innocent from Hollows and help the spirits themselves find peace.
Ao No Exorcist
This world consists of two dimensions joined as one, like a mirror. The first is the world in which the humans live, Assiah. The other is the world of demons, Gehenna. Ordinarily, travel between the two, and indeed any kind of contact between the two, is impossible. However the demons can pass over into this world by possessing anything that exists within it. Satan is the god of demons, but there’s one thing that he doesn’t have and that’s a container in the human world that is powerful enough to hold him!! For that purpose, he created Rin, his son from a human woman, but will his son agree to his plans, or will he become something else…? An exorcist?
Deadman Wonderland
Ganta Igarashi has been convicted of a crime that he hasn’t committed, and sent to a new, privately owned and operated prison, where the inmates are the main attraction in a modern day twist to the gladiatorial coliseums of ancient times. Throw in a healthy dose of weird little girl, some new-found super powers, and a little conspiracy theory, and you have Deadman Wonderland.
The manga is way better.
Fairy Tail
Celestial wizard Lucy wants to join the Fairy Tail, a guild for the most powerful wizards. But instead, her ambitions land her in the clutches of a gang of unsavory pirates led by a devious magician. Her only hope is Natsu, a strange boy she happens to meet on her travels. Natsu’s not your typical hero – but he just might be Lucy’s best hope.
Kaichou wa Maid sama
Ayuzawa Misaki is the student council president of the former all-boy school, Seika High School. In order to protect the girls, she battles the boys everyday. On the other hand, she secretly works at a “Maid Cafe”. But a popular boy from school, Usui Takumi, found out! Living in between the double identity of a Maid and a student council president~
What should we do Goshujin-sama!?
Skip Beat
Kyoko Mogami is the childhood friend of superstar Sho Fuwa. Kyoko was so mindlessly in love with Sho that she followed him to the city on his quest to become a famous singer. But she soon realizes Sho was only using her as his personal maid to take care of household chores and pay for rent. Heart-broken, Kyoko won’t suffer in silence–she’s going to get her sweet revenge by beating Sho in show biz!
Basilisk
The Iga clan and the Kouga clan have been sworn enemies for more than four hundred years. Only the Hanzo Hattori truce has kept the two families from all-out war. Now, under the order of Shogun Ieyasu Tokugawa, the truce has finally been dissolved. Ten ninja from each clan must fight to the death in order to determine who will be the next Tokugawa Shogun. The surviving clan will rule for the next thousand years.
But not all the clan members are in agreement. Oboro of the Iga clan and Gennosuke of the Kouga clan have fallen deeply in love. Now these star-crossed lovers have been pitted against each other. Can their romance conquer a centuries-old rivalry? Or is their love destined to end in death?
Tsubasa
Sakura is the princess of Clow – and possessor of a mysterious, misunderstood power that promises to change the world. Syaoran is her childhood friend and leader of the archaeological dig that took his father’s life. They reside in an alternate reality… where whatever you least expect can happen – and does. When Sakura ventures to the dig site to declare her love for Syaoran, a puzzling symbol is uncovered – which triggers a remarkable quest. Now Syaoran embarks upon a desperate journey through other worlds-all in the name of saving Sakura.
Hakuouki Shinsengumi Kitan
The protagonist, Yukimura Chizuru, is the daughter of a doctor who works in Edo. The father leaves Edo to work as a volunteer doctor and moves to Kyoto without his daughter. As time passes by, Chizuru starts worrying about losing contact with her father, so she decides to go to Kyoto in search of him. On the way, Chizuru is attacked by few criminals and witnesses a fight between an oni and the Shinsengumi. Taking her into custody and saving her, the Shinsengumi debate on what to do with Chizuru when they discover that she is the daughter of the doctor they are also looking for. So they decide to become Chizuru’s protectors and help her look for her father (the doctor). Lots of events happen while she stays with the Shinsengumi, as they discover mysterious secrets and also fight against the Bakumatsu group. The story is overall romantic with a historical and political background.
One of my all time favorites!
Hakuouki Hekketsu-roku
The Edo Era has ended after 260 years of history and the Meiji Era begins. However, bitter strife still continues between the soldiers of the new government and former Tokugawa retainers. This is the stage in which the surviving members of the Shinsengumi find themselves upon their return to Edo following their defeat at Tobafushimi.
Loveless
Aoyagi Ritsuka is one troubled 6th grader. Two years ago, he mysteriously lost his memory and developed an alternate personality. His mother constantly berates (and occasionally beats) him, asking what happened to the “real” Ritsuka, and his only defender and friend, his older brother Seimei, was recently killed.
Suddenly, Seimei’s apparent “friend,” Soubi, appears. Soubi tells him that Ritsuka’s true name is “Loveless,” and that Soubi was assigned by Seimei to take care of Ritsuka and protect him. Ritsuka soon gets sucked into a bizzare underground society where teams of people, a “Fighter Unit,” and a “Sacrifice,” battle using elaborate and beautifully-phrased spells.
He seeks both acceptance of himself, and the answer to the mystery of who killed his brother and why.
Togainu no Chi
Akira, the young champion of a street fighting tournament called Bl@ster, is suddenly arrested for a crime he didn’t commit. He makes a deal with a mysterious woman to get out of prison on one condition: to defeat the strongest man, the Il-Re, in a deadly game called Igura, which is taking place under the rule of a drug ring in the abandoned remains of Tokyo.
Escaflowne
Escaflowne, the God Protector of Fanelia, has been stolen and the country is left in ruins. Desperate to find the key to Escaflowne’s seal and recover the legendary guymelef, Van Fanel, Prince of Fanelia is sent to Earth, only to find it in the possession of a high school girl, Hitomi Hoshino. With enemies chasing them at every turn, can the two reclaim what was lost?
Darker than Black
In Tokyo, an impenetrable field known as “Hell’s Gate” appeared ten years ago. At the same time, psychics who wield paranormal powers at the cost of their conscience also emerged. Hei is one of the most powerful of these psychic agents, and along with his blind associate, Yin, works for one of the many rival agencies vying to unlock the mysteries of Hell’s Gate.
FullMetal Alchemist
“Humankind cannot gain anything without first giving something in return. To obtain, something of equal value must be lost. That is alchemy’s first law of equivalent exchange. In those days we really believed that to be the world’s one and only truth.”
In an alchemical ritual gone wrong, Edward Elric lost his arm and his leg, and his brother Alphonse became nothing but a soul in a suit of armor. Equipped with mechanical “auto-mail” limbs, Edward becomes a state alchemist, seeking the one thing that can restore his brother and himself… the legendary Philosopher’s Stone.
FullMetal Alchemist Brotherhood
A different telling of the same story. Simply amazing.
Nabari no ou
Apathetic schoolboy Miharu Rokujou is content to meander through life in the sleepy village of Banten. But his quiet existence is shattered when the Grey Wolves of Iga, a powerful ninja clan, attempt to kidnap him in broad daylight. Only then does Miharu discover that the ultimate power of the hidden ninja realm – a power that can do both great good and great harm – is sealed within his body. As battles erupt among rival ninja clans seeking to control him, Miharu must overcome his apathy and learn the ways of the ninja if he wants any shot at survival!
D. Gray Man
Akuma, monsters born from dead souls mistakenly recalled by their loved ones to the living world, are the weapons of the Millenium Earl, who is intent on the destruction of the world. Allen Walker has been cursed with an anti-Akuma weapon as his left arm and an eye that sees the former soul of the Akuma since his youth. He is also one of the few who contain “Innocence”, a substance that allows him to kill Akuma and fight the Earl. With these powers, he joins the Black Priest Organization as an Exorcist and sets out with other Exorcists to stop the Earl’s attempts to annihilate the human race.
Ouran High School Host Club
One day, Haruhi, a scholarship student at exclusive Ouran High School, breaks an $80,000 vase that belongs to the “Host Club”, a mysterious campus group consisting of six super-rich (and gorgeous) guys. To pay back the damages, she is forced to work for the club, and it’s there that she discovers just how wealthy the boys are and how different they are from everybody else.
High School of the Dead
A mysterious, lethal disease is on the loose worldwide, resulting in a catastrophic death rate of humanity, and the increasing rise of attacks, caused by the living dead.
In Japan, several high school students and a school nurse have banded together to escape Fujimi Private High School shortly after it was attacked by “them.” The group now attempts to figure who or what was responsible for this plague, and in the meantime, attempt to survive the present apocalypse.
I don’t like zombie movies or shows, but I LOVE this one!
Trinity Blood
The background is in the distant future after the destruction brought about by Armageddon. The war between the vampires and the humans continue to persist. In order to protect the humans from the vampires, Vatican has to rely on other allies to counter the situation. The protagonist, a priest called Peter Abel Nightroad, travels through the countries as a representative for the Vaticans. However, he is also part of “Ax”, a special operations group controlled by the Cardinal Catherina. His encounter with a young girl called Esther will determine the struggle and survival between the human race and the vampires.
Trigun
Vash the Stampede is a gunman on the run with a 60 billion double dollar bounty on his head which has made it difficult for him to go anywhere without being chased and shot at. Every town he ever visits ends up being destroyed because of his pursuers, but miraculously no one ever gets killed. Meryl and Milly are two insurance agents that have been sent to find Vash the Stampede and keep him under surveillance so no more damage is caused. Meryl, who leads the pair, refuses to believe that the man they have met can possibly be the legendary gunman. This spikey haired, gangly, young man is extremely friendly, a pacifist, hates blood and suicide, absolutely loves donuts, and is a dork and a crybaby (far from a notorious outlaw). But there is more to Vash and his past than meets the eye.
Blood +
Throughout the passage of time and the shifts in backgrounds, a particular war continues to leave its mark on history, extending its influence into the modern world. There are two major groups involved in the ensuring war. The first group consists of monsters known as Chiropterans who can change their appearances into that of human beings. They are actually immortals who feed on the blood of the living. The second group is an organisation known as the “Red Shield”, formed to track down these monsters and exterminate them. Otonashi Saya is a high-school girl who lives a peaceful life with her family. The only problem is, she has no recollections of her life beyond that of the past year. However, her happy life will be destroyed by an event that will lead her to her destined fate.
Kuroshitsuji (Black Butler)
To what extent must a housekeeper do things to be acceptable?
One of the noble families of England: Phantomhive’s butler: Sebastian Michaels has got unquestionably perfect knowledge, manners, talent with materials, martial arts, et cetera: but is also able to serve a 12 year old master.
Wearing a grey tailcoat, gracefully brewing the worlds strongest red tea, please read on to see how such a perfect butler copes with such a master…
Eden of the East
On November 22, 2010 ten missiles strike Japan. However, this unprecedented terrorist act, later to be called as “Careless Monday,” does not result in any apparent victims, and is soon forgotten by almost everyone. Then, 3 months later… Saki Morimi is a young woman currently in the United States of America on her graduation trip. But just when she is in front of the White House, Washington DC, she gets into trouble, and only the unexpected intervention of one of her fellow countrymen saves her. However, this man, who introduces himself as Akira Takizawa, is a complete mystery. He appears to have lost his memory. and he is stark naked, except for the gun he holds in one hand, and the mobile phone he’s holding with the other hand. A phone that is charged with 8,200,000,000 yen in digital cash.
X
It’s the year of destiny, and 15 year old Kamui Shiro, a powerful psychic, has returned to Toyko after a 6 year absence, having left when he was very young. He wants to be with his childhood friends, Fuma (his best friend) and Kotori, Fuma’s little sister (and Kamui’s possible girlfriend). He wants to protect them from all dangers, but destiny and fate are haunting Kamui and pulling in himself and his beloved childhood friends. It is his destiny and his sole decision to decide the fate of the world, no matter if he wants the role or not. Now it is a matter of if he will join the side of the Seven Seals and become the Dragon of Heaven to save mankind or join the Seven Angels and become the Dragon of Earth to destroy all civilization so the earth can heal itself from man’s destruction.
I cry every time I watch this movie ;(
Ninja Scroll
Jubei is wandering noble sword for hire but when a chance meeting leads him to save young ninja woman from rape he makes enemies with a group of demonic humans. Jubei and the woman part ways but later a government spy forces Jubei to join up with her again and investigate the mysterious death of an entire village. The investigation reveals a conspiracy involving the demons and a man from Jubei’s past who is supposed to be dead. As they get closer to the truth the demons close in on them and pretty soon Jubei finds himself in a deadly fight with many super strong inhuman opponents.
Vampire Hunter D
It is the distant future, Supernatural creatures are controlling the small civilizations left on Earth. A beautiful young woman, Doris, has been bitten by Count Magnus Lee for trespassing in his domain while hunting for demons threatening her home. Fearing that her life will be controlled by the Count, Doris hires and offers herself to a man known only as “D”, a vampire hunter with a dark past, to hunt down and destroy the Count, end his thirst, and save Doris from a life of eternal damnation
Dragon Ball
The series begins with a young monkey-tailed boy named Son Goku befriending a teenage girl named Bulma. Together, they go on a quest to find the seven Dragon Balls. Goku later undergoes rigorous (and humorous) training regimes and educational programs under the martial artist Master Roshi in order to fight in the World Martial Arts Tournament, a competition involving the most powerful fighters in the world. Outside the tournaments, Goku faces diverse villains such as Emperor Pilaf, the Red Ribbon Army, and the Namekian Piccolo Daimao. Several of the enemies and rivals Goku encounters eventually become his allies and close friends, including the desert bandit Yamcha, his martial arts classmate Krillin, the assassin Tien Shinhan, the samurai Yajirobe, and Piccolo Daimao’s offspring/reincarnation Piccolo Jr.
Rosaro + Vampire season 1 and 2
By a bizzare coincidence, Tsukune Aono has accidentally gotten himself admitted to a youkai acadamy, a school attended by monsters (youkai). Just when he thinks he’ll run away from there, he meets the beautiful girl Moka and his mood turns ultra happy. However, she transforms into her true form when the rosary on her chest is taken off, she’s a super vampire!
Ponyo
An animated adventure centered on a 5-year-old boy and his relationship with a goldfish princess who longs to become human.
Princess Lover
Teppei Arima is a second-year high school student who lost both of his parents in a traffic accident on their way home from a family trip. His grandfather, Isshin Arima, happens to wield the puppet strings in Japan’s vast economy and demands that Teppei becomes his successor as the head of the Arima Group. To prepare for his debut into high society, Teppei enrolls in an elite academy for the scions of the rich and powerful.
Angle Beats
In a world after death, angels fight for their fate and their future. Yuri, the leader of the Shinda Sekai Sensen, rebels against the god who destined her to have an unreasonable life. On the otherhand, Tenshi, the chairperson of the student council for the world after death, battles against the SSS members. SSS members utilize armed weaponry to battle it out against the angels harnessing supernatural powers.
Dennō Coil
Eleven years after the introduction of internet-connected, augmented reality eyeglasses and visors, Yūko Okonogi moves with her family to Daikoku City, the technological center of the emerging half-virtual world. Yūko joins her grandmother’s “investigation agency” comprised of children equipped with virtual tools and powerful metatags. She quickly crosses paths with Yūko Amasawa, an expert hacker of the virtual environment, as Amasawa relentlessly seeks to “unlock” the mystery of a computer virus that emerges from an inaccessible corrupted space.
Elfin Lied
The Diclonius, a mutated homo sapien that is said to be selected by God and will eventually become the destruction of mankind, possesses two horns in their heads, and has a “sixth sense” which gives it telekinetic abilities. Due to this dangerous power, they have been captured and isolated in laboratories by the government. Lucy, a young and psychotic Diclonius, manages to break free of her confines and brutally murder most of the guards in the laboratory, only to get shot in the head as she makes her escape. She survives and manages to drift along to a beach, where two teenagers named Kouta and Yuka discovers her. Having lost her memories, she was named after the only thing that she can now say, “Nyuu,” and the two allow her to stay at Kouta’s home. However, it appears that the evil “Lucy” is not dead just yet…
Air TV
Yukito Kunisaki is on a journey, seeking a girl with wings who flies in the sky, as mentioned in a childhood tale. During this journey, he settles down in a small town, trying to make some money. There, he meets a strange girl named Misuzu. Misuzu quickly makes Yukito her friend and invites him to stay with her. Yukito decides to stay in the small town, and continue searching for the winged girl his mother had searched for in her life.
Manga
Dengenki Daisy
“No matter what happens, I’ll protect you.”
Teru, a poor and kind girl, recently lost her older brother, her only remaining relative. Before he died he gave her a cell phone connecting her to a person he said would support her if ever he were unable to. As time passes she is cheered on by text messages sent from this enigmatic person, known only as DAISY. Then, one day, through an unexpected incident, Teru begins working for the delinquent school janitor, Kurosaki. But this sadistic scoundrel Kurosaki is really…!?
I am addicted to this manga right now I can not get enough of it, I don’t know what I’m going to do once I get to the end.
Black Bird
There is a world of myth and magic that intersects ours, and only a special few can see it. Misao Harada can see these magical realms and frankly, she wants nothing to do with it. She’d just as soon ignore her special gift in favor of having a normal high school life and maybe getting a boyfriend.
One day, Misao is attacked by a demon, and her childhood friend Kyo suddenly re-appears to save her and tend to her cuts – with his tongue! It turns out Misao is the bride of prophecy, whose blood gives power to the demon clan who claims her. But most demons want to keep her power for themselves – by eating her! Now Misao is just trying to stay alive… and decide if she likes it when Kyo licks her wounds.
Shinobi Life
Many, many years ago, a ninja named Kagetora devoted his life to protecting Princess Beni (”Beni-Hime”). Unfortunately, they were attacked and Kagetora was flung into a lake, and sank to the bottom… And is somehow warped to the future where he sees the princess Beni being kidnapped.
Little does Kagetora know that Beni is not the real princess, but rather her descendant. Beni, on the other hand, thought that Kagetora was just a cosplayer. Beni, the daughter of a rich man has already been kidnapped a hundred times already… But fear not because Kagetora is here. Will Kagetora be able to go back to the past, or will he remain by Beni’s side forever?
Kyou Koi wo Hajimemasu
Tsubaki is a girl who loves making her younger sister’s hair pretty every morning, but she doesn’t think that kind of style suits herself! The day of her High School Beginning Ceremony, after she failed in being the top student (who usually makes the ceremony speech), she finds herself sitting next to the actual top student of the first years, the worst rude guy ever, Kyouta. She ends up cutting his hair on purpose because of the bad things he says to her. Kyouta demands that Tsubaki pay him back with her body, but Tsubaki fixes his hair instead–making it even shorter! After that, Kyouta unexpectedly kisses Tsubaki and swears that he’ll make her his woman.
Suki-tte Ii na yo
Mei Tachibana has spent her 16 years without making either boyfriend or friends. One day, she injures a popular boy in school, Yamato Kurosawa, because of a misunderstanding but for some reason it seems that he takes a liking to her and one-sidedly claims that they’re friends. Furthermore, he not only protects Mei from a stalker, he does it with a kiss…?!!
Watashi ni XX Shinasai!
In class, she’s a sort of zoned-out girl, and he’s the year one class’ most perfect, good-looking guy. But the two of them have a secret, and their extraordinary “love experience” will start now!
Faster than a Kiss
After losing their parents, Fumiko and her brother move from one relative to another. Fed up with the constant moving, Fumiko decides to quit school and find a job to support her brother herself.
While she sits on the park bench contemplating her situation, she suddenly finds her teacher standing in front of her. Surprisingly, their encounter ends with a marriage proposal and her teacher’s promise to support and take care of Fumiko and her brother. Is he serious or just playing around…!?
