Top Acting Anime Recommendations

DEATH NOTE

Also known as Death Note.

Studio: MADHOUSE
Status: Finished
Genres: Mystery , Psychological , Supernatural , Thriller

Light Yagami is a genius high school student who is about to learn about life through a book of death. When a bored shinigami, a God of Death, named Ryuk drops a black notepad called a Death Note, Light receives power over life and death with the stroke of a pen. Determined to use this dark gift for the best, Light sets out to rid the world of evil… namely, the people he believes to be evil. Should anyone hold such power?

The consequences of Light’s actions will set the world ablaze.



Tags: Crime , Detective , Anti-Hero , Male Protagonist , Police , Philosophy , Tragedy , Primarily Adult Cast , Unrequited Love , Kuudere , Gods , Urban Fantasy , Memory Manipulation , Primarily Male Cast , Urban , Yandere , Amnesia , Espionage , Shounen , Tennis , Suicide , Time Skip , Acting , Feet , Assassins , Achronological Order , Asexual

ONE PIECE

Also known as ONE PIECE.

Studio: Toei Animation
Status: Releasing
Genres: Action , Adventure , Comedy , Drama , Fantasy

Gold Roger was known as the Pirate King, the strongest and most infamous being to have sailed the Grand Line. The capture and death of Roger by the World Government brought a change throughout the world. His last words before his death revealed the location of the greatest treasure in the world, One Piece. It was this revelation that brought about the Grand Age of Pirates, men who dreamed of finding One Piece (which promises an unlimited amount of riches and fame), and quite possibly the most coveted of titles for the person who found it, the title of the Pirate King.

Enter Monkey D. Luffy, a 17-year-old boy that defies your standard definition of a pirate. Rather than the popular persona of a wicked, hardened, toothless pirate who ransacks villages for fun, Luffy’s reason for being a pirate is one of pure wonder; the thought of an exciting adventure and meeting new and intriguing people, along with finding One Piece, are his reasons of becoming a pirate. Following in the footsteps of his childhood hero, Luffy and his crew travel across the Grand Line, experiencing crazy adventures, unveiling dark mysteries and battling strong enemies, all in order to reach One Piece.

*This includes following special episodes:
- Chopperman to the Rescue! Protect the TV Station by the Shore! (Episode 336)
- The Strongest Tag-Team! Luffy and Toriko's Hard Struggle! (Episode 492)
- Team Formation! Save Chopper (Episode 542)
- History's Strongest Collaboration vs. Glutton of the Sea (Episode 590)
- 20th Anniversary! Special Romance Dawn (Episode 907)

Tags: Pirates , Shounen , Ensemble Cast , Travel , Super Power , Found Family , Male Protagonist , Ships , Conspiracy , Slapstick , Time Skip , Tragedy , Anthropomorphism , Slavery , Politics , War , Fugitive , Crime , Dystopian , Gods , Prison , Lost Civilization , Swordplay , Food , Samurai , Monster Boy , Henshin , Medicine , Shapeshifting , Cyborg , Robots , Artificial Intelligence , Primarily Adult Cast , Desert , Animals , Guns , Skeleton , Anti-Hero , Dragons , Anachronism , Marriage , Post-Apocalyptic , Espionage , Asexual , Monster Girl , Fairy , Philosophy , Drugs , Kuudere , Assassins , Clone , Battle Royale , Aromantic , Trains , Ninja , Adoption , Revenge , Female Protagonist , Mermaid , Gender Bending , Time Manipulation , Musical Theater , CGI , Angels , Unrequited Love , Zombie , Body Swapping , Acting

Seishun Buta Yarou wa Bunny Girl Senpai no Yume wo Minai

Also known as Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai.

Studio: CloverWorks
Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Drama , Mystery , Psychological , Romance , Supernatural

There's a rumor about a mysterious phenomenon called "puberty syndrome." For example, Sakuta Azusagawa is a high school student who suddenly sees a bunny girl appear in front of him. The girl is actually a girl named Mai Sakurajima, who is Sakuta's upperclassman who is also a famous actress who has gone on hiatus from the entertainment industry. For some reason, the people around Mai cannot see her bunny-girl figure. Sakuta sets out to solve this mystery, and as he spends time with Mai, he learns her secret feelings. Other heroines who have "puberty syndrome" start to appear in front of Sakuta.



Tags: Urban Fantasy , Primarily Teen Cast , Heterosexual , Male Protagonist , Coming of Age , Primarily Female Cast , Memory Manipulation , Rehabilitation , Dissociative Identities , School , Amnesia , Bullying , Time Manipulation , Hikikomori , Urban , Body Swapping , Tsundere , Love Triangle , Acting , Female Harem , Idol

Tensei Shitara Slime Datta Ken

Also known as That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime.

Studio: 8-bit
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Adventure , Comedy , Fantasy

Lonely thirty-seven-year-old Satoru Mikami is stuck in a dead-end job, unhappy with his mundane life, but after dying at the hands of a robber, he awakens to a fresh start in a fantasy realm...as a slime monster! As he acclimates to his goopy new existence, his exploits with the other monsters set off a chain of events that will change his new world forever!



Tags: Isekai , Found Family , Reincarnation , Magic , Super Power , Shapeshifting , Kingdom Management , Ensemble Cast , Alternate Universe , Economics , Clone , Politics , Henshin , Monster Boy , Monster Girl , Fairy , Demons , Agender , Goblin , Male Protagonist , Gender Bending , Travel , Swordplay , Acting , Shounen , Dragons , Cannibalism , Female Harem , Gore , Elf , CGI

Kanojo, Okarishimasu

Also known as Rent-a-Girlfriend.

Studio: TMS Entertainment
Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Drama , Romance

Kinoshita Kazuya is a 20-year-old failure of a college student. He managed to kiss his girlfriend once, but was dumped after a month. "Ugh... Damn it. I never want to go through that again."

Completely spiteful, Kazuya uses a certain method to date a girl. He goes to their meeting place and suddenly hears, "You're Kazuya-kun, right?" A beautiful girl brushing her long, black hair behind her ear was there, smiling at him. Her name was Mizuhara Chizuru. Something real is born after just a single rental! A reckless rom-com filled with love and excitement is about to begin!



Tags: Love Triangle , Male Protagonist , Female Harem , Heterosexual , Unrequited Love , Slapstick , Masturbation , Shounen , Primarily Adult Cast , Primarily Female Cast , Fake Relationship , Tsundere , Work , Surreal Comedy , College , Acting , Female Protagonist , Urban , Anti-Hero , Feet

Go-toubun no Hanayome

Also known as The Quintessential Quintuplets.

Studio: Tezuka Productions
Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Drama , Romance , Slice of Life

Uesugi Fuutarou, a high school second-year from a poor family, receives a highly appealing offer to work part-time as a tutor... but his students turn out to be girls from his own class! What's more, they're quintuplets... and all five are beautiful, but happen to be problem students who have borderline grades and hate studying! Looks like his first assignment will be to win all the sisters' trust?! Every day is a wild party in this rom-com centering around the quintuplet sisters of the Nakano household!



Tags: Twins , Female Harem , Heterosexual , Male Protagonist , School , Primarily Female Cast , Primarily Teen Cast , Teacher , Ensemble Cast , Coming of Age , Tsundere , Shounen , Kuudere , School Club , Ojou-sama , Work , Acting , Time Skip

[Oshi no Ko]

Also known as Oshi No Ko.

Studio: Doga Kobo
Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Mystery , Psychological , Supernatural

When a pregnant young starlet appears in Gorou Amemiya’s countryside medical clinic, the doctor takes it upon himself to safely (and secretly) deliver Ai Hoshino’s child so she can make a scandal-free return to the stage. But no good deed goes unpunished, and on the eve of her delivery, he finds himself slain at the hands of Ai’s deluded stalker — and subsequently reborn as Ai’s child, Aquamarine Hoshino! The glitz and glamor of showbiz hide the dark underbelly of the entertainment industry, threatening to dull the shine of his favorite star. Can he help his new mother rise to the top of the charts? And what will he do when unthinkable disaster strikes?



Note: Episode 1【推しの子】Mother and Children was pre-screened in advance in Japanese theaters on March 17, 2023. The regular TV broadcast began on April 12, 2023. The first episode has an extended runtime of ~82 minutes.

Tags: Acting , Tragedy , Idol , Revenge , Twins , Male Protagonist , Reincarnation , Urban , Seinen , Detective , Female Protagonist , Coming of Age , Anti-Hero , Time Skip , Orphan , Age Regression , Ensemble Cast , Tsundere , Bullying , Filmmaking , Love Triangle , Family Life , Denpa , Urban Fantasy , Primarily Female Cast , Heterosexual , Fake Relationship , School , Suicide , Otaku Culture , Female Harem , Bowling

Blue Lock

Also known as BLUE LOCK.

Studio: 8-bit
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Drama , Sports

Japan’s desire for World Cup glory leads the Japanese Football Association to launch a new rigorous training program to find the national team’s next striker. Three hundred high school players are pitted against each other for the position, but only one will come out on top. Who among them will be the striker to usher in a new era of Japanese soccer?



Tags: Football , Male Protagonist , Shounen , Athletics , Primarily Male Cast , Battle Royale , Primarily Teen Cast , Ensemble Cast , Super Power , Revenge , Augmented Reality , CGI , Philosophy , Tragedy , Acting , Surreal Comedy , Language Barrier

BEASTARS

Also known as BEASTARS.

Studio: Orange
Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Mystery , Psychological , Romance , Slice of Life

In a world populated by anthropomorphic animals, herbivores and carnivores coexist with each other. For the adolescents of Cherryton Academy, school life is filled with hope, romance, distrust, and uneasiness.

The main character is Legoshi the wolf, a member of the drama club. Despite his menacing appearance, he has a very gentle heart. Throughout most of his life, he has always been an object of fear and hatred by other animals, and he’s been quite accustomed to that lifestyle. But soon, he finds himself becoming more involved with his fellow classmates who have their own share of insecurities and finds his life in school changing slowly.



Tags: Anthropomorphism , Coming of Age , Animals , Cannibalism , Full CGI , Primarily Teen Cast , School , Male Protagonist , Boarding School , CGI , Psychosexual , Love Triangle , Gangs , Heterosexual , Ensemble Cast , Crime , Bullying , Philosophy , School Club , Shounen , Primarily Animal Cast , Class Struggle , Female Protagonist , Acting , Mafia , Politics , Urban , Vore

ReLIFE

Also known as ReLIFE.

Studio: TMS Entertainment
Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Drama , Romance , Slice of Life

The story follows Kaizaki Arata, a 27-year-old jobless man, who fails at every job interview he had after quitting his last company. His life changes after he met Yoake Ryou of the ReLife Research Institute, who offered him a drug that can change his appearance to 17-years-old and to become a subject in an experiment for one year. Thus, he begins his life as a high school student once more.

Tags: Rehabilitation , Age Regression , School , Memory Manipulation , Male Protagonist , Time Manipulation , Heterosexual , Primarily Teen Cast , Coming of Age , Seinen , Hikikomori , Kuudere , Age Gap , Work , Chibi , Slapstick , Tragedy , Acting , Volleyball

Kage no Jitsuryokusha ni Naritakute!

Also known as The Eminence in Shadow.

Studio: Nexus
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Comedy , Fantasy

Some people just aren’t suited to playing the part of the flashy, in-your-face hero or the dastardly, mustache-twirling villain with larger-than-life panache. Instead, they operate in the shadows and pull the strings of society through wit and cleverness. That’s the role Cid wants to play when he’s transported to another world. Cid spins a yarn or three and becomes the unlikely leader of the underground Shadow Garden organization that fights against a menacing cult (which he totally made up). However, there’s a catch even his wild imagination didn’t see coming: the cult he concocted actually exists, and they’re beyond displeased that his power fantasy just got in the way of their evil plans!



Tags: Isekai , Chuunibyou , Male Protagonist , Parody , Anti-Hero , Magic , Cult , Acting , Swordplay , Reincarnation , Primarily Female Cast , Meta , Female Harem , Nudity , Espionage , Satire , Elf , School , Terrorism , Assassins , Politics , Kemonomimi , Gore , Heterosexual

GREAT PRETENDER

Also known as Great Pretender.

Studio: Wit Studio
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Comedy , Drama , Thriller

Self-styled “Japan's greatest swindler” Makoto Edamura is mainly targeting elder people and occasional foreign travelers. But when he tries to scam an apparently clueless French tourist in Tokyo, he can't possibly imagine that what looked like just another ordinary job is going to take him all the way to Los Angeles, tied upside-down on the famous Hollywood sign… And he is yet to find out what fate awaits him!



Tags: Crime , Anti-Hero , Foreign , Primarily Adult Cast , Male Protagonist , Urban , Language Barrier , Work , Mafia , Filmmaking , Drawing , Drugs , Gangs , Triads , Football , Acting , Bisexual , Heterosexual , Aviation , Tragedy , Slavery , Tomboy , Detective , Nudity , Tanned Skin , War , Mahjong , Baseball , Guns , Terrorism , Boys' Love

PERFECT BLUE

Also known as Perfect Blue.

Studio: MADHOUSE
Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Horror , Psychological , Thriller

Rising pop star Mima has quit singing to pursue a career as an actress and model, but her fans aren’t ready to see her go... Encouraged by her managers, Mima takes on a recurring role on a popular TV show, when suddenly her handlers and collaborators begin turning up murdered. Harboring feelings of guilt and haunted by visions of her former self, Mima’s reality and fantasy meld into a frenzied paranoia. As her stalker closes in, in person and online, the threat he poses is more real than even Mima knows, in this iconic psychological thriller that has frequently been hailed as one of the most important animated films of all time.



Note: The film received an early premiere at the Fantasia Film Festival on August 5, 1997.

Tags: Dissociative Identities , Denpa , Female Protagonist , Acting , Idol , Otaku Culture , Primarily Adult Cast , Meta , Work , Philosophy , Tragedy , Gore , Nudity , Filmmaking , Noir

GTO

Also known as GTO: Great Teacher Onizuka.

Studio: Studio Pierrot
Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Drama , Slice of Life

Onizuka is a reformed biker gang leader who has his sights set on an honorable new ambition: to become the world's greatest teacher... for the purpose of meeting sexy high school girls. Okay, so he's mostly reformed.

However, strict administrators and a class of ruthless delinquents stand between Onizuka and his goal and they will use any means, however illegal or low, to drive the new teacher away. Perfect, because Onizuka's methods won't be found in any teaching manual; he cares about the difference between legal and illegal activities about as much as he cares for the age difference between himself and a high school girl.

So get ready for math that doesn't add up, language you'd be slapped for using, and biology that would make a grown man blush... unless of course, you're the Great Teacher Onizuka.

Note: Episode 1 has an airtime of 48 minutes.

Tags: Teacher , School , Work , Delinquents , Male Protagonist , Kuudere , Coming of Age , Educational , Satire , Bullying , Suicide , Gangs , Age Gap , Crime , Acting , Conspiracy , Fugitive , Heterosexual , Parody , Shounen , Episodic , Revenge , Nudity , Agriculture , Guns , Real Robot , Crossdressing , Police , Martial Arts

Date A Live II

Also known as Date A Live II.

Studio: Production IMS
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Comedy , Ecchi , Fantasy , Romance , Sci-Fi

The second season of Date A Live.

Shido Itsuka, who used to be a normal high school student at Raizen High, meets the first Spirit, Tohka, and awakens his power to "seal the Spirit's power". Though they may be feared and hated beings due to their immense power, Spirits were always alone and knew only combat and death. Shido, the only one in the world with the power to seal the Spirits' might, hurls himself into life-threatening dates with the beautiful Spirits in order to save them.



Tags: Female Harem , Super Power , Male Protagonist , Urban Fantasy , Slapstick , Urban , School , Primarily Female Cast , Heterosexual , Twins , Idol , Nudity , Primarily Teen Cast , Parody , Tsundere , Ensemble Cast , Shounen , Crossdressing , Bisexual , LGBTQ+ Themes , Yandere , Acting , Kuudere , CGI , Love Triangle , Maids

BEASTARS 2

Also known as BEASTARS Season 2.

Studio: Orange
Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Mystery , Psychological , Romance , Slice of Life

"Beastar"—a title awarded to beasts who prove their excellence through fighting inequality to unite carnivores and herbivores in an anthropomorphic animal society. Cherryton Academy has gone five years without one such leader. However, following the murder of an alpaca within the school boundaries, the growing tension between the different species poses a greater need for a Beastar to ensure peace and harmony.

When Louis, the prime candidate for this prestigious role, rejects the offer and leaves the academy, the student council declares to honor any student who captures the culprit of the aforementioned murder as Beastar. Meanwhile, Legoshi's sense of duty as a strong wolf who must protect the weak pushes him to investigate the incident. To further complicate his life, he struggles to manage his complex feelings for the white rabbit, Haru.



Note: The first episode had an early delivery on Netflix Japan on January 5, 2021. The regular TV broadcast started on January 7, 2021.

Tags: Anthropomorphism , Animals , School , Mafia , Male Protagonist , Full CGI , Cannibalism , CGI , Psychosexual , Crime , Coming of Age , Noir , Primarily Animal Cast , Philosophy , Adoption , Tragedy , School Club , Gore , Heterosexual , Ensemble Cast , Primarily Teen Cast , Acting , Urban , Vore , Martial Arts , Guns , Boarding School , Class Struggle , Female Protagonist , Shounen , Love Triangle , Revenge , Nudity , Crossdressing

Tomodachi Game

Also known as Tomodachi Game.

Studio: Okuruto Noboru
Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Mystery , Psychological , Thriller

High school student Katagiri Yuuichi, who values friendship above all else, enjoys a fulfilling life with his close friends Sawagiri Shiho, Mikasa Tenji, Shibe Makoto, and Kokorogi Yutori.

However, after a particular incident, they're dragged into a debt repayment game.

The only way to beat the "Tomodachi Game" is to not doubt their friends. Bound together by solid friendships, the game should've been easy, but– The hugely popular comic that sold over two million copies is finally becoming an anime! Will they trust or betray their precious friends? The true nature of humanity is exposed in the ultimate psychological game!



Note: Premiered on Hulu and d Anime Store at 0:00 on Wednesdays, 1 hour 29 minutes ahead of Nippon TV's broadcast.

Tags: Male Protagonist , Survival , Anti-Hero , Shounen , Crime , Battle Royale , Revenge , Death Game , Torture , Acting , Tragedy , Gambling , Ensemble Cast , Bullying , Heterosexual , School , Love Triangle , Gangs , CGI , LGBTQ+ Themes

Yagate Kimi ni Naru

Also known as Bloom Into You.

Studio: TROYCA
Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Romance , Slice of Life

Yuu Koito thought love would be something amazing and magical, but when a male friend asks her to date, she feels nothing. She doesn't even know how to respond until she overhears the student council president of her new high school, Touko Nanami, turning down a similar request. With Touko's help, Yuu manages to let her friend down gracefully, but then Touko confesses that she, herself, is starting to have feelings for Yuu, leaving Yuu in a quandary. Yuu doesn't think that she's in love with Touko, but she does feel something. As Yuu joins the Student Council, and she and Touko become closer, her confusion about her feelings only continues to grow. Because you can't control who you love, or who falls in love with you.



Tags: Yuri , Female Protagonist , LGBTQ+ Themes , Coming of Age , School , School Club , Aromantic , Asexual , Love Triangle , Primarily Teen Cast , Philosophy , Bisexual , Cute Girls Doing Cute Things , Shounen , POV , Acting , Meta , Trains , Athletics , Writing

[Oshi no Ko] 2nd Season

Also known as Oshi no Ko Season 2.

Studio: Doga Kobo
Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Mystery , Psychological , Supernatural

The second season of [Oshi no Ko].

Aqua’s desire for revenge takes center stage as he navigates the dark underbelly of the entertainment world alongside his twin sister, Ruby. While Ruby follows in their slain mother’s footsteps to become an idol, Aqua joins a famous theater troupe in hopes of uncovering clues to the identity of his father — the man who arranged their mother’s untimely death, and the man who once starred in the same troupe Aqua hopes to infiltrate.



Tags: Acting , Revenge , Twins , Idol , Anti-Hero , Seinen , Male Protagonist , Tragedy , Reincarnation , Love Triangle , Urban , Tsundere , Urban Fantasy , Drawing , Time Skip , Swordplay

Kanojo, Okarishimasu 2nd Season

Also known as Rent-a-Girlfriend Season 2.

Studio: TMS Entertainment
Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Drama , Romance

The second season of Kanojo, Okarishimasu.

A hopeless college student, Kazuya Kinoshita, meets a graceful rental girlfriend, Chizuru Ichinose, and ends up introducing her as his girlfriend to his family and friends. Time goes on with Kazuya unable to tell the truth, as he's surrounded by devilish ex-girlfriend Mami Nanami, who keeps coming back to tempt him for some reason, hyper-aggressive provisional girlfriend Ruka Sarashina, who doesn't know how to take no for an answer, and super shy but diligent and hardworking younger rental girlfriend, Sumi Sakurasawa… beautiful girlfriends of all types! The pub, the beach, hot springs, Christmas, and New Year’s… Having gone through these challenging events, Kazuya's feelings for Chizuru keep growing stronger. But she reveals a shocking truth that threatens to shake their "relationship" to the very core!



Tags: Heterosexual , Female Harem , Love Triangle , Unrequited Love , Primarily Adult Cast , Male Protagonist , Fake Relationship , Kuudere , Tsundere , Female Protagonist , Surreal Comedy , Work , Primarily Female Cast , Slapstick , Masturbation , Urban , Shounen , College , Acting