Top Classic Literature Anime Recommendations

Bungou Stray Dogs

Also known as Bungo Stray Dogs.

Studio: bones
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Comedy , Mystery , Supernatural

Stalked by a beastly white tiger, Atsushi Nakajima has no idea that the menace lives inside him—a power that catches the attention of the Armed Detective Agency. Using inhuman abilities to combat crime, this team takes Atsushi under the wing of their most eccentric member, Dazai. Together, they tear through mafia-muddled mysteries while enemies keep an eye on the tiger’s lofty bounty.



Tags: Super Power , Crime , Detective , Mafia , Urban Fantasy , Male Protagonist , Classic Literature , Yakuza , Urban , Primarily Male Cast , Ensemble Cast , Primarily Adult Cast , Work , Orphan , Gangs , Seinen , Suicide , Slapstick , Gore , Kuudere , Guns , Terrorism , Shapeshifting , Anti-Hero , Assassins , LGBTQ+ Themes , Incest , Episodic , Tragedy , Bar , Homeless

Hyouka

Also known as Hyouka.

Studio: Kyoto Animation
Status: Finished
Genres: Mystery , Romance , Slice of Life

Energy-conservative high school student Houtarou Oreki ends up with more than he bargained for when he signs up for the Classic Literature Club at his sister's behest—especially when he realizes how deep-rooted the club's history really is. Begrudgingly, Oreki is dragged into an investigation concerning the 45-year-old mystery that surrounds the club room.

Accompanied by his fellow club members, the knowledgeable Satoshi Fukube, the stern but benign Mayaka Ibara, and the ever-curious Eru Chitanda, Oreki must combat deadlines and lack of information with resourcefulness and hidden talent, in order to not only find the truth buried beneath the dust of works created years before them, but of other side cases as well.

Based on the award-winning Koten-bu light novel series, and directed by Yasuhiro Takemoto of Suzumiya Haruhi no Shoushitsu, Hyouka shows that normal life can be full of small mysteries, be it family history, a student film, or even the withered flowers that make up a ghost story.



Tags: School Club , Detective , School , Male Protagonist , Primarily Teen Cast , Coming of Age , Philosophy , Episodic , Classic Literature , Heterosexual , Filmmaking , Rural , Tsundere , Otaku Culture , Politics , Cosplay , Shrine Maiden , Bullying

Kimi no Suizou wo Tabetai

Also known as I Want to Eat Your Pancreas.

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

Spring time in April and the last of the cherry blossoms are still in bloom. The usually aloof bookworm with no interest in others comes across a book in a hospital waiting room. Handwritten on the cover are the words: "Living with Dying." He soon discovers that it is a diary kept by his very popular and genuinely cheerful classmate, Sakura Yamauchi, who reveals to him that she is secretly suffering from a pancreatic illness and only has a limited time left. It is at this moment that she gains just one more person to share her secret.

Trying to maintain a normal life as much as possible, Sakura is determined to live her life to the fullest until the very last day. As her free spirit and unpredictable actions throw him for a loop, his heart begins to gradually change.



Tags: Tragedy , Coming of Age , Male Protagonist , Female Protagonist , Philosophy , Heterosexual , Primarily Teen Cast , Rehabilitation , Classic Literature , Achronological Order , Unrequited Love , School

Wotaku ni Koi wa Muzukashii

Also known as Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku.

Studio: A-1 Pictures
Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Romance , Slice of Life

Having slept through all four of her alarms, the energetic Narumi Momose finds herself running late for her first day of work at a new office. As she races to catch her train, she makes a promise to herself that none of her coworkers will find out about her dark secret: that she is an otaku and a fujoshi. Her plan goes instantly awry, though, when she runs into Hirotaka Nifuji, an old friend from middle school. Although she tries to keep her secret by inviting him out for drinks after work, her cover is blown when he casually asks her whether or not she will be attending the upcoming Summer Comiket. Luckily for her, the only witnesses—Hanako Koyanagi and Tarou Kabakura—are otaku as well.

Later that night, the pair go out for drinks so that they can catch up after all the years apart. After Narumi complains about her previous boyfriend breaking up with her because he refused to date a fujoshi, Hirotaka suggests that she try dating a fellow otaku, specifically himself. He makes a solemn promise to always be there for her, to support her, and to help her farm for rare drops in Monster Hunter. Blown away by the proposal, Narumi agrees immediately. Thus the two otaku start dating, and their adorably awkward romance begins.



Tags: Otaku Culture , Primarily Adult Cast , Josei , Office Lady , Female Protagonist , Video Games , Work , Episodic , Male Protagonist , Urban , Kuudere , Ensemble Cast , Heterosexual , Cosplay , LGBTQ+ Themes , Tsundere , Office , Athletics , Tomboy , Bisexual , Classic Literature

BANANA FISH

Also known as BANANA FISH.

Studio: MAPPA
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Adventure , Drama , Psychological , Thriller

Nature made Ash Lynx beautiful; nurture made him a cold ruthless killer. A runaway brought up as the adopted heir and sex toy of "Papa" Dino Golzine, Ash, now at the rebellious age of seventeen, forsakes the kingdom held out by the devil who raised him. But the hideous secret that drove Ash's older brother mad in Vietnam has suddenly fallen into Papa's insatiably ambitious hands—and it's exactly the wrong time for Eiji Okamura, a pure-hearted young photographer from Japan, to make Ash Lynx's acquaintance...



Tags: Mafia , Gangs , Tragedy , Crime , Conspiracy , Drugs , Male Protagonist , Urban , Primarily Male Cast , Revenge , Guns , Coming of Age , Foreign , Boys' Love , LGBTQ+ Themes , Noir , Anti-Hero , Fugitive , Shoujo , Primarily Adult Cast , Assassins , Classic Literature , Criminal Organization , Orphan , Prison , Tanned Skin , Photography

Bungou Stray Dogs 2nd Season

Also known as Bungo Stray Dogs 2.

Studio: bones
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Comedy , Mystery , Supernatural

The second season of Bungou Stray Dogs.

Despite their differences in position, three men—the youngest senior executive of the Port Mafia, Osamu Dazai, the lowest ranking member, Sakunosuke Oda, and the intelligence agent, Angou Sakaguchi—gather at the Lupin Bar at the end of the day to relax and take delight in the company of friends.
However, one night, Angou disappears. A photograph taken at the bar is all that is left of the three together.
Fast forward to the present, and Dazai is now a member of the Armed Detective Agency. The Guild, an American gifted organization, has entered the fray and is intent on taking the Agency's work permit. They must now divide their attention between the two groups, the Guild and the Port Mafia, who oppose their very existence.

Tags: Super Power , Seinen , War , Male Protagonist , Mafia , Detective , Classic Literature , Urban Fantasy , Tragedy , Ensemble Cast , Terrorism , Anti-Hero , Guns , Primarily Male Cast , Urban , Philosophy , Orphan , Primarily Adult Cast , Conspiracy , Shapeshifting , Espionage , Kuudere , Bar , Cosmic Horror

Bungou Stray Dogs 3rd Season

Also known as Bungo Stray Dogs 3.

Studio: bones
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Comedy , Mystery , Supernatural

The third season of Bungou Stray Dogs.

The White Tiger and the Black Beast – Nakajima Atsushi and Akutagawa Ryunosuke’s fight against Francis F. brings an end to the great war against the Guild. Life goes on as normal in Yokohama, thanks to the continued truce between the Armed Detective Agency and the Port Mafia, who, together, saved the city from ruin. But there are still rumors of Guild stragglers and other crime organizations making their way in from abroad. Meanwhile, Dazai Osamu had premonitions of another impending disaster. Lurking in the darkness is the Fyodor D., leader of pirate organization Rats in the House of the Dead, his dreadful plans on the verge of execution.



Tags: Mafia , Super Power , Detective , Seinen , Urban Fantasy , Male Protagonist , Primarily Adult Cast , Terrorism , Work , Classic Literature , Philosophy , War , Urban , Anti-Hero , Ensemble Cast , Crime , Primarily Male Cast , Guns , Tragedy , Assassins , Suicide , Swordplay , Gods , Kuudere

Shinmai Maou no Testament

Also known as The Testament of Sister New Devil.

Studio: Production IMS
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Ecchi , Fantasy , Romance

When a pair of sexy girls, Maria and Mio, come to live with high school student Basara Toujou, his life changes forever. The two girls have a secret that they don’t keep for long—Maria is a succubus, and Mio is a future Demon Lord. But Basara has a secret of his own—he’s the last descendant from a clan of demon-fighting heroes. To make things even more complicated, the girls force Basara into a master-servant contract, and Basara ends up becoming their master! What happens when you put a succubus, a demoness, and a demon-fighting hero under the same roof? They form a bond that will help them to take on anything!



Tags: Nudity , Female Harem , Demons , Male Protagonist , Primarily Female Cast , Heterosexual , Urban Fantasy , Succubus , Magic , Tsundere , Monster Girl , Kuudere , School , Primarily Teen Cast , Philosophy , Classic Literature , Teacher

Genjitsu Shugi Yuusha no Oukoku Saikenki

Also known as How a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom.

Studio: J.C. Staff
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Adventure , Fantasy , Romance

Suddenly summoned to a fantasy world and betrothed to the princess, Kazuya Souma is crowned the new king after providing the royal family with impressive advice. To rule the kingdom, he's taking the nontraditional (and very human) route of administrative reform. In a realm of dragons and elves, will this revolutionary's unique path prove effective?



Tags: Politics , Kingdom Management , Isekai , Economics , Male Protagonist , Royal Affairs , War , Female Harem , Magic , Food , Elf , Classic Literature , Tanned Skin , Nekomimi , Cosplay , Ensemble Cast , Anthropomorphism , Adoption , Artificial Intelligence

Zetsuen no Tempest

Also known as Blast of Tempest.

Studio: bones
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Drama , Fantasy , Mystery , Romance

One day, a sorceress princess was stuffed into a barrel and banished.
One day, a single girl was suddenly murdered, and the culprit still runs free.
And one day, a battle spanning time and space over magic and revenge began!
Sanity and madness, sense and intelligence, self-confidence and convictions.
The tragic tale of this irrational world starts now.

The Kusaribe family is a family of sorcerers under the protection of the "Tree of Origins". Their princess, Hakaze Kusaribe, was the greatest sorceress of their family. But Samon Kusaribe, a member of their family seeking to resurrect the "Tree of World's End", a tree that opposes the "Tree of Origins" and controls the power of destruction, stuffs her into a barrel, and banishes her to a deserted island. From the deserted island, she sends a message out to sea, which is picked up by Mahiro Fuwa, a young boy who's sworn vengeance upon the criminal who killed his little sister, Aika. Mahiro agrees to help Hakaze under the condition that she find Aika's killer with her magic. But once Mahiro's best friend and Aika's lover, Yoshino Takigawa is rescued from danger, he too gets dragged into this tale of revenge.



Tags: Urban Fantasy , Revenge , Magic , Time Manipulation , Love Triangle , Anti-Hero , Tragedy , Heterosexual , Classic Literature , Male Protagonist , Suicide , Shounen , Post-Apocalyptic , Environmental , Pandemic , Philosophy , Witch , Travel , Ensemble Cast , Tsundere , Superhero

NO.6

Also known as No.6.

Studio: bones
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Drama , Psychological , Sci-Fi

In a near future world, after the last great war, most of mankind lives in a handful of city states. There, for the privileged elite, life should be perfect. But for young Shion, the only thing perfect has been the nightmare his life has become since letting a strange boy called Rat spend the night in his apartment.

Banished to the outskirts of the city and stripped of all privileges for helping the mysterious stranger who has since disappeared, Shion now finds himself in even worse danger as his inquiry into a new series of mysterious deaths results in his being arrested on suspicion of murder!

But even as Shion is being sent to the city's Correctional Institute, the long-missing Rat reappears to rescue him! Now on the run, the two young men have only one chance at survival: uncover the mysterious secrets that lie at the sinister heart of No. 6!



Tags: Dystopian , Conspiracy , Time Skip , Cyberpunk , Boys' Love , Fugitive , Memory Manipulation , Animals , Revenge , Male Protagonist , Survival , Shoujo , Urban , Classic Literature , Gender Bending , Tragedy , Agender , Love Triangle , Crossdressing , Yandere

Karigurashi no Arrietty

Also known as The Secret World of Arrietty.

Studio: Studio Ghibli
Status: Finished
Genres: Adventure , Drama , Fantasy

Arrietty, a tiny but tenacious 14-year-old, lives with her parents in the recesses of a suburban garden home, unbeknownst to the homeowner and her housekeeper. Like all little people, Arrietty remains hidden from view, except during occasional covert ventures beyond the floorboards to "borrow" scrap supplies like sugar cubes from her human hosts. But when 12-year-old Shou, a human boy who comes to stay in the home, discovers his mysterious housemate one evening, a secret friendship blossoms. If discovered, their relationship could drive Arrietty's family from the home and straight into danger.



Tags: Rural , Family Life , Classic Literature , Female Protagonist , Coming of Age , Work

Paripi Koumei

Also known as Ya Boy Kongming!.

Studio: P.A. Works
Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Drama , Music , Supernatural

Fate and reincarnation deliver brilliant military strategist, Kongming, from warring, ancient China to Japan’s modern party hot spot in Shibuya City, Tokyo. After a lifetime of battles and military skirmishes, Kongming wished with his last breath to be reborn in a world of peace and prosperity. It’s nearly two millennia later and he’s finding his way in a very different world than that of his past life. When he meets Eiko, an amateur musician with big dreams, the unlikely duo strikes up an even unlikelier friendship. Eiko has street smarts to help Kongming navigate this strange new world, and Kongming will use his strategic mind to help Eiko achieve stardom!



An advanced online screening of the first episode was held on March 31, 2022, but the weekly TV release began on April 5, 2022.

Tags: Reincarnation , Urban , Band , Anachronism , Primarily Adult Cast , Idol , Historical , Hip-hop Music , Female Protagonist , Ensemble Cast , Work , Bar , Male Protagonist , Seinen , Military , Classic Literature , Time Manipulation , Rock Music , Dancing , Fugitive

Bungou Stray Dogs 4th Season

Also known as Bungo Stray Dogs 4.

Studio: bones
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Comedy , Mystery , Supernatural

The fourth season of Bungou Stray Dogs.

No longer concerned with military affairs, Yukichi Fukuzawa intends to act as a lone bodyguard-for-hire, making use of his deadly swordsmanship. However, things are not going as planned for his freelance business, and that is when he crosses paths with a mouthy boy named Ranpo Edogawa. While their initial interactions are intertwined with a bizarre murder mystery, the aftermath prompts the formation of the Armed Detective Agency.

Presently, Ranpo finds himself chasing down a gifted individual with the dangerous ability to execute the perfect crime. But as the great detective unravels the case, he soon discovers an elaborate plot to obliterate the Agency in its entirety.

Although forewarned of the trap, the Agency continue their pursuit of the criminals, only to end up framed for the crime themselves. Now branded as wanted terrorists, the remaining members must find a way to prove their innocence—even if they must turn to sworn enemies for assistance.



Tags: Crime , Fugitive , Terrorism , Urban Fantasy , Super Power , Detective , Mafia , Ensemble Cast , Male Protagonist , Urban , Espionage , Primarily Adult Cast , Military , Anti-Hero , Conspiracy , Guns , Seinen , Gore , Primarily Male Cast , Classic Literature , Tragedy , War , Gambling , Suicide , Achromatic

Koi wa Ameagari no You ni

Also known as After the Rain.

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

Akira Tachibana was once the ace of a track club, but an injury forced her to quell her passion for sports. Masami Kondou, a divorced father, had ambitions of being a writer and now manages a restaurant, where Akira works. It is the intersection of Akira and Masami’s seemingly disconnected lives that makes each of them reconsider and redefine everything about themselves.



Tags: Age Gap , Female Protagonist , Rehabilitation , Seinen , Coming of Age , Heterosexual , Work , Restaurant , Classic Literature , Athletics , Urban , Writing , Love Triangle , Martial Arts , School , Twins , Tanned Skin

Cider no You ni Kotoba ga Wakiagaru

Also known as Words Bubble Up Like Soda Pop.

Studio: Signal.MD , Sublimation
Status: Finished
Genres: Romance , Slice of Life

Cherry is a quiet boy who loves to make haikus based off of the things he sees. One summer day in a city in the Japanese countryside…

At a shopping mall, he meets Smile, a beautiful girl in a mask. Cherry has trouble speaking in anything but haikus, and Smile wears a mask to hide her big, braces-covered front teeth. The two of them get closer as the south wind blows. One day, the two of them learn from Old Man Fujiyama, a master of Haiku who’s started going senile, that he’s searching for a certain record.

“If I can hear this record again, I can remember… Something I don’t want to forget, but can’t remember…”

Cherry and Smile decide to help. This is the story of their summer, set in a shopping mall…



Tags: Coming of Age , Primarily Teen Cast , Rural , Male Protagonist , Heterosexual , Female Protagonist , Calligraphy , Classic Literature , Philosophy , CGI , Delinquents , Dancing

Bungou Stray Dogs: DEAD APPLE

Also known as Bungo Stray Dogs: DEAD APPLE.

Studio: bones
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Comedy , Mystery , Supernatural

The film's story involves a mystery case of power users around the world suddenly committing suicide one after another, in all cases after a strange fog appears at the scene. At a request from Ango Sakaguchi, the Armed Detective Agency head out to investigate Tatsuhiko Shibusawa, a power user who calls himself "collector," and a man suspected of being tied to the incident.



Tags: Detective , Super Power , Urban Fantasy , Mafia , Anti-Hero , Male Protagonist , Crime , Seinen , Classic Literature , Police , Kuudere , Noir , Body Horror

Omoide no Marnie

Also known as When Marnie Was There.

Studio: Studio Ghibli
Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Mystery , Psychological

Suffering from frequent asthma attacks, young Anna Sasaki is quiet, unsociable, and isolated from her peers, causing her foster parent endless worry. Upon recommendation by the doctor, Anna is sent to the countryside, in hope the cleaner air and more relaxing lifestyle will improve her health and help clear her mind. Engaging in her passion for sketching, Anna spends her summer days living with her aunt and uncle in a small town near the sea.

One day while wandering outside, Anna discovers an abandoned mansion known as the Marsh House. However, she soon finds that the residence isn't as vacant as it appears to be, running into a mysterious girl named Marnie. Marnie's bubbly demeanor slowly begins to draw Anna out of her shell as she returns night after night to meet with her new friend. But it seems there is more to the strange girl than meets the eye—as her time in the town nears its end, Anna begins to discover the truth behind the walls of the Marsh House.

Omoide no Marnie tells the touching story of a young girl's journey through self-discovery and friendship, and the summer that she will remember for the rest of her life.



Tags: Female Protagonist , Rural , Ghost , Outdoor , Tragedy , Time Manipulation , Drawing , Disability , Estranged Family , Amnesia , Classic Literature , Bullying , Ojou-sama , Kids , Coastal

Kaguya-hime no Monogatari

Also known as The Tale of The Princess Kaguya.

Studio: Studio Ghibli
Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Fantasy , Romance

Okina is a bamboo cutter in ancient rural Japan. One day in the forest, he finds a tiny baby in the folds of a bamboo shoot. He brings the creature home to his wife Ounaa and they decide to keep her and raise her as a princess. She is clearly not of this world. Kaguya grows at an unnatural rate, soon maturing into an uncommonly beautiful young woman. Since Okina has now also found a cache of gold and treasure in the forest, every suitor wants Kaguya. But this is not a fairy tale of courtship and marriage.



Tags: Philosophy , Classic Literature , Tragedy , Historical , Fairy Tale , Female Protagonist , Rural , Family Life , Gods , Religion , Primarily Adult Cast , Amnesia , Travel , Adoption , Heterosexual , Agriculture , Unrequited Love , Environmental , Calligraphy

Bungou Stray Dogs 5th Season

Also known as Bungo Stray Dogs 5.

Studio: bones
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Comedy , Mystery , Supernatural

The fifth season of Bungou Stray Dogs.

Detective employees are caught one after another, and Kamui, the leader of Tenjin Goshui, is closing in on the Armed Detective Agency. Will the Agency survive?!



Tags: Crime , Urban Fantasy , Anti-Hero , Ensemble Cast , Super Power , Conspiracy , Fugitive , Terrorism , Detective , Primarily Adult Cast , Primarily Male Cast , Tragedy , Vampire , Male Protagonist , Espionage , Time Manipulation , Urban , Seinen , Mafia , Military , Classic Literature