TOKYOPOP's Anime Dream Dates

We asked, you voted - your anime Valentine's are here.

Our imaginations tend to run wild, so rather than curb those ambitions, we decided to reel yours in by asking our readers which anime character they'd most like to spend Valentine's Day with. Whether you're spending the day watching some of the greatest anime romances or the bloodiest anime, we can all agree that these would make for some seriously interesting dates.

Yuno Gasai (Future Diary) – We admit this was a bit of an odd choice, but we let you guys make it and you chose the super sweet girl that’s kind of super crazy. On the upside, her hair color is wildly appropriate for the holiday and when you’ve caught her good side she’s as pleasant as they come. On the downside, if you’ve caught her bad side, you might not make it to the goodnight kiss (or out of the restaurant alive). Worth the risk? We think so!  

Faye Valentine (Cowboy Bebop) – Aside from all the cheesy jokes you could make about her last name, Faye would make a fabulous Valentine! She loves shiny presents and taking her to even the most basic of restaurants would be a huge leg up from the grub she got in Spike’s care. Plus, you already know she doesn’t really mind being handcuffed to things. You know…in case she commits a crime or something. Why, what were you thinking?  

Sebastian Michaelis (Kuroshitsuji) – Again with the sometimes lovable, sometimes psycho Valentine’s choice, but hey – it’s your Valentine’s Day, we’re just here to report our findings. Of course, we can all admit it’d be pretty nice to have someone wait on us hand and foot, and can you imagine hearing “Yes, my Lord (or Lady)” purred into your ear? Alright, you guys win, dating a demon is definitely worth the pampering!  

Inuyasha (Inuyasha) – Soft, cuddly…obedient, Inuyasha is everything a Valentine should be. You could spend your evening together watching movies, making dinner, collecting jewel shards and hey, if he gets out of line, you can always slam him face-first into the ground with the power of your voice! Who needs a cheap stuffed animal when your date already is one?!  

Franken Stein (Soul Eater) – More than half this list is filled with part-time psychopaths – what does that say about our voters? If your idea of a perfect Valentine’s evening is a scarred gentleman drawing what could be incision marks on your body, then Stein is your man! Maybe you could convince him to keep the dissecting to cheap teddy bears and Whitman's Chocolate Samplers?

TOKYOPOP's 5 Bloodiest Anime Series

Because not everyone is full of the warm fuzzies this time of year...

Ah, Valentine’s Day: a day of love and romance…for the sappiest of the sappy, but pink paper hearts aren’t for everyone. Last year, we rounded up the greatest anime romances, but not everyone will be spending the day fawning over a significant other and making eyes at a loved one. So, if you’re looking for something a little different to spice up your Valentine’s this year, try injecting some animated mayhem into your night with these ultra-violent anime series.


Perfect Blue – Less senseless violence and more horrific psychological thriller, Perfect Blue is a perfect start to your Valentine’s Day bloodbath-a-thon. With just the right amount of creepy and weird, this movie teaches us all a special message: nothing says love quite like a murderous obsession. Kind of puts all those Valentines you got in a different light, huh?

Gantz – Gantz gets so gory that minor mishaps like, oh we dunno, a head exploding don’t even register as incredibly violent or awful. And don’t even get us started on the number of severed limbs flying about at any given time. It's like being at the world's grossest Gallagher show. Bring a poncho because this anime is so bloody, you'll feel like you're in the splash zone.

Elfen Lied – The perfect mixture of cute and crazy violent, Elfen Lied delivers graphic violence (and some nudity) with cute pink hair. Take, for instance, a naked Lucy using a woman’s beheaded body as a human shield – her nakedness totally reminds us of Cupid! (The naked-body-shield thing is just a bloody bonus.)

Higurashi – Higurashi is a very special kind of bloody and weird. Conversations are punctuated with stylized violence and each death is gruesome and bloody, but Higurashi doesn’t stop there. Oh no, it takes violence to a torturous level with punishments that’ll have you squirming in your seat. (And checking your hands furiously to make sure all your nails are still intact. Please don't make us research this again. *shiver*)

Berserk – What else would you expect from a series with a main character named Guts? Between the manga, anime series and recently released movies, Berserk has set itself apart with gritty, over-the-top violence that feels chillingly realistic (for the most part) and happens to include bodies being chopped in half. A Valentine’s Day classic, for sure!

TOKYOPOP's Best Coming of Age Stories

Kids will be kids...

Last week, young adults across Japan celebrated Seijin no Hi ("Coming of Age Day"), an annual holiday held to congratulate and celebrate those who have turned twenty, the age of majority in Japan. Making the transition from the carefree days of youth into the cold, hard realities of adulthood can be a difficult pill to swallow. Rather than sugarcoat it, we decided to take a page from David Bowie's book by turning and facing the strange and asked our readers to tell us their favorite coming-of-age stories in anime and manga. Who knows? Maybe you'll glean a life lesson or two along the way.

Clannad – Discord with parental figures? Check. First loves? Check. Heartbreak? Check and mate. Clannad has everything a good coming-of-age anime needs. It’ll make you laugh, it’ll make you cry, but hopefully not at the same time because then you’d look kinda crazy. Chances are that you'll find something to relate to in Clannad, especially if your family runs a melodramatic bakery.

Kiki’s Delivery Service – This tale of a young witch on her own in the big city has become a treasure in the world of anime because it contains themes we can all relate to – living on your own for the first time, making ends meet at a low-wage job, meeting your first love and having a talking cat. Okay, maybe not that last part. If you do relate to that last bit, please call us because we want to hang out.

Eureka 7 – Nothing puts a chip on one's shoulder like having a parent who died saving the world. How are you supposed to live up to that? Issues of self-identity, first love and diversity dominate the fast-paced life of Renton Thurston, who is forced to grow up at a breakneck pace in Eureka 7. If you thought you had it bad as a teen, be thankful that you didn't have giant robots and evil sentient coral in addition to acne and awkward middle school dances.

FLCL – Underneath the fast-paced wackiness of FLCL lies an alternately heartfelt and harrowing story. We think. Maybe. There's a lot of head wounds, so it's hard to tell. In all seriousness, FLCL manages to capture the complex cocktail of feelings that come from having to grow up before you're ready to grow up (and the complex feeling of robots coming out of your head). Facebook fan Brenda Valdez said it best: “FLCL. Just so awkward. Like coming of age should be.”

Paradise Kiss – With an eye-catching signature art style, Paradise Kiss deals with discovering one’s self, love, and finding meaning in life. It's about testing your mettle in the gauntlet of adulthood and coming out the better for it. Also, it's about the most important thing in life: fashion. It may not be the most important thing in your life, but try telling that to a teenage girl. Yeah, we thought so.

TOKYOPOP's 5 Feel-Good Anime to Brighten Your Day

Snowed in? We'll warm your heart. 

If films like The Day After Tomorrow and worrywarts like our mothers are to be believed, we could be snowed in at a moment's notice. What is there to look forward to in a bleak, nightmarish arctic landscape? Not much. Fortunately, we've got you covered with five sure-fire ways to warm you to the cockles of your heart with our favorite feel-good anime.

Usagi Drop

Fruits Basket – A literal take on the classic “overcoming of our inner demons” shtick, Fruits Basket is a highly beloved anime for a reason. You’ll be pulling for Tohru to overcome all odds to save her friends and cheering when she finally does. Plus, this is the age of the internet – a girl loving a boy who turns into a cat? Hello, front page of reddit!

Clannad (and Clannad After Story) – There’s nothing more heartwarming than a good love story. While Clannad and After Story have their fair share of tear-jerking moments, watching a young man mature, fall in love, and eventually become a father will inevitably leave a smile on your face. And if you see someone else crying, you can get bonus smiles laughing at them because nothing says "feel-good" like a bit of the ol' schadenfreude.

My Neighbor Totoro – Arguably one of the most popular anime movies of all time, My Neighbor Totoro is light-hearted fun with an adorable style. It’s so cute and cuddly, it actually managed to make dust bunnies adorable (soot sprites, technically) – only Miyazaki could accomplish such a feat. Plus it's good for viewers of all ages, so even both the little ones and your esteemed elders can get in on the fun.

Usagi Drop – Ah, the old “man gets child he’s never met forced on him and must learn how to be a parent” routine. You won’t get us this time! Just kidding – you totally got us with the charming Usagi Drop. Right in the feels. We thought we'd learned our lesson with Tokyo Godfathers, but no, no we didn't.

xxxHOLiC – xxxHOLiC is a melange of several genres that guarantees it’ll have something for everyone – magic, love and, heck, even time travel are prevalent throughout the series. With that hypnotizing signature CLAMP style, you’ll never stop to question how a part-time job in a magic shop could turn into a dozen time-travelin’ misadventures, but just in case you do, the answer is because anime.

TOKYOPOP's Best End of the World Anime

Watch them today because...well, you get it.

It's the end of the world as we know it and Michael Stipe feels fine, but we couldn't let the apocalypse pass us by without putting together a list of the best apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic anime based on your responses. While others are gathering canned goods, fashioning spears out of household utensils and hoarding gasoline, Road Warrior-style, we're fastidiously compiling this list so that if the post-apocalypse has electricity, you'll have some good source material to consult for the harsh new realities you're about to face. And if you run into us in the irradiated wasteland of the new world, be sure to say "hi" and let us know which was your favorite.

 

High School of the Dead - There ain't no apocalypse like a zombie apocalypse because a zombie apocalypse don't stop. It comes back for seconds, actually. Number five on our list starts right at the outset of the end of days as a full-blown undead armageddon erupts in Japan, leaving a group of erstwhile high school students and the school nurse to fend for themselves as society breaks down. Don't worry - it's not all doom and gloom. Sometimes the end of the world comes with a heapin' helping of fan service, so the future isn't too bleak.

  Fist of the North Star - Not only does Fist of the North Star take place smack dab in the middle of a post-apocalyptic world ravaged by nuclear fallout, but it might even teach you a thing or two about defending yourself in the bold new world (hint: be a bad-ass martial arts master). Using an innate knowledge of the human body's hidden vital points, Kenshiro kicks ass, takes names and justifies a pre-apocalypse career in massage therapy in one fell swoop. There may not be clean water in the dystopian future, but there will be blood, especially in this epic anime.

  Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann - Row, row, fight the power! Looking for inspiration now that Quetzalcoatl (or another feathered serpent god) is raining blood, fire and feathers from the skies? Gurren Lagann is your answer. The awesome fact that it's a Gainax-produced mecha anime notwithstanding, TTGL earns its apocalyptic stripes by presenting the story of a grim future in which mankind is forced to live underground by a ruthless monarch and the brave members of Team Gurren who took a stand against tyranny. Just remember, kids, if you can dream it, you can drill it.

Neon Genesis Evangelion - Were you surprised to see Evangelion here? Of course you weren't - because it deserves to be here. Gainax sure has a knack for the robot-and-monster-filled end of the world scenario, huh? Where Evangelion succeeds is in its depiction of interpersonal struggles and those big ponderous questions that people must face in the face of near-certain destruction. The tense life-or-death battles between the EVA Units and Angels are pretty freakin' sweet too, so you can have your post-apocalyptic cake and eat it too.

  Akira - Hail to the king, baby. In your responses, Akira appeared more than any other title and for good reason. Katsuhiro Otomo's apocalyptic masterwork helped inspire a generation of anime fans and animators through its brutal examination of societal pressure, alienation and the corrupting effects of power vis-a-vis the tale of two childhood friends, Tetsuo and Kaneda. Whether or not the Mayans are right, we'll be more than happy to spend our final moments in Neo Tokyo, which is about to E.X.P.L.O.D.E.

TOKYOPOP's Best Anime Christmas Episodes

'Tis the season for awesome anime, fa la la la la....

 

Bored of the typical Christmas fare on television? Tired of an island full of misfit toys? We've got your guide to the best anime Christmas episodes to fill you with enough yuletide cheer to power Santa's sleigh from here to Akihabara and back.

 

 

 Card Captor Sakura – Christmas time finds Sakura pining after Yukito and, thanks to some matchmaking from Kero, she finds herself on a date with him. There's nothing more romantic than a day at an amusement park, right? Well, unless the amusement park catches fire, of course. Thankfully, Sakura saves Christmas the only way she knows how - with cards!

 

 

 

 Kimi ni Todoke – Ecstatic about being invited to her first Christmas party, Sawako doesn’t know how to break it to her parents, who are very enthusiastic about spending the holiday together. She does end up making a choice that eventually leaves her in tears, but rejoice! It ends happily. Because it’s Christmas, damn it, and that's how things work!

 

 

 

 DiGi Charat – What says Christmas time better than a cruise? Well, a lot of things, actually, but in this holiday special Piyoko invites everyone on a cruise. In true Grinch fashion, though, the cruise turns out to be a ploy to capture Dejiko. Having fun on the Lido Deck? Humbug!

 

 

 

 

 Vandread – The crew of the Nirvana descends into Christmas madness! Their version of the holiday isn’t religious (which is in-line with the Japanese interpretation), but the ship is decorated with all the trimmings – complete with the traditional emotional chaos of gift giving! In space, no one can hear you scream (especially when you realize you've forgotten to get presents for your crew).

 

 

 

 Love Hina – Yet another Christmas special with love as the main theme. 'Tis the season, right? This time, though, the romance has a special twist – there’s a rumor that if someone confesses their love on Christmas Eve, a wish will come true. So, you could possibly snag a new lady AND a bazillion dollars?! Sign us up!

TOKYOPOP's Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?

Hide your snacks! These guests are hungrier than you'd expect!

Thanksgiving is just around the corner! A time to see friends and family, but most importantly, a time to shovel food into our faces like there’s no tomorrow. In honor of this time-honored tradition, we're taking a look at a handful of anime stars you probably wouldn’t want joining you at your Thanksgiving feast. 

 Usagi (Sailor Moon) – The good thing about having Usagi over as a dinner guest is that she’d definitely mean well. The bad thing about having Usagi over as a dinner guest is that she’d probably knock over every single pot and pan (by accident, of course) and then still manage to eat everything in sight. 

Any of the Saiyans (Dragon Ball Z) – Regardless of which flavor of Saiyan you choose, be it Nacho Cheesier Goku or Cooler Ranch Vegeta, they’re all known for their voracious appetites. Prepare to have bowl after bowl of deliciousness devoured and don’t expect any help with the dishes. Unless of course, those dishes try to destroy the world – then they’ve got your back (but it'll take three episodes).

 Hei (Darker Than Black) – It’s not that Hei would want to come over and eat all your delicious food – it’s that he has to. As part of “paying the price” for using his power, Hei eats up to twenty bowls of ramen in a single sitting. Not even Naruto could keep up with that kind of volume! Just hope you get him on the hungry side of his power and not on the murder-y side.

 America/Italy (Axis Powers: Hetalia) – In obvious reference to their respective cultures, America and Italy both have insaitiable appetites – with America constantly gorging on junk food and Italy sucking down pastaaaa. So, these guys might actually not be so bad if you avoid noodles and sweets! Yeah, you're right - we didn't think so either.

Train Heartnet (Black Cat) – Yet another trained killer on our list (who knew they’d make bad dinner guests?), At least Train will simply incapacitate you instead of killing you, so that counts for something, right? He'd better leave enough cranberry sauce for the rest of us or there will be hell to pay.

TOKYOPOP's Anime Characters We're NOT Voting For!

Rock the vote-taku!

After countless debates, ads and Facebook statuses, Election Day is finally here! While we know our readers have all sorts of differing political views, we thought we’d give everyone a little something to be appreciative of this Election Day. No matter what you think of the two major political candidates, we can all agree that we’re glad these anime baddies aren’t taking a seat in the Oval Office.

Frieza (Dragon Ball Z) – Easily one of the more sadistic baddies in the DBZ universe, Frieza isn't just a terrible candidate; his administration would be quite the waking nightmare. On the bright side, there’s a chance he’d require all members of the military to learn the Ginyu Force moves, so at least that would be fun to watch, right?

 Queen Beryl (Sailor Moon) – Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, right? Beryl always wanted to be Princess of the Earth and when she didn’t get her way, she just went straight for destroying it. Can you imagine what her foreign policy would be? Claim Canada for the Negaverse and nuke everything with dark energy! 

 Legato Blusummers (Trigun) – Legato is a seriously messed up dude – like delights-in-scarring-people-for-life kind of messed up. On top of that, he’s involved with a guy named Million Knives, which, oddly enough, kind of sounds like it could be the moniker of a modern-day weapons scandal of some sort. At least, he'd have a jazzy Chief of Staff in the form of Midvalley the Hornfreak.

Schneizel El Britannia (Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion R2) – One of the most dangerous qualities Schneizel possesses is his charm. Being charismatic makes it much easier to get elected, but don’t be fooled! He thinks nothing of offing a couple billion people, so now might be a good time to pledge your allegiance to Zero and his new world order.

 Tetsuo (Akira) – Politicians get reckless and cruel with imagined power – Tetsuo actually has real, tangible power. That’s a one-way ticket to dictatorship if we’ve ever heard one. Plus, he has that whole “starting Big Bangs in alternate universes” thing in his past, which is flip-flopping of the highest degree we've ever seen.

TOKYOPOP's Spookiest Horror Anime

We ask, you answered - together we can cower in fear!

For some people, October means apple picking, breaking out mothballed sweaters and football on Sundays, but for us October is all about scaring ourselves silly with the spookiest horror anime we can get our hands on. To figure out just what to watch, we turned to you guys, the readers, and the results are shocking(ly good).

Higurashi no Naku Koro ni – Easily the most popular answer, Higurashi is a fantastic twist on the age-old whodunit. The franchise spans videogames, manga and anime with various storylines attached to each form of media. One thing's for certain: being friends with Keiichi Maebara will probably get you murdered. No matter how you get your Higurashi fix, you’ve got to admit hearing the word “Watanagashi” will always send a shiver down your spine.

Akira – One of the most famous anime movies of all time, Akira is less “keep-you-up-at-night-looking-for-the-Bogeyman” horror and more “make-you-think-about-the-possible-future-destruction-of-the-world” horror. Although, using someone else's severed arm to take the place of your own is totally something the Bogeyman would do. 

Another – Ah, the ol’ creepy school set-up. Nothing bad ever happens at a creepy school, right? Another follows two middle school students as they set out to solve a series of mysterious deaths that involve their classmates. A live-action movie adaptation was released in Japan earlier this year, so pick it up and look forward to a semester of crippling social anxiety.

 Elfen Lied – Another anime full of haunting images - like main character Lucy using a woman’s decapitated body as a human shield. Elfen Lied probably won’t keep you up at night, but, like any good thriller, it will certainly unnerve you. If only being born with those sweet horns and telekinetic powers made you a little less, you know, murder-y.

 Boogiepop Phantom – Fear isn’t something the Boogiepop series takes lightly. In fact, fear is something an evil doctor in the series actually craves. Nothing’s scarier than someone who thrives on scaring others. Except maybe that purple outfit Boogiepop wears. That thing is just awful.