Japan has a powerful city that not only is decades past modern society but also contains powerful men and women who could be the push the world needs to change. Academy City is filled with the science of the future but also of those with esper abilities that could truly alter reality in groundbreaking ways. That though doesn’t apply to Touma Kamijou whose strange ability “Imagine Breaker” can negate esper abilities while negating his own luck! Touma’s bad luck continues when he ends up meeting a small nun-like girl who seems to contain powerful grimoires within her mind…grimoires that powerful people also want.

A Certain Magical Index and Engage Kiss are like two sides of the same piece of perfectly buttered toast. Both anime have tons of cool action moments, both series have some cute main characters and both shows also are truly quite enjoyable. A Certain Magical Index has been around for more than a decade and only just had the third season finish airing recently! That’s why now is the best time to binge all of A Certain Magical Index and witness one of our favorite anime series for yourself!

Music…one of the fine arts produced by humanity and it may not be erased from the world thanks to an invasion from an otherworldly force. Known as the D2s, these strangers landed when a black meteorite collided with Earth and began to unleash destruction on humanity. It was discovered the D2s have a strange hate for music and thus, to prevent further loss of life, the various superpowers of Earth banned all forms of music. The only ones allowed to use the power of music are women dubbed Musicarts who are controlled via Conductors and can somehow defeat the D2s with their powerful songs. Despite his age, Takt Asahina is a piano prodigy and has become a Conductor for Destiny after an attack from a D2 would change his entire life forever. Can Takt and Destiny defeat the D2s and bring music back into the world!?

Beautifully animated and with an original story, Takt Op. Destiny was one of our favorite anime of 2021 and really showed anime will always find new ways to keep us entertained. We fell in love with the rich animation and intriguing tale of Takt Op. Destiny and it occurred to us while watching Engage Kiss how both series really are quite similar despite their extremely different stories. We really wished Takt Op. Destiny would have gotten a bit more attention last year but it is never too late to check it out now on Crunchyroll!

The world suffered immensely when 30 years ago a spatial quake occurred and took the lives of 150 million people. Even now, these spatial quakes continue but thankfully on smaller levels than the previous one. However, as Shidou Itsuka is about to learn, these quakes aren’t just normal space-related events but have to do with beings called spirits. Making things more complicated, Shidou will also learn he contains the ability to stop the powerful spirits from going rampant via him winning their hearts and kissing them! Yes, that’s right…these powerful space entities who could lay waste to the world are all beautiful women who just need to be shown some love…should be an easy task for a young high school boy right?

Considered by many to be one of the best harem anime out there, we don’t need to talk too much about Date A Live. In fact, many of our lists have mentioned the greatness of Date A Live as it takes the harem genre, plays with its clichés of it, and makes for a comical harem with some solid action and a great cast of waifu just waiting to be loved by all. While Engage Kiss might not have a large cast of buxom beauties like Date A Live, both anime have traditional themes but try to stand out and do an excellent job of being original! We know if you love Engage Kiss, you’re going to want to dive into the now 4 seasons—and movie—that is Date A Live!

During the year 2021, humanity would face a parasite of unprecedented devastation, the Gastrea. This powerful virus easily infects humans and they end up becoming ravenous creatures with the desire to kill and feed. Mankind facing immediate extinction fled their homes and lives to enter the Monolith walls they formed via a powerful alloy called Varanium. Desperate to defeat those infected by Gastrea, humans sought powerful oddities in the form of Cursed Children who could harness the Gastrea virus and gain powerful strength from it. Rentarou Satomi and his Cursed Child Enju Aihara work for the Tendo Agency which works to eliminate the Gastrea threat one enemy at a time…

Say what you will about loli and cute anime girls but there’s a reason it is one of the more popular themes in Japan. Black Bullet is what you get when you meld loli girls with mature action and add a hint of a dark narrative that will truly gut punch you when you least expect it. Despite having no second season and having the series end pretty prematurely, Black Bullet is still a solid anime that we always give a thumbs up to. Just like Engage Kiss, when you see the surprises contained within don’t say we didn’t warn you about the shock value these series contain!

“Lost Christmas” was a powerful virus that spread all through Japan leading to mass panic and death. The GHQ was sent by the UN as a means to control the virus’ spread but in their efforts, political power was altered and control of the country fell into the GHQ's hands. A small rebellious group has begun to rise—named Funeral Parlor—and their mission was to steal a powerful vial containing a special power. Unfortunately, their plan was foiled when internet celebrity Inori Yuzuriha stole the vial and then found help in the hands of the unknowing young man named Shuu Ouma. Shuu now will be thrown into a bloody battle that will alter the fate of all of Japan and possibly the world.

Guilty Crown is possibly one of the most underrated anime we’ve seen and we can’t help but love talking about it any time we can! Originally released in 2011, Guilty Crown was a dramatic story of political power, love, and rebellion which had a shocking ending that still makes us tear up even now. Like Engage Kiss, Guilty Crown looks at what sacrifice means and what humanity is willing to let go for their futures. Those who are devouring Engage Kiss and want a similar series MUST watch Guilty Crown!

Haruto Tokishima lives a quiet life within the space colony and like many others, thought their neutral territory would always be safe from the ongoing politics in space. Sadly, what Haruto and those around him don’t know is that in their colony lies a powerful machine that hides in the depths of their school. After an attack plunges the colony into shock, Haruto awakens one of the special machines known as the Valvrave, a powerful robot that also contains a cursed power. Despite his wishes for peace, Haruto alongside his classmates will lead their people to a revolution…but at a cost.

Engage Kiss has no mechs and might not be set in space but come on! The fact that Haruto and Engage Kiss’s lead, Shuu Ogata, both have power that comes at a high price. We won’t spoil the plot of Valvrave the Liberator but yes, Engage Kiss and Valvrave the Liberator are surprisingly similar. If you are a mech head and somehow missed out on one of the coolest Sunrise anime—besides the legendary Gundam series—then you will fall in love with Valvrave the Liberator!