The story of Nurarihyon no Mago revolves around the main character Nura, who is no ordinary boy. In fact, while he is ¾ human, the last ¼ is Youkai (a Japanese supernatural monster). He lives in a house full of Youkai, and with a grandfather that hopes Nura will succeed him as head of the Nura Clan. However, Nura himself doesn’t want any of this at the start, and instead spends his time trying to help humans and doing good deeds in hopes that he will not become a full Youkai someday.

As the anime progresses, Nura slowly begins to come to terms with his heritage, and starts to accept that he can indeed fulfil his grandfather’s dream even when initially he had no desire to. Tsuna is presented with a similar situation in Katekyo Hitman Reborn! when he is presented with the fate of taking over as head of Vongola Family. At first, he too rejects the idea, but as the story goes on he learns to accept it and to step into the shoes of those before him. Both anime tell the story of a boy who has to deal with a future that has been determined for him because of his heritage, and the path that they must take to grow from ordinary boys into powerful leaders.

Shijou Saikyou no Deshi Kenichi is the story of Kenichi Shirahama, a high school student who goes from being the constant victim of bullying, to vanquishing the bullies himself. As one can imagine, it is quite a turn-around to go from one end of the food chain to the other, and Kenichi doesn’t do it overnight through any superpowers or miracles. This anime focuses a lot on Kenichi’s training in martial arts at the dojo, Ryouzanpaku, alongside a girl named Miu, the granddaughter of the dojo master. Kenichi turns the tables on the bullies and delinquents, training hard to defeat and disband them and keeping them from making anyone else their victims.

Much like Tsuna in Katekyo Hitman Reborn!, Kenichi is at first a very unassuming and physically weak character. But also like Tsuna, Kenichi works hard at his training to develop into a much stronger fighter that can not only handle himself, but can really take care of business. Shijou Saikyou no Deshi Kenichi is another anime for someone who was really interested in the underdog story of Katekyo Hitman Reborn! and wants to see the serious development of the main character from zero to hero. If you liked seeing that development in the form of fights and action sequences, then Shijou Saikyou no Deshi Kenichi is something you’ll definitely want to check out!

If you even like the concept of anime, then you have certainly heard your share of opinions on our next suggestion – One Piece. One of the most popular animes in Japan and abroad, One Piece is a story about adventure, excitement, humour, and friendship on the high seas! That’s right, it’s about pirates. The main character, Monkey D. Luffy, and his crew, The Straw Hat Pirates, search for the fabled “one piece” and the title of King of the Pirates. Of course, finding it isn’t simple, as over 700 episodes (and a new one still, every week) certainly prove!

The cast of One Piece is absolutely massive, and full of original and unique protagonists and antagonists both. While not as big, Katekyo Hitman Reborn! also consists of many different characters, all of whom are very critical towards shaping who Tsuna becomes. In both anime, the main characters are developed a lot by their cast of both friends and enemies, and the influence of these other people is very important to the story. So if you are looking for not just a strong main character, but a strong supporting cast like in Katekyo Hitman Reborn!, maybe now is as good a time as any to sign on to the commitment of watching One Piece!

Beelzebub follows the story of Tatsumi Oga, and the strange “baby” Beel that he finds one day when he is in high school. However, Beel is no ordinary baby of course – in fact, he is the son of the demon king, and it is Tatsumi’s job to raise him! Throughout the anime, Tatsumi is faced with the challenges of raising a demon, albeit begrudgingly, as he finds himself in an official contract with Beel against his will. At first, Tatsumi does all he can to fight it, but slowly he begins to use the powers granted to him as Beel’s “father” to become a powerful fighter against gangs and other classmates.

Beelzebub and Katekyo Hitman Reborn! have a very unique thing in common – the presence of a powerful figure in the form of a baby that becomes, in some way, the responsibility of the main character. In Beelzebub, the baby is the son of the demon king, as described in the aforementioned paragraph. In Katekyo Hitman Reborn!, the baby is a Mafia leader. Both pack a surprising character in an unsuspecting package to give the anime a unique twist, and both of these “babies” are able to grant the main character some level of supernatural power to help them in fights. So if supernaturally powerful babies – or at least unexpected and different characters than simply the norm – that make an anime truly stand out are your thing, then be sure to check out Beelzebub!