Chise Hatori, a 15-year-old Japanese orphan, has never known love and affection but has grown up being feared and ostracized. Because of her mistreatment, she’s quite willing to be sold at a slave auction if it means she will have a place to call home, but she doesn’t quite expect to be bought by a mage called Elias Ainsworth and to be unveiled as a rare type of mage called Sleigh Buggy. Elias makes Chise both his new apprentice and his future bride with a promise to help Chise truly grow.

The Ancient Magus’ Bride places us in an alternate London, England and lets us absorb the world through the eyes of Chise as she learns to become a mage. It plays heavily into European folklore with the fantastic creatures that appear throughout the series; however, characters like Elias Ainsworth have a unique look that sets this world apart from being solely derivative of folktales. Although the world is very much a delight to explore, the big attraction with this anime is still the characters, particularly the development of Chise and her relationship with Elias.

Flesh-eating monstrous giants called Titan roam the earth and have driven humankind behind walls after nearly driving them to extinction. When humanity thought itself safe after a century without seeing a single Titan, a Colossal Titan appeared beyond the wall and broke the gate to push humanity once again to the brink of extinction. A boy named Eren Yeager suffers a tragic loss in the attack, so along with his adopted sister Mikasa Ackerman, and his friend Armin Arlert, he joins the Survey Corps, a military unit that ventures beyond the walls and combats Titan, to fulfill his vow of killing all Titan.

Attack on Titan flips the script on standard post-apocalyptic stories with the creepy and unique Titan they must fend off. To add to that, the vertical maneuvering equipment the humans use to fight the Titan makes for some incredible sequences, and once again, a one-of-a-kind worldbuilding element. Beyond this unique spin on post-apocalyptic worlds, Attack on Titan is simply a thrill, often leaving episodes on a cliffhanger with a life hanging on the line all the while allowing us to delve into the mystery behind the Titan themselves.

Those who find the One Piece, the world’s greatest treasure hidden by the former “Pirate King” will take his mantle and enjoy great wealth. Monkey D. Luffy, a young boy who ate the Rubber Rubber fruit and became a man made of rubber, sets sail from home on a quest to find the legendary One Piece. On the way there, he’ll gather a ragtag group of misfits all with their own grand ambitions.

One Piece has built an immense world over its near two-decades of runtime. Magical fruits that give one-of-a-kind powers like becoming a rubber man or a wax man is just one aspect of it, One Piece has fantasy races like Fishman, Long-legs and Giants, snails that work as phones, and a ton of wondrous cities. The best part of One Piece has to be the characters, it has an immense cast of eccentric well-designed characters with unique quirks like absurd laughs, and powers you aren’t likely to find anywhere else.

The Holy Grail War is a battle royal between seven magi and their familiars, and the winner is granted any wish they want. This is the fourth Holy Grail War, and none before have ended with a winner. One of the families participating in the Holy Grail War adopt the man known as the “Magus Killer” Kiritsugu Emiya into the family so he can win the Holy Grail War for them. With the familiar called Saber, Kiritsugu will fight against six other highly motivated individuals for the sake of his family.

Fate/Zero’s story is instantly an interesting watch because of the inherent thrill in seeing who will win a battle royal. This show also plays on our knowledge of myths and legends, borrowing historical and mythical figures in the roles of servants and pitting them against each other. Of course, it wouldn’t be a great battle royal series without some awesome fights and Fate/Zero delivers that in spades.

After a demonic boar curses him with great strength and a future death, Prince Ashitaka of the Emishi Village must leave his home to find the source of the conflict that drove the boar insane. He will come across San, a woman raised by wolves, and Lady Eboshi, leader of the mining village Irontown. Embroiled in a deadly conflict due to the former’s desire to protect the forest and its spirit, and the latter to take the forest down for its resources, Ashitaka will have to step between both sides and put his life on the line to help them come to a resolution.

Princess Mononoke doesn’t present a particularly complex fantasy world but plays heavily on Shinto concepts to give personality to both sides of the environment vs. technology conflict. Mononoke is an epic tale of war where there are no bad guys outside the war itself and its tragic effect on both those directly involved and those who have no part to play in it.

Hana falls in love with the last werewolf alive, a man called Ookami, and they have two children, Ame and Yuki. Tragedy befalls her family when Ookami dies and Hana is left to raise her two shapeshifting children on her own. As if the challenges of being a single parent weren’t enough, Hana must protect her children from a society that may not be so welcoming of them. To better protect their identity, she moves to the countryside but that comes with its own set of difficulties.

Wolf Children is an example of fantasy that doesn’t need to have grand stakes and a heavily built world; it’s even more barebones than Princess Mononoke. This is a unique take on the werewolf genre and is more slice of life than grand adventure. In the case of Wolf Children, we see a very grounded take on maturing, raising children, and learning to fit in a society you don’t quite belong. This might be the purest use of fantasy in that its utilized to analyze and observe aspects of our society. This is without mentioning the wonderful work of director and writer Mamoru Hosoda in one of his finest films yet.

Among the many things Natsume has inherited from his deceased grandmother is the Book of Friends. The book is a highly prized item that contains the name of many spirits that his grandmother Reiko had bound over her lifetime, and as a result, many spirits want it in their possession. Natsume, with the help of a spirit called Madara aka Nyanko-sensei, will attempt to return all the names to their appropriate spirit, even if it’ll put him in fatal danger.

Natsume’s Book of Friends is more slice-of-life than a grand plot with the world on the line and follows the episodic attempts of Natsume to return the names of spirits. With an interesting lore from the get-go, Natsume’s best trait is the heartwarming and tear-jerking tales it tells from episode to episode. Even though characters often appear for only one episode at a time, this series does an incredible job of making each of them feel nuanced and well-developed. As with Wolf Children above, it’s another low stake fantasy series that demonstrates why fantasy is such a limitless and all-encompassing genre.

The Abyss is a deep, seemingly bottomless hole where rare treasures and mysterious creatures can be found. A city was built around it and people called Divers, ranked by abilities, enter the Abyss to collect the relics there for the taking. Lyza the Annihilator, a White Whistle Diver which is the top rank of Divers, disappears on one of her dives. Her daughter Riko aspires to reach the ranks of White Whistle and find her mother. During one of her dives on the upper reaches, she discovers a robotic boy named Reg. Together, they’ll venture deeper into the Abyss than ever before to find her mother and recover Reg’s lost memories.

You wouldn’t be able to tell at first glance from the cutesy character designs and the vibrant world but Made in Abyss hides a story that can get dark as highlighted by the very first episode where a boy is beaten to near death by one of the Abyss’s creatures. Without a doubt, the fantasy attraction of the Abyss calls to viewers immediately with the promise of mysteries to be uncovered as the kids that make up the main cast begin venturing deeper into it.

Ginko is a Mushishi, he spends his time researching the mysterious beings – if they can be called that – called Mushi. The Mushi are hard to describe, they’re entities can take on any number of shapes from a swamp to a microbe. Ginko travels Japan examining circumstances where Mushi have affected their world, and often finding ways to resolve the problems that may have arisen from these occurrences while gaining knowledge on their existence.

Mushishi is an episodic narrative that is at once a slice-of-life and a sort of procedural. Each episode sees Ginko heading into a new area and dealing with a new problem related to the Mushi, providing us with a great narrative as well as more insight into the unique existence of the Mushi. The world of Mushishi is vibrant and natural, it’s not a giant leap away from our own but the Mushi allows it to take a step into the fantastic, and that makes for subtle but interesting differences.

To revive their recently deceased mother, Edward Elric and Alphonse Elric performed human transmutation. They failed and as a result, Edward lost two limbs and Alphonse lost his whole body, having his soul trapped in a metal armor thanks to the desperate resourcefulness of Edward. The two brothers now use Edward’s resources as a state alchemist to find the fabled philosopher’s stone, so they can return Alphonse to his original body.

Set in a time roughly inspired by 20th century Europe, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood’s world isn’t that far from our own until you bring about the alchemy magic system. Alchemists in this world can transmute one object to another with the right knowledge and skills. It’s the rough similarity to our world that helps a lot of the conflicts and questions asked by this series hit close to home. You really won’t have to leap far to see the real-world analog to the tragedies spread across this series. The unique time setting for a fantasy narrative certainly helps set it apart from the other fantasy stories based off European history. At the end of the day, it’s Edward and Alphonse having to mature and overcome tragedy that makes this one of the greatest anime, let alone the best fantasy anime.

Youji Itami is an otaku, a self-proclaimed one at that. So when an inter-dimensional force of dragons and trolls invade his world during the time of a convention, he is quick to throw himself in the fray, putting all his RPG knowledge to the test. He proves himself so useful during this initial battle that he receives a lot of honors and is later tasked with leading a special recon team into the fantastical world that lies beyond the gate.

Gate does an impressive job immersing the viewer wholly into the fantasy world that stands opposite modern day society. It does this in a number of ways. One it efficiently and effectively develops each of the main characters, who represent various ideologies, and thus gives insights into different cultures. Secondly, it shows the inner workings (the government, religious factions, and military) of the kingdoms that Japan is trying to defeat/negotiate with. By doing this, we receive a much a grander picture of how this entire world runs and functions. It’s very akin to a cultural exchange program, at least by the time diplomatic solutions start being suggested.

Kazuma is young, lonely, and a shut in. One day, upon forcing himself out his room, he dies in an extremely awkward manner. Due to his relative youth, the goddess Aqua gives him the option to continue life in an alternate universe. He can even bring an ultimate item of his choosing to make sure things work at. Well, she happens to present on this information while completely humiliating Kazuma, and in an act of spite Kazuma declares that he wants her to accompany. To the higher ups of godhood, this request is valid and so Konosuba begins.

Kono Subarashii Sekai ni Shukufuku wo!, aka Konosuba, presents a glorious fantasy world that’s brimming with life and then throws us into the outskirts. Basically, we realize quite quickly that neither Kazuma nor Aqua is quite suited for adventure. Thus, they end up working rather ordinary jobs and living in less than quality standards (a stable). Bringing some light into the world are the two companions that join this unlucky duo. However, they prove themselves to be equally as useless. Overall, Konosuba presents a fantastical world that gets flipped on its head as four inept adventurers try to make a living.

In a time long ago, the destructive powers of the great dragon Bahamut threatened the realms of the humans, demons, and gods. In a massive battle that invoked a combined effort from each race, Bahamut was successfully locked away. The key to Bahamut’s imprisonment was then split between the god’s realm and the demon’s realm. Our story begins when the key in the god’s realm has suddenly been stolen.

Mappa’s 2014 Shingeki no Bahamut: Genesis takes viewers down a visual masterpiece. We’re thrown into a medieval fantasy that has every type of mystical being you could hope for. There’s magic, swashbuckling, historical and mythological figures, as well as massive amounts of deception. Consistently, we are being brought face to face with some incredible setting or monster and the fight scene that ensues is always one of longevity and delight. It truly is an ode to fantasy lovers. It’s one drawback is that it provides such a massive world that it can only give a slight glimpse into the lives of some of the more imposing characters within its 12-episode run.

Have you ever wondered how Hell is ran? Obviously there is quite a bit of traffic going down in the underworld and for people to find their correct place in the afterlife, things cannot be left to anarchy. That’s why there’s Hoozuki, chief deputy to Lord Enma. Hoozuki no Reitetsu follows the management styles of this chief deputy as he makes sure that hell is a well-oiled, smooth-running bureaucracy.

One of the best things about this show and what it does extraordinarily well is intermix Japanese mythology into its storyline. It’s not the only show to throw around beings from legends and folklore, but it clearly took the time to nail down the characters. Rather than simply invoking the name of a hero or god to appease mythology lovers, Hoozuki no Reitetsu revolves around these characters and utilizes its supernatural setting to its upmost. The only thing you might find strange is how similar hell is to your office space.

Not ten thousand, but thirty thousand gamers are suddenly trapped inside a popular MMORPG known as Elder Tale. They are not able to log out and they must learn how to survive in this dangerous fantasy world that has up to that point been only a virtual ‘escape’.

Think Sword Art Online, but better. We won’t have to deal with an extremely overpowered protagonist here and there’s less focus on a single guy wooing every girl he has one-on-one time with. What Log Horizon does exceptionally well is propel us into a universe that is vast and requires a collaborative effort among characters. In doing so, characters take on relatively niche roles that are both standard and comforting. However, the particular role of puppet master, the behind the scenes mastermind, is actually played by our hero, Shiroe. This actually allows the other characters more time to shine as they excel at their relative skills, which are put to perfect use by Shiroe.

We’re all probably familiar with Berserk and this is the one series that gets to break the rule of beginning in the last five years. Its implementation of CG, separate story arc, and overall time gap from its 1997 predecessor gave way to an exception. Considering the massive amount of monsters, hectic swordfights, and epic story; it’s hard not to put Berserk on any type of fantasy list.

Berserk, more than any anime on this list, captures the idea of a dark fantasy. Rather than act as an escape from mundane reality, Berserk presents landscapes that are dreary and haunting and characters who are highly damaged and complex. In this world, everything feels like it’s cast in some shadow, as it becomes increasingly difficult to decide what’s right and what’s wrong. All you can do is hold on as Guts heaves his hunk of iron into countless ghouls, and perhaps save a few innocents if he feels like it. The only issue you might find with it, is that CG isn’t your cup of tea.

No Game No Life follows the adventures of the siblings Sora and Shiro as they find themselves thrown into a completely different world, a world where everything is decided by games. Luckily, Sora and Shiro are actually god-like gamers with incredible reflexes, inexhaustible strategies, and impressive teamwork. In other words, they have really just been taken to heaven and are ready to ascend to an entire new status.

Surreal on a completely different level than anything else on this list, No Game No Life invites its viewers to experience a visual feast. Few shows have the ability to completely consume the audience simply through the setting and animation styling, but that is exactly what No Game No Life accomplishes. It astounds you, and gives you an entire world that seems like a playground for your imagination to run wild with. Not only that, but each game that is played is executed with grace as strategies clash and mental capacities are tested.

Set in world that is modeled after the European Middle Ages, Nanatsu no Taizai follows Elizabeth, the third princess of the Kingdom of Liones, as she searches for the subset of Holy Knights that had been deemed The Seven Deadly Sins for their betrayal against the kingdom. Why is the princess looking for them? Well, after The Seven Deadly Sins had been suppressed, the rest of the Holy Knights had a little coup of their own.

Maybe in a year or two Nanatsu no Taizai will be able to claim the top spot on a fantasy list. It has all the components for a traditional shounen in a fantasy world and it does them exceptionally well. It’s a case of presentation and pace beating out everything else. It has a diverse cast of powerful and interesting characters, who each offer a certain charisma that will attract its own following. The world is vast with plenty of visual appeal. No surprise their as A-1 Pictures steers the project. The story might be a little traditional in its search for the ultimate crew, but more than makes up for it with certain twists and its well developed characters. The only thing this show is truly missing is a second season to further explore the nuances of the world it has set up.

Re:Zero follows Subaru Natsku as he gets thrown into a crazy fantasy world. This world says hello by having him beaten to a pulp by a group of thugs. Thankfully, a mysterious girl by the name of Satella comes to the rescue. To repay her kindness, Subaru says he will help her find her ‘insignia,’ which she explains was stolen. Well, they find it, they find themselves in over their heads, and they both die. Then Subaru reawakens to the group of thugs once more.

This anime is one of the few to have made an actual impact on the anime community. There are several reasons for this. One, the character designs are stellar and its simply enjoyable to watch people interact even in a relatively plain-looking setting. Two, there is a good amount of action from the get go to keep the people on their feet and excited to see what happens next. Three, the story does not dig itself into a hero who can save everything plotline. The third reason in particular sets the show apart. Usually, you would expect the ability to revive as a power that leads to happy endings. However, in this series, this power forcibly deconstructs Subaru into an entirely different character and creates massive struggles for himself and the people he comes into contact with.

Scattered about the world are deadly labyrinths, known as Dungeons, which hold magical treasures beyond the imagination. These Dungeons are ruled over by supernatural Djinns, who will give their power to anyone who conquers the impossible maze. This granting of power acts as the Djinn’s vote of confidence for the victor to be king. As a result, many people with grand dreams dare the labyrinths in hopes of achieving riches and power. One lucky big dreamer, Alibaba, happens to achieve such a feat while befriending Aladdin, a young magician who might be one of the legendary Magi, magicians who lead kings to their empires.

Magi tops this list due to the world it has been able to flesh out over two seasons. Yes, it basically doubles the length of most other entries, but that’s no reason to not celebrate the vibrant and magical world that Magi creates. It seamlessly blends adventure, action, magic, and humor into one incredibly interesting story. Each character we are introduced to has a story and the creators do a great job giving life to everyone. Even characters of minor importance have personal quirks and are developed quite thoroughly. As a result, every battle, whether one of fists or ideologies, has a certain undeniable attraction.