What do you want to watch tonight?
Each title says who it's good for, and who it isn't. Tap what you want tonight, or say no to one and why.
Closest to Slam Dunk first
Haikyu!! 2014
Anime
Inspired by a small-statured pro volleyball player, Hinata creates a volleyball team in his last year of middle school. Unfortunately the team is matched up against the "King of the Court" Tobio Kageyama’s team in their first tournament and inevitably lose. After the crushing defeat, Hinata vows to surpass Kageyama After entering high school, Hinata joins the volleyball team only to find that Tobio has also joined.
The sides of Haikyu!!
- A short boy who wants to jump higher than everyone
- A genius setter who was too cold for his old team
- A high school volleyball club trying to fly again
Good for you if
- you like volleyball matches where every rally and every serve counts.
- you like two rivals who become the quickest attack on the court.
- you like a single set stretched over a whole episode.
Bad for you if
- you don't watch anime.
- four seasons of volleyball tournaments is too much for you.
About: teamwork · rivalry · ambition
Assassination Classroom 2015
Anime
The students of Class 3-E have a mission: kill their teacher before graduation. He has already destroyed the moon, and has promised to destroy the Earth if he can not be killed within a year. But how can this class of misfits kill a tentacled monster, capable of reaching Mach 20 speed, who may be the best teacher any of them have ever had?
The sides of Assassination Classroom
- A class told to kill their teacher
- A yellow tentacled creature that moves at Mach 20
- A school's worst-ranked classroom
Good for you if
- you like a classroom where every lesson is an assassination attempt.
- you want a whole class, not just one hero.
- you know the goodbye is coming and you want it to land.
Bad for you if
- you don't watch anime.
- you won't read subtitles.
About: teaching · growing up · friendship
Horimiya 2021
Anime
A secret life is the one thing they have in common. At school, Hori is a prim and perfect social butterfly, but the truth is she's a brash homebody. Meanwhile, under a gloomy facade, Miyamura hides a gentle heart, along with piercings and tattoos. In a chance meeting, they both reveal a side they've never shown. Could this blossom into something new?
The sides of Horimiya
- A popular girl who is a homebody at home
- A gloomy classmate with piercings and tattoos
- A couple who get together before the confession
Good for you if
- you like a couple who get together early and stay together.
- you want an easy, warm watch with nothing cruel in it.
- you like last school years, clubs and goodbyes.
Bad for you if
- you don't watch anime.
- you won't read subtitles for a Japanese school romance.
About: first love · appearances · growing up
Dragon Ball 1986
Anime
Young Goku sets off on a quest with his teenage friend Bulma to find the seven Dragon Balls, which grant whoever possesses them a single wish.
The sides of Dragon Ball
- A boy with a monkey tail
- A search for seven wish-granting balls
- A martial arts tournament
Good for you if
- you like slapstick and a hero who knows nothing about the world.
- you like kung fu fights and tournaments.
- you like a road trip where rivals become friends.
Bad for you if
- you find 1980s animation dated.
- you don't watch anime.
About: adventure · friendship · innocence
Mob Psycho 100 2016
Anime
Shigeo Kageyama, a.k.a. "Mob," is a boy who has trouble expressing himself, but who happens to be a powerful esper. Mob is determined to live a normal life and keeps his ESP suppressed, but when his emotions surge to a level of 100%, something terrible happens to him! As he's surrounded by false espers, evil spirits, and mysterious organizations, what will Mob think? What choices will he make?
The sides of Mob Psycho 100
- A boy with psychic powers who wants to be ordinary
- A fake exorcist and his consultation office
- A body improvement club
Good for you if
- you like animation that goes loose and wild when a fight starts.
- you like a con man mentor who gives surprisingly good advice.
- you want a shy kid to learn that powers are not a personality.
Bad for you if
- you don't watch anime.
- you won't read subtitles.
About: self-esteem · growing up · friendship

Fighting Spirit 2000
Anime
Makunouchi Ippo is an ordinary high school student in Japan. Since he spends most of his time away from school helping his mother run the family business, he doesn't get to enjoy his younger years like most teenagers. Always a target for bullying at school (the family fishing business grants him a distinct odor), Ippo's life is one of hardship. One of these after-school bullying sessions turns Ippo's life around for the better, as he is saved by a boxer named Takamura. He decides to follow in Takamura's footsteps and train to become a boxer, giving his life direction and purpose. Ippo's path to perfecting his pugilistic prowess is just beginning...
The sides of Fighting Spirit
- A bullied boy who takes up boxing
- A gym run by an old trainer
- A punch learned over months of training
Good for you if
- you like training, weigh-ins and the walk to the ring.
- you want fights where every punch is explained as it lands.
- you like a shy boy who only knows who he is inside the ropes.
Bad for you if
- you don't watch anime.
- you won't read subtitles.
- you need momentum. a single fight can run across several episodes of commentary and inner monologue.
About: perseverance · self-worth · training
Rent-a-Girlfriend 2020
Anime
Kinoshita Kazuya is a 20-year-old failure of a college student. He managed to kiss his girlfriend once, but was dumped after a month. Completely spiteful, Kazuya uses a certain method to date a girl. He goes to their meeting place and a beautiful girl brushing her long, black hair behind her ear was there, smiling at him. Her name was Mizuhara Chizuru. Something real is born after just a single rental! A reckless rom-com filled with love and excitement is about to begin!
The sides of Rent-a-Girlfriend
- A college student who rents a girlfriend by the hour
- A lie told to his grandmother
- A fake couple that keeps going
Good for you if
- you like a fake couple that slowly stops pretending.
- you like secondhand embarrassment as a comic engine.
- you want a light rom-com with low stakes.
Bad for you if
- you don't watch anime.
- you won't read subtitles for a whole season.
- you need a relationship that moves. The arrangement stays about where it started.
About: loneliness · self-esteem · love
Uzaki-chan Wants to Hang Out! 2020
Anime
Shinichi Sakurai’s one wish is for a little peace and quiet. But Hana Uzaki — his boisterous, well-endowed underclassman — has other plans. All she wants is to hang out and poke fun at him. With the help of her chipper charm and peppy persistence, this might just be the start of a beautiful relationship!
The sides of Uzaki-chan Wants to Hang Out!
- A loner student who wants quiet
- A loud underclassman who follows him everywhere
- A part-time job at a friend's café
Good for you if
- you like one running joke done well, teasing a man who wants peace.
- you want short episodes with nothing much at risk.
- you like a crush neither of them will say out loud.
Bad for you if
- you don't watch anime.
- you want something young children can watch with you, and half the gags are about Uzaki's figure.
- you won't read subtitles for a Japanese campus comedy.
About: loneliness · friendship · first love
The Girl Who Leapt Through Time 2006
Anime
When 17-year-old Makoto Konno gains the ability to 'leap' backwards through time, she immediately sets about improving her grades and preventing personal mishaps. However, she soon realises that changing the past isn't as simple as it seems, and eventually, will have to rely on her new powers to shape the future of herself and her friends.
The sides of The Girl Who Leapt Through Time
- A schoolgirl who leaps back through time
- A summer playing catch with two friends
- Small fixes with big costs
Good for you if
- you like Makoto leaping back in time to redo a test or sing karaoke for hours.
- you like three friends who don't want anything to change.
- you like being moved by a girl learning that every choice costs someone something.
Bad for you if
- you don't watch anime.
- you need time travel rules that hold up.
About: time · friendship · choices
Sailor Moon 1992
Anime
One day, Usagi Tsukino, clumsy 2nd-year middle school student, stumbles upon a talking cat named Luna. Luna tells her that she is destined to be Sailor Moon, "champion of love and justice", and she must search for the fabled Moon Princess. Usagi finds friends that turn out to be destined senshi as well, and together they fight to save the world from the certain doom brought upon by the Dark Kingdom.
The sides of Sailor Moon
- A clumsy schoolgirl who turns into a guardian
- A talking cat who hands out the missions
- A search for a lost moon princess
Good for you if
- you like five schoolgirls who become a team and stay one.
- you want a monster beaten each episode and everyone home for dinner.
- you are looking for something to watch with a child who likes transformations.
Bad for you if
- five seasons of a monster a week is too much for you.
- you don't watch animated series.
- you find early nineties animation dated.
About: friendship · duty · first love
My Hero Academia 2016
Anime
Izuku has dreamt of being a hero all his life—a lofty goal for anyone, but especially challenging for a kid with no superpowers. That’s right, in a world where eighty percent of the population has some kind of super-powered "quirk," Izuku was unlucky enough to be born completely normal. But that’s not enough to stop him from enrolling in one of the world’s most prestigious hero academies.
The sides of My Hero Academia
- A boy born without powers in a world of superpowers
- A school for future heroes
- A sports festival between classmates
Good for you if
- you like a kid who works twice as hard to catch up.
- you like superpowered fights between students.
- you like heroes who make big, sincere speeches.
Bad for you if
- eight seasons of hero school is too much for you.
- you don't watch anime.
About: heroism · ambition · rivalry
Your Lie in April 2014
Anime
Kousei Arima was a genius pianist until his mother's sudden death took away his ability to play. Each day was dull for Kousei. But, then he meets a violinist named Kaori Miyazono who has an eccentric playing style. Can the heartfelt sounds of the girl's violin lead the boy to play the piano again?
The sides of Your Lie in April
- A pianist who can no longer hear his own playing
- A violinist who strays from the score
- A spring of competitions and recitals
Good for you if
- you want a story that leaves you crying on the last episode.
- you want Chopin and Beethoven played as if they were dialogue.
- you like petals, light and a concert hall drawn in detail.
Bad for you if
- you don't watch anime.
- you won't read subtitles.
- you'd rather not watch grief, illness and a hard childhood.
About: grief · music · first love
Kamisama Kiss 2012
Anime
Nanami was just a normal high school girl down on her luck until a stranger’s lips marked her as the new Land God and turned her world upside down. Now, she’s figuring out the duties of a deity with the help of Tomoe, a reformed fox demon who reluctantly becomes her familiar in a contract sealed with a kiss. The new responsibilities—and boys—are a lot to handle, like the crow demon masquerading as a gorgeous pop idol and the adorable snake spirit who’s chosen the newly minted god to be his bride. As the headstrong Tomoe tries to whip her into shape, Nanami finds that love just might have cute, pointed fox ears. With romance in the air, will the human deity be able to prove herself worthy of her new title?
The sides of Kamisama Kiss
- A homeless high schooler made a land god
- A fox familiar bound by a kiss
- A shrine with spirits to look after
Good for you if
- you like a slow thaw between a girl and her reluctant fox familiar.
- you like Japanese spirits, shrines and demon courts.
- you want a warm episode before bed, with jokes between the stakes.
Bad for you if
- you don't watch anime.
- you won't read subtitles for a Japanese shoujo series.
About: first love · duty · belonging
A Silent Voice: The Movie 2016
Anime
Shouya Ishida starts bullying the new girl in class, Shouko Nishimiya, because she is deaf. But as the teasing continues, the rest of the class starts to turn on Shouya for his lack of compassion. When they leave elementary school, Shouko and Shouya do not speak to each other again... until an older, wiser Shouya, tormented by his past behaviour, decides he must see Shouko once more. He wants to atone for his sins, but is it already too late...?
The sides of A Silent Voice: The Movie
- A boy who bullied a deaf girl at school
- Years later, his attempt to make amends
- Conversations in sign language
Good for you if
- you want a film that breaks your heart and mends it.
- you like a guilty boy who can't look people in the face.
- you like teenagers learning to forgive themselves.
Bad for you if
- you can't watch bullying and suicide attempts on screen.
- you don't watch anime.
About: guilt · forgiveness · disability
Ocean Waves 1993
Anime
At Kichijōji Station, Tokyo, Taku Morisaki glimpses a familiar woman on the platform opposite boarding a train. Later, her photo falls from a shelf as he exits his apartment before flying to Kōchi Prefecture. Picking it up, he looks at it briefly before leaving. As the aeroplane takes off, he narrates the events that brought her into his life...
The sides of Ocean Waves
- Two school friends and the girl between them
- A trip to Tokyo on borrowed money
- A high school reunion years later
Good for you if
- you remember your last year of school and the people you lost touch with.
- you like three teenagers who never say what they feel.
- you like a friendship between two boys tested by the same girl.
Bad for you if
- you don't watch animated films.
- you won't read subtitles for a quiet Japanese drama.
- you need something to happen, and here it is phone calls and train platforms.
About: first love · friendship · memory
Whisper of the Heart 1995
Anime
Shizuku lives a simple life, dominated by her love for stories and writing. One day she notices that all the library books she has have been previously checked out by the same person: "Seiji Amasawa."
The sides of Whisper of the Heart
- A girl who reads every library book
- A boy learning to make violins
- A cat riding a train
Good for you if
- you want a quiet summer in the Tokyo suburbs.
- you like a first love that starts with a name on library cards.
- you like a girl figuring out if she can really write.
Bad for you if
- you don't watch anime.
- you need action to stay hooked. Here a girl writes a story and a boy builds violins.
About: first love · ambition · growing up
High School DxD 2012
Anime
Issei Hyodo is your average perverted high school student whose one wish in life is to have his own harem, but he's got to be one of the unluckiest guys around. He goes on his first date with a girl only to get brutally attacked and killed when it turns out the girl is really a vicious fallen angel. To top it all off, he's later reincarnated as a devil by his gorgeous senpai who tells him that she is also a devil and now his master! One thing's for sure, his peaceful days are over. In a battle between devils and angels, who will win?
The sides of High School DxD
- A high schooler killed on his first date
- A red haired devil who brings him back
- School clubs that are really demon factions
Good for you if
- you like a crew that calls itself an after school club and never leaves anyone behind.
- you like devils, angels and fallen angels sharing one town.
- you want dragon powers and fights between rival devil houses.
Bad for you if
- you can't watch a show built on fan service.
- you don't watch anime.
- you won't read subtitles.
About: desire · loyalty · power
After a traffic accident, Kazuma Sato’s disappointingly brief life was supposed to be over, but he wakes up to see a beautiful girl before him. She claims to be a goddess, Aqua, and asks if he would like to go to another world and bring only one thing with him. Kazuma decides to bring the goddess herself, and they are transported to a fantasy world filled with adventure, ruled by a demon king. Now Kazuma only wants to live in peace, but Aqua wants to solve many of this world’s problems, and the demon king will only turn a blind eye for so long…
The sides of KONOSUBA - God's blessing on this wonderful world!
- A dead teenager sent to a fantasy world
- A goddess who cries more than she helps
- A mage who can cast one explosion a day
Good for you if
- you like a hero's quest where the party is the problem.
- you like a game-shaped world with quests, guilds and levels.
- you like a group that insults each other and stays together.
Bad for you if
- you don't watch anime.
- you won't read subtitles.
- you want a fantasy that takes its own quest seriously.
About: failure · friendship · greed
Black Clover 2017
Anime
Asta and Yuno are two orphans who want the same thing: to become the Wizard King. Locked in a friendly rivalry, they work hard towards their goal. While Yuno excels at magic, Asta has a problem uncommon in this world: he has no powers! But, on the day they receive their grimoires, they surprise everyone. To reach their goal, they’ll each find their own path to greatness—with or without magic.
The sides of Black Clover
- An orphan with no magic in a world of magic
- A rival raised in the same church
- A squad of misfit Magic Knights
Good for you if
- you like a boy fighting spells with giant swords.
- you like a hero who shouts that he never gives up and means it.
- you like a kingdom where everyone gets a grimoire.
Bad for you if
- a hundred and seventy episodes is too much for you.
- you don't watch anime.
About: rivalry · hard work · belonging
Slayers Return 1996
Anime
Lina Inverse and Naga the White Serpent are back! What begins as a routine bandit-stomping turns into the adventure of a lifetime involving magical golems, an ancient Elven weapon and even someone bent on destroying the world. It's a predicament only Lina and Naga could get themselves in to.
The sides of Slayers Return
- A sorceress who makes a living robbing bandits
- Magical golems loose in a small town
- An ancient Elven weapon everyone wants
Good for you if
- you like Lina Inverse firing off a spell and an insult in the same breath.
- you like a sword and sorcery world that refuses to take itself seriously.
- you want an hour of fantasy with nothing heavy in it.
Bad for you if
- you don't watch anime.
- you want it to look current, and this one is from 1996.
About: magic · friendship · greed