Table Guide

Now here's an explanation for the tables. If you're brand new to anime, these will teach you some common terms among online anime fans.

- Episode Count

How long the series is. If there are multiple seasons, then the number in parenthesis will show how long the first season is (Example: Bleach)

- Season

Anime is released on television in a very systematic pace. There are four seasons, each lasting three months:

- Winter, starting in January and ending in March

- Spring, starting in April and ending in June

- Summer, starting in July and ending in September

- Fall, starting in October and ending in December

I would estimate that 95% of all TV anime have released in one of these four seasons, starting in the first couple weeks of the month. If you want to watch a brand new anime as it's releasing, then pay attention to what's releasing during the first two weeks of January, April, July or October.

- Genres

There are 20 genres that we use to categorize shows here. The genres don't have their own pages because, if you're looking for anime in specific genres, we think it's better to use sites that attempt to catalog all anime. The genres are just here to let you know right off the bat what kind of anime it is. Different sites have different definitions for these genres, but on this website here's what they mean:

Action - Self-explanatory.

Adventure - Sometimes, the journey is more important than the destination. We define an anime as "Adventure" if it's about one or more characters going to multiple locations in search of something. What that something is depends on the series.

Comedy - This genre is listed if we believe the point of the series is to make you laugh. Fullmetal Alchemist is a good example. Both TV adaptations include several scenes of comedic moments, several of which revolve around calling Edward short. That does not make Fullmetal Alchemist a comedy, because that is not the primary focus of the series.

Drama - This genre is listed if we believe the series wants you to take it dead seriously. Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt is a good example. There are episodes of that series where the characters develop in arguably sweet and tender ways. That does not make Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt a drama, because the rest of the episodes are about cramming as many jokes into 24 minutes as possible.

Ecchi - If a series is listed as Ecchi, chances are the series includes scantily clad (or in some cases straight-up naked) women. In these shows, staring at their tits and going "awooga" is part of the appeal. There are exceptions where an anime featuring nudity does not make it an ecchi (Elfen Lied is a huge exception) but they are exceptions that only prove the rule.

Fantasy - Self-explanatory.

Horror - This genre is listed if we believe the series wants to scare you. This will rarely be used as we take what constitutes as "horror" very seriously.

Mecha - YOU. DIG. GIANT ROBOTS. I. DIG. GIANT ROBOTS. WE. DIG. GIANT ROBOTS. CHICKS. DIG. GIANT ROBOTS.

Music - These are shows where characters playing music is part of the plot. As an example, The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya features a major scene where Haruhi plays in a band, but the series is not about Haruhi Suzumiya playing instruments.

Psychological - This is a difficult genre to pin down, likely because the anime associated with this genre are just as difficult to describe. Main deciding factor is a show’s vibe, but anything written by Chiaki J. Konaka will likely have this genre attached.

Romance - This genre is listed if it's less "this series has a romantic element" and more "the romance is the plot"

School - Shows where you learn about the Japanese educational system.

Sci-Fi - Science fiction.

Seinen - Shows that are based on a manga that ran in a Seinen magazine.

Shoujo - Shows that are based on a manga that ran in a Shoujo magazine.

Shounen - Shows that are based on a manga that ran in a Shounen magazine.

Slice of Life - Shows focused entirely on the (usually mundane) daily lives of the main characters.

Sports - It's like music but instead of instruments it's balls.

Supernatural - This genre is listed if the series clearly takes place in the real world but features supernatural elements that you'd normally find in a sci-fi or fantasy series.

Thriller - Thriller anime are shows that put you on the edge of your seat. Shows where you have no idea where they're going and that only excites you further. It's all about the suspense.

- Source Material

Manga - Black and white comics that are read from right to left.

Light Novel - A series of books (usually short) that occassionally have illustrations, but are mostly just books.

Visual Novel - Visual novels are a marriage of books and video games. They are video games where instead of controlling a character, you're primarily reading text. Danganronpa and Ace Attorney are the most mainstream examples, though they're far more interactive than visual novels usually are.

Other - These anime are based on something else.

Original Anime - These are not based on any pre-existing media.

- Ratings

TV-Y7 - These are shows that a young kid could watch.

TV-PG - These are shows that an older kid (around 10-12) could watch.

TV-14 - These are not shows that kids should watch but teenagers will love them.

TV-MA - Do not show these to children.

NSFW - This rating is reserved for the shows with the most extreme content on the website. It's not just "this one has sex, this one has gore" no these shows are...a step further. A warning will pop up if the series has this rating.

- Streaming

I'm hoping to get this out soon, I know what I want to do with it but man it is not easy keeping track of the streaming availability of 200 freakin shows.