Top 20 Japan anime you should watch right now. [2024 List]

Japan anime you should watch right now.

What is this genre all about? Last stronghold for humanity. If Tokyo falls, it's all over. Tokyo Tower will undoubtedly fall anyway.

We present you the list of Japan anime you should watch right now.

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20. Kimi no Na wa.

Kimi no Na wa.

From director Makoto Shinkai, the innovative mind behind Voices of a Distant Star and 5 Centimeters Per Second, comes a beautiful masterpiece about time, the thread of fate, and the hearts of two young souls.

The day the stars fell, two lives changed forever. High schoolers Mitsuha and Taki are complete strangers living separate lives. But one night, they suddenly switch places. Mitsuha wakes up in Taki’s body, and he in hers. This bizarre occurrence continues to happen randomly, and the two must adjust their lives around each other. Yet, somehow, it works. They build a connection and communicate by leaving notes, messages, and more importantly, an imprint.

When a dazzling comet lights up the night’s sky, it dawns on them. They want something more from this connection—a chance to meet, an opportunity to truly know each other. Tugging at the string of fate, they try to find a way to each other. But distance isn’t the only thing keeping them apart. Is their bond strong enough to face the cruel irony of time? Or is their meeting nothing more than a wish upon the stars?

Your Name. has finished airing and it has 1 Episodes. It is also Known as: 君の名は。, Kimi no Na wa.

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19. Kimetsu no Yaiba

Kimetsu no Yaiba

It is the Taisho Period in Japan. Tanjiro, a kindhearted boy who sells charcoal for a living, finds his family slaughtered by a demon. To make matters worse, his younger sister Nezuko, the sole survivor, has been transformed into a demon herself. Though devastated by this grim reality, Tanjiro resolves to become a “demon slayer” so that he can turn his sister back into a human, and kill the demon that massacred his family.

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba has finished airing and it has 26 Episodes. It is also Known as: 鬼滅の刃, Blade of Demon Destruction, KnY, Kimetsu no Yaiba: Kyoudai no Kizuna, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba: Bonds of Siblings, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - Tanjiro Kamado, Unwavering Resolve Arc, 鬼滅の刃-兄妹の絆-, 鬼灭之刃, הלהב קוטל השדים, قاتل الشياطين, ดาบพิฆาตอสูร, Miecz zabójcy demonów – Kimetsu no Yaiba, Guardians de la nit: Kimetsu no Yaiba, İblis Keser

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18. Jujutsu Kaisen

Jujutsu Kaisen

Yuji Itadori is a boy with tremendous physical strength, though he lives a completely ordinary high school life. One day, to save a classmate who has been attacked by curses, he eats the finger of Ryomen Sukuna, taking the curse into his own soul. From then on, he shares one body with Ryomen Sukuna. Guided by the most powerful of sorcerers, Satoru Gojo, Itadori is admitted to Tokyo Jujutsu High School, an organization that fights the curses... and thus begins the heroic tale of a boy who became a curse to exorcise a curse, a life from which he could never turn back.

Jujutsu Kaisen has finished airing and it has 24 Episodes. It is also Known as: 呪術廻戦, Sorcery Fight

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17. Haikyuu!!

Haikyuu!!

Inspired after watching a volleyball ace nicknamed "Little Giant" in action, small-statured Shouyou Hinata revives the volleyball club at his middle school. The newly-formed team even makes it to a tournament; however, their first match turns out to be their last when they are brutally squashed by the "King of the Court," Tobio Kageyama. Hinata vows to surpass Kageyama, and so after graduating from middle school, he joins Karasuno High School's volleyball team—only to find that his sworn rival, Kageyama, is now his teammate.

Thanks to his short height, Hinata struggles to find his role on the team, even with his superior jumping power. Surprisingly, Kageyama has his own problems that only Hinata can help with, and learning to work together appears to be the only way for the team to be successful. Based on Haruichi Furudate's popular shounen manga of the same name, Haikyuu!! is an exhilarating and emotional sports comedy following two determined athletes as they attempt to patch a heated rivalry in order to make their high school volleyball team the best in Japan.

Haikyu!! has finished airing and it has 25 Episodes. It is also Known as: ハイキュー!!, High Kyuu!!, HQ!!

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16. Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2

Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2

The past comes to light when second-year students Satoru Gojou and Suguru Getou are tasked with escorting young Riko Amanai to Master Tengen. But when a non-sorcerer user tries to kill them, their mission to protect the Star Plasma Vessel threatens to turn them into bitter enemies and cement their destinies—one as the world’s strongest sorcerer, and the other its most twisted curse user!

Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2 has finished airing and it has 23 Episodes. It is also Known as: 呪術廻戦 第2期, JJK2, Jujutsu Kaisen 2nd Season, Jujutsu Kaisen: Kaigyoku Gyokusetsu / Shibuya Jihen, Jujutsu Kaisen: Hidden Inventory / Premature Death, Jujutsu Kaisen: Shibuya Incident

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15. BLEACH

BLEACH

Ichigo Kurosaki is an ordinary high schooler—until his family is attacked by a Hollow, a corrupt spirit that seeks to devour human souls. It is then that he meets a Soul Reaper named Rukia Kuchiki, who gets injured while protecting Ichigo's family from the assailant. To save his family, Ichigo accepts Rukia's offer of taking her powers and becomes a Soul Reaper as a result.
However, as Rukia is unable to regain her powers, Ichigo is given the daunting task of hunting down the Hollows that plague their town. However, he is not alone in his fight, as he is later joined by his friends—classmates Orihime Inoue, Yasutora Sado, and Uryuu Ishida—who each have their own unique abilities. As Ichigo and his comrades get used to their new duties and support each other on and off the battlefield, the young Soul Reaper soon learns that the Hollows are not the only real threat to the human world.

Bleach has finished airing and it has 366 Episodes. It is also Known as: BLEACH - ブリーチ -, BLEACH

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14. Kaijuu 8-gou

Kaijuu 8-gou

In a world plagued by creatures known as Kaiju, Kafka Hibino aspired to enlist in The Defense Force. He makes a promise to enlist with his childhood friend, Mina Ashiro. Soon, life takes them in separate ways. While employed cleaning up after Kaiju battles, Kafka meets Reno Ichikawa. Reno's determination to join The Defense Force reawakens Kafka's promise to join Mina and protect humanity.

Kaiju No. 8 has finished airing and it has 12 Episodes. It is also Known as: 怪獣8号, Monster #8, KAIJU No. EIGHT, 8Kaijuu

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13. Sword Art Online

Sword Art Online

In the year 2022, virtual reality has progressed by leaps and bounds, and a massive online role-playing game called Sword Art Online (SAO) is launched. With the aid of "NerveGear" technology, players can control their avatars within the game using nothing but their own thoughts.
Kazuto Kirigaya, nicknamed "Kirito," is among the lucky few enthusiasts who get their hands on the first shipment of the game. He logs in to find himself, with ten-thousand others, in the scenic and elaborate world of Aincrad, one full of fantastic medieval weapons and gruesome monsters. However, in a cruel turn of events, the players soon realize they cannot log out; the game's creator has trapped them in his new world until they complete all one hundred levels of the game.
In order to escape Aincrad, Kirito will now have to interact and cooperate with his fellow players. Some are allies, while others are foes, like Asuna Yuuki, who commands the leading group attempting to escape from the ruthless game. To make matters worse, Sword Art Online is not all fun and games: if they die in Aincrad, they die in real life. Kirito must adapt to his new reality, fight for his survival, and hopefully break free from his virtual hell.

Sword Art Online has finished airing and it has 25 Episodes. It is also Known as: ソードアート・オンライン, S.A.O, SAO

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12. Detective Conan

Detective Conan

Shinichi Kudou, a great mystery expert at only seventeen, is already well known for having solved several challenging cases. One day, when Shinichi sees two suspicious men and decides to follow them, he inadvertently becomes witness to a disturbing illegal activity. When the men catch Shinichi, they dose him with an experimental drug formulated by their criminal organization and abandon him to die. However, to his own astonishment, Shinichi is still alive and soon wakes up, but now, he has the body of a seven-year-old, perfectly preserving his original intelligence. He hides his real identity from everyone, including his childhood friend Ran Mouri and her father, private detective Kogorou Mouri, and takes on the alias of Conan Edogawa (inspired by the mystery writers Arthur Conan Doyle and Ranpo Edogawa). Animated by TMS and adapted from the manga by Gosho Aoyama, Detective Conan follows Shinichi who, as Conan, starts secretly solving the senior Mouri's cases from behind the scenes with his still exceptional sleuthing skills, while covertly investigating the organization responsible for his current state, hoping to reverse the drug's effects someday.

Detective Conan is currently airing and will have Episodes. It is also Known as: Meitantei Conan, 名探偵コナン, Case Closed: One Truth Prevails

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11. Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion

Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion

On August 10th of the year 2010, the Holy Empire of Britannia began a campaign of conquest, its sights set on Japan. Operations were completed in one month thanks to Britannia's deployment of new mobile humanoid armor vehicles dubbed Knightmare Frames. Japan's rights and identity were stripped away, the once proud nation is now referred to as Area 11. Its citizens, Elevens, are forced to scratch out a living while the Britannian aristocracy lives comfortably within their settlements. Pockets of resistance appear throughout Area 11, working towards independence for Japan.

Lelouch, an exiled Imperial Prince of Britannia posing as a student, finds himself in the heart of the ongoing conflict for the island nation. Through a chance meeting with a mysterious girl named C.C., Lelouch gains his Geass, the power of the king. Now endowed with absolute dominance over any person, Lelouch may finally realize his goal of bringing down Britannia from within!

Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion has finished airing and it has 25 Episodes. It is also Known as: Code Geass: Hangyaku no Lelouch, コードギアス 反逆のルルーシュ, Code Geass: Hangyaku no Lelouch

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10. Kiseijuu: Sei no Kakuritsu

Kiseijuu: Sei no Kakuritsu

All of a sudden, they arrived: parasitic aliens that descended upon Earth and quickly infiltrated humanity by burrowing into the brains of vulnerable targets. These insatiable beings acquire full control of their host and are able to morph into a variety of forms in order to feed on unsuspecting prey.

Sixteen-year-old high school student Shinichi Izumi falls victim to one of these parasites, but it fails to take over his brain, ending up in his right hand instead. Unable to relocate, the parasite, now named Migi, has no choice but to rely on Shinichi in order to stay alive. Thus, the pair is forced into an uneasy coexistence and must defend themselves from hostile parasites that hope to eradicate this new threat to their species.

Parasyte -the maxim- has finished airing and it has 24 Episodes. It is also Known as: 寄生獣 セイの格率, Parasite, Parasitic Beasts, Parasyte

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9. Noragami Aragoto

Noragami Aragoto

Yato and Yukine have finally mended their relationship as god and Regalia, and everyone has returned to their daily life. Yato remains a minor and unknown deity who continues taking odd jobs for five yen apiece in the hopes of one day having millions of worshippers and his own grand shrine. Hiyori Iki has yet to have her loose soul fixed by Yato, but she enjoys life and prepares to attend high school nonetheless.
Taking place immediately after the first season, Noragami Aragoto delves into the complicated past between Yato and the god of war Bishamon. The female god holds a mysterious grudge against Yato, which often results in violent clashes between them. It doesn't help that Bishamon's most trusted and beloved Regalia, Kazuma, appears to be indebted to Yato. When lives are on the line, unraveling these mysteries and others may be the only way to correct past mistakes.

Noragami Aragoto has finished airing and it has 13 Episodes. It is also Known as: ノラガミ ARAGOTO, Noragami Aragoto

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8. JoJo no Kimyou na Bouken: Diamond wa Kudakenai

JoJo no Kimyou na Bouken: Diamond wa Kudakenai

The year is 1999. Morioh, a normally quiet and peaceful town, has recently become a hotbed of strange activity. Joutarou Kuujou, now a marine biologist, heads to the mysterious town to meet Jousuke Higashikata. While the two may seem like strangers at first, Jousuke is actually the illegitimate child of Joutarou's grandfather, Joseph Joestar. When they meet, Joutarou realizes that he may have more in common with Jousuke than just a blood relation.

Along with the mild-mannered Kouichi Hirose and the boisterous Okuyasu Nijimura, the group dedicates themselves to investigating recent disappearances and other suspicious occurrences within Morioh. Aided by the power of Stands, the four men will encounter danger at every street corner, as it is up to them to unravel the town's secrets, before another occurs.

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Diamond is Unbreakable has finished airing and it has 39 Episodes. It is also Known as: ジョジョの奇妙な冒険 ダイヤモンドは砕けない, JoJo no Kimyou na Bouken Part 4: Diamond wa Kudakenai, Diamond is not Crash

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7. Gintama

Gintama

The Amanto, aliens from outer space, have invaded Earth and taken over feudal Japan. As a result, a prohibition on swords has been established, and the samurai of Japan are treated with disregard as a consequence.
However one man, Gintoki Sakata, still possesses the heart of the samurai, although from his love of sweets and work as a yorozuya, one might not expect it. Accompanying him in his jack-of-all-trades line of work are Shinpachi Shimura, a boy with glasses and a strong heart, Kagura with her umbrella and seemingly bottomless stomach, as well as Sadaharu, their oversized pet dog. Of course, these odd jobs are not always simple, as they frequently have run-ins with the police, ragtag rebels, and assassins, oftentimes leading to humorous but unfortunate consequences.
Who said life as an errand boy was easy?

Gintama has finished airing and it has 201 Episodes. It is also Known as: 銀魂, Gin Tama, Silver Soul, Yorinuki Gintama-san

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6. High School DxD

High School DxD

High school student Issei Hyoudou is your run-of-the-mill pervert who does nothing productive with his life, peeping on women and dreaming of having his own harem one day. Things seem to be looking up for Issei when a beautiful girl asks him out on a date, although she turns out to be a fallen angel who brutally kills him! However, he gets a second chance at life when beautiful senior student Rias Gremory, who is a top-class devil, revives him as her servant, recruiting Issei into the ranks of the school's Occult Research club.
Slowly adjusting to his new life, Issei must train and fight in order to survive in the violent world of angels and devils. Each new adventure leads to many hilarious (and risqué) moments with his new comrades, all the while keeping his new life a secret from his friends and family in High School DxD!

High School DxD has finished airing and it has 12 Episodes. It is also Known as: ハイスクールD×D, Highschool DxD

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5. Nichijou

Nichijou

Nichijou primarily focuses on the daily antics of a trio of childhood friends—high school girls Mio Naganohara, Yuuko Aioi and Mai Minakami—whose stories soon intertwine with the young genius Hakase Shinonome, her robot caretaker Nano, and their talking cat Sakamoto. With every passing day, the lives of these six, as well as of the many people around them, experience both the calms of normal life and the insanity of the absurd. Walking to school, being bitten by a talking crow, spending time with friends, and watching the principal suplex a deer: they are all in a day's work in the extraordinary everyday lives of those in Nichijou.

Nichijou - My Ordinary Life has finished airing and it has 26 Episodes. It is also Known as: 日常, Everyday

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4. Shokugeki no Souma: San no Sara

Shokugeki no Souma: San no Sara

The third season of Shokugeki no Souma.

Food Wars! The Third Plate has finished airing and it has 12 Episodes. It is also Known as: 食戟のソーマ 餐ノ皿, Shokugeki no Souma 3rd Season, Shokugeki no Soma 3, Food Wars: Shokugeki no Soma 3, Shokugeki no Soma 3rd Season

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3. Great Pretender

Great Pretender

Only BADs are our targets! Trick you! Deceive you! Cheat all fortunes of you! You can hear our stories in LA, Singapore, London, Shanghai and Tokyo, Why? Our "CON GAMEs" stage, is the whole WORLD!

Edamura Makoto is supposedly Japan's greatest swindler. Together with his partner Kudo, they try to trick a Frenchman in Asakusa but unexpectedly get tricked instead. The Frenchman, whom they tried to swindle, turns out to be Laurent Thierry—a much higher-level "confidence man," in control of the mafia. Edamura is yet to find out what fate awaits him, after having engaged in the Frenchman's dirty jobs...!

Great Pretender has finished airing and it has 23 Episodes. It is also Known as: Great Pretender

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2. Clannad: After Story

Clannad: After Story

Clannad: After Story, the sequel to the critically acclaimed slice-of-life series Clannad, begins after Tomoya Okazaki and Nagisa Furukawa graduate from high school. Together, they experience the emotional rollercoaster of growing up. Unable to decide on a course for his future, Tomoya learns the value of a strong work ethic and discovers the strength of Nagisa's support. Through the couple's dedication and unity of purpose, they push forward to confront their personal problems, deepen their old relationships, and create new bonds.
Time also moves on in the Illusionary World. As the plains grow cold with the approach of winter, the Illusionary Girl and the Garbage Doll are presented with a difficult situation that reveals the World's true purpose.
Based on the visual novel by Key and produced by Kyoto Animation, Clannad: After Story is an impactful drama highlighting the importance of family and the struggles of adulthood.

Clannad ~After Story~ has finished airing and it has 24 Episodes. It is also Known as: CLANNAD〜AFTER STORY〜 クラナド アフターストーリー, Clannad: After Story

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1. Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon R

Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon R

The season is divided into two arcs: One arc being an anime filler (to give Takeuchi Naoko time to make the next manga), and the other arc being the actual Black Moon plot.
The first arc shows Usagi and Co. having their memories restored from the first season. Their enemies are a pair of aliens, Ail and Ann, who are seeking human energy to restore their life tree. Mamoru had yet to recover his memories and he appeared as the Moonlight Knight rather than Tuxedo Kamen. This arc only lasted for 13 episodes.
The second arc introduces Chibi-Usa, a little girl from the future who is searching for the Silver Crystal. The new enemies are the Black Moon Clan, comprising of the Ayakashi sisters (Cooan, Beruche, Karaberas, and Petz), Rubeus, Safir, Esmeraude, Prince Demando, and Wiseman. They too want the Silver Crystal so that they can take over the future. The Sailor Senshi's adventure continues...

Sailor Moon R has finished airing and it has 43 Episodes. It is also Known as: 美少女戦士セーラームーン R, Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon R

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