NightPhoenix

These anime showcase close-quarters combat, from Martial Arts, to Boxing, to flat out street brawling and beyond. Hand-to-hand combat includes all forms of kicks, punches, grabs, or throws, or even stranger close quarters maneuvers.

A harem includes three or more characters who potentially show romantic interest in a male protagonist. The sex, gender, or orientation of the harem members is irrelevant as long as they exclusively, or at least primarily, are vying for the affections of the same individual - who may or may not reciprocate towards one, several, or none of these romantic rivals.

Characters in these stories play a 'game' with serious consequences. Fame, fortune, power, life: any or all of these may be won or lost according to the rules of competition. The stakes and the rules may be agreed upon by parties involved, or imposed on them by an external force; either way, not following them will usually have severe consequences for the transgressor. Those who take part in the game will generally be forced to play until they win... or lose.

The setting of a historical anime takes place at some point in Earth's past. The level of dedication to portraying the lifestyles, societies, and technologies of past periods and peoples accurately or believably can vary greatly between different works.

Horror anime create an atmosphere of unease. Like Mystery anime, they encourage viewers to learn more about their world... but there may be secrets that are better left unexplored. Through eerie music and sounds, visceral or disturbing imagery, or startling moments, works of Horror make you worry about what gruesome thing is coming next.

Characters in these anime attend a Magic School where they learn about the magical arts.

Martial arts are techniques that heavily involve training and are steeped in tradition. These techniques can have varied applications such as self-defense, psychological health or advanced use of weaponry, amongst others. Characters in these anime often spend much of their time training to defend themselves or others, participate in competitions of skill, honor their culture, or develop their health and spirituality.

These anime include mature or controversial topics that are not suitable for children, such as teen pregnancy, Sexual Abuse, prostitution, Drug Use, or others.

Mecha are self-propelling machines that are modeled after humans; some can change into multiple, non-humanoid formats as well. They're usually controlled by an internal pilot or by remote, but are sometimes sentient beings that move autonomously. A mecha's size ranges from bulky, wearable armor to a massive, towering contraption and beyond. While mecha have a wide range of applications, such as making manual labor easier, they are most commonly portrayed as heavily-armed war machines.

These anime take place in a setting thematically similar to Europe in the middle ages. Castles, moats and small villages adorn the landscape, and knights, military forces and feudal kingdoms rule the populace.

Mercenaries are people who take on dangerous jobs for their own personal gain and generally don't have any loyalty to their employer. In these anime, characters undertake a variety of jobs such armed combat, retrieving an item or person, or straightforward assassination.

These anime have a strong military presence, be it on a national or intergalactic level, or showcase characters that are in the military.

These anime are about an MMORPG: a massively multiplayer online role-playing game. The setting might take place inside of the game if it's a virtual reality, or the story might focus on the MMORPG's existence and use instead.

Monsters are fantastical creatures that appear in a wide variety of genres. They're classifed most easily by what they aren't; Vampires, youkai and a variety of other characters are separate categories. Monsters can be cute and cuddly sidekicks, scary beasts or anything in between, as long as they are fantastical, not found in nature, and don't fit another character classification.

These anime are all about the appreciation or performance of music, no matter the genre, or the skill level any musicians involved. Music lives in the soul of these characters!

Mystery anime focus on unresolved questions, and the efforts of characters to discover the answers to them. Whether curious and deadly events are afoot, or some part of the world itself is strange or inexplicable, or someone's past or identity seems strangely shrouded, these characters are set on learning the truth.

Ninjas study the ancient art of ninjitsu. Skills include disappearing in a puff of smoke, making temporary clones, heightened physical agility and speed, stealthy movements, and precision accuracy. Bright-orange attire is optional.

Unlike their earthbound counterparts, these anime take place in the depths of space: from planets in the outermost reaches of the galaxy, to space stations in orbit around Earth, to ships that travel the solar system, or anything in between.

A pandemic is an infectious disease that has spread throughout the population in a large region, or even the world, with disastrous consequences like widespread death or illness. These anime follow an epidemic in its infancy, or in the aftermath of a pandemic's wake, with diseases that range from pathogens found in today’s society to parasites, to mysterious zombie outbreaks and beyond.

Characters in these anime find themselves in a world very different from their own. They may have been suddenly whisked away to a strange world, become stuck in a video game, or are trapped in a different time period. Common themes include trying to discover how to get home, coming to terms with a new life in a new place, or political or social involvement with the local populace. See also: Isekai, Reverse Isekai, Summoned Into Another World, Trapped in a Video Game, and Time Travel.