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These anime are based on a Light Novel.

These anime are based on a manga.

BL (short for Boys' Love) is a genre that depicts homosexual relationships between men. BL is the predominant term in Japan. In the West, the term Shounen-ai categorizes romantic stories that focus on emotional aspects of relationships, while Yaoi categorizes more of the sexual aspects such as Smut or explicit content.

These anime aim to make you laugh through satire, parody, humorous observations, slapstick scenarios, or absurd antics. Bonus points for spitting your drink all over your screen!

Crime fiction is a genre that focuses on the planning, execution or solving of a crime. These anime typically focus on the investigation of a crime, and often include a cat-and-mouse chase between the perpetrator and the ones trying to catch them. The crime at the center of the story is traditionally a murder, though fraud, theft, money laundering, and complex criminal schemes can also be involved.

Dark comedy anime make humorous and comedic light of situations that people would normally find sad, frightening or mentally disturbing. Also known as Black Comedy or Dark Humor.

Dark fantasy is a subgenre of Fantasy that incorporates grittier and more mature themes. These anime often contain elements of Horror, Graphic Sex, or Explicit Violence.

Detectives are people who investigate crimes. These anime feature characters who work the streets, analyze evidence from crime scenes, or research past records, using logic and reasoning to discover who did what, and how. Detectives may be members of a police force, employed by some other organization, or private citizens with a desire to learn the truth.

Drama anime heavily emphasize their characters' emotional development. Whether by experiencing the protagonist’s emotional turmoil, viewing heated character interactions, or exploring a passionate romance, any anime that humanizes its characters through emphasizing their flaws qualifies as a Drama.

Characters in these anime suffer Emotional Abuse at the hands of others, whether they're Bullied or cruelly teased by a classmate, are the victim of gaslighting, are abused by a relative, or anything in between.

Fantasy anime take place in a broad range of settings influenced by mythologies, legends, or popular and defining works of the genre such as The Lord of the Rings. They are generally characterized by a low level of technological development, though fantasy stories can just as easily take place in our modern world, or in a Post-apocalyptic society where technology was buried alongside the old world. These anime also tend to feature magic or other extraordinary abilities, strange or mysterious creatures, or humanoid races which coexist with humanity or inhabit their own lands removed from ours.

GL (short for Girls' Love) is a genre that depicts homosexual relationships between women. On Anime-Planet, Shoujo-ai categorizes romantic stories that focus on emotional aspects of relationships, while Yuri categorizes more of the sexual aspects such as Borderline H or explicit content.

These anime have an LGBT theme as a strong focus. Examples include gender or gender identity themes; an LGBT relationship as a primary focus; or an LGBT character as a protagonist, especially if their gender or sexual orientation is showcased as a back story or plot point. Read more about how we tag LBGT-related content on Anime-Planet.

Characters in these anime feel sad and alone. Those suffering from loneliness might be physically separated from others, or they might feel emotionally isolated even if they are surrounded by people. Lonely characters might be victims of Bullying, live in a Dysfunctional Family or deal with Mental Illnesses such as depression or anxiety. 

These anime feature the Mafia: traditionally Italian Gangs that follow a strict code of honor called Omertà.

These anime have an atmosphere of pensive sadness. They may explore themes such as Loneliness, an Illness or Mental Illness, the Death of a Loved One, or tragedy.

These anime feature characters who live with a mental health condition that impacts their way of life, such as depression, anxiety, PTSD, or a personality disorder. For physical ailments, see Illness.

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.

noitaminA is a Fuji Television programming block that was created to appeal to a wider target audience than the typical young male anime demographic.

The word otaku describes a person with obsessive interests, usually in the realm of anime and manga fandom. Characters in these anime may be shown visiting stores to acquire new merchandise, cosplaying as their favourite heroes or heroines, meeting and trading Doujins at fan conventions, or arguing online about works from their favourite authors or studios.

Psychological anime delve into mental or emotional states of a character in the midst of a difficult situation, letting you observe them change as tension increases. Internal monologues are a key feature, allowing narration to delve into a character's mind, revealing their innermost ideas and motivations - even as they may be driven to the brink of sanity.

These anime include psychopaths: people who often engage in frightening or violent behavior with no regard for the feelings or safety of others and usually derive pleasure from the fear and distress their behavior causes. This can have severe and often fatal consequences for the people around them. Some may be Serial Killers, or engage in other violent criminal activity.

Romantic comedies, also known as romcoms, are a type of comedy anime focused on relationships. Typically, they feature characters who meet and ultimately fall in love, but can sometimes focus on already-coupled characters whose relationships grow throughout the story. The progression of their relationship is usually what provides the comedy aspect; for example, through the obstacles the couple faces such as a love triangle, or through mismatched personalities, misunderstandings, or other common tropes.

Characters in these anime are passionate or begrudging participants in a school club. Typical themes include recruitment, day-to-day activities (be they relevant to the club's purpose or not), participating in school activities and celebrations, and going on field trips as a bonding experience for the members.