A tale of revenge that's best served cold, set during probation era with bootleggers and Italian mafia! This anime contains explicit violence but has a story that feels grounded in reality.

Blue Period is a coming-of-age anime about setting your own goals and pursuing new hobbies, as well as putting your ideas at display even if it means baring yourself. This anime will hit close to heart if you're an aspiring artist, a high school student anxious about graduation or you've just realised at a certain point in adulthood that work or social activities isn't giving you any excitement.

Sweet and endearing duo of teenage girls that never get fetishized by the animators.

Very likeable and well-rounded female protagonist! A card-game anime that, despite my lack of interest in the genre, captivated me.

Funny and touching story about being in a band and coming to terms with your feelings. It's tagged 'shonen-ai' but doesn't delve into BL clichés, instead the boys' relationship develops in a believable manner.

Warning: Suicide content. Also shows romantic affection between men, so be cautitious if you're living with homophobic relatives.

School club anime about the making of anime (so meta!). The entire trio are easy candidates for best girl, especially Kanamori. Captures the creative process of animating, as well as the struggle of meeting deadlines while staying true to your artistic vision. Slight FLCL-vibes.

Engaging and gritty anime about boxing with cyberpunk elements. It's not geared towards teens, if you want a change of pace from sports Shonen. Well-animated and has a fantastic soundtrack.

A true psychological thriller that's almost indistinguishable from one of mom's crime novels.

A very mellow fantasy anime about supernatural entities that's less about hunting down threats and more about co-existing with them.

A supernatural drama about Yokai and Japanese folklore, but with more of a focus on slice of life as well as a somewhat comedic undertone. Very emotional and bittersweet though. 10/10 would cry again.

The anime has very wholesome character designs and the story too is wholesome, but that doesn't stop it from having meticulous worldbuilding, complex characters and dark themes like ableism, dilemmas of loyalty vs morality as well as deconstructing what it means to be a strong leader.

Based on a classic children's book that's nostalgic for Swedish weebs! 

Historical drama about a traditional form of entertainment in Japan. And they say TV can't teach you anything!

This animated drama takes place in a post-war society with some sci-fi elements, but is more focused on emotional bonds between humans and a girl's struggle to learn empathy. Beautiful art and a somewhat slow-paced plot, which I found to be positive in this case.