Chizuko, a quiet girl, becomes a super fan of the local magical girl Berry Blossom after staying with her grandfather. It turns out the villain, Chroma, isn't actually that effective. But when Chizuko meets him it turns out they're both fans of Berry and he asks her to join his evil organization so he can keep fighting Berry and having fun. And so, Chizuko somehow ends up being a minion of the bad guy of the magical girl she adores.

Acro Trip falls into the smaller subset of magical girl anime that's a comedy but not quite a parody, but it'll pull in fans of parody series like Cute High Earth Defense Club or Magical Girl Ore. In general, it's a pretty accessible entry into magical girl series, since it's not as over the top cute as series like Pretty Cure, so anime fans that don't typically watch magical girl series could find this one fun.

Hitori Gotoh (Bocchi) is uncomfortable and awkward around other people, but when she's alone in her room she's gotten pretty great at playing the guitar, even dreaming of someday being famous for her playing. When she finally gets the opportunity to join a band and maybe make some friends, at first she tries to say no and go back to dreaming alone, but her new bandmates help her experience the world she'd hoped for. There are some hijinks, some hard moments, and some unexpected lessons along the way for Bocchi and friends.

Bocchi the Rock is goofy and sometimes absurd, which makes it great for people that enjoyed series like Azumanga Daioh (though unlikely that anyone in a teen anime club will know this series, but members of an adult club will). It's also a clear hit for fans of K-On, and has some similar moods as My Deer Friend Nokotan.

Some curse words, depiction of an adult drinking alcohol

Cowboy Bebop is a neo-noir space opera that follows the misadventures of a ragtag bunch of bounty hunters as they traverse the solar system, looking for their next paycheck. Get to know the Bebop and her crew of freeloaders: ex-cop Jet Black, charming lowlife Spike Spiegel, independent hustler Faye Valentine, and genius hacker Radical Edward as they fight, swindle, cheat, and confront their fears across the galaxy. Set against an amazing soundtrack.

Teens and up. Fans of heists-gone-wrong and comedic action (Hong Kong films were a huge influence for the fight scenes) are going to love this series. A darker, overarching plot exists in the background and advances ever further to the forefront as the series progresses.

Although largely comedic, there is blood and gun violence depicted. There are also a few instances of domestic abuse. The episodes Jupiter Jazz (Part 1) and Jupiter Jazz (Part 2) depict frontal nudity of a gender nonconforming person.

Delinquent Momo Ayase forges an unlikely partnership with her shy classmate Ken Takakura over obscure claims about ghosts, the occult, and aliens. They get a little more than they bargain for once their doubts turn out to be completely true - ghosts are real, aliens are real, and although neither are equipped to deal with that on their own, together they make a formidable team!

Young teens and up.

As of the time of writing this, DanDaDan is still being released. 8 is not necessarily the final count of episodes, just where the series is at currently.

Tanjiro is a kind boy who sells charcoal to support his family. After his sister Nezuko is changed into a demon, Tanjiro joins the Demon Slayer Corps to seek vengeance against Muzan, the demon who transformed Nezuko, and seek a cure for her as well.

With its historical setting, fantastic action sequences, engaging cast, and strong balance of action, tragedy, and comedy, Demon Slayer is currently one of the most popular series out there for good reason. Fans who like traditional Japanese aesthetics and epic and lengthy storylines will gravitate toward this series.

Demon Slayer has intense and gory violence and addresses difficult topics like abuse and ostracization. Keep those facts in mind when recommending it or considering it for an anime club.

In this new version of a classic tale by Shigeru Mizuki, it's modern day and people have mostly forgotten about yokai. But as strange things happen like a tree appearing in Shibuya and people turning into trees, Mana sends a letter through the Yokai Post, only half-believing that it will do anything. Kitaro himself appears though, and he thinks this is definitely the work of a very old yokai. Thus begins the adventures of Mana in the world of yokai with Kitaro. At the time of this list, the series is available on both Crunchyroll and Apple TV.

Gegege no Kitaro has has some fairly juvenile humor, though not in a bad way, but also some serious spooky or sad moments. It's a great choice for viewers interested in ghost-adjacent stories, since yokai range from the ghostly to the ghastly, but want stories that mix in a bit of humor too.

Because this series deals with supernatural creatures, there is some discussion of death in its various forms

Hotaro's plans to expend as little energy as possible is ruined when his sister forces him to join the classical literature club to keep it from being dissolved. Then he meets Eru, whose relentless curiosity finds him searching for answers on all kinds of questions he never thought he wanted to answer. The first of course, is the mystery of Eru's uncle and his time at this very high school, but there are many more mysteries to solve.

Somehow, Hyouka manages to be both a slice of life series and a compelling mystery series, pulling in viewers with Eru's questions and Hotaro's deductions. It's just dark enough to pull in viewers looking for that but never gets gruesome or explicit, so viewers that don't want more extreme stories aren't excluded. Also, since it's a Kyoto Animation production, the animation is beautiful.

Discussion of suicide, depiction of smoking cigarettes

Itadori Yuuji, a young boy, is told by his dying grandfather to help others when he can, live a good life, and to die surrounded by loved ones. What a strange coincidence that Yuuji gets several chances to do all three when he gets pulled into the mysterious and dark world of curses, vengeful spirits, and sorcery. Now that he's in too deep, the only way to go is forward with his new-found friends!

Younger teens and up.

Be aware of cartoon violence and some blood.

Midori Asakusa loves creating big worlds and machines; teen model Tsubame Mizusaki loves paying attention to little character details. Sayaka Konamori, a money-loving teen with serious management skills, offers to play manager so Asakusa and Mizusaki can follow their dream of making anime. With that the film club is born...only to immediately face challenges, such an unsupportive school board and their own ambitions and quirks. Can they succeed in creating great anime?

With its delightful characters and imaginative daydreaming sequences, Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken is a fun series with lots of energy! It will likely most appeal to viewers who are curious about animation and enjoy stories about creativity and art.

Some swearing, but generally pretty clean

New girl Nadeshiko loves the outdoors. During an ill-fated trip to see Mount Fuji, she meets and befriends Rin, an introverted bibliophile who relishes solo camping. Together the girls-along with other members of the outdoors club-go camping around Japan! So get cozy and get ready for some adventure!

With beautiful scenery shots, impressive food spreads, and light-hearted storylines, Laid-Back Camp is a great show if you’re looking for a quality slice of life show.

Other than some adult drinking, Laid-Back Camp is fairly clean, making this series ideal for tweens and up.

Pulled from the life of an orphaned street rat, Nina takes the place of a princess who is meant to marry the king of a neighboring city but falls in love with her new "brother."

Teens and fans of romantic comedies

There are a couple of scenes of women being almost sexually assaulted but the men are stopped before more than forceful grabbing happens.

This is a world of animal people and Odokawa, a walrus person, is a taxi driver who keeps encountering odd moments and customers as he drives around Tokyo. It starts out with a slightly different customer and situation each episode but as the series progresses things start to come together as part of a larger, mysterious plot. Odd Taxi is a bit melancholy, as a lot of series about customers through a shop of some kind are, but it has some great moments of humor too.

Because this series sticks to the darkness of the real world, other than the animal people, it may appeal more to viewers that shy away from the supernatural or want more of a thriller type series. And the fact that Odd Taxi is only thirteen episodes means it would be pretty easy for an anime club to get through without feeling like they're spending half the year watching one series. The animation is also fantastic, and the English dub is high quality as well if that's what a club prefers to watch.

Discussion of drug sales, discussions of physical violence

Soma Shiki, Takayuki Mima, Hayate Ichikura, and Shun Futami are all guys who look really cool but are actually quite awkward and often clumsy! Follow their every day adventures as they navigate life and try to handle those moments as best they can.

Readers looking for some light, humorous tv will want to watch this. As an added bonus, Play It Cool, Guys’ episodes are short--just over ten minutes--making it a nice show to put on if your club or patron needs something light and quick to watch!

There is some adult drinking and language, but generally the show is light and often silly.

In a world littered with VR videogames, Hizutome loves playing the "trashy" ones until he is introduced to society's new obsession and he discovers that his practice with glitches and crazy issues allows him to spring ahead in a well-planned game.

Teens through adult will enjoy the clever gameplay and storyline.

There is plenty of fantasy violence on screen throughout. Season 1 is complete at 25 episodes and season 2 is airing now.

A historical mystery series featuring early medicine and set in the emperor's inner palace, for most of it, with lots of political intrigue and cleverness.

Tweens through adults as it's very clever and not graphic in terms of violence or sex on screen

Season 2 starts in January 25! Season 1 will release in two parts on DVD and Blu-ray in January 2025 as well. There are currently 12 manga volumes and 3 light novels translated and available physically in English.

After meeting a magician when she was young, Kurumi vowed to work hard and join the Magumi class at the magic academy; however, she fails to pass the entry exam and is put in the regular class with Magumi noble, Yuzu, who also failed to pass the exam. Their dreams might still come true when they learn about another version of magic from their new teacher.

Younger audiences and fans of magic academy stories

Not a lot of violence and no sexual references so far.

In an isekai where the main character is not overpowered but seemingly underpowered, Ivy is rejected by her small hometown and family when it is revealed that she only has one zero star talent. She leaves in order to avoid a murderous mob and travels alone as a boy and finds a rare slime that she tames.

A younger audience and anyone who appreciates slice of life with a wholesome story

In the first episode, there is mention of sacrificing the main character to lift a "curse." And there is a larger plot that features human trafficking, but it is only discussed not shown on screen.

The myth of a spirit called Hanako-chan, a girl who haunts the girls' restrooms in schools, is well known. This Hanako however, is a boy. Who is still in the girls' bathroom. Nene Yashiro finds all of this out when she tries to ask Hanako-chan for help getting a boyfriend. Instead, she gets bound to Hanako-kun and gets way more spooky adventures than she could ever have expected, learning about Hanako's past and the important balance that has to be kept between the human and spirit worlds.

The darker tone of Hanako-Kun is perfect for people that prefer spooky stories, but it's not so dark that it can't be shown in a teen anime club. There's some fights and weapons, but not really blood or gore. It also has a fair amount of humor, and that paired with its unusual art style this series could easily hook those who don't consider themselves anime fans. Side note: there is a side series called After School Hanako-Kun that follows the cast in their downtime between the big adventures of the main series, and a re-boot of the main series is in production.

Some violence/fighting, discussions of death and suicide, depictions of an adult smoking

Ju-kyung Lim's experience at her first high school is so bad, she's pulled out and enrolled in an arts-focused school. Determined not to have the same reputation there, she spends her summer learning how to use makeup, skincare, and haircare to transform her look. It works; she is immediately popular at this new school, but now she has to keep up the façade and make sure no one finds out she's secretly someone who prefers lounging in comfy clothes while listening to heavy metal and reading horror comics. And of course, there's two very different boys interested in her. How will she balance all of this?

The high drama and contemporary setting is great for teens who enjoy live action Korean dramas, as well as fans of anime series like A Sign of Affection or Komi Can't Communicate. The focus on physical beauty is pretty intense at first in the series, but it does eventually start to talk about how that affects self-esteem and the fact that it's not really a good thing. A side note: this is a Korean series, so for people more familiar with Japanese tropes, they might be thrown off at first.

Depictions of bullying (physical harm, social media, name calling), some curse words

Ostracized because of his appearance, Haruka Sakura has forged himself into a skillful fighter and makes a point of keeping others at bay. He starts attending Furin High School in order to become top dog of the ruling gang. What Sakura doesn’t expect is to find a place where his skills are welcomed, and the gang members are protectors and bona fide community members of the town!

The premise has the potential to go horribly wrong, but the students’ heartfelt efforts to help their community and Sakura’s awkward and often hilarious personality make this a fun show with lots of awesome fight choreography. Show this to fans of shows about misfit characters.

Violence with some blood