Anime Equals Part One

This list came to life on its own when someone new to anime asked me if there was anime out there where girls weren’t drawn with their tits hanging out. Blunt way to say it, but it’s true, a majority of anime doesn’t reflect women in a realistic or functional way. More often than not the anime girl is a large-breasted, clumsy, curvaceous wisp of a character that is made to shine a light on the shonen male lead. You can find this trope in shows like Bleach, Naruto or High School of The Dead and in countless other anime.

This list is for the people trying to step away from the big breasted plot holes and get into anime that tells an interesting story with more realistic character models for women. The list is so large that I will be introducing these anime in groups of seven, so be on the lookout for the latest list of anime as they’re released. This is for the feminist anime nerds, the disabled nerds, the lgbtqia nerds looking for the story and not for the puff-puff scenes. I should also mention that while most on this list are anime, there are a few that technically do not fall in that category.

What information does this anime list provide?

It tells you themes, genre, rating, music played during the show, it also lets you know levels of violence, whether or not there are female leads, where you can find the show, if there are lgbtqia characters, disabled characters or any trauma-inducing factors within the show. It also lets you know where misogyny can’t be avoided in the show so it won’t come as a surprise. One other thing, it lets you know if the dubbed version of the anime is worth it.

What type of anime is on this list?

I tried to find something for everyone. This means that there are anime rated G to NC-17. It means that there are anime rooted in sci-fi, historical fiction, magical girl lore and even anime focused on exorcisms. Each list is meant to incorporate different types of anime so that no one anime fan is stuck without something to enjoy. As you can imagine, this list over time will continue to grow. So the potential for the weird, the wonderful and fantastic will continue to expand, so enjoy the ride!

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Tiger and Bunny, 2011 PG-13 (25 episodes) Ongoing

Tiger & Bunny Sneak Peek (2012)

In this anime superheroes are kind of like a major sports team, heavily advertised and always on TV. Fighting crime is now something that gets filmed and rated just like everything else. Our two main protagonists are superheroes that are working with the best, however, their careers are drastically different from one another. Tiger, a down and out hero, getting old, now has to train an upstart young new hero, Bunny. Working together comes with a lot of challenges but as they begin to work together, they and the world begin to see the real potential in heroes. This show is fast-paced, flashy and fun. You will definitely find yourself laughing. You'll actually see the women in this show as thoughtful human beings! If you’ve seen Naruto, it’s almost as if a middle-aged Naruto and Sasuke were buddy cops in their later years. However, the show’s storyline features a full-on murder mystery which is what keeps the show in focus and has you watching episode after episode. With memorable characters, great dialogue and a fluid storyline, this show doesn’t pull punches and isn’t afraid to be a little cheesy along the way-but gooey good cheese, I promise.

Themes: Superheroes, Modern Day, Mystery, Death, Robots, LGBTQIA characters, Family, Friendship, Romance, Fighting, Terrorism, Cult, Revenge, Investigative, Criminals , Slice of Life, Rivalry, Competition, Duelling, Sci-Fi, PTSD, Mental Illness, Narration-style, Suspense

Music: Acoustic, Orchestral, Classical, March

Does Dub Do It Justice? Absolutely. The dubbing in this is fluid acting done well. Emotions are clearly felt and the lines are delivered precisely. These voice actors will have you laughing and quite possibly empathizing with their lives.

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Death Note, 2006 PG-13/R (37 episodes) Finished

Death Note Official Trailer (2019)

What to say about this show? It does a lot of things differently than most shows, which is sometimes to its benefit and other times to its detriment. This show is a true demonstration of cat and mouse, where we have a skilled detective tracking an impossible killer. The killer is able to kill his victims using a special notebook given to him by a Grim Reaper. This notebook is guaranteed to kill whoever’s name is written with it in the manner described in the notebook. Watching the story unfold, you witness a young man’s rise to unnatural power and the force that rises naturally to combat him. This is a chilling, well-thought-out anime that will definitely shock you. Intense characters, cleanly drawn, if detective stories aren’t your thing don’t bother with this one, it’s a detective story on steroids. The use of women in this anime are minimal but one can certainly argue they are the keystone to the entire show.

What to Expect: Mystery, Religion, Cult, Death, Suspense, Torture, General Violence, Gun Violence, Suicide, Magic, Modern Day, Rivalry, Friendship, Competition, Criminals, Investigative, School, Slice of Life, Torture, Politics , Revenge, Gangs, Imprisonment

Music: Rock, Classical, Alt-Rock, Operatic, Orchestral, Suspenseful

Where Can I Watch? Netflix, Crunchyroll, HBO Max, Amazon Prime

Does Dub Do It Justice? Dubbing is decent, the voices aren’t required to be done with vigor due to the nature of the characters. Can come off a little campy at times, and not necessarily in a good way.

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Dragon Prince, 2018 PG-13 (27 episodes) Ongoing

The Dragon Prince: Official Trailer [HD]: Netflix (2018)

This anime is the typical coming of age youth story but done properly. This story centers on kingdoms at odds with one another due to racial differences. Growing up in this environment two princes are convinced that there is a better way and with the help of an unlikely ally, they work together to bring peace in a world of dragons. Strong character builds for all genders involved, lots of character development, and somewhat adult themes for a kid show. However, these themes are discussed thoughtfully and can actually be used as educational tools. There is a prominent deaf character in this show that signs and has an interpreter. This show allows for lgbtqia discussions as well and different relationship dynamics. Fun, bright and 3-D animation finally done right. Reminiscent of Avatar Last Airbender, if you enjoyed that show.

What to Expect: War, Revenge, Friendship, Romance, Magic, Dragons, Mythical Creatures, Medieval Times, Siblings, Female Lead, Black/POC Lead, Exploration , Black/POC Characters, Family, Exploration, Travel, Politics, Sci-Fi, Death, Criminals, Anthropomorphic Animals, General Violence, Disabled Characters

Music: Orchestral, Fantasy

Where Can I Watch? Netflix

Does Dub Do It Justice? The original animation is in English and the dubbing has age-appropriate voice actors for the roles of the characters they play. Some of the voice actors from Avatar are prevalent in this show. The same easy way that they talk with one another in Avatar is how they talk with one another in this show.

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Black Lagoon, R/17+ (29 Episodes) Finished

Toonami - Black Lagoon Promo (2014)

This anime is heavy but a well-done heavy. Thick, bloody action sequences, realistic consequences to living a life of crime in the underbelly of some of the worst criminal places in the world. Gang violence, assault, gun violence, pretty much any kind of violence is in this show. However, that is balanced out by heartfelt performances, internal character growth and impeccable comedic timing. Our Chinese-American anti-hero ( I would never call her a protagonist, lest she shoot me in the thigh to prove otherwise), Revy, is a pirate mercenary working with the Lagoon Company, a company that specializes in the transport of goods that are not exactly on the up and up. Oh, and meet her good friend and recently kidnapped coworker, Rock. Fun, fast-paced and sometimes heartbreaking, this anime will have you on the edge of your seat and on occasion wincing. I would describe it as a darker version of Cowboy Bebop but with a female lead. The only way this show really shows objectification is through the artists’ style of drawing, other than that the women on the show play pivotal roles and their presence bears a lot of weight in the overall anime.

Themes: Female Lead, Black/POC Lead, Black/POC Characters, Death, Gun Violence, Gangs, Child Death, Rape, Religion, Drug Use, Alcohol Use, Prostitution, Narration-style, Tragedy, Rivalry, PTSD, Modern Day, Soldiers, War, Criminals, Duelling, Revenge, Politics, Child Trafficking, Suicide , Kidnapping

Music: Rock, Rave, Classical, Synth, Electric Guitar

Where Can I Watch? Hulu, Funimation, Amazon Prime, Crunchyroll

Does Dub Do It Justice? Yes, it does. The characters in the show are great at portraying the angsty badass lifestyle that they lead. Modern-day talking, very fluid acting and brutal cursing done well.

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K-On, 2010 PG (26 episodes) Finished

K-ON! Official Trailer (K-ON! Official Trailer 2020)

This anime is lighthearted and gives you all the happy feels when you’re down. Centered in a high school, this show focuses on a friendship formed between young girls that love music. Starting a band, they want to bring the feeling of light to their classmates and hopefully the world. This show is about hard work, growth, a show targeted toward kids. The show instills life lessons without throwing them in your face and has a very eclectic cast. The girls have personalities, passions and are drawn to look like human girls versus over the usual top anime styles. A slice of life anime done right, there are a few filler episodes but all of the episodes are pretty cute so chances are you won’t really notice.

What to Expect? Slice of Life, Friendship, Music, Female Lead, Coming of Age, High School, Role Model , Modern Day

Music: Pop, Alt-Rock

Where Can I Watch? Netflix, Hulu, Crunchyroll, Yidio, Amazon Prime

Does Dub Do It Justice? Yes, it does. The voices are done well and will certainly make you laugh when you’re supposed to, cry when you’re supposed to and all of that good stuff. The voice acting is just as feel-good as the anime itself.

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Tokyo Magnitude 8.0, 2009 PG-13/R (11 episodes) Finished

Tokyo Magnitude 8.0" Trailer (English Subbed) (2013)

This show centers on two children caught in a terrible natural disaster. Mirai, a pre-teen with a ginormous chip on her shoulder, and her brother Yuuki, brave the dangers of a quake-shattered Tokyo together in search of their home and family. This anime does extremely well at making you feel for the characters and shows you the abruptness at which tragedy can strike. If tragedy is also not your cup of tea, I will say it will be hard for you to watch this. In essence, it’s almost like Day After Tomorrow with Jake Gyllenhaal but with kids as the main protagonists. Clean animation and music that lends itself to having your heart put in your throat, this anime is a thrill ride that will literally have you on edge.

What to Expect: Tragedy, Family, Trauma, Slice of Life, Friendship, Alternate Reality, Modern Day, Death, Child Death, Suspense, PTSD, Disabled Lead, Disabled Characters, Siblings, Female Lead, Travel

Where Can I Watch? Hulu, Youtube, HiDive

Music: Suspense, Orchestral, Classical, Instrumental

Does Dub Do It Justice? Yes, it does, the characters, especially the two main protagonists do a great job of emulating that sibling bond. Fluid acting you can easily follow along with this cast.

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Soul Eater, 2008 PG/PG-13 (51 episodes) Finished

Soul Eater - Toonami Promo (2013)

This anime is the good ol’ high school anime turned completely on its head! The main protagonist is a female lead, Maka and her partner and weapon, Soul. In this anime, every meister (warrior) has a humanoid weapon that is their partner. Together they fight dark souls and vanquish them. Maka, a headstrong young meister is out to prove she’s the best, along with her teammates Black Star (very reminiscent of Naruto) and Death the Kid, the son of Death. This anime features women in roles of power, passes the Bechdel test and does solid work on fight scenes as well as character-driven storylines. In this anime, sexuality is power but not too implicit. The villains are what make this show, they have intensive backstories as well as character development.

What to Expect: Supernatural, School, Magic, Spirits, Demons, Female Lead, Disabled Characters, War, Child Abuse, Torture, Friendship, Family, Mystery, Suspense, Sci-Fi, Neurodivergent Characters, Trauma, Spirits, Revenge, Rivalry , Investigative, Exploration, Criminals, Competition, Slice of Life, Mental Illness, Narration-style

Music: Hip-hop, Jazz, Rap, Classical

Where Can I Watch? Netflix, Hulu, Crunchyroll, Funimation, Amazon Prime

Does Dub Do it Justice? Nearly half the voices are characters from the dubbed version of Bleach and Naruto. High schoolers sound like they should. The villain voices are great and some of the teachers also have memorable voices.

That concludes list one! So go out there, enjoy your compelling anime and fear not the swinging breasts of inadequate female roles!

References

Death Note: OFFICIAL TRAILER. (2019, December 16). Retrieved December 21, 2020, from https://youtu.be/NlJZ-YgAt-c

The Dragon Prince: Official Trailer [HD]: Netflix. (2018, September 01). Retrieved December 21, 2020, from https://youtu.be/PWEtCsi3Eo8

K-ON! Official Trailer. (2020, October 10). Retrieved December 21, 2020, from https://youtu.be/Twtii2D0xTQ

TIGER & BUNNY Sneak Peek. (2012, September 11). Retrieved December 21, 2020, from https://youtu.be/XUUeYb5agr0

Tokyo Magnitude 8.0" Trailer (English Subbed). (2013, May 29). Retrieved December 21, 2020, from https://youtu.be/IqhrKb11rEU

Toonami - Black Lagoon Promo (HD 1080p). (2014, March 15). Retrieved December 21, 2020, from https://youtu.be/kUIs3RqNxOI