1. Heaven Official Blessing

TV-14, 2020, Donghua BL Animation 

Heaven Official Blessing is cute and adorable. If you’re a donghua (chinese anime) and danmei (BL or boys love) fan, then this is perfect for you. It’s about Xie Lian who was a Crown Prince of Xianle. He later ascended higher up into a god, ruling people here on Earth and in heaven. Due to a ghost destroying his kingdom, he was punished by being stripped of his powers and later on each ascension he lost more of his abilities. He has also experienced lots of trauma that he smiles through. Due to him experiencing human pain and suffering, he wants to help people. After he is caught up on problems and what he needs to do down on Earth, he goes back to Earth where he restores peace to those plagued by supernatural struggles in mystical areas. On Earth he builds a shrine for people to pray to him (more prayers equals more money and power that he gets).

 In the earlier stage of his journey he meets San Lang,also known as Huā Chéng,who is one of four great calamities and the king who uses poisonous butterflies. When they are together, Xie Lian always has a sense of peace and familiarity. He travels with Xie Lian, protects him, and later on even calls him Gege (older male in familerity or affection). Accompanied by Xie Lian are two gods Mu Qing and Nan Feng. They help fight and solve the supernatural aspects of the areas they explore. In this we see lots of lovable scenes, action, and past history about both of them.  Plus the second season has been confirmed, but the date of when it comes out is unannounced. 

2. Meteor Garden

TV-14, 2018, Rom-Con 

If you like romance with a bad boy and normal female student then here you go. It is a long forty-nine episode show, so it might take you a while to watch. It is about Dong Shan Cai who is determined to succeed in the prestigious university. She is a nutrition major to help expand her mothers catering business. At the university she meets a rich bad boy,  Dao Ming Si, and a cute nice guy,Hua Ze Lei, who were both part of the F4 (four flower). She ends up earning the boys respect in the F4 and the affection of one. Si and Shan Cai get along and even though they argue, they are such a cute couple. When Lei comes back from Paris with a new girlfriend instead of Jing (who is like a sister to the boys of F4 and was Lei’s love interest) we learn he is heart broken and Jing is engaged. Lei then kisses Cai which causes problems. Si ends up going to Paris next to get away and find himself for a bit. Throughout the series we watch those two go through the motions of young love and following their hearts.  

3. The Witcher

TV-MA, 2019, Fantasy Adventure, Action

If you are a Game of Thrones fan then you want to watch this. This show does have animation, books, games, and T.V. shows. Like the books, this show follows Geralt, a monster hunter who fights for a place in this world due to him being a mutant with powers that kills other monsters. Later on while joking around he binds himself to protect Cirilla, the baby in Princess Pavetta stomach who the father Duny and Mother Pavetta didn’t know about until after he bound himself to the baby and she threw up. We get to know Cirilla, or Ciri, in present times. How her kingdom gets taken over and how she survives on her own mostly. While Geralt and Yennefer of Vengerberg, who are shown from past to present tense. We are shown Yennefer’s past, how she changed and carries herself. While we see what Geralt does for a living and how he meets Dandelion Jaskier. Dandelion is a bard and acquaintance of Geralt who writes down Geralt’s life making a biography. He also makes poems, sings songs and plays instruments. Geralt and Yennefer meet at present time then Geralt leaves and meets Ciri because it was a tell telling Geralt and a female will keep Ciri safe. Warning though, this show does have a lot of action, violence, and explicit scenes. If you’re not ok with those, you might not want to watch this. In addition, the second season was announced to come out in December on Netflix. 

4. Grancrest Senki

TV-MA, 2018, Fantasy 

One of my personal favorites, a hidden gem, is Record of Grancrest War, also known as Grancrest Senki. It follows a young lady named Siluca Meletes who is a mage. She hates how the lords have forgotten their people and treat them. So she wants to bind herself to a pure intention lord to work with. On the way to go to her new lord that she is forced to submit to, she is stopped by union soldiers sent by Mesto Meadrich (the lord of the Altirk she’s going to swear to be his mage), who are trying to stop her from coming in. There she also meets Theo Cornaro,a young knight who has been wandering around sometime after escaping his home town in search of becoming powerful and strong enough to bring his people strength and help. He stops to help Silica fight the soldiers. Siluca makes a pact with Theo, since she senses he can do great things and be someone she can use for her plan. Theo, soon becomes lord and starts bonding with other knights, lords, and other high up powers. He becomes the lead voice of reason and brings kingdoms and lands together. Theo, Silica and the lords who serve under him go to war and bring two sides together (distant lovers). Then they march to bring down the Mage Academy, who are the cause for the majority of things that have happened and the death of Pricilla Farnese, a priestess. After all war, they come together under Theo who becomes the Imperial throne and unifies the continent. There is a double wedding that’s very funny and sweet. Though it does have blood shed, kidnapping, and one covered elicited scene, it is not a bad show and quite enjoyable.

5. Kuromukuro

TV-14, 2016, Sci-Fi, Action Animation

If you like Transformers, Attack on Titan, or Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, then you might like this one. This is an underrated anime that is quite good, but gets talked down on, so watch at your own judgment. It follows the students of Tateyama International High School, but mainly Yukina Shirahane, a student and a young samurai named Kennosuke Tokisada Ouma.  Kennosuke and his mecha were found years ago and suddenly awakens when the facility is attacked by Efi Dorg robots. Through the show they fight Efi Dorg leaders, and their minion robots a lot, trying to figure out what they want. Randomly, a female clone of Princess Yuki (Princess Yukihime) named Muetta sneaks in and tries to find the Black Relic (a cube or box like object that has lots of power). After a few run-ins, Muetta ( Efi Dorg officer who operates Medusa geoframe. Also a clone of princess Yuki) learns her life is a lie and switches sides. Then the enemy finally takes over and the facility members have to come up with a plan to take it back. Ken is from the Sengoku period, where he was in charge of keeping the princess Yuki safe. Now he lives in modern Japan and has an unusual genetic code which connects him to his mecha just like others like him. Kennosuke or Ken for short, throughout the show learns about this new world whether it is through slang, technology, education, or different foods. You can see lots of cute moments of Ken and Yukiina blushing and arguing. You might have a couple laughs in this show or feel embarrassed for the characters, but it’s a great show that I can’t wait until the second season is confirmed. 

6. Outer Banks

TV-MA, 2020, Mystery 

Some of you have most likely already heard of this series, but for you who haven’t, it’s about a teenage male and his tight-knit group of friends called “The Pogues”, who live on the wrong side of town. One day they unearth a map that leads to a concealed forgotten secret. When some unexpected events happen, John B and his friends commence on a mission to find his father that went missing and how this treasure is connected to him. It is set in the coastal town along North Carolina where there is a evident contrast in the poor and wealthy. In this show you do see the two sides coming together and lies beginning brought to light. There are two seasons of this show. The second season is newer and just came out this year. 

7. Memoir of a Geisha

PG-13, 2005, Romance/Drama

If you like stories that are realistic fictional, then this is a good movie to watch. The ‘Memoir of a Geisha’ is a historical fiction novel made into a movie about a young girl named Chiyo who is sold away from her parents. She is forced to work at an okiya (boarding house for geisha) as a maid while training to become a geisha. At the okiya there is a Mother who runs the okiya, Pumpkin, a young apprentice, and Hatsumomo, a very cruel geisha. Months later she tries to run away and meet up with her sister, only to fail. Because of her actions, Mother stops paying for her geisha education and makes Chiyo a maid for life, until a woman comes along named Mameha and makes Mother make a deal she could not refuse. In a couple months, Chiyo learns everything to become a good gishea. In the years she becomes a well known Geisha by performing, serving tea, and talking to clients. Some of you might be thinking, ‘is there any romance in this?’ Well, she has a crush on a guy known as a Chairman who we see chemistry between. But like most geisha’s in this movie, they do not get to end up with who they love instead they may sell themselves to the highest bidder to pay back their debt. When World War II breaks out, she has to get away from the town until things calm down. After the war cools down she comes back, but things aren’t the same as before. People work different jobs and a lot of the old ways have changed to modern times. She meets up with old friends and breaks her trust to a client she’s had for a long time. Before you say this doesn’t have a happy ending it does. She gets what she wants in the end even though she kinda has to change part of herself while keeping her older tradition .

8. Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba

TV-14, 2019, Shounen Anime

One of my favorites is Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba. If you love a good fight with a samurai or katana then this is for you. Demon Slayer follows a young boy named Tanjiro Kamado who just lost his family to a demon. He is the only survivor beside his sister, Nezeko, who turned into a demon somehow from keeping her feelings for her family, especially for her brother, Tanjiro. A hashira named Giyu Tomioka who is the water pillar helps capture her, but eventually lets them go, due to them protecting each other no matter what change has happened which is considered weird for a demon to do. Both brother and sister travel together to find a cure to transform Nezuko back into a human. In their travels they meet other characters like Makomo, Sabito, Murata, Inosuke Hashibira, and Zenitsu Agatsuma, two who travel with Tanjiro. Eventually they get caught by a hashira, Shinobu Kocho, who is known as the insect pillar. She fought Giyu, who was giving the siblings a chance to run. They are brought back to the hashria headquarters. There Nezuko has to prove that she shall harm no human and isn’t a threat. Giyu and Tanjiro’s sensei or former water pillar, Sakonji Urokodaki, backs up the siblings saying they all shall all die or bleed if proven incorrectly. The siblings are put through tests, mainly Tanjiro who has to get stronger with his sword. They soon set out with Inosuke and Zenitsu on their next mission to meet up with Kyōjurō Rengoku,who  is one of the hashria’s and the Flame Pillar. They meet up on a train in Japan to defeat a demon tormenting people’s dreams which intends to harm the passengers. This is where it ends and the movie Demon Slayer: Mugen train comes in. This year season two of Demon Slayer will come out this fall which covers the ‘The Entertainment District Arc’.

9. Criminal Minds

TV- MA, 2005, Mystery 

If you love crime, murders cases, and mystery then this is the one for you. It follows an FBI team that takes on cases with twisted criminal minds and tries to solve and anticipate their targets’ next move. The lead man is Special Agent Aaron Hotchner who leads the team in their cases. One of the main characters is Reid Spencer who is a young man and genius who can memorize a lot of information which helps solve situations in cases.Penelope is the suspect behaviorist. Next is Derek, he specializes in fixations and obsessive behaviors which is basically the analyst. Then there is David Rossi who is a Supervisory Special Agent in the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit. We get to see how real-world issues affect the characters personal lives and relationships. 

10. Young Royal

TV-MA, 2021, Drama 

Though it’s in Swedish, it is a really good show. Prince Wilhelm has now just started a new school after he had a scandal at his old school *cough, cough, cough fight at party*. Here he makes friends and learns to become the prince he needs to be. Though he has a secret that he is supposed to keep under wraps: that’s his sexuilty. This is harder than he thought to keep hidden, especially with handsome Simon near him. Throughout this show he gets closer to Simon and they sneak kisses here and there until they are caught by someone.  His cousin August of Årnäs is his close friend and someone he can confide in, though his intentions can be selfish sometimes to the people he cares about. This show gives forbidden romance, expectations of royals, diversity of rich vs poor, betrayal, and pain.