The BEST WOWOW shows of all time
Every WOWOW show, ranked
We've compiled the average episode rating for every WOWOW show to compile this list of best shows!
#1 - Crest of the Stars
Jinto Lin's life changes forever when the Humankind Empire Abh takes over his home planet of Martine without firing a single shot. He is soon sent off to study the Abh language and culture and to prepare himself for his future as a nobleman - a future he never dreamed of. Or wanted. Now, Jinto is entering the next phase of his training, and he is about to meet his first Abh, the lovely Lafiel. But Jinto is about to learn that she is more than she appears to be. And together they will have to fight for their very lives.
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#2 - Cowboy Bebop
In the year 2071 humanity has colonized the entire Solar System through the use of "Phase Difference Space Gates". A catastrophic accident occurred during the development of the Gates, damaging both the Earth and the Moon, heavily irradiating the surface, and forcing most of mankind to evacuate to other planets of the Solar System. Wherever humanity goes, so goes its criminal element, and thus the need for those who hunt criminals. The newly formed solar system police reinstated the bounty scheme of the Wild West. Cowboy Bebop is the story of the four inhabitants of the spaceship Bebop, and the living they barely make at bounty hunting.
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#3 - Spring Has Come
Naoko Kishikawa works in the undergarment counter at a department store. She is a 31-year-old single woman, leading a boring life. She lives her father Shuji, mother Sue and younger sister Junko. One day, Naoko happens to meet Lee Ji-Won. He is a cameraman from South Korea. Lee Ji-Won causes Naoko and her family to change slowly.
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#4 - Kaiba
Imagine a world where the digitization of memory has made physical death obsolete, where memories can be replaced in a new human body. This is the type of world Kaiba awakens to, without knowing who he is with a strange picture of a woman he does not know on a pendant around his neck.
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#5 - Momo, Girl God of Death - Ballad of a Shinigami
Anime adaption of Hasegawa K-Ske's series of Shinigami no Ballad "lite novels". The six (so far) Shinigami no Ballad novels tell the story of "Momo the Girl God of Death." A girl wrapped in white, her name is Momo...in her hand lies a blunt yet shiny scythe. By her side is a winged black cat by the name of Daniel. Carrying the souls of humans, the girl's existence parallels to that of a "Death God" or "Shinigami". At the instant when this white Death God touches the hearts of humans, the world is filled with kindness and grief..
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#6 - Hand Maid May
Saotome Kazuya is a computer whiz. One day his friend Nanbara, threatens him with a computer virus. Trying to stop the virus, Kazuya ends up making a special order. May is a cyberdoll that arrives at his door a few minutes later and she is 1/6th the size of a normal person, which makes for many awkward situations. Not to mention the fact Kazuya can't even afford to keep May. Cyberdyne is not satisfied with Kazuya's non-payments and will do anything to retrieve CBD May.
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#7 - Kino's Journey
The story follows the travels of Kino, a young adventurer who rides a talking motorcycle named Hermes. They explore the people and cultures of different places throughout their adventures, spending only three days at each location.
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#8 - Baccano!
"Baccano", which light novelist Narita translates as "stupid commotion", is Italian for "ruckus". Each of the stories in the series involves several unrelated plots intersecting and crossing each other as events spiral further and further out of control. Immortal alchemists, mafia operated speakeasies, and many other elements of pulp fiction are mashed together for a world straight out of the movies.
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#9 - Now and Then, Here and There
Shu is a typical Japanese boy, but has an unbeatable, optimistic and determined attitude. However, when he sees a mysterious girl with strange eyes named Lala-Ru up on a smokestack, he is soon pulled into a strange desert world. Shu soon discovers the true terrors of war, which includes genocide, brutal torture, hunger, thirst, and child exploitation. Now Shu is trying to save Lala-Ru, as well as his hard earned, and often reluctant, new friends from the insane dictator, Hamdo. Whether Shu can possibly accomplish saving those he cares about while still holding up to his values remains to be seen.
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#10 - Shuffle
When two doors are discovered in an ancient ruin, the gateways to shinkai, the realm of the shinzoku (Gods) and makai, the realm of the mazoku (Demons) are irreversably opened. The races of human, shinzoku, and mazoku come together in the mortal world and nothing will ever be the same. One day, two new families move next door to a boy who had previously been living a very peaceful life. In one house lived the family of the King of the Gods, and in the other lived the family of the King of the Demons. Both families had one daughter whose single wish to live next to the boy they had fallen in love with years ago has just been fulfilled. Also living with the boy is his childhood friend. With these three girls vying for his affections, the boy finds that his new life filled with despair, jealousy, and just a little hope is beginning.
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#11 - Ergo Proxy
In the utopian city, Romdeau, where humans and their android servants live, the landscape is broken by a series of murders. Real Mayar, a female inspector from the Citizen Information Bureau, along with her android partner Iggy, are tasked to solve the cases. Mayar is soon attacked by a creature which is neither human nor android, and learns about the mysterious phenomena called "Awakening."
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#12 - Paranoia Agent
Seemingly unconnected citizens of Tokyo are targeted for bludgeoning by a boy with a golden baseball bat. As detectives try to link the victims, they discover that following the assaults, the victims' lives have improved in some way.
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#13 - Moonlight Mile
Gorou and Lostman at the peak of Mount Everest see the ISA Space Station in the sky above and become determined to go into space. ISA begins a program to research and obtain a new energy source which has been discovered on the moon.
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#14 - The Big O
Forty years ago, a mysterious worldwide event happened that eliminated all memories from prior to that point. From this completely blank start, man began to rebuild. With no knowledge of even how to operate machinery or use electricity, the process was slow. Eventually man did regain this knowledge and elements of society such as industry and agriculture began to resume. However, the common hole in all of mankind's thoughts remained, the world that had existed before the memories were lost was nothing more than a vague figure in the shadows.
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#15 - X
His destiny has finally arrived as the young Shirou Kamui returns to Tokyo after 6 years. A powerful psychic, Kamui vows to protect the happiness of his childhood friends Fuuma and Kotori, even if it means avoiding them. But fate is cruel, whether or not Kamui wants to be involved; he holds the future of the world in his hands, given the choice of becoming a Dragon of Heaven or a Dragon of Earth. The Seven Seals gather, and so do the Seven Angels; all individuals who have their destiny carved out as one who would battle for the fate of the world. What future will Kamui choose to become reality?
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#16 - Guyver: The Bioboosted Armor
While walking in the forest with his best friend Segawa Tetsuro, Fukamachi Sho, a Japanese student, accidentally discovers an ancient alien weapon known as a 'Guyver Unit.' The Guyver Unit consists of a symbiotic bio-boosted armor, created by aliens that visited earth centuries ago. The insidious biotech corporation known as Chronos has kept it secret for years. Now that Sho has found it, he and his friends are hunted by Chronos' monstrous creatures as the corporation seeks the return of the Guyver for their twisted experiments.
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#17 - Ah! My Goddess
Nice Guy Keiichi is doing his best as a poor student at a tech college, but his good nature is taken advantage of relentlessly. One day he is attempting to order a pizza over the phone (being stuck at the dorm to take messages for upperclassmen) and by fate reaches the Goddess Help Line. Before he knows it he is presented with a real live goddess named Belldandy who will grant him one and only one wish. Still suspecting he is the butt of an elaborate joke, he wishes for her to be by his side forever. His wish is granted! It would seem his luck has changed, but he finds out that having a goddess is no way to avoid trouble.
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#18 - Kishin Houkou Demonbane
The story takes place in the world where both science and magic has advanced. Arkham City is a metropolises prospered by highly advanced magic. However it is threatened by a criminal syndicate Black Lodge. They set the Master Telion, who is the greatest wizard as well as the worst criminal, up as the leader, and they give free reign to their desire to rampage the city. Hado Family Group, the guardian of the city, makes a robot to beat Black Lodge. It is Demonbane. Now, the battle between Demonbane and Mater Telion`s Black Lodge starts.
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#19 - Kemonozume
A race of cannibal monsters called the Shokujinki exists and it is the job of the Kifuuken, an elite group of beast-hunters, to stop them. Toshihiko Momota, an expert swordsman and son of the Kifuuken organization's leader, unexpectedly falls in love at first sight with a beautiful girl named Yuka. However, the couple's relationship is much more complicated than it seems at first glance, for Yuka is a Shokujinki.
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#20 - Ghost Hound
The experiences of three boys who have had traumatic experiences in childhood from which they have learned to transfer their souls to a parallel world known as the "Unseen World".
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#21 - Fuuka
Yuu Haruna just moved into town and loves to use Twitter. Out on his way to buy dinner, he bumps into a mysterious girl, Fuuka Akitsuki, who breaks his phone thinking he was trying to take a picture of her panties. How will his new life change now?
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#22 - Please Twins!
The second installment from the popular series Onegai Teacher. The main character of the story is Kamishiro Maiku, a high school student who is recently lost his parents and is living alone. He eventually meets Miyafuji Miina and Onodera Karen, whom are both claiming that they are his twin. However, these two girls have completely different personalities, and in fact are opposite to each other. This onegai/please is a romantic drama between three people so please expect elements of the like. This is a modern day twist on a classic US TV show, Three's Company. This being the second installment, you may want to consider getting a copy of Onegai Sensai for full enjoyment of the series.
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#23 - Vatican Miracle Examiner
Two priests charged with traveling the world to validate "miracles" find themselves tangled in events filled with deceit. As members of the Assembly of Saints, Robert Nicholas and Kou Hiraga seek the truth behind the supposed works of God.
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#24 - NieA Under 7
In the near future, space aliens settle on earth and get along well with humans. Mayuko tries to concentrate on summer school classes while the alien NieA pesters her for lunch.
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#25 - Steel Angel Kurumi
During Japan's Taisho Era (1912-1926), a scientist named Ayanokoji developed the Steel Angel - an artificial humanoid with superhuman physical abilities. While the Imperial Army wanted to use the Steel Angel as a new means of modern warfare, Ayanokoji wanted his creation to be a new step in the future of mankind. Thus, he defied orders from the Army and secretly made the Steel Angel codenamed "Kurumi". Then one day, a young boy named Nakahito Kagura snuck into Ayanokoji's house as a dare by his friends and stumbled upon Kurumi's lifeless body. A sudden attack by the Imperial Army shook the house, causing Kurumi to fall on Nakahito. At that moment, their lips met, and Kurumi woke up from "the kiss that started a miracle".
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#26 - Please Teacher!
Kei Kusanagi is an average high-school student living with his aunt and uncle. One night while he is sitting by a lake, he becomes "stuck". When he is stuck he goes into a coma like state for a moment. After he awakens from being "stuck" he sees a weird disturbance on the water. After the disturbance disappears he sees a woman appear from a ray of light right. It's an alien. The next day he learns that the mysterious woman is his new homeroom teacher and his neighbor. Later, he is forced to marry her to keep her secret. Thus, a romantic comedy is born.
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#27 - Shigurui: Death Frenzy
The story begins in 1629 Kanagawa during Tokugawa Tadanaga's rule. The daimyo staged a tournament where the participants fought with traditional weapons rather than bokken ("wooden sword"). The story revolves around the first match between the one-armed swordsman Fujiki Gennosuke and the blind samurai Irako Seigen and deals with the circumstances that led the two to participate in Tokugawa's tournament.
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#28 - Karin
Maaka Karin comes from a family of vampires living in Japan, but she is not a normal vampire. Vampires are normally supposed to drink the blood of their victims...but Karin suffers from a condition that causes her body to produce excessive amounts of blood. About once a month, she has to get rid of the excess blood by giving it to her "victims." But she somehow manages...she goes to school like everyone else her age. Well, things are about to get more complicated. When a new student, Usui Kenta transfers into Karin`s class, she starts producing unusually huge amounts of blood, almost as if in reaction to him. Worse, he happens upon Karin`s...true nature...
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#29 - Trinity Blood
The story takes place in the distant future after the destruction brought about by Armageddon. And the war between the vampires and the humans persists. In order to protect the humans from the vampires, the Vatican has to rely on unusual allies to control the situation. The main protagonist, a priest called Peter Abel Nightroad, travels through the countries as a representative of the Vatican. However, he is also part of AX, a special operations group controlled by Cardinal Caterina Sforza. His encounter with a young girl named Esther Blanchett will determine the struggle between the human race and the vampires.
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#30 - Berserk (2016)
Now branded for death and destined to be hunted by demons until the day he dies, Guts embarks on a journey to defy such a gruesome fate, as waves of beasts relentlessly pursue him. Steeling his resolve, he takes up the monstrous blade Dragonslayer and vows to exact vengeance on the one responsible, hunting down the very man he once looked up to and considered a friend. Along the way, he encounters some unlikely allies, such as a small elf named Puck, and Isidro, a young thief looking to learn swordsmanship from the former mercenary. As the ragtag group slowly comes together after having decided to join Guts in his quest, they will face incredible danger unlike anything they have ever experienced before.
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#31 - Scrapped Princess
Pacifica Casull is the most feared and hated person by the followers of the God Mauser. Known as the Scrapped Princess, she is the poison that will destroy the world. To avoid being killed by the zealots of Mauser, Pacifica and her adoptive brother and sister leave the village of Manhurin. Her brother, Shannon, is an expert with the sword while Racquel is proficient with magic. At every step of the way, however, someone is constantly trying to kill Pacifica, hoping to somehow avert the catastrophe that is supposed to befall the world on her 16th birthday.
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#32 - Gravitation
Gravitation is based on a Shonen-ai (boys-love) manga by Maki Murakami Sensei. The story revolves around a high school student Shindou Shuichi who is determined to become a professional singer, and had formed a band with his best friend Nakano Hiroshi, but however fell hopelessly in love with a famous novelist Yuki Eiri. The story goes on about how Shuichi and Yuki handle each other and how bumpy Shuichi`s road of becoming the greatest singer is.
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#33 - VanDread
In a distant future where men and women live on separate planets, a lowly mechanic named Hibiki has his eyes on piloting a Vanguard, a mecha fighting machine built by the male military. He sneaks his way onto a military space ship at a time when female pirates attack with their ships called Dreads. In the middle of the battle, the male ship and female ship accidentally collide and merge into a new ship, later called the Nirvana, leaving Hibiki and two other men stranded with a crew full of women far off in the depths of space. Now, men and women must learn to live with one another just to survive against a new threat to all of humankind.
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#34 - Junji Ito Collection
TV anime based on internationally acclaimed Japanese artist Junji Ito (Gyo, Uzumaki, Tomie)'s horror manga stories.
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#35 - Looking Up At The Half-Moon
During the winter, Yuichi was hospitalized due to hepatitis. Randomly he would try to escape from the hospital but would get beat up by the nurse. One day, he happened to meet Rika, a girl of his age, in the next building. He was fascinated by her beauty, but she was very selfish girl. Although she led him by the nose, he began to be attracted by her. However, when Rika told him about her illness, he knew why she acted so selfish; she didn't have long to live.
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#36 - Ninja Scroll: The Series
The story takes place in feudal Japan and follows the adventures of Jubei Kibagami, a mercenary ninja who is given a duty to guard the Dragon Stone and to protect the Priestess of Light (Shigure) from the Hiruko Clan and the Kimon Shu. He is aided by the government spy Dakuan and the thief Tsubute.
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#37 - Le Chevalier D'Eon
It's 1742 in Paris, France. Louis XV is still king of France. A woman was found dead in a coffin floating in the Seine River. The brother of the deceased woman is D'Eon, who is determined to find the murderer of his sister: Lia. But as D'Eon investigates and tracks down the killer. He soon discovers that strange and supernatural things are involved with this series of killings. And only he can avenge Lia's death. As evil lurks in the palaces of the royal and the dark side of Europe.
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#38 - I My Me! Strawberry Eggs
Hibiki Amawa has just started to pursue his future as a Gym Teacher. He discovers that where he is staying requires payment for a room in advance, so he must get a job as soon as possible. The nearest school has an opening but unfortunately only hires female teachers, claiming men couldnt love the students like women do. Hibiki soon finds himself crossdressing as a woman, and being reliabe for the safety of all the female students. At the same time, a young girl named Fuko has discovered she has feelings for Hibiki, and doesnt understand, since Hibiki is a "woman." How long can Hibiki keep his secret, and what will happen if he's found out?
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#39 - Ceres: Celestial Legend
Ceres: Celestial Legend, or Ayashi No Ceres in Japan, is a series surrounding the teenage twins Aya and Aki Mikage. On their sixteenth birthday, the two are invited to their grandfather's home for what appears to be a party. When they arrive, a test brings out something in Aya that frightens her and threatens the existance of the Mikage clan. This series depicts the events that occur when this being begins her search for what rightfully belongs to her, her Hagoromo. The Episode Guide contains many spoilers. This show has never been aired in the United States.
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#40 - SSSS.Gridman
You're not alone. On any day, anywhere. Yūta Hibiki, who is a first-year high school student living in Tsutsujidai, one day wakes up to find he has lost his memories. And he meets the "Hyper Agent Gridman" on his old computer Gridman says that Yūta has a mission he must fulfill, and Yūta sets out to find the meaning to those words and his memory loss. Yūta's friends — Shō Utsumi, Rikka Takarada, and Akane Shinjō — would always help him and spend their days with him. But, their tranquil days are suddenly and easily crushed with the appearance of kaijū.
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#41 - Maburaho
Maburaho is a romantic comedy of magical proportions, about a high school magician who suddenly becomes the target of three beautiful girls. The main character is a somewhat depressed seventeen-year-old high school student, Kazuki Shikimori. He attends, rather reluctantly, the elite Aoi Academy, a school for training people in the intricacies of powerful magic. In this world, where the ability to use magic is paramount, each magician is limited in the number of times he or she can use magic spells, and performing more spells than the limit allows will cause the user to die and turn into dust. In this regard, unlike the average enrolled magician whose limit is typically in the thousands, Kazuki is considered an underachiever, since he can only wield magic a mere eight times during his entire life.
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#42 - Ah! My Goddess: The Adventures of Mini-Goddess
A large collection consisting of the adventures of the Goddesses featured in the anime and manga series Ah My Goddess. Parodies of other works, and a large number of jokes pervade this series of shorts in which the Goddesses torture and hang out with their friend Gan the rat.
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#43 - Rune Soldier
Armed with Merrill's cunning, Genie's strength, and Mellissa's prayers, this all-female band has no trouble raiding ancient ruins--that is, unless a magic seal blocks the way. As an investment, the girls decide to hire a magician...ANY magician. Trouble is, your average magician prefers reading to raiding. But then, there's Louie. Brash, clueless Louie. Swallowing their pride (and several pints), the girls take along the novice. In return, the hapless Louie gives them all the adventure they can handle...and then some.
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#44 - Tokko
Because of the grand sinking, there appeared a big "hole" near the apartment complex in Machida. Therewith, 185 families, almost all the inhabitants there, were killed miserably. The Police couldn't find any clue of this ferocious mass murder. However, an old man and a disgusting relic from the Middle Age called "Durj Box" were related to this case. 5 years have passed since then. It is near future. Tokyo has two faces; the one is a prospered megalopolise, the other one is a criminal city. Shindo Ranmaru, one of the survivors of the tragedy occurred in Machida, has become a policeman to solve the mass murder case. One day, he is informed that a drug habitue is rampaging around Shibuya. However, what he sees there is not so easy. The monsters that apparently don’t look like human are assaulting people. It is the members of Tokko, or the Special Mobile Squad Public Branch, including Rokujo Sakura, that save helpless policemen. To be surprised, they fight against monsters not with guns or nightsticks, but with swords. Then, Shindo learns the surprising fact that Japan will be demolished within two years, and he has to face the tragedic fate to fight against monsters that come from the "hole".
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#45 - Grenadier
In an era where guns are replacing swords, samurai are desperately trying to keep their ideals alive, though many become honorless mercenaries in desperation. Yajiro Kojima is one such mercenary who led an average life until running across the beautiful Rushyuna Tendo, an expert gun wielder (known as a senshi, or Enlightened One) who upholds one ideal above all others: never kill, simply destroy one's will to fight. Together, the duo travel the world encountering dangerous enemies and bathhouses galore, all while removing their adversaries' "armor" with a smile!
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#46 - Prétear: The New Legend of Snow White
Prétear is the story of a girl, Himeno Awayuki, who must overcome her fears to become the White Prétear and protect the life essence on Earth called Leafe, with the help of the Leafe Knights, Hayate (wind), Sasame (sound), Kei (light), Go (fire), Mannen (ice), Hajime (water), and Shin (grass). In order for Himeno to fight off the Princess of Disaster and the demon larva, she must become one with one of the Leafe Knights in order for her to become Prétear. Will Himeno be confident enough in order to fulfill her destiny when the time comes?
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#47 - Descendants of Darkness
The Shinigami are the gods of death, the beings who guide the souls who have been recorded into the Register of Souls to Hades the world of the dead. They are the employees of the Summons Division, which is an office directly under the control of Enma, the Emperor of the Underworld. The series focuses on one of these Shinigami named Asato Tsuzuki the most powerful, but loveable, laid-back and troubled of them all. Many stories chronicle the mysterious cases they are called upon to deal with, when souls who have appeared on the Register have for some reason not yet died and are often serious and sad. Other stories deal with their off-time play, and these are sweet and funny. A strong focus of the story are the characters themselves and their feelings about work, and about each other.
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#48 - Arc the Lad
For years, a clandestine organization known as White House has experimented in transforming adults and children into mutants known as Chimeras. Young Elk, master of the spirit of flame, has managed to escape and transform himself into an up-and-coming member of the Hunter's Guild, tracking down targets for money. Following a hunt involving a crazed hijacker on the run from White House, Elk meets Lieza, herself an escapee from a village attacked by White House and master of the docile dog-monster Pandit. Following the incident, Elk devotes himself to uncovering the motive behind it, and exacting revenge on the rouge known as Arc, who ostensibly led the attack on Elk's village and killed the young man's parents.
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#49 - Ozma
In the far future, the elevated irradiation from the sun has destroyed the environment of the earth and the birthrate of humans has drastically decreased. The government controls society with an army of cloned soldiers called "Ideal Children (IC)". Sam Coin is a trader in a desert. One day, he saves a beautiful woman Maya, who has been chased by Theseus, a corps of IC. He shelters her in his trade ship, but the destroyers of Theseus surround Sam and Maya.
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#50 - Scream (2019)
A woman’s dead body is found in an apartment in Kokubunji, Tokyo. The decayed body seems like a half year has passed since its death and it is damaged by domestic cats that ate the body. The woman's death is thought to be a "lonely death" (someone died naturally without anyone noticing for a long period of time). Detective Ayano has doubts about that conclusion. The cats seemed like they were not house trained, which is odd for domestic cats. Detective Ayano wonders whether the cats were really owned by the dead woman. Detective Ayano then finds Suzuki Yoko’s bankbook in an empty fishbowl. It seems like the dead woman is 36-year-old Yoko.
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