Long gone are the days when only otakus would enjoy anime. Now, most of the world has discovered that there is something for everyone in this sector. However, if you’re still hesitant to explore anime, let us guide you with a couple of recommendations based on your passions. Whether you’re looking for something based on your favorite games or are a sucker for a heartwarming romance – we’ve got you covered.

Gambling Aficionados

If you often think of anime as being one-dimensional, with silly overpowered characters fighting repetitive battles, you might be surprised to learn that there are countless series that follow casino games. This is ideal if you typically find yourself spending countless hours playing casino games, be it in a brick-and-mortar establishment or via online platforms. In fact, the options are so diverse that you can even pick a specific genre of casino games.

Let’s start with Kakegurui, an anime that features borderline ludicrously high stakes, focusing mainly on casino card games. Here, our main character, Yumeko Jabami, joins an elite private academy where the hierarchy is determined by gambling performance.

What an interesting concept! This is the perfect pick for those who love playing blackjack. And in case you haven’t played this specific option, it’s a popular card game where the aim is to get closer to 21 than the dealer without going over.

And for those who love playing card games like blackjack, knowing the basics will come in incredibly handy – especially if you also decide to read the manga, which features this game more heavily. So, if you’ve been keeping up to date with blackjack tips and tricks like doubling down on a hard 11, this one’s for you.

Of course, gambling knowledge is not a prerequisite for your enjoyment, just a nice addition. Alternatively, if you want to stay in the realm of strategic card battles but want something more fantasy-esque, then Yu-Gi-Oh! might be a better pick for you.

This anime is more light-hearted, with Yugi Muto becoming a host to an Ancient Egyptian Pharaoh after solving the Millennium Puzzle. In turn, whenever he or one of his friends is confronted, it triggers a Shadow Game, where the card monsters duel for them.

Last, but certainly not least, we have No Game, No Life. This anime focuses on stepsiblings Sora and Shiro, expert strategists transported to a completely fictional realm where everything is decided via games.

This anime focuses more on the psychological aspects of gambling games, such as quick decision-making. Moreover, it also includes a heavy dose of world-saving moments to elevate the stakes for our witty protagonists.

It’s amazing just how much anime touches on gambling and gaming themes, satisfying even diverse tastes in this area!

Rom-Com Lovers

If you love a balance of funny banter and adorable moments that will make you tear up, then you might benefit from checking out shoujo anime. And here, there is no better recommendation than Ouran High School Host Club.

Join Haruhi Fujioka, a commoner who enrolls into Ouran High School thanks to a scholarship. Through a series of unfortunate events, our protagonist joins the school’s one and only infamous host club.

Although it was released all the way back in 2006, with only one season available, people are still clamoring for a second season, even in 2025. In fact, it is so popular that you’ll find countless articles offering anime similar to Ouran High School Host Club.

While none seem to replicate the same level of heartwarming moments and hilarity, by means of poking fun at the shoujo genre, there are still some that come pretty close. One such option is The Wallflower – a darker twist to the rom-coms, but just as funny.

This unique anime blends horror and gore, thanks to Sunako Nakahara’s love of this genre, juxtaposed with four beautiful men who are tasked with turning her into a lady. And if they fail, well, then they can say goodbye to the rent-free mansion they get to live in courtesy of Sunako’s aunt. As you can imagine, this chore leads to some pretty hilarious situations, with the vastly different dynamics adding to it.

For something a bit sweeter, we have to give the crown to Fruits Basket. Here, we follow the story of Tohru Honda as she tackles unfortunate circumstances that lead her to live with two of her classmates and their cousin.

This results in her finding out their family secret, which we won’t spoil for you, and she is determined to help out the Sohmas. Originally, just like the previous anime, we only had one season until it got recently rebooted, wrapping up the entire story properly.

Heart-pounding Action Seekers

If you love living life on the edge, constantly seeking out extreme sports, or perhaps making your heart race by watching thrillers – you’ll love these next suggestions. We’ll start this off with Fairy Tail, set in the Kingdom of Fiore. Join the guild of wizards, Fairy Tail, where they embark on several missions for gold, fame, and to achieve personal goals.

This is an ensemble anime with so many characters that you might struggle to remember all the names. However, with over 300 episodes, you’ll definitely have plenty to sink your teeth into.

And if that doesn’t sound like enough for you, how about One Piece, with over a thousand whopping episodes? Follow Monkey D. Luffy and his crew on their journey to get the one and only mythical treasure found by the pirate Gol D. Roger.

This is definitely one of the most popular animes of all time, warranting a Netflix live-action series. Believe us when we say you won’t be disappointed by the epic fights, masterfully crafted world, and charming characters.

And to round this off, we have Fullmetal Alchemist, following two brothers, Edward and Alphonse Elric, on their quest to find the Philosopher’s Stone. This is the only thing that could restore their bodies after an alchemy transmutation gone wrong.

Just beware that this show is not for the faint of heart, with plenty of harrowing moments that will leave you scarred. But apart from that, you’ll still get a dose of cheery moments and witty banter in between themes of brotherhood and moral dilemmas.

One fun fact is that the manga series it was based on was written by a mangaka who originally hid their gender to ensure it didn’t impact sales. This is due to the fact that this falls under the shonen genre, which is targeted primarily toward a male demographic.

Just like regular TV shows and movies, anime has a diverse range of genres available. These range from gambling-forward shows to romances that will make your heart flutter to anime that will make you question human morality, even within a fictional setting. So by the end of this, we hope we’ve not only changed your perception of anime but also interested you to check out one of our curated picks.