B2

Joe Yabuki has learned how to toughen up and stop trusting others after a troubling youth spent bouncing between orphanages and fending off bullies. After finally escaping the cycle of violent temporary homes, Joe adopts a delinquent lifestyle in the streets of San'ya, a slum in Tokyo. He makes his way through the world with his fists, picking fights with anyone he pleases. Danpei Tange, a washed-up and alcoholic former boxing coach, notices Joe's animalistic combat ability and attempts to mentor the wild teenager. Despite developing an explosive relationship, the two form a close bond and rely on each other to look after the other homeless children in San'ya. Unable to abandon his destructive habits, Joe is arrested for petty crimes. In jail, he meets and fights with lifelong friends and rivals, including the boxing prodigy Tooru Rikiishi. Continuously challenging Rikiishi to fights, Joe is knocked out time after time due to his savage brawling style failing in the face of Rikiishi's controlled boxing technique. But eventually, Joe stuns his rival with a knockout blow, earning Rikiishi's respect and the promise that they will one day meet again inside the professional ring. Finding a reason to live within boxing, Joe takes life head-on with a new purpose. As he rises through Japan's amateur and professional boxing scenes, he contends with painful loss and increasing injury. Joe's passion for fighting is all-consuming, and he grapples with the idea that a life without boxing may not be one worth living. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

Drama · Slice of Life

This is a story. A story about choices and consequences, confessions resulting in love and rejection, and decisions leading to sacrifice and tragedy. Koyomi Araragi's decision to save a blonde vampire and meddle with the supernatural resulted in his death as a human and rebirth as a monster. But this was only one of the countless tragedies and choices that Koyomi would be faced with, and he is confronted with the fact that his seemingly unshakeable and hard-earned relationships do not last. As strange oddities continue to manifest in the world around him, he is faced with impossible choices—to sever his ties with those he loves, or eternally remain a part of the world of monsters and apparitions and watch the world crumble as a result. To accept or reject a confession, and sacrifice his all for the sake of others. However, both of these paths could lead to tragedy and farewells. This is a story. A story about Koyomi Araragi coming to realize the consequences of his choices. [Written by MAL Rewrite] This entry includes the second season of the Monogatari Series.

Comedy · Drama

As the 20th century approaches its end, people all over the world are anxious that the world is changing. And probably not for the better. Kenji Endou is a normal convenience store manager who is just trying to get by. But when he learns that one of his old friends going by the name "Donkey" has suddenly committed suicide and that a new cult led by a figure known as "Friend" is becoming more notorious, Kenji starts to feel that something is not right. With a few key clues left behind by his deceased friend, Kenji realizes that this cult is much more than he ever thought it would be—not only is this mysterious organization directly targeting him and his childhood friends, but the whole world also faces a grave danger that only the friends have the key to stop. Kenji's simple life of barely making ends meet is flipped upside down when he reunites with his childhood friends, and together they must figure out the truth of how their past is connected to the cult, as the turn of the century could mean the possible end of the world. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

Award Winning · Drama

The grandiose delusions of 20-year-old university student Kusunoki are shattered when he learns that his future will be miserable. Having to sell his personal items to make ends meet, Kusonoki is offered the chance to sell his lifespan to earn some money. But it is revealed he could part ways with his remaining 30 years of life at a paltry rate—which means that he will never find happiness in this life. Rather than endure misery, Kusonoki decides to sell his life expectancy, leaving him with three months to live. Feeling liberated from social norms, he sets a series of goals for himself, one of which is to clarify his feelings for his childhood friend Himeno. Meanwhile, Miyagi, the clerk who bought his lifespan, is sent to monitor his activities in the case that Kusunoki may exhibit anti-social behavior. Although annoyed by Miyagi's constant presence, Kusunoki will do everything he can to find a purpose to his existence in the remaining time that he has left. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

Drama