Steampunk, Adventure, Military Drama The Hook: Two brothers use alchemy to try to resurrect their dead mother. The ritual fails, costing one his arm and the other his entire body. They join the military to find the Philosopher's Stone to restore themselves. Why it’s popular: Often ranked #1 on MyAnimeList. It has a perfect ending, incredible world-building, and a moral philosophy that questions the nature of equivalent exchange. Manga Status: Complete (written by Hiromu Arakawa). Read the manga for the original comedic beats not fully captured in the anime.
Guts, a lone mercenary known as the Black Swordsman, travels a brutal medieval fantasy world seeking vengeance against his former commander and friend, Griffith, who betrayed him for demonic power. Steampunk, Adventure, Military Drama The Hook: Two brothers