Anime first – The narrator’s over-the-top delivery and visual gags are amplified. The manga continues strongly but loses some comedic tightness later. Review: Two geniuses play 5D chess to force the other to confess love. It’s Death Note for rom-coms. The supporting cast (Ishigami’s character arc, Chika’s chaos) steals the show. Best episode: The fireworks arc or the rap battle. Flaw: The final manga arc polarizes fans.

If you want to understand modern pop culture, you need to know the heavy hitters. These are the series that broke records and turned characters into icons.

You won’t regret either.