Best Ecchi Anime of 2016

The preliminary rounds of the Autumn Elections have concluded, leaving just eight exceptionally skilled chefs standing. These finalists now compete in head-to-head cooking battles, each assigned a distinct theme. Facing unfamiliar judges and adversaries, each possessing their own areas of expertise, Souma must remain alert and adaptable if he intends to claim victory in both the Autumn Elections and Tootsuki Culinary Academy.

After being dumped by a woman he married in an online game, only to discover she was actually an older man, gullible otaku Hideki "Rusian" Nishimura decides he will never trust a female player again. Years later, Rusian joins a guild with three others, including a player with a female avatar named Ako. Although Ako confesses her love and proposes to him, Rusian is wary that she might be a guy, yet he accepts because she is cute in-game. Things take a turn when the guild decides to meet offline, revealing that Ako is not only a real girl but also his school classmate.

Phantoms—supernatural entities such as ghosts or yokai—were long dismissed as mere superstition. Yet a virus that infects the brain has swept through society, altering human perception and revealing that these mythical beings have actually coexisted with humanity all along. This virus has also granted the next generation special abilities, enabling them to combat dangerous phantoms. Haruhiko Ichijou and Mai Kawakami are among those empowered; Haruhiko can summon and seal phantoms through drawings, while Mai channels elemental forces into martial arts. Together with the friendly phantom Ruru, they form Team E at Hosea Academy—an organization dedicated to handling these often mischievous beings. In a world where reality and the surreal merge, the team manages the everyday troubles caused by phantoms.

The second season of The Asterisk War continues after Ayato Amagiri and Julis-Alexia von Riessfeld have advanced to the next round of the Phoenix Festa, following a brutal battle against Irene and Priscilla Urzaiz. However, their progress is hindered when it is revealed that Ayato's powers remain sealed, a secret no longer concealed from their opponents. At a clear disadvantage, the duo must develop a new approach to stay in the competition. As the stakes increase, it becomes apparent that the obstacles ahead will only become more demanding.

Lux, the former prince of the fallen Arcadia Empire, accidentally enters a girls' dormitory bath and catches a glimpse of the new princess, Lisesharte. Furious at the intrusion, she challenges him to a Drag-Ride duel. Drag-Rides are ancient mechanical suits discovered in ruins across the world. Though once celebrated as the strongest Drag-Knight, Lux is now mocked as the "undefeated weakest" due to his refusal to attack his opponents. After the match, he is compelled to join the all-female academy that trains royal Drag-Knights.

Keijo is Japan's newest competitive sport, with simple rules: female competitors balance on circular platforms called "lands" floating in a pool and must knock opponents off using only their breasts and buttocks. Despite the sport's unusual nature, it attracts millions of viewers nationwide and offers huge prize money. Many athletes pursue this challenge, hoping to become the next national champion. After graduating high school, energetic 18-year-old Nozomi Kaminashi enters the world of keijo, seeking to earn money for her struggling family. Using her background as a talented gymnast, Nozomi quickly becomes a strong contender, making a name for herself in her debut tournament. As she climbs the rankings and meets new friends and rivals, Nozomi discovers that the path to stardom demands fierce competition that pushes both her physical abilities and her resolve.

The Savage, an alien lifeform, has begun attacking humanity, with the Hundred being the only technological countermeasure capable of stopping them. Hayato Kisaragi, who survived an encounter with the Savage, has the highest compatibility rate with these weapons. As a result, he is enlisted into Little Garden, a prestigious military academy located on a battleship, to train and improve his skills. In the midst of his intense training, Hayato soon catches the interest of multiple female classmates and gets caught up in various incidents while fighting the creatures that now overrun Earth and threaten its security.

Hida Kizuna has the Heart Hybrid Gear (HHG) ability, but it is not strong enough to make him particularly significant. His older sister calls him to transfer to a strategic defense school, where many of the students—most of whom are large-breasted girls—use their HHG powers to fight invaders from another world while wearing extremely skimpy pilot outfits. Kizuna's own combat ability falls short, but his sister has a different plan: it turns out that having erotic experiences with Kizuna allows the girls to recharge their energy or increase their power. Clearly, his new school life is bound to be filled with embarrassment.

After some time has passed since student council president Ui Wakana and vice president Hayato Izumi became husband and wife through their parents' arrangement, the two continue to keep their unconventional relationship hidden from the public to avoid unwanted attention. Yet, they often misinterpret each other's intentions. As Ui and Hayato carry on with their duties in the school's student council and share moments at home, this unusual pair slowly begins to grow closer.

With the ongoing conflict against the Neuroi, a mysterious and hostile alien race wielding unmatched weaponry, spanning across Europe and Africa, a new combat unit is established. The 502nd Joint Fighter Wing, dubbed the Brave Witches, defends the eastern front, patrolling the frozen expanses of Orussia for extraterrestrial threats. One member sustains critical injuries before reaching the base, leaving her unfit for duty. Consequently, her sister, Hikari Karibuchi, steps in to fill the vacancy. Lacking unique talents or potent magic, she strives to meet her comrades' expectations and prove herself a worthy Witch.

Nene Nanakorobi, a cheerful full-body cyborg who yearns for global harmony, crosses paths with inventor Uzal Delilah aboard a cruise ship bound for the picturesque Cenancle Island. They quickly bond, along with Clarion, a feline combat android serving as Uzal’s pet. However, their budding friendship is tested when terrorists strike the island. To protect Uzal, Nene is gifted the Pandora Device extracted from Clarion, granting her the power to instantly master advanced abilities, though Uzal appears to perish in the process. Now, the duo embarks on missions ranging from rescuing children from mall fires to apprehending criminals, all in pursuit of world peace. Their journey is complicated by B.U.E.R, a sentient laser disguised as a distorted teddy bear whose lewd behavior and volatile power endanger their safety. Compounding the trouble, the brilliant inventor Takumi Korobase, who serves as Nene’s guardian, is obsessed with acquiring B.U.E.R. As Nene and Clarion struggle to safeguard the device from malicious forces while pursuing their utopian ideals, the immense pressure threatens to tear their newfound bond apart.