During the previous season, Made In Abyss took the anime world by storm. This gorgeous adventure show captured the hearts and imaginations of audiences, primarily due to the well-developed characters and the fascinating world. The Abyss is a massive hole stretching into the Earth which is inhabited by mysterious creatures and ancient artifacts. The surface dwellers have no clue how this seemingly bottomless pit came to be, as nobody has reached the lowest level. The White Whistles are legendary adventurers who form teams to explore the chasm. Unfortunately, some of their members are missing, prompting the young Riko to set out on her own to try and save her mother. At first, this seems like a fool’s errand, since the young girl does not have the experience or resources to descend the Abyss, but she catches a lucky break in the form of a young robotic boy named Regu. After they decide to join forces, the duo set out to explore the mysteries of the Abyss. Made In Abyss is a future classic. The gorgeous animation perfectly suits the whimsical but tense storyline, offering countless laughs and a few tears. The premise is similar to Girls’ Last Tour, as two younger children set out on a journey to learn the secrets of their world, with both series having a similar tone.

Imagine living in the outskirts of a war-torn country, one that is so desperate for soldiers, that even young girls are allowed to join the military. That is the setting presented in A-1 Pictures’ Sound of the Sky. At initial glance, Seize appears to be an idealistic town that allows its citizens to live out their days in peace. Unfortunately, it forms part of Helvetia, which is stuck in an ongoing war against the neighboring Roman Empire. If that was not bad enough, Seize is located right next to the border separating these two countries. One day, the young and lively Kanata Sorami applies to join the Helvetian platoon stationed in Seize and officially becomes part of the war. While some soldiers fight for their country’s honor, Kanata’s ambitions are slightly more innocent. As an avid fan of music, her primary motivation is to learn how to play the bugle, and she wants the Sergeant Major to be her teacher. Sound of the Sky is a slice of life series set in a surprisingly dark landscape. Similarly to Girls’ Last Tour, the episodes focus mostly on developing the relationships between the core characters, creating a light-hearted but surreal atmosphere. With a brilliant first episode that quickly establishes the tone of the series, this is worth watching for those who appreciate the more laid-back moments of White Fox’s anime.

Lerche is a reliable studio that gained a huge following due to the Ansatsu Kyoushitsu franchise. Their work tends to be brilliantly animated, with content suitable for a more mature audience. While comedy is constantly on the forefront throughout most of the studio’s shows, viewers can anticipate a few graphic depictions of violence and a slew of dramatic moments. School-Live! is no exception, as no other series in Lerche’s catalog melds slice of life hijinks and psychological horror to this extent. This is an anime that requires viewers to go in cold, as there are dozens of surprises hidden throughout the twelve episodes. In terms of content, School-Live! goes to darker places than Girls’ Last Tour, but the journey is rather similar. Yuki Takeya loves her school friends and wishes it will never come to an end. Unfortunately, things are far from perfect at Megurigaoka Private High School and Yuki’s optimistic nature constantly puts her in danger. Gakkougurashi! follows four friends as they try to make the best of a bad situation.

Studio 3Hz’s Flip Flappers is kind of insane. Although categorized as a sci-fi and adventure anime, the studio should be commended for the creativity exhibited throughout the series. The animation is vibrant and jumps off the screen, creating an almost psychedelic experience. Like Girls’ Last Tour, the story can feel incoherent at times and is not the main focus of Flip Flappers. Do not start this series expecting a strong narrative, as Studio 3Hz’s anime works best as an exploration of one’s emotions and imagination. Cocona is a middle-schooler with no real purpose. Disconnected from the people around her, this young girl is just drifting aimlessly from day to day. Things change when the enigmatic Papika crashes Cocona’s bubble, dragging the school-girl into the world of Pure Illusion. This dimension is not bound by our reality, with a dynamic environment that constantly changes from one visit to the next. While in this world, the duo gain supernatural powers to fight strange creatures who possess crystal shards. Flip Flappers is rather busy at times, as Studio 3Hz animated everything and the kitchen sink, but Papika and Cocona’s relationship is well-developed and engaging. Exploring themes of friendship and loneliness, this is an easy recommendation for those who love Girls’ Last Tour.

From all the anime mentioned on this list, Kino’s Journey holds the most obvious similarities with Girls’ Last Tour. Kino is traveling the world on her anthropomorphic motorcycle, as she goes from one country to the next. Spending only a few days in each area, the young girl learns what she can about the country’s people and their culture. With her bike Hermes, they experience both the world’s beauty and its darker underbelly. Maintaining their freedom throughout their many adventures, Kino and Hermes are on a journey of self-discovery. While a remake is currently airing, the original 2003 series is fantastic and worth tracking down. Kino and Hermes take on the role of passive viewers, as they do not judge the philosophical beliefs of the visited countries. Nearly every episode introduces a new area, creating an always present sense of discovery. The core relationship might be between a human and a bike, but their rapport is thought-provoking and relatable. Kino’s Journey is worth watching for any anime fan, but especially for those seeking something akin to Girls’ Last Tour. Prepare yourself for an unpredictable adventure which is not afraid to comment on social issues, while still providing an enjoyable and easy to digest overall experience.

Once in awhile, it is nice to watch something a bit more light-hearted. Kemono Friends aired earlier this year and is directed towards a younger audience, although most people should be able to enjoy it. Japari Park is a strange paradise and home to many different races of humanoid animals called Friends. Their days are spent exploring their natural habitat and just having fun. One day, Serval discovers a new type of Friend named Kaban. Unfortunately, this mysterious young girl is unaware of what type of creature she is, so the two set on a journey spanning the entire Japari Park. Going from habitat to habitat, the Park Library serves as their final destination, since it might hold the key to learning something about Kaban’s identity. Kemono Friends does not tackle serious themes like loneliness and depression, instead opting for a more comedic and blissful tone. Kaban and Serval share an interesting relationship, that is similar to Chito and Yuuri’s dynamic from Girls’ Last Tour. There is also a sense of mystery surrounding Kaban’s identity, and Japari Park is a fascinating place to explore. Kemono Friends is best for those who enjoyed the core friendship and sense of adventure in White Fox’s anime.

Junichi is a high school virgin determined to lose “it.” He decides the best way to accomplish his goal is to ask out Yame, a girl in his class who could be considered a Gal or Gyaru. A Gal is often defined as a girl with bleached or dyed hair, painted nails, heavy makeup and often, even if unjustly, she is considered a woman of loose morals. He, lacking in confidence, is surprised when she says yes to his confession and agrees to go out with him. Junichi is even more surprised that despite her image as a Gal, she is far more innocent than she lets on. The mismatched couple then begins a journey of firsts that is quickly complicated by the quick addition of three more girls to the mix. My First Girlfriend is a Gal has many similarities with My Girlfriend is a Shobitch. First, both are ecchi comedies. You will find each episode filled with lewd jokes, panty shots and bouncing boobs. The two shows are also about how inexperience can make things awkward in your first relationship. Yame may be able to flirt and hang out with boys and even talk about sex, but she seems inexperienced in actually having a relationship. Junichi is even worse. He is nervous to talk about relationship stuff and constantly feels inadequate because of his virginity. Despite her lewd comments, we know Akiho is a virgin and has never been in a relationship. One of the alternative translations of the title is “My Girlfriend is a Virgin-Bitch.” Junichi and Haruka are both typical inadequate male protagonists with little experience in love. It’s just with Haruka, he seems to have some maturity and acts as the straight man for the gags. The two anime play on the same themes of inexperience and that adage of those who talk about it don’t and those who do, don’t talk.

Hayato Izumi is a good student. He is well-behaved, conservative, and vice president of the Student Council. The president of the Student Council is Ui Wakana, a liberal girl advocating free love, sex ed, and handing out condoms, is wildly popular with the student body. Hayato, as he finds out after the election, is also betrothed to Ui. The ever-liberal Ui moves in to Hayato’s home and does everything she can to get closer to her future husband. A harem comedy ensues with Hayato as the straight man as he and Ui try to explore their relationship at home and avoid being found out by the school morality committee. My Wife is the Student Council President and My Girlfriend is a Shobitch have a few similarities, the least of which is shock value. My Girlfriend is a Shobitch is tame compared to My Wife is Student Council President, which is definitely a late-night anime with simulated sex scenes and fluids. The lead characters are also similar; the male protagonists playing the straight men while the female leads have their heads in the gutter. The female leads also live double lives, too. They are both considered highly responsible and beautiful girls at their schools while their demeanors change at home. In both stories, the girls take after their mothers who are also a little liberal and sex-obsessed. The length of My Wife is Student Council President is much shorter than Shobitch at only eight minutes of run time, but as we know size doesn’t matter as much as how you use it. You are guaranteed to like My Wife is the Student Council President if you like My Girlfriend is a Shobitch–at least if you don’t blush easily.

Yoshiko is a moron. She is one of the dumbest people on the planet and she has the test scores to prove it. Yet, she doesn’t care. She embraces her idiocy and lives her life from one moment to the next looking for fun. She deeply cares about three things: having fun, her childhood friend Akuru “A-kun” Akutsu, and bananas. Yoshiko is also fortunate that for some reason A-kun has become her keeper. A-kun is a super-responsible guy, an excellent student and–according to Yoshiko¬–her future husband whether he wants it or not. The anime is filled with one punchline after another in its 12-minute run, many of them involving zany antics and double entendre. Aho Girl’s zaniness is definitely a similarity that it and My Girlfriend is a Shobitch have in common. Also, on more than one occasion in both shows, the main female lead offers to show her panties to the boy she desires. We have very similar joke-telling styles with a lot of sight gags and verbal sparring. The situations the male lead is dragged into by the girl that seems to lack common sense also happens at regular intervals. We even have a bit of harem plot, though it’s not exactly the point of either show. The two shows are both very similar in the fast pace of the jokes and the overall pacing of the shows. You may lose a few brain cells from Aho Girl but will truly enjoy its ecchi and silly sense of humor.

A blended family in anime isn’t exactly new territory. You have the father of a son marry the mother of a daughter and the romantic comedy begins between step-siblings. The plot of this anime only gets slightly more complicated, well okay, a lot more complicated. Mitsuki, the daughter, has a fear of her new family due to having an abusive father in the past so she keeps her distance from her step-brother. A ghost named Hiyori who is in love with Mitsuki’s step-bother Yuuya attaches herself to Mitsuki. The ghost is certain that she can’t pass on because her love remains unrequited. You add in Hiyori’s repeated temporary possession of Mitsuki in attempts to act on her feelings and you’ve got a really confused Yuuya getting some really mixed signals. The plots may be dissimilar with My Girlfriend is a Shobitch considered slice-of-life and Recently, My Sister is Unusual is fantasy, yet they do share some characteristics and they’re mainly ecchi. On many occasions in both programs we get panty shots, or chastity belt shots in the case of Recently, My Sister is Unusual. The male protagonist in My Girlfriend is a Shobitch plays the straight man and is a rather caring individual. Yuuya in Recently, My Sister is Unusual is also kind and caring and trying to understand the problems with his new little sister. He doesn’t consider his step-sister a romantic prospect but, like Haruka in My Girlfriend is a Shobitch, he is often caught up in risqué situations not of his own making. We admit the two titles seem very different but are sure if you enjoy that antics of Akiho and Haruka you’ll truly enjoy the strange relationship of Yuuya the responsible brother, Hiyori the sex-obsessed ghost, and the shy, bashful Mitsuki.

Seiji has led a pretty normal life. He’s an okay student, doesn’t make trouble and even has a crush. His world is tossed into disarray when a cupid named Guri shows up at his door and begs for a kiss. She tells him she’ll die if he doesn’t kiss her within the next 24 hours. He eventually kisses her and becomes bonded to her and her mission to match up couples. She carries a notebook called a “Kiss Note” and, similar to its more sinister namesake, if you write any two names in the book the pair become a couple. Seiji decides to finally make a move on his crush Akane Hiyama and to his surprise she returns his feelings. To his even greater surprise when she finds out he had kissed Guri, Akane reveals she is a total yandere. She is obsessive, violent, and not willing to let anyone else have him even if it means killing him to prevent it. We know, sounds fun, doesn’t it? We are once again comparing two dissimilar genres one with a fantasy element and the other one slice-of-life, though we could argue that any show that involves girls willingly showing you their panties in school is actually fantasy. The anime My Girlfriend is a Shobitch and Love Tyrant both have male main characters that bear the brunt of most of the jokes. In Love Tyrant, it’s often blunt force trauma. We have female lead in both stories that flaunts their sexuality when it comes to the main character. Akane and Akiho both offer themselves up on multiple occasions to their heart’s desire. We also have a lot of physical humor in both shows. The overtly sexual humor of My Girlfriend is a Shobitch showing panties, bras, boobs and lewd positions takes a less prominent role in Love Tyrant with its stabbings, bludgeonings, and near-death experiences. It’s not to say that there aren’t any classic ecchi scenes in My Girlfriend is a Shobitch, we just get a different mix. The two shows share the tags of ecchi and comedy, so if you want to laugh at some NSFW humor they’re both great options.

The future Japan in this anime really has a stick up its butt. A strict set of morality laws have attempted to cleanse the nation of all impure thoughts. The thoughts are monitored by the mandated devices worn around the necks of the populace that trigger alarms if anyone thinks dirty thoughts. Tanuchichi Okuma is growing up in this world and has always wanted to walk the straight and narrow so he can get close to his crush Anna Nishiknomiya, the student council president. He is eventually dragged into a subversive organization called SOX by the student council vice president, Ayame Kajou a.k.a. the terrorist known as Blue Snow. The goal of SOX is to launch an assault against the government’s oppressive rule by spreading obscene materials. Shimoneta and My Girlfriend is a Shobitch both try to push the boundaries of what is considered appropriate. Shimoneta has a group dedicated to pushing back against an oppressive regime while in My Girlfriend is a Shobitch the boundaries of appropriateness are crossed in sometimes innocent ways. Ayama is intentionally flaunting the accepted norms and values while Akiho just doesn’t seem to recognize that there are boundaries. The two shows do their best to bring the shock value by making jokes that give you the urge to do a spit take, though in both of these shows you can imagine what would happen the main character did a spit take (insert lewd graphic here). You are watching both of these shows because of their dirty jokes. You know what they’re going to say and show and though your mother might wash your mouth out with soap for saying similar things, you still listen intently and laugh.

Made in Abyss takes place in an environment surrounding a ginormous chasm called the Abyss. The mysteries circulating this magnificent place have drawn many to study its history. Brave and courageous individuals known as Divers are incredibly bold explorers who take great risk in sharing their findings with others. The White Whistles are some of the many famed and legendary Divers, highly recognized figures in society. Moving along, we run into a legacy White Whistle named Riko, a girl who wants to be just like her mom. As she explores, Riko bumps into a boy-like robot named Reg. Reg is lost, needs her help, and must recover technology in an area Riko isn’t permitted to explore. As the two proceed deeper into the Abyss, they both discover something very unlikely about the Abyss’ overall existence. Made in Abyss and Children of the Whales are two exciting tales about exploring mysterious and unfamiliar worlds. The inquisitiveness of our characters is illuminated, and as we journey with our friends in unearthing the secrets behind these diverse cultures and landscapes, we are able to see that what they learn can greatly affect present society. Additionally, the animation in both anime is absolutely gorgeous, capturing breathtaking and serene environments.  

Shinsekai yori (From the New World) follows humanity into the future, as the population has transformed into a utopian society. We observe that psychic humans are now able to live peacefully because they’ve put aside their violent ways. During that tumultuous time, many power-wielders used their abilities to oppress others. Overcoming this revolt, the citizens have once and for all escaped this savagery. Further into the story, in the town of Kamisu 66, we notice 12-year-old Saki Watanabe, a young girl who has just awakened to her powers. Joining her friends at Sage Academy, Saki questions those who have not come into their powers yet, delving into the mysteries behind this circumstance. Moreover, rumors and secrets surround her community, shaking the core of this newly claimed utopia. Both of these anime's stories center on exceptional teenagers with great abilities and intellect, characters inhabiting a mysterious civilization that appears serene, but later exposes dark and shocking secrets. Shinsekai yori and Children of the Whales reflect on what it means to grow up in a society newly emerging from a rocky infrastructure. Furthermore, each story is engaging in similar fashion, with building and twisting plot-lines.

Taking place in the distant future, Kaze no Tani no Nausicaä or Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind captures the story of a civilization continuing to suffer from the aftershock of a nuclear catastrophe. Although a resilient society, the result of the “Seven Days of Fire” remains threatening to their world because the ecosystem has drastically transformed the region into a destructive force bent on consuming the rest of humanity. At the edge of this dangerous jungle rests a peaceful farming kingdom known as the "Valley of the Wind." Kind and captivating, Princess Nausicaä is hard at work trying to keep hostiles at bay, in all forms, in order for her Valley to remain undisturbed and tranquil. Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind and Children of the Whales are two extremely beautiful animations, expressing real world conflicts hidden beneath a palette of light and airy colors. Taking place post apocalypse, or very close to it, these worlds are emerging from instability, but demonstrate that positivity, strength, and will power are a few qualities to help citizens gain their sense of virtue.

Humanity long ago used to live in the seas, granting them the ability to breathe underwater. However, as many migrated to the surface, the population lost that gift. As time went on, surface dwellers and underwater folk grew to despise one another. In Nagi no Asukara, we watch the lives of a group of friends living in this underwater village. Companions Hikari, Manaka, Chisaki, and Kaname are faced with the shutdown of their school, forcing them to study on the surface. Throughout the series, these four friends are thrust into this environment, learning to deal with the challenges of living among people on the surface. On top of this, these young adults must conquer the challenges of personal growth and obstacles. Falling under the fantasy and drama genres, A Lull in the Sea and Children of the Whales display very similar picturesque surroundings, as artists truly want their viewers to experience and imagine what it would be like to exist in these environments. Our characters in both anime are faced with epic changes surrounding their home, forced to dive into the conflict in order to produce results on a grand scale. Strong, determined and dedicated, we love our main characters’ compelling nature.

Shuumatsu Nani Shitemasu ka? Isogashii desu ka? Sukutte Moratte Ii desu ka? or SukaSuka, as it’s commonly known, is an anime about Willem Kmetsch, who leaves his home behind to battle creatures called “Beasts.” Beasts have emerged from the depths of the earth, thus threatening mankind’s livelihood. In the midst of battle, Willem unfortunately plunges into ice. Five hundred years later, we find Willem again, as the only survivor of humanity. Banding together with other surviving races, Willem finds sanctuary on an island in the sky, still fearing the Beasts on the land below. One day, Willem is tasked with being a weapons keeper, later realizing that these weapons are actually Leprechauns. Regarding themselves as disposable means to end conflict, Willem takes a liking to these Leprechauns, caring for them and showing them that life overall is more valuable when it does not involve conflict and violence. When comparing SukaSuka to Children of the Whales, we observe our characters living in unique and robust fantasy worlds, both marvelous and stunning. The main characters, Willem from SukaSuka and Lykos from Children of the Whales, have recovered into timelines far advanced from their own and must learn to adjust to the challenges of present day. Even though our MCs are afflicted with circumstances that decrease their life expectancy, this quality does not change their craving for adventure. Filled with comedy and action, these two anime will not fail you!

Hai to Gensou no Grimgar accounts the tale of a group of strangers, who without any recollection of their prior lives are stranded with the resolve of participating as soldiers in the Reserve Army. Their responsibility in this battle is to eliminate any threat to their new world called Grimgar. Unfamiliar in their surroundings and forced to become warriors, their game like environment becomes real life or death when our soldiers are dealt with no do-overs or game reset. In comparison, Grimgar and Children of the Whales portray the elements of beauty and despair, as our characters are depicted heroically and virtuously. Delicate and light animation accompanied with a quaint and radiant soundtrack, both anime offer a unique story followed by a riveting message to ponder on once the series are completed. See for yourself what they both reveal.

Shuu is a rather perplexing character who gets introduced later in the story and is Misaki’s best friend going back to middle school. She is also the granddaughter of the creator of the Yukari Law, the law that codified government matchmaking. She is a genius and may become the ministry’s head one day. She is devoted to Misaki and is obsessed with her happiness, so much so it appears that she might be the reason Misaki hasn’t yet received her notice. She has a pretty cold attitude towards people in general. Shuu’s opinion on the Yukari Law, as demonstrated by her willingness to hack the system for Misaki, might not be in lockstep with the government. She needs to be honest with herself, her family and the government, explaining to them that the system has flaws and that sometimes nature knows best. We do think if she waits until she is in power she would be more effective at taking on the system.

Kagetsu Ichijou is one of the social workers at the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, the agency that monitors the Yukari Law and distributes the marriage notifications. She’s also the caseworker for Yukari Nejima and Ririna Sanada. She seems to be happy with her life and her assigned partner, yet spends her days with her old boyfriend from high school as partners at work. When you see the two together they have a comfort with one and other that generally only happens with extremely good friends or lovers. She and her partner, Motoi Yajima, met first in elementary school, grew closer in middle school where they started dating, and then only broke up when she turned 16 and received her Yukari Notice. Kagetsu needs to honest with herself about her partner. Who would she rather be with, her best friend or the guy she says she loves that the state picked out for her?

Motoi Yajima is Kagetsu’s partner at the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare. He and Kagetsu were the ones to inform Yukari and Ririna that they were partnered by the Yukari Law. Kagetsu and Motoi first meet when they are in elementary school when they’re both left behind during a field trip. The two meet up again when they seek shelter from a rain storm in middle school. Kagetsu got her match at 16 and told him that she’d reject her assigned partner if Motoi agreed to marry her. He couldn’t recognize that fate was pushing him toward Kagetsu. As a 16-year-old, Motoi isn’t very confident, declines her proposal and lets the government to make the choice for him. We can tell in his body language that he regrets not saying yes. Kagetsu is his partner at work and from what we gather he has a loveless marriage which only reinforces the fact that the red string of science was wrong. Motoi needs to be honest with himself even though it’s inconvenient, considering he works for the agency overseeing the Yukari law, and that he loves Kagetsu, his best friend and partner. He needs to take a stand and confess. She may shoot him down this time but it’s better than holding those feelings in. We think he feels that using science to direct matters of the heart might be a bit arrogant and not always work. It’s as Vonnegut said, “She was a fool, and so am I and so is anyone who thinks he sees what God is doing.”

“[We]… are forever searching for love in forms it never takes, in places it never can be. It must have something to do with the vanished frontier,” another Vonnegut quote that in many ways can sum up Yuusuke’s struggle in Love and Lies. Yuusuke is Yukari Nejima’s closest male friend. He is also a friend of Misaki Takasaki, the girl that Yukari Nejima is in love with. We don’t know much about his relationship with Misaki but imagine that they could be assigned partners -- it’s never disclosed. Yukari believes that Yuusuke is in love with Misaki but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Yuusuke is often considered somewhere between aloof and on guard and not that approachable. But he’s different when he is with Yukari; he’s much more relaxed and open. His relationship with his “best friend” is exactly what he needs to be honest about (though it seems like Misaki knows already); he is in love with Yukari. He probably fell for Yukari when, like a white knight, he rescued Yuusuke from a bully at cram school. We understand saying it, committing to it, and coming out as a homosexual has all sorts of other ramifications in this world where the government is taking on a massive social engineering project to just raise birth rates. We are given little information on whether homosexuality is a crime in this universe, but we can imagine it would be taboo and probably carries the same social and economic penalties faced by people who reject the matchmaking system. But Yuusuke still needs to be honest with himself. He needs to let himself be who he is and know that it’s okay to love Yukari. We even get a hint that Yukari might not be against the idea either. He’s constantly getting closer to Yukari but at the same time seeing Yukari move closer to Misaki and Ririna and further from him.

Misaki is a one of the more complex characters in Love and Lies. On the outside she seems like the average young woman who is outgoing and friendly to everyone. She is also very kind. It was an act of kindness toward Yukari Nejima in elementary school that made him fall for her. She has a somewhat odd relationship with Yuusuke, a relationship that seems to have some serious undertones that we aren’t clear about. We are pretty sure that she knows Yuusuke is in love with Yukari. She and Yukari Nejima eventually confess to one another on the eve of him getting his notice. The two decide that despite him having an assigned partner that they would continue their relationship. Misaki also tends to take the lead, pulling Yukari aside in hallways and broom closets for intense make-out sessions. She also develops a friendship Ririna Sanada, the girl that has been assigned to her lover, Yukari. Misaki becomes good friends with both of her rivals and has moods that tend to swing between passion to the point of willing to buck the system and resignation that she and Yukari will have to break it off. We’d guess she has some sort of issue because she says she hasn’t gotten her notice, despite it being long past the time she received one. We are left to think if there is some sort of reason, possibly medical, keeping her from the selection. Misaki just needs to be honest with herself and those around her. If she wants Yukari Nejima, she has to say so and fight for him and not treat it like a temporary thing. She has to tell the other rivals to back off and they can find their own love stories, for in the words of Vonnegut: “There is love enough in this world for everybody, if people will just look.”

Ririna is the marriage partner assigned by the Yukari Law to Yukari Nejima. The two had never had any contact until after they got their notifications. Ririna is a little socially awkward. She confesses she’d never had a friend before and is a bit of a bookworm and very naïve. Her knowledge seems to mainly come from books, especially what she knows of love and romance. When she realizes that Yukari and Misaki care for each other, she wants to find a way to help them stay together. Ririna is a little sensitive, most likely from not being well socialized at a youngster due to being hospitalized as a child. The rest of the characters seem as though they might be ready for the beginnings of a relationship that could lead to marriage. Ririna, on the other hand, may not be emotionally equipped to truly understand what love is. She really needs to be honest with herself about being in over her head. Her childlike qualities, no matter how endearing, are a big impediment to her relationships. She also needs to admit that even if she is developing a crush on Yukari, it’s probably because he’s the first boy she’s really spent any time with. Ririna has to face the facts: she is pretty, from a wealthy family, and won’t have a problem finding a match in the future. She also needs to face the truth that Misaki and Yukari should be together and realize she won’t be penalized (since she’s a girl) if she breaks off the engagement.

Yukari Nejima is the protagonist of the story. He is a shy kid who walks and stands with a slouch, showing he doesn’t have much confidence in himself. He has also been in love with Misaki since they were in elementary school. He summons all his confidence the day before his 16th birthday, when he would get an assigned partner notification, to confess to Misaki. The two are ecstatic to realize that their feelings are reciprocated. The happiness lasts for less than a minute because immediately following the confessions he gets a text message, a message that makes them both even happier. The Yukari Law notification states that they are to be each other’s partner. The notice then glitches out and two social workers appear and give him the address of another person, Ririna. He and Ririna don’t exactly hit it off so he Misaki and Ririna decide that he and Misaki should continue their relationship. The relationships get more and more tangled from there. Yukari Nejima doesn’t take one truly proactive step in the story, instead he’s pushed along by the other, stronger personalities in the show, namely Ririna and Misaki and Yuusuke. He needs to be honest and commit. He is constantly afraid of what might happen if he makes a choice between Ririna and Misaki. We’d be fine with this decision if he was a harem protagonist, but he isn’t. Yukari needs to stick to his guns and prove that he’s truly worthy of his lover by breaking off the engagement and marrying Misaki. He doesn’t have to worry about Ririna. She will understand and approve with her overly romantic sensibilities about love.

Kyon, who once believed in the supernatural, is now a typical high school student at North High. Upon meeting Haruhi Suzumiya, however, he discovers how interested in time travelers, espers, and aliens she really is. He accidentally inspires Haruhi to form her own club because of her disinterest in the other ones; the result is the SOS Brigade’s birth, a club whose specialty is everything about the supernatural. Much to his dismay, Kyon and a few others are recruited as members who happen to be a bit abnormal themselves. We follow the crazy adventures of these four; Kyon, Itsuki Koizumi, Mikuru Asahina, and Yuki Nagato, as they follow their eccentric leader, Haruhi. The story is told from Kyon's viewpoint and his commentary on the events that revolve around their little club; his personality pushes the narrative positively and illustrates the relationships between the characters. Like Inou-Battle, all the supernatural powers are realistic, but it’s a little more complicated. Haruhi’s ability allows her to alter reality and is what causes all of this mischief in their lives, although she herself isn’t aware of her powers. The plot is one that’s continuous with each individual arc focusing on a specific incident; this, along with great characters, well-executed comedy, and exceptional storytelling is what makes Haruhi Suzumiya so iconic and loved by fans. The plot is a bit confusing and does take time to understand at first, but is worth the time investment. It may not be for everyone, but if you liked the characters and antics in Inou-Battle, then this anime will deliver, along with a little more. The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya Trailer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUQGttmjyMI

First-year high schooler Koutarou Satomi must find a cheap apartment for himself due to his father's job relocation. He jumps at the chance to move into room 106 of the Corona House because of the cheap pricing; a measly 5000 yen a month. Everything starts fine until he stumbles upon a mysterious cave while working at his part-time job. The following night, he's visited by five otherworldly and supernatural girls who each want his room for different purposes. Now, Koutarou and the girls are forced to live together and settle on who claims room 106. Rokujyoma is the closest to Inou-Battle with genres and presentation. It has a great cast and unique interactions, although it does harem elements to help push its narrative. Like most harem anime, every few episodes will focus on one heroine along with progressing the overall story; what makes this method work well with character development is you get more insight into the heroine’s personality versus only having them there to fill a harem checklist. Some do it well while others fail, and we can safely say Rokujyoma does a pretty good job. The comedy is good and doesn't heavily rely on fan service, there's genuine romance, and the slice-of-life is relaxing; all of which makes Rokujyoma worth the watch. This is a perfect fit if you want an anime that's closely like Inou-Battle. The harem is quite enjoyable, especially when compared to most harem anime, and has great characters with well-thought development – there’s a girl for everyone to like, too.

Supernatural beings, called phantoms, were thought to be a superstition, until recently. A virus that infects the brain has spread throughout society, changing everyone's perception of the world and revealing that these phantoms have lived alongside mankind all along. It has also granted the next generation special abilities to fight against the more dangerous phantoms. Haruhiko Ichijou and Mai Kawakami, along with phantom Ruru and a few more that join later, form Team E of Hosea Academy and dedicate their time to dealing with mischievous beings. This is a story where the real and surreal intertwine. This one is heavy on the supernatural, especially when comparing it to the anime on this list. What makes this one stand out is the art, which is to be expected from Kyoto Animation. Every scene is packed with vibrant, beautiful colors and complements the designs of the characters and phantoms. Characters aren't anything special or developed well in comparison to others, but they can still be likable. Like Inou-Battle, Phantom World is an episodic and light-hearted series one can watch without too many worries. Not very strong with its plot, but its strengths are in the action, comedy, and characters - including the harem elements. One similar concept between the two is that Phantom World has the characters actively involved with the supernatural; Inou-Battle does the opposite. In comparison to everything on this list, this one may be a hit or miss for some; but, that doesn't mean Phantom World isn’t entertaining. Keep an open mind and you'll find this to be an enjoyable, casual watch.

He may seem like a normal and handsome teenager, but Yuu Otosaka has a secret: the ability to control a person’s body for five seconds. He's been using his ability to cheat his way into a prestigious high school. When Nao Tomori catches Yuu using his powers, she forces him and his sister, Ayumi, into transferring to Hoshinoumi Academy, a school housing many students with special abilities like Yuu. The student council is tasked with finding adolescents who abuse their powers and keep them in check. Yuu is coerced into joining the student council by Tomori, and together, they face challenges that bring him closer to realizing how powerful his ability truly is. Compared to Inou-Battle, this anime is more serious with a narrative that starts light and slowly becomes more significant as time progresses. Charlotte places heavy emphasis on its supernatural concepts due to its importance for the plot. The individual abilities are unique, with each having a handicap that limits their use. This creates many situations where use of their powers turns into a comedic moment. This anime does use comedy and light-hearted moments to brighten the mood and overall atmosphere of the plot, which is a nice welcome if you want to watch a different approach compared to Inou-Battle. The humor puts a smile on your face as you watch these characters learn more about their abilities, the world around them, and the struggles they face. If you want to watch anime that’s like Inou-Battle, but with a more serious outlook, then Charlotte is for you. Be ready for when the plot switches gears as you will be hit by the feels - the creators of this anime are the same people who made Angel Beats.

Yuuta Togashi used to have chuunibyou, believing he owned superpowers and referred to himself as the “Dark Flame Master”. He considers his past embarrassing and decides to enter a high school where nobody knows him, avoiding anyone that could possibly know of his background. Rikka Takanashi is a girl who still suffers from chuunibyou and learns of Yuuta’s past, becoming entangled into his new high school lifestyle, whether he wanted it or not. A heartwarming story of high school students and delusions of grandeur begins. All the imaginative fight scenes look beautiful and make up a good portion of the entertainment; like in Inou-Battle, characters like to stage supernatural fights, although in Chuunibyou’s case, the delusional one is the lead female. There may not be any real superpowers, but that doesn't take away from this anime’s characters and story. It’s fun watching their interactions and view their growth as the series progresses. The plot is more important in comparison with Inou-Battle, but isn’t gloomy or heavily emotional like Charlotte; the story prefers a more normal and cute approach, which is a good decision and adds to its charm. Love watching characters act silly and then grow as people? Chunibyo will do just that and additionally provide funny, cute moments that will be memorable; a perfect fit if that’s what you loved about Inou-Battle.

The lifestyle of Ken Sugisaki, vice president of the student council, is one to be envied, or so he wishes to believe. In Hekiyou Academy, members of the student council are elected by popular vote, but one additional position is granted to the student with the highest exam scores. Ken worked hard to join the student council, his ultimate goal of creating his own harem; unfortunately, things don’t go as planned. They consistently rebuke his advances and would rather focus on activities that a student council should be doing. This won't stop Ken from chasing his dreams, though, however trivial they may seem. Like Inou-Battle, the setting and plot take place in a club room, where all the shenanigans and entertainment occur. Compared to the many harem series out there that use a similar approach, Seitokai no Ichizon is one that tells its story differently, making the experience a unique one. The plot description doesn't do the anime justice and may paint it as a stereotypical harem; this isn't the case, however. Ken may be weird and obnoxious like Andou, but there’s a good reason why he’s obstinate on this harem fantasy and it's a lot more personal and humbling than you think. Also, all of the characters are quirky and have defining characteristics that make them amazing to watch; the fun they have together in their lives is one to be envied - like wishing you had supernatural powers of your own. Not only do they have fun, but we see them grow and watch as they appreciate the moments they spend together. Seitokai no Ichizon has a good amount of humor, slice-of-life features, and harem elements that should remind you of Inou-Battle and the nonsense that happens in their club. Also, If you want to see a harem done differently, whether or not you like how the genre is done normally, then this recommendation works even more.

Seventeen-year-old Sagara Yoshiharu suddenly finds himself inside of his favorite video game, Nobunaga’s Ambition. It’s a historic video game revolving around the conquests of Oda Nobunaga, a significant daimyo largely responsible for giving birth to a unified Japan. The only catch is that in this game world, the role of Nobunaga goes to a young woman named Nobuna, and she’s quite the feisty Princess. If that weren’t enough, her most trusted generals and advisers are cute, young girls as well! After Yoshiharu saves Nobuna’s life, she appoints him to serve in her court of advisers. Yoshiharu realizes how important of a role she plays in forming a strong nation and becomes her oracle of sorts, always keeping her on the right path, no matter what perils lie ahead. Oda Nobuna ultimately ends up developing a crush on Yoshiharu, who she (somewhat affectionately) refers to as ‘Monkey’. The intensity of battle only fortifies this attraction, and he begins to have romantic feelings toward her as well. The way that Monkey and Nobuna can distribute and efficiently control their armies resemble the way that the Lord Marksman and Lady Eleonora trust each other while on the battlefield. They both use strategic techniques to turn the tides of war so that victory can be secured with minimal loss to their own numbers. Lord Marksman and Vanadis, and The Ambition of Oda Nobuna both have scenes where they demonstrate that, sometimes, mental prowess can be more valuable than physical power. Oda Nobuna no Yabou is quite an enjoyable amalgamate of history meeting fantasy.

When the oppressive, corrupt monarchy imposes an impossibly high tax on his starving village, country boy Tatsumi sets out on a journey to the capital city in order to join the military. He pledges to save his hungry village from a slow death by earning money as an enlisted officer. Life, however, has other plans - plans like refusing his military application, conning him out of his life savings, and leaving him to sleep out on the streets. And just when you think he has caught a lucky break, he ends up witnessing a hit being carried out by the infamous assassin group, Night Raid. Having seen “a little too much,” Tatsumi is left with only two options- join the revolutionary band of assassins in their fight against the tyrannical government, or be executed on the spot. The life of an assassin is not an easy one; the risk of death comes with each and every assignment, and to make matters worse, your friends and family could potentially be in danger as well. Regardless of the danger, he still has a starving village to support, and so Tatsumi takes the job. This anime takes place in a similar fantasy setting as Lord Marksman and Vanadis, not to mention that it has a decent amount of ecchi as well. Much like the war maidens of LMaV, some of the assassins in Akame Ga Kill use oversized uber-weapons to take out multiple targets or to duel with a powerful enemy. Akame is the romantic interest in the story, and keeps to the loose theme of sparing the main character's life before he joins their organization on an adventure. Even though Akame isn't the leader, the boss (appropriately named "The Boss") is a strong female character in a leadership position, much like Lady Elen.

High school mega-pervert Issei Hyoudou finally scores a date with a girl! Everything seems to be going great until she reveals her true form as a fallen angel, whips out a magical spear of light, and turns him into a human shish-kebab. As he lay fatally bleeding out on the ground, Rias Gremory, the most beautiful, popular (and not to mention well-endowed) girl in his high school appears before him and saves his life. It does, however, come at a great cost -he is turned into a devil and he becomes a servant to the House of Gremory; -one of five servants to be precise-, comprised of students from his high school. Issei learns that he must battle against other devils, angels, and fallen angels to defend the House of Gremory. In Lord Marksman and Vanadis, the critical War Maidens act much like the ‘evil pieces’ in High School DxD, each one moves with a purpose and have ultra-powerful weapons. While High School DxD doesn’t take place in an all-out fantasy world, it does have some elements of one. Both main characters were pretty much dead to rights within the first half of the first episode, but lucky for them, a strong female character prevented them from dying. Both Issei and Tigre have legendary weapons that can actually communicate with them. Both main characters are considered owned, in service to, or otherwise belong to the female leader. Both Rias and Eleonora Vitaria practically fall in love with the main character at first sight, and as their bond strengthens through teamwork, so too does their romance. In both anime, there is corruption and infighting between houses/territories on the same side, while simultaneously fighting the established enemy army. Strategy is an important aspect in both stories. LMaV uses traditional military maneuvers to deceive, entrap, and outsmart the enemy. DxD assigns combat unit roles to support their own units as well as to counter, distract, and disrupt their opponents.

Arslan is a young prince with a promising future of becoming his nation’s leader. He has been trained by the finest generals and scholars in order to prepare for such a task. His father, King Andragoras of the Parse Empire, orders Arslan to lead the front lines in the offensive against an opposing empire, Lusitania. Unfortunately, the battle quickly spirals out of control, which results in heavy and unnecessary losses for the Parse Empire because of a turncoat general. With a majority of the Parsian army slaughtered, the balance of power upset, and the King missing, Arslan has no choice but to flee into foreign territory. Though this might seem like the end for Arslan, it is merely the beginning because Arslan intends to take back his empire with the help of a few very influential friends. If you’re looking for more large scale battles like in Lord Marksman and Vanadis, then check out The Heroic Legend of Arslan. Even though it takes place in a different region of the world, it still occurs during a medieval period, keeping in line with the traditional fantasy theme. On top of that, themes of betrayal and corruption are present in the Parse Empire as well as in LMaV.

We’ve all seen it before a Hero embarks on an epic quest to save humanity by defeating the Demon King. But what happens when the Hero finally gets to the castle and the Demon King is kind of, well… a hot girl? And she also has a total crush on him. As if it couldn’t get any weirder, she then proposes to the Hero that the pair of them work together. The hard truth is that war is good for the economy -it cuts down on overpopulation, helps increase the circulation of certain goods, gives the nation a united purpose, increases government spending, etc. And nobody knows that better than the nobles and merchants. It’s also incredibly easy to prolong the war when you have a corrupt government who has placed a profit margin above the value of their citizen’s lives. The Hero and The Demon King make a contract to dissolve the war and to romantically belong to each other. Maoyuu Mao Yuusha and Lord Marksman and Vanadis share a similar romantic aspect of the main character not plunging headfirst into a relationship. In fact, both leads seem very hesitant to embrace the love interest’s advances -at least; at first- but eventually they come around. Like most of the anime on this list, Archenemy and Hero takes place in an environment akin to Lord Marksman and Vanadis. Even though Archenemy and Hero lacks the violence and bloodshed of its counterpart, it still remains comparable, both in story and in setting.

Ryner Lute possesses a rare magical ability called Alpha Stigma which allows him to comprehend all types of magic instantaneously. While a student at Roland Empire’s Magician Academy, he befriends another student named Sion Astal, and together, they pledge to make their nation (and the world) a better place. Many years later, Sion becomes the King of Roland, and with assistance from a girl named Ferris Eris, Ryner hunts down legendary items around the world. Even though some of these Relics of Heroes have destructive power, King Sion believes that they can be used for good instead of evil. The world of Madan no Ou to Vanadis feels a lot like The Legend of Legendary Heroes. People of the land are going through uncertain times as war permeates their everyday life; and to make matters worse, the kingdom is rife with corruption. As war wages on, the heroes must use their unique abilities and magic weapons to ensure victory during battle. The stakes can’t get much higher, with the fate of the entire nation in the hands of a brave few.

Long before Seiji Mishima became famous for directing the 2003 Full Alchemist and Gundam 00, he had Generator Gawl. In the year 2007, scientists have fully uncovered the mysteries of the human genome with the hopes of bringing out the best in humanity’s potential, but instead, it opens a catastrophic Pandora’s box destroying the future. However, three young scientists named Gawl, Ryo and Koji go back in time in order to save their world but they are followed by Saito, a mad scientist who wants to keep the future the way it is. The only way for Gawl to stop them is to use his power as a Generator, the very same power that ruins the future. Though both series deal with young men who have genetically infused superpowers whose origins come from the villains they face, Generator Gawl expresses more comedic traits and has a more optimistic tone. Though Sho’s world in Guyver is darker, both he and Gawl share similar qualities in their motivations of wanting to protect the people they care about. When Gawl transforms into his Generator form, like Sho as Guyver, he displays feats of strength and both series do a great job of showcasing the toll the transformations can take on them physically. So if you want something less violent and more lighthearted, Generator Gawl is a must see for 90’s anime lovers.

In this modern Tatsunoko hit, Karas is an anime where humans and ghosts live together without noticing each other. And those who enforce the laws of nature are the titular Karas (which is a word play on Karasu, the Japanese word for crows who are neither forces of good or evil in Japanese folklore). The main Karas is Otoha, a former hit man who can turn into a car, a plane, and make a suit of armor with the power of Karas. He must stop his Eko, his former mentor, from taking over Tokyo and his army of mechanized demons he calls the Mikura. Both Karas and Guyver are dark heroes who fight the supernatural (and have awesome action sequences), but express it in different ways. While Guyver is sci-fi oriented, Karas mixes it with Japanese superstition. They share similar qualities in how regular citizens are affected by the events orchestrated by the respective villains, but in the case of Karas, it also demonstrates how the ghosts are affected since they have something to gain but at a significant cost. In their respective ways, both Guyver and Karas dive into the state of the human condition and offer balls to the walls action. If there is one distinction that Karas has, it is certainly its revolutionary animation that not many anime to this day have managed to emulate.

Based on the manga by Masakazu Katsura, the world is being threatened by monsters called Players, and the only man who can stop them is Jin Kanzaki, who can turn into a superhuman being called a Zet. However, Jin’s origins are shrouded in mystery due to being experimented on. Unfortunately, he couldn’t live in hiding forever so he uses his abilities as a Zet to fight the Players and the corporation that created him and the Players, the Amagi Corporation. Reluctantly assisting Jin in his quest is Kouga, the son of the president of the Amagi Corporation, and can turn into another super-powered being called an Alpha. As you can see, both Zetman and Guyver deal with two young men who have transformational abilities and have a supporting cast member with similar gifts but share a rather reluctant partnership. While Sho got his powers by accident, in the case of Jin, they were forced upon him. In addition, they both share similar origins of their powers come from an evil corporation they both want to take down, but also must face the creatures they made. Unlike Chronos who openly uses their creations, Amagi has no control over theirs, which is why the need Zets and Alphas. As both series progress, Sho’s and Jin’s abilities gain distinct power-ups to add more flair to the action. In the case of Sho, whenever he’s the Guyver, he tends to show more of a berserker’s rage but with Zetman, Jin is more in control. So if you love battles against the corporate machine, Zetman is another series to check out. We also recommended the manga since the lighting techniques today’s anime isn’t exactly ideal for capturing the shadowing of Katsura, which is the most notable feature of his art style.

Just like how the 2004 Guyver is taken from a manga that debuted in the 1980’s, the 2014 Parasyte anime was long overdue since the original manga ended 20 years prior to the anime debuting! In this series, alien creatures called Parasites are invading Tokyo and they take over human brains through their ears and eat each other up. In the case of high school student Shinichi Izumi, his earphones save him from being 100% possessed by a parasite. However, the parasite tries to enter through his right hand and stays stuck there and is given the name Migi or Righty in English. Through Migi, Shinichi’s right arm is the ultimate weapon in fighting the evil parasites. While Shinichi doesn’t exactly have a super-powered suit to fight monsters, he still shares a distinct relationship with the being that gives him the abilities to fight evil. Though it is mostly Shinichi’s will to fight the other parasites, it’s really Migi doing the heavy lifting since Shinichi isn’t a natural fighter. And due to the symbiotic relationship Shinichi and Sho have with their powers, they do express internal battles for their own sanity from time to time. Though both series are excessively violent, their similarities are more intriguing with their substances as opposed to their styles. While Shinichi doesn’t have the same emotional baggage that Sho has, his relationships and his humanity have a unique direction to how he develops. As the series progresses, it is interesting to note that Migi genuinely starts to care for other people, but with Shinichi, he tends to lose his connection with humanity but for reasons, the audience can understand. If there is any reason to enjoy this along with Guyver, they ultimately do an excellent job of analyzing how the heroes can relate to the human condition.

Next on our list is Devilman, based on the hit manga by the legendary Go Nagai. Devilman is the story of how Akira Fudo receives the power of a demon named Amon after losing his life in a hiking accident. Now Akira uses that power to fight other demons that want to take over the world to protect the woman he loves. While the anime is a very toned down version of the manga, it still shares many qualities with Guyver. Both series have unassuming teenagers who gain powers and have a symbiotic/parasitic relationship with them since they were initially intended for evil purposes. But thanks to the good nature of both Akira and Sho, they fight to protect the innocent. Both Devilman and Guyver have crazy and violent action sequences, but the themes of family, community, and the dark side of human nature is what truly captures viewers into watching them. The number one quality both series can be enjoyed for is their direction in character development. Through Devilman, it is expressed through Amon with his interactions with Miki on why he is no longer evil. In Guyver, it is expressed with how Sho is introduced as a weakling, but his powers allow him to face and conquer all kinds of adversities to become stronger not only in body but as a human being. Devilman was made as a commentary on both World War II and Vietnam, and how innocent people were caught in the crossfire. For Guyver, it is about what happens when corporations with evil intentions can take over treat citizens like property.

Coming in at number one is the remake of Tatsunoko’s 1970’s sci-fi classic, Tekkaman Blade. Despite being a remake, all of the featured characters are original and borrow only the surface elements from the initial series so anyone can watch Blade without any required exposure to the old Tekkaman. Blade tells the story of an amnesiac teenager named D-Boy, with the D short for Dangerous because of his reckless behavior. Under mysterious circumstances, he has the power to summon a suit of armor through a crystal called the Tek Setter and it gives him superhuman abilities. Like Sho, D-Boy has the ability to summon a suit of armor that is fused with his body and his voltekka is similar to Guyver’s mega chest cannon to take out monsters. While the monsters Sho faces are Earth in origin, D-Boy fights monsters from space called the Radam. Beyond sharing explosive action sequences, both series deal with issues of the family but in distinct ways. Both Sho and D-Boy, unfortunately, are put in a position to fight members of their family and face forms of trauma from the fallout. But thanks to the assistance of their strong support cast members, they overcome their obstacles to save the day.

Ghost Stories tells the tale of Satsuki and Keiichirou Miyanoshita. Their mother has passed away and they decide to move to her hometown, which is now going under urbanization. It turns out that their mother was a former exorcist who sealed away some ghosts at their school and they’re back with a vengeance. With the help of some friends and with Satsuki’s cat possessed by a demon, they go out to exterminate the ghosts once and for all. If you want something tamer and kid-friendly compared to the Junji Itou Collection, this might be a good anime to start with. However, its dub release has gotten mixed reactions for making the series feel more like a comedy as opposed to the serious atmosphere of the original Japanese track. Considering how generic and kid-friendly the character designs are, the dub does a good job of making it kid friendly but is sure to enrage purists. Despite its praise from dubs, in the end, if you can’t handle pure horror but still want something supernatural, Ghost Stories is still an excellent start.

After 20 years of being famous as a J-Horror RPG (which debuted in Japan in 1996), Corpse Party finally got an anime adaptation. Like the original game, a group of high school kids gather at their school late at night and are transported to a dimension of lethal horrors. While Junji Itou’s Collection’s art style is appropriately gritty in conjunction with its storytelling, don’t let Corpse Party’s more cutesy style fool you. It is full of buckets of blood and gore so you’re going to need a barf bag. While Junji Itou relies more on Japanese horror from folklore and using it in a modern setting, Corpse Party is more of a haunted house/asylum/school style of horror. Some could argue that its style does a great job of destroying the innocence the main cast has and offering little hope. So if you prefer a style of horror that takes place in a haunted building where you wonder who will survive, Corpse Party is the anime for you. Thankfully, no prior exposure to the original games is required to enjoy this.

Based on the novel series by Manabu Kaminaga, Shinrei Tantei Yakumo tells the tale of Yasuko Saito, a young man who can see dead people thanks to his left red eye. He uses it to create his own paranormal investigation/exorcist practice and is hired by a high school girl named Haruka to help a friend who may be possessed. He accepts her case but that’s only the beginning of what is to come. While Junji Itou Collection is mostly random with its horror stories, Shinrei Tantei Yakumo is a horror story that mixes in classic detective noir. The series style of using dark shadowing is a great compliment to classic black and white by creating a mysterious and quiet environment. Like the Junji Itou Collection, it mostly has an episodic format, but it does have a direction that is mostly focused on Yakumo and Haruka’s relationship. So if you enjoy horror mixed with getting down to the mystery, Shinrei Tantei Yakumo is an anime you’re likely to enjoy.

Mysterious creatures are attacking students and their first victims are a film crew of vloggers. Now they keep on popping out of the woodworks only to feast on their prey. The only man capable of getting down to the bottom of this mystery is a researcher named Sousuke Banba. However, as he gets right down to it, he finds the truth is closer than he thinks it is. While the Junji Itou Collection is episodic in nature, Kagewani, a series where each episode is seven minutes long tell one cohesive story. The animation and presentation feel like a handheld game for either the old DS or for smartphones, but is something that is more for niche audiences. If anything, it could have been an excellent visual novel game. Even so, the design, lighting, and coloring still appropriately captures the mysterious and eerie atmosphere of this short series. In a way, this series does feel like it was done by an animation student or was done as a passion project. While there are some genres of horror that are more for jumps and scares, Kagewani is more political in nature when it comes to the dangers of corrupt corporations who don’t take accountability for the consequences of their harmful actions.

Just like how the Junji Itou Collection is based on traditional folklore, Sekai no Yami Zukan is also a collection of different short horror stories. While Junji Itou’s stories are more Japanese in flavor, Sekai no Yami Zukan has a wider approach with its horror stories that are a mixed bag of the old Tales from the Crypt comics and the bizarre nature of Clive Barker’s novels and take place outside of Japan with non-Japanese characters. The art and animation are rather unorthodox with how it’s pretty many pictures that are narrated by the voice actors. That is pretty much what Sekai no Yami Zukan is and it might be a turn-off. Some of the art styles can be appropriately gritty, and there are other stories when the art is misleadingly innocent to really sink the horror in. So if you are someone who enjoys story over movement, Sekai no Yami Zukan might be the anime for you.

If there is any anime that best resembles the Junji Itou Collection, it certainly has to be Yami Shibai. They are both episodic in nature and tell different stories in each episode. All of these stories are narrated to a group of children by an eccentric man who wears a yellow mask. While some select episodes of Junji Itou’s Collection can have more than one story per episode, Yami Shibai tends to tell one story per episode. Both series deal with having mysterious and disturbed neighbors, secret hospital patients, evaluating the loss of a grandparent and so on. Some episodes obviously take loose influence from the Ring movies by having one center around a videotape with disturbing images. Both series have a very dark toning in their animation to appropriately give a dark atmosphere, rougher and more mature feel to the character designs in comparison to most mainstream anime, and some rather creepy music that will make you cower in fear. If you love Junji Itou’s Collection or just love J-Horror, this is the best anime to watch.

Starting this list with a rather old but still amazing anime, Tiger & Bunny is one of Sunrise studio’s works that left a huge impression on its audience even today. Set in Sternbild City, the anime tells the story of people with special superhuman abilities called NEXT. In this city, being superhero is a business: being a NEXT with powerful abilities could make you a superhero who not only fights for justice and keeping the peace of Sternbild City, it also gives you contract with Hero TV that would film you and score you as you catch the bad guys, and if you do it well enough, you might get more sponsors from companies to pay for your equipments, techs, and generally your life! Kaburagi Kotetsu, the secret identity of the superhero Wild Tiger, is one of the least popular heroes of Sternbild City, and now he has to deal with the city sensation of Barnaby Brooks Jr., a brand new superhero who is both competent and charming, and is somehow shockingly paired with him?! Tiger and Bunny’s mech-like superhero costume designs had been mentioned as one of the inspirations for Gatchaman Crowds series’ costume design, which should already give you an idea of how stylish and fun this anime is. Like Insight, Tiger and Bunny doesn’t stop at questioning what makes one a hero; it also tackles how society works and how one could fit in when they’re inherently different. Both shows tell the story of people who has superhuman abilities—Insight with people who had been granted the NOTE, and Tiger and Bunny with NEXT. Both shows also have interesting, vast-range of characters who would immediately get you invested in their antics and relationships. Additionally, Tiger and Bunny has really kickass opening songs and endings, and boasts a really good cast including the veteran Hirata Hiroaki, Morita Mazakazu, Tsuda Kenjirou, and Kotobuki Minako. Its success doesn’t even stop with one TV series—Tiger and Bunny has had two movies released in the past seven years, and its fans are now anticipating a second season!

Manatsu Daichi would have never imagined that he would somehow be the pilot of the gigantic mecha, Earth Engine, to fight the alien intruders known as a Kill-T-Gang from Uranus, after accidentally stumbling into a space facility in Tanegashima. Getting involved as a pilot of Earth Engine isn’t the end of it, though—Daichi’s past dogs his steps as he finds out more about the mysterious death of his father, and the faint memories of having met a strange boy and a dream-like girl when he was a child. Delivered in BONES’ usual quirky and bright animation, Captain Earth draws the audience into a story of friendship, romance, and unsaid wishes among blinding scenes of space robot battles. Both shows showcase sci-fi elements as well as the existence of a peace-defender organization, though Captain Earth take it into a broader level of protecting the earth itself. The group dynamics in Captain Earth would make you nostalgic for Insight’s Gatchaman—teamwork features heavily in each battle, and the battle animation are executed breathtakingly. Both shows also bring in the element of aliens, delving into how different but similar they could be to humanity itself, and of course, cliched-sounding themes that surprisingly come through together very well at the very end. The cast for Captain Earth isn’t at all bad, either; it boasts excellent cast with names such Irino Miyu, Suzumura Kenichi, Sakamoto Maaya, Kayano Ai, Hidaka Rina, Toyonaga Toshiyuki and Kamiya Hiroshi, which promises a treat on its own.

A work by the studio Trigger, Kiznaiver tells the story of teens from all over the world who were forced to join the experiment of the Kizuna System as the Kiznaivers. Kizuna System connects Kiznaivers through pain—if one Kiznaivers is hurt, the others would also feel it, forcing its participants to bare their true selves to each other. Agata Katsuhira, a reserved teenage boy who has no sense of pain after everything he went through, was abducted and forced to be one of the Kiznaivers. What sort of things did he learn through the bond he made with other Kiznaivers, and what sort of things will he discover in other Kiznaivers? What sort of impact the Kizuna System had for them? Kiznaiver delivers this in a touching way, almost blindingly bright animation, and amazing voice acting of top seiyuus such as Kaji Yuki, Terasaki Yukia, Maeno Tomoaki, and Kuno Misaki. Like Insight, Kiznaiver tackles rather philosophical questions with a stylistic, rather hopeful look—while Insight asked questions about social harmony, Kiznaiver takes it more personally: what is empathy, and how do you go through your own and others’ pain? Despite its rather depressing themes, Kiznaiver goes through the plot without dropping too much into a melodrama. The sci-fi elements also play quite heavily in the core of both shows: Insight has CROWDS, while Kiznaiver has the Kizuna System, also designed with world peace in mind despite its questionable nature and nonconsensual participation. If you enjoy the gorgeous splash of color in Insight, then you’d love the style Kiznaiver comes in, too.

Who doesn’t remember this sensational anime who literally dropped a bombshell on us on Fall 2013? Another one of the many excellent works of Studio Trigger, Kill la Kill follows the story of Matoi Ryuuko who had long been searching for his father’s killer and finally arrived at the prestigious Honnouji Academy—a high school ruled by its cold-hearted student council president, Kiryuuin Satsuki, and her underlings the Elite Four. Those who make it to the top of the school hierarchy are granted special clothes, Goku Uniforms, which grant whoever wears it superhuman ability. After her defeat at one of the school students’ hand, Ryuuko meets Senketsu, one of the sentient Kamui, the rare God Clothes, who then partners up with her to stand against the Elite Four and hopefully uncover the truth about his father’s murder. Kill la Kill’s excellent execution of plot and superhuman abilities themes doesn’t differ much from Insight, delivered in incredibly stylish animation and comedic action that keeps it from getting too dark. In both series, you also get to see incredibly strong, steadfast female protagonist—Insight with Hajime and Kill la Kill with Ryuuko. And while Insight tackles thought-provoking question, Kill la Kill does it in its own way: it does it through a fun satire that would simultaneously makes you laugh but also leaves you satisfied. Additionally, you get to enjoy Sawayuki Hirano’s kickass music and the solid voice acting of Koshimizu Ami, Yuzuki Ryouka, Suzaki Aya and Seki Toshihiko. It really is no wonder that Kill la Kill brought back multiple category awards in Tokyo Anime Award 2014!

If there is a series that really reminds you of Insight both in atmosphere and message, it would be Samurai Flamenco. Hazama Masayoshi, a model who surprisingly has been obsessed with superhero shows since he was a child, has a second, self-imposed job at night: he is the hero who brings justice, Samurai Flamenco! Except really, in such a peaceful, normal city, the only people he could confront are people who litter in the street, who jaywalk across the street, or school punks who gather at night and disturb the neighborhood. Add to that the fact that Masayoshi has no superhuman powers whatsoever and doesn’t even know how to physically fight. He then meets Gotou Hidenori, a local policeman who accidentally uncovered his hero gigs, and while initially Gotou told Masayoshi to stop, he is soon dragged into situations ridiculously escalating into nearly-unbelievable scale, including the descent of aliens and deciding the fate of the world! Samurai Flamenco brings to you a deconstruction of the tokusatsu genre, with surprising and bizarre plot twist, and a solid cast boasting names like Masuda Toshiki, Sugita Tomokazu, Tomatsu Haruka, and Yamazaki Erii. Watching Samurai Flamenco gives you the same sense of satisfaction as it does with Insight—interesting, simplistic-sounding setup that later escalates into almost ridiculous but enrapturing storyline. Both shows showcase the message of what it means to be a hero, what responsibilities you have as a hero whether or not you have the power to be one, and what makes one a hero. Both also have gorgeous, stylish and eccentric animation with bright colors, and fun characters that endear themselves to you before you realize it. Samurai Flamenco is an entertaining anime that, like Insight, would simultaneously warm your heart, amuse you, and draws you into deep thoughts. It’s strange, but it works out.

It’s impossible to close this list of recommendation without mentioning Nakamura Kenji’s other stylish works. Tsuritama is one of them—a gorgeous work that would entrance you with its splash of colors, and then gets you hooked in with the amusing antics of its characters and heartwarming story, but also perhaps baffles you with the imaginative, supernatural plot that is surprisingly not-complicated when you get to the end, tackling a rather philosophical, coming-of-age question of “who am I?” in a quirky, but hopeful way similar to how Gatchaman Crowds Insight did. If you had loved Insight for Nakamura’s unique, stylish direction, then you would definitely fall in love with Tsuritama as well. Besides, both series brings in friendly and fun aliens! The series revolves around the life of Sanada Yuki, who lives with his grandmother and hardly has friends since he has difficulties dealing and interacting with other people. Except then he meets a weird boy, Haru, who claims to be an alien and immediately latched himself to Yuki. Their meeting drew Yuki’s other classmate and fisherman, Natsuki, and their days turn into a wacky comedy adventure that somehow changed their perception of who they are, and how powerful friendship could be. Don’t be fooled with the simplistic summary—the show is in no way boring despite its simplistic looks and sound! Not only does it offer gorgeous, stylish animation and heartwarming characters, you can also look forward to hearing top-tier seiyuus including Irino Miyu, Ohsaka Ryouta, the ever hilarious Sugita Tomokazu, and Uchiyama Kouki!

Tsuki ga Kirei follows the story middle school student Kotaro Azumi, a member of the literature club who dreams of becoming an author, and star of the track and field club, Akane Mizuno. Kotaro and Akane are brought together when Kotaro is punished for missing cleaning duty due to Akane not having a way to contact him. Kotaro and Akane talk after Akane feels bad and goes to help Kotaro with his punishment, and they exchange LINE ID's. After a few more meetings and conversations, Kotaro and Akane begin to date each other. Together, the two of them learn what it means to actually be in a relationship; they start going on dates and spending more time together and they push each other when it comes to their dreams. Kotaro and Akane also learn more about their relationship when Akane's best friend Chinatsu Nishio, reveals she has a crush on Kotaro and Takumi Hira from the track and field club confesses his love to Akane. While Tsuki ga Kirei doesn't have a focus on comedy like Karakai Jouzu no Takagi-san, it does share its style and execution of young romance. Kotaro and Akane are very similar to Takagi, they are all in love but they are not sure how to act. We see Kotaro and Akane display this by going through the early stages of their relationship, neither one of them is even sure what it means to be in a relationship, while Takagi has a crush on Nishikata, but the only way she can express it is through teasing. Both of these are things that people can relate to when they look back at their childhood crushes.

Forgoing the use of a main character, Tsurezure Children follows the stories of a bunch of different high school students in love. The story focuses on different relationships in each segment, giving the viewer a small snippet into the daily lives of the various couples. Tsurezure Children features unrequited love, best friends trying to take their relationship further, somebody falling in love for the first time, and so much more. Using the many characters and types of relationships, Tsurezure Children gives you a look at the many different forms of young love. Tsurezure Children, like the other shows we've talked about so far, share the themes of young love and showing how everybody goes about sorting through their emotions and relationships. Many of the relationships in Tsurezure Children are similar to the relationship between Takagi and Nishikata, but the relationship between Yuki Minagawa and Jun Furuya is the closest to what Karakai Jouzu no Takagi-san has to offer. With both Minagawa and Takagi not only being the more dominant personality in their respective relationships, but they also both show their love by teasing the boys they have crushes on. While Tsurezure Children's fast pace and 12-minute run time may seem off putting if you are looking for a deep romance anime, the combination of the variety of relationships and the romance based comedy gives you a nice mix of emotions similar to Karakai Jouzu no Takagi-san.

Tonari no Seki-kun follows the story of Rumi Yokoi who is constantly being bothered in class by her classmate Toshinari Seki. Instead of focusing on class, Seki has mastered the art of wasting time and always finds new ways to goof off in class. Seki always creates new and interesting activities like desktop golf and turning an eraser into a stamp. Rumi is always distracted by what Seki is doing no matter how hard she tries to focus in class. Tonari no Seki-kun is similar to Karakai Jouzu no Takagi-san in a completely different way from the other shows on the list. Both shows feature a similar setting and execution, using two characters at the back of the classroom and having their interactions be the main aspect of the show. Rumi and Nishikata are dragged into the activities by Seki and Takagi respectively, and although they are usually not the ones causing a problem, they are the ones who end up getting in trouble due to their reactions. Because the characters are used similarly in both series, the comedy is largely the same, having the majority of the comedy come naturally from the interactions of the main cast.

Sakamoto desu ga? starts off with the cool, handsome, and stylish Sakamoto's first day of high school, where he makes a great impression on both the guys and the girls. Sakamoto's life is anything but ordinary, but dues to his perfections, he is generally oblivious to the oddities around him. Sakamoto goes about his day being as cool and stylish as possible and no matter who or what tries to get in his way, he always comes out on top without even trying. Sakamoto may seem to be indifferent to his classmates but Sakamoto always helps all of his classmates out, including the ones who tried to get the best of him on his first day. Sakamoto even befriends the unpopular Yoshinobu Kubota and helps him learn to stand up for himself when he is being bullied. The most obvious similarity between Sakamoto desu ga? and Karakai Jouzu no Takagi-san is they are both comedies set in a school. Both shows also make use of an episodic story with most of the events staying within one episode. There is also a similarity between Sakamoto and Takagi, with both of them seeming to be perfect and unbeatable when they are faced with challenges from the other students. While most of the comedy in both shows comes from people trying to get the best of the seemingly perfect protagonist, the comedy in Sakamoto desu ga? is much more random than the comedy seen in Karakai Jouzu no Takagi-san. Sakamoto desu ga? and Karakai Jouzu no Takagi-san also share a similar pacing to their stories, with both shows going for longer setups for both the jokes and stories, but fitting two or three of these longer setups in an episode.

Habahiro Hige is a typical office worker who has a love for Tabekko marshmallows. His younger coworker Iori Wakabayashi takes advantage of his love for marshmallows and uses them to tease Habahiro in various ways. The reason Iori goes out of her way to tease Habahiro is that she has a crush on him. Despite he friends not understanding Iori's obsession with Habahiro she still goes out of her way to try to get Habairo's attention. With Habahiro only being focused on food, he hasn't been able to pick up on the advance of Iori. Ojisan to Marshmallow is the only show on this list not to be set in a high school, but between the comedy, romance, and character relationships, there are plenty of similarities to Karakai Jouzu no Takagi-san. Iori and Takagi both tease the boys they like, hoping that the boys will notice and develop feelings for them. Habahiro and Nishikata are also very similar, both of them are very oblivious to what is really going on and they see the teasing as something completely different than how Iori and Takagi see it. Since Ojisan to Marshmallow is only 3 minutes long, the comedy has to be much quicker than the comedy in Karakai Jouzu no Takagi-san, but the comedy still manages to feel largely the same due to the teasing and how the characters react to it.

The banana loving Yoshiko Hanabatake is lacking in both academic and social skills, consistently getting zeros on her tests and not acting her age in social situations. Her stupidity is often a problem for her childhood friend Akuru Akutsu, a serious and smart student who is usually tasked with reigning in Yoshiko's outrageous behavior. Even though Yoshiko may not be the smartest and lacks certain social skills, she still is able to befriend almost anyone she comes across. She befriends it's delinquent Ryuichi Kurosaki, head of the Public Morals Chairwoman Fuui Linchou, and many others in most part due to misunderstandings and Yoshiko's natural obliviousness. No matter how hard Akuru and Yoshiko's best-friend Sayaka try to keep Yoshiko in check, she still manages to find new ways let out her stupidity. Similar to Karakai Jouzu no Takagi-san, Aho Girl's focus is on the comedy and has romantic elements as a secondary theme. The comedy in both shows is caused by the interactions of the main characters and how the people around them react to their actions.The shows use their main characters more as props for the comedy instead of having them be aware of the humor in the situations they are in. In Aho Girl, the comedy arises from Yoshiko's outrageous antics when dealing with other people, while the comedy in Jouzu no Takagi-san, the comedy comes from Takagi teasing Nishikata. Both of these creates humor for the viewer that isn't necessarily funny for the characters but is enjoyable for the viewer.

Blazers, people with great power that can manipulate their own souls to create weapons, go to learn how to harness their powers at a mage-knight school. The story revolves around Ikki Kurogane, a mage-knight at Hagun Academy, a prestigious school that even royalty attend. However, unlike most of the mage-knights at Hagun Academy, Ikki Kurogane is rated as the weakest mage-knight and Rank F. trying to prove himself to everyone around him. Especially when he got challenged to a duel against a Princess who is rated Rank A. Rakudai Kishi no Cavalry is a wonderfully crafted anime that shows the struggles of a boy who is looked down on and his unwavering desire to be seen for who he really is and not a failed rank. The show brings masterfully designed action scenes into a romance anime while giving it a little bit of fan service, truly making it an anime you don’t want to miss. With the way Rakudai Kishi no Cavalry and Juuou Mujin no Fafnir are presented, they are much more than your everyday fantasy, action, and romance anime. The feeling of how the characters are up against danger and must fight to prevail while protecting those they care for makes these anime shine.

Kamito Kazehaya is the first male in centuries who can make contracts with spirits, so he is forced to enter an academy for shrine priestesses which train blade dancers called Areishia Spirit Academy. Upon entering the school, he is told by the headmistress that he must participate in a tournament or his secret will be revealed. What’s worse than being blackmailed while trying to survive being the only male in a school full of beautiful girls, some of which want to be with him, others want to ruin him. Will Kamito Kazehaya fall victim to the desires of his fellow female students or will he stay strong and win the tournament? Seireitsukai no Blade Dance is filled with fan service while maintaining a great plot, truly making it deserving to be on this list. The way the story unfolds and most of the themes make it a perfect match for Juuou Mujin no Fafnir fans in search of similar anime. The way both of these anime present their story while making sure to stay true to their selected genres, make them great for fans who want more after you finish one of the series.

Japan has created a mechanized exoskeleton device that only females can pilot. The IS Infinite Stratos, which had major military implications. However, due to the destructive power of the IS, a worldwide peace treaty was signed forbidding it from being used in any military around the world. Now the IS is used in a fighting tournament with females going to school to learn how to pilot them. In the all-girls school, Infinite Stratos Academy, Ichika Orimura, the only boy in the world that can somehow use the IS, is forced to enroll, and learn how to pilot the IS. Ichika Orimura must live at this all-girls school and even share a dorm with one. Being the only boy in a school filled with girls could be considered a harem but it might be too much for Ichika Orimura to handle. Infinite Stratos and Juuou Mujin no Fafnir stand beside each other as one of the great harem anime’s of their time and many aspects of each show are amazingly designed. It’s not often when you have two harem style anime that have amazing action. All the while having comedic, sometimes ecchi, scenes with fan service and touching scenes with great backstories. With 2 seasons, Infinite Stratos is an anime you don’t want to miss. If you liked Juuou Mujin no Fafnir, you should give Infinite Stratos a try.

Akane Private Academy a place where students come to learn how to harness the powers of their former lives in order to defeat giant monsters that are destroying the world called Metaphysicals. Depending on who you were in a past life, you can either harness energy to create a weapon or use magic. The story revolves around Moroha Haimura, a boy who has the memories of two past lives, one a great warrior and the other a powerful mage. Moroha Haimura must team up with two new friends. Satsuki Ranjou, a loud girl with a serious brother complex towards Moroha, and Shizuno Urushibara, a very busty and intelligent girl, however, she is very lazy and often sleeps a lot. How are these two girls connected to Moroha and how will he defeat the Metaphysicals. You’ll have to watch to find out! Seiken Tsukai no World Break is a fantasy, school, and harem romance anime that is not easily matched in ways of presentation and plot, much like Juuou Mujin no Fafnir. The stylistic approaches that are shown from the art to the occasional comedic moments in the story go on to make it one of those anime you can rewatch and find something new you may have overlooked, truly making it a show you don’t want to miss.

Drag-rides are mysterious and ancient mechanized weapons found in ruins in different parts of the world, are heavily used in the military, and even brought an end to the old empire. Lux Arcadia, Ex-Prince of an empire, is nicknamed the “undefeated weakest” due to the fact he never attacks during a duel but outmaneuvers his opponents instead. Because of his skills for piloting drag-rides, he is sent to an academy that trains nobility and royalty. The only problem is that it’s an all-girls academy. To make matters worse, on his first day, he gets into trouble in the girls bathing area where he sees a princess bathing. Saijaku Muhai no Bahamut is everything Juuou Mujin no Fafnir is and more, from iconic fight scenes to ecchi filled accidents that arise from being the only boy at an all-girls school. You have episodes that give you wonderful side stories and a powerful and intriguing main storyline to go along with it. Saijaku Muhai no Bahamut takes the cake when it comes to masterfully crafted anime from its art style to the way the plot is presented while keeping our interest peaked with fan service and beautiful action scenes. If you want to watch an anime that’s interesting, then Sajaku Muhai no Bahamut is for you.

The story follows Tooru Kokonoe, a boy on a quest for power after everyone he loved was murdered. To do that, he joins Kouryou Academy, a high school where students learn how to master the power of their Blaze, a weapon created from their very being. In Kouryou Academy, you must pair up with someone and live with them to try and obtain the Absolute Duo. Tooru Kokonoe partners up with Julie Sigtuna, a princess from Europe who is on a mission of her own. How will this new partnership end up and what situations will arise? Absolute Duo is one of those ecchi, school, harem anime that’s filled with great fan service while maintaining an excellent plot. The way the story is crafted makes you want more, from a harem of girls to fantastic action scenes, there is something for everyone to enjoy. Much like Juuou Mujin no Fafnir, the way the story and plot are presented with multiple comedic moments and powerful serious moments, Absolute Duo is an amazing anime.

Scrapped Princess has a very similar synopsis to Chaika and shares a lot of the same genre categories including action, adventure, fantasy, and a good amount of comedy to keep things light-hearted. Scrapped Princess is about Pacifica Casull, a sweet but loud girl who’s prophesied to bring the apocalypse on her 16th birthday. The followers of the God Mauser are constantly trying to kill her to prevent the prophecy, but under the protection of her adoptive brother and sister, she journeys and meets many different kinds of people. The similarities are obvious, both shows are about a ‘princess’ who the world says will bring doom and destruction, so they set out to kill the girl but two siblings protect her with blades, magic, and incredible fighting skills. In addition is the light-hearted comedy that’s thrown in, despite the overlaying depressing premise and being constantly targeted. Both shows will also leave you feeling satisfied from the beginning until the end.

You can see Dantalian no Shoka has a very similar art style to Hitsugi no Chaika, but that’s not all it has in common! They are both fantasy action in a historical setting that revolves around a mysterious beauty. Dalian is a girl found inside the estate that Lord Hugh Anthony Disward inherited from his grandfather, who happens to be the physical embodiment of a book archive, Bibliotheca Mystica de Dantalian. They soon learn they must find Phantom Books and seal them inside Dalian before they are used for evil or selfish gains, much like the objects Chaika is after. Dalian even looks like the inverted color scheme of Chaika, although their personalities are a bit different with Dalian being more of a tsundere and Chaika being an earnest, sweet girl (who happens to have a tyrant for a father). Both shows offer a unique storyline inside a world that almost resembles our history, with the chase of magical objects that could bring about destruction if fallen into the wrong hands.

If you’re really a stickler for gothic lolita beauties shrouded in mystery, boy do we have another one for you! Gosick is about a Japanese boy who’s studying in Saint Marguerite Academy, a wealthy boarding school in Southern Europe. On his way to the library looking for ghost stories, his eye catches golden hair on the steps which leads him to meet Victorique de Blois, a doll-like girl who can see into the future. They encounter many mysteries involving ghost ships, alchemists who transmute, and more. Both Gosick and Chaika have a historical background with mysteries to be discovered, but if you enjoyed the bit of romance Chaika had, you’ll love Gosick! They both started as light novels and were brought to life by Bones studios, who never fail to showcase stunning visuals and cute characters.

Tsubasa Chronicles is fairly well-known, and for good reason. It has a mashup of CLAMP’s characters from different stories in a whole new world and storyline, like an alternate universe fanfiction. When Syaoran is at an excavation site outside of the city, he sees his childhood friend, Princess Sakura, suddenly appear and sprout wings. The feathers on the wings blow away into different dimensions and he soon finds out the feathers are Sakura’s memories from birth. Along with two sidekicks they made along the way, they travel through the different dimensions to find Sakura’s feathers, battling foes and making friends. If you enjoyed the mashup of action, adventure, and romance that Chaika offered, Tsubasa Chronicles is your next stop! The protagonist(s) find strangers to help fight with them, looking for magical items with many obstacles along the way and uncovering mysteries about their world they never knew, quite like in Chaika.

Shingeki no Bahamut’s premise sounds exactly like Chaika’s. A war ends and it’s a laidback lifestyle for bounty hunter Favaro, until he meets a mysterious girl named Amira who actually holds half of the key to changing their world as they know it. They go on a quest in search of something while there’s a god vs. demons war going on and they have to pave their own path and choose what is right for them, just like Tooru and Akari in Chaika. Other than Shingeki’s art style being more geared towards mature audiences, both series are essentially, exactly alike. They both get you psyched up in the adventure and action in this amazing fantasy world that you don’t see in every anime, and they’re fighting against something just epic sounding. If you loved Chaika, you’ll definitely love Shingeki no Bahamut!

Chaika has a dark undertone to it that you’ll also find in Kamisama no Inai Nichiyoubi. God has left the world and no one is able to die or create life. Lifeless bodies walk around and the only thing that can put them to rest are gravekeepers. We see the life of Ai, a young gravekeeper, who meets a mysterious man who kills her whole village. With nowhere to go, she follows him on his journey and puts people to rest, learning about the desolate world God left them. Kamisama also began as a light novel and is centered around fantasy and mystery in a world that isn’t so forgiving. While Chaika isn’t mystery centered itself, there’s a lot of similarities between the discoveries they learn on their journeys and the strangers accompanying them. Just like Chaika, Ai has one thing on her mind and that’s to do the duty she was born to do.

When she was a child, Yukimura Aoi fell completely in love with mountains and climbing. However, a terrible playground accident has left Aoi with a fear of heights, which turned her to more indoor pursuits. Unfortunately, Aoi has become closed-off as a result of these hobbies, leaving her unable to socialise with other people and her life devoid of friendship. When she is reunited with a friend from her climbing days, Aoi finds herself tagging along with her childhood friend, Kuraue Hinata, and slowly returning to climbing. As she returns to her past hobby, Aoi’s life changes as her isolated life indoors opens and she makes friends, as well as amazing memories. Much like Yuru Camp, Yama no Susume is another anime about a character’s enjoyment of a particular outdoor activity. Much like Yuru Camp, Yama no Susume is a slice of life anime that uses the hobby as a backdrop to developing the protagonist, as well as the characters around them. Another striking similarity between the two shows is their use of exposition to educate the viewer about certain aspects of the activities in question. Both anime use casts of female characters to drive their plot and coincidentally, this brings forth many moe elements in both.

Whenever 15-year-old Kino is feeling down, one thing that cheers her up without fail is travelling. The excitement of exploring the world around her and meeting various types of people makes her heart race, but given her cute appearance, it would seem that Kino is just a helpless child. However, Kino never goes anywhere without her trusted handguns, nor is she afraid to kill should the situation require. At her side is her best friend, Hermes, her sentient motorcycle who supports Kino whenever the road gets a little bumpy – in the metaphorical sense. The two of them travel the countryside with a shared goal: keeping it moving and never staying in one country for more than three days. As Kino and Hermes meet more people and learn more about the world, they in turn learn more about themselves. Both Yuru Camp and Kino’s Journey share their taste in protagonists – both Kino and Rin are small and adorable yet hardy and perceptive, as one would have to be when travelling on their own. Both of these protagonists greatly enjoy being outdoors; for Kino, that means being on the path to a new destination while for Rin, it means finding a new campsite. Both shows exhibit a main character who meets many people and makes several friends while doing the one thing they love most.

Handa Seishuu is an up-and-coming calligrapher who is handsome, talented, but also highly narcissistic. When a calligraphy veteran judges an award-winning Handa piece, dubbing it “unoriginal”, Handa reacts violently. As punishment, Handa’s father exiles him to the Goto Islands, a far cry from the comfortable city life he had lived in Tokyo. With his environment completely different, Handa must find inspiration for a new and unique art style, but how can he when every single day brings a host of characters and wacky adventures to his doorstep? Both Barakamon and Yuru Camp are anime which are centred on a particular activity; however, what Yuru Camp and Barakamon also have in common lies in the fact that they’re both shows that know exactly what they are: slice of life titles. If we completely removed the general premise of calligraphy from Barakamon and camping from Yuru Camp, we’d still be left with two anime which boast interesting and quirky casts, eccentric yet sincere protagonists, as well as an escape from the mundanities of everyday life – right into the mundanities of everyday life with anime characters.

In the small countryside village of Asahigaoka, there is only one class in the only school in town. With only five students in this class, it isn’t a very big class; however, together they are a vibrant and energetic class. Their class features Miyauchi Renge, the youngest in first grade; the Koshigaya siblings – the quiet ninth grader, Suguru, and the tiny eighth-grader Komari, as well as the mischievous child in seventh grade, Natsumi. With the arrival of Ichijou Hotaru, a Tokyo-raised fifth-grader who is overdeveloped for her age, these lively friends enjoy quirky days of fun and joy in the countryside. Non Non Biyori’s greatest similarity to Yuru Camp lies in the genre tags: slice of life and comedy. Be that as it may, both casts of characters feature an interesting array of different characters, all with their own quirks. Non Non Biyori also makes use of the moe component brought on by the adorable characters on the show’s roster. This; however, is also attributed to the fact that the main characters of this show are children.

Takanashi Souta is a high schooler with a love for all things small and cute. As a result of this, he finds himself unable to refuse when the small and cute Taneshima Popura recruits him to work for Wagnaria, a family restaurant in Hokkaido. Souta enjoys doting on Popura, who has a complex over her incredibly young appearance. Souta also learns very quickly that his colleagues at Wagnaria aren’t quite the regular bunch. From the katana-wielding chief, Todoroki Yachiyo, to the sadistic Souma Hiroomi, to the scary Satou Jun, to the blatantly apathetic manager Shirafuji Kyouko, and the androphobic Inami Mahiru, Souta meets a large band of eccentrics. Catch Souta and the Wagnaria staff in their constant tomfoolery and banter! Working!! is the kind of show you pick up out of pure curiosity for what it could be like, only to be completely absorbed by the stomach-punishing laughter that it brings. As a slice of life anime, Working!! brings out the same devices as Yuru Camp, such as on its emphasis on the individual characters rather than the overall context of the show. Much like Yuru Camp, Working!! has its own diminutive character to mirror Yuru Camp’s Rin.

The small Genma Iroe is a third-year high schooler who, despite her small size, is known to others as “Elder Sister”. The hotblooded blonde is president of her school’s Model Club, a club dedicated to the construction of plastic models of… well, anything! With her two underclassmen, Iroe tries to perform her club duties; however, various distractions make it impossible – especially when the distractions are as entertaining as they get for Iroe and her friends! Like Yuru Camp, Plastic Nee-san features a diminutive main character who invests a lot of time into her hobby. In Iroe’s case, it is building plastic models. Both Yuru Camp and Plastic Nee-san are slice of life titles, meaning that they explore the day-to-day lives of their characters. With the quirky nature of both casts, as well as the fact that in both titles, both sets of main characters are female, it is very easy to see where the two anime are the same.

College student Shiroe was pretty happy to download a new expansion for his favorite MMORPG called Elder Tale. However, something very strange happened to Shiroe as well as thousands of other players in Elder Tale. One minute they were enjoying Elder Tale from the comforts of their homes and computer monitors, then they were transported inside the game with no reason why! Now Shiroe alongside those trapped in the game must ban together to learn how this new world works and if there is a way to escape the game. Shiroe will need to rely on his years of playing Elder Tale to aid him to survive this new world he’s been sent into. The primary theme of isekai is for a character to go from their world to another for reasons like dying in the real world or being mysteriously summoned to some strange new place. It’s the idea of Death March Hajimaru Isekai Kyousoukyoku and it’s also the theme for Log Horizon which begins our list of 6 Anime Like Death March Hajimaru Isekai Kyousoukyoku list. Similar to Death March Hajimaru Isekai Kyousoukyoku, Log Horizon has our titular protagonist—in this case the awkward and shy Shiroe—being transported into a game world he’s all too familiar with. Shiroe also mirrors Ichirou Suzuki as both of them get pretty overpowered early on, though with Shiroe his level is based on the level he earned via playing Elder Tale and not accidentally like Ichirou. Both Log Horizon and Death March Hajimaru Isekai Kyousoukyoku are pretty similar in ideas, genres and story meaning if you love Death March Hajimaru Isekai Kyousoukyoku you’ll most certainly love Log Horizon. At 2 seasons already, Log Horizon will give you a nice number of episodes to watch while you wait for new episodes of Death March Hajimaru Isekai Kyousoukyoku.

Within the world of Yggdrasil, there existed powerful clans one of which was known as Ainz Ooal Gown. Led by a powerful monstrous skeleton mage called Momonga, Ainz Ooal Gown was well known for having some of the strongest beast-like players in all of Yggdrasil. However, like many online games, Yggdrasil was destined to come to an end and with it, Momonga was destined to fade into obscurity. However, the player behind Momonga found that when Yggdrasil came to an end, he wasn’t logged out of the game but was instead transported into it. Now embodying Momonga, this once regular player must lead his clan’s now sentient NPCs in person and not behind a keyboard and mouse like once before. Here at Honey’s Anime HQ, we’ve put a fair amount of time into numerous MMORPGs—massively multiplayer online role-playing games for those who don’t know—and we can understand the pain of a popular MMO dying out. Though in the case of Momonga, we can’t understand what it feels like to actually posses the body of the character you once controlled via external methods. That’s why we love Overlord though. With an impressive art style, solid animation and a very cool narrative, Overlord lets us see what it would be like to go into a strange world filled with beasts and other fantasy themes. Overlord season 2 is actually airing right now as we speak and thus if you like Death March Hajimaru Isekai Kyousoukyoku now’s the perfect time to catch up on Overlord.

If you asked Kazuma Satou what he loved in life, he would tell you the same thing most neets do: Playing video games and watching anime. Though that all changed for Satou when he tried—keyword “tried”—to rescue what he thought was a girl in danger and ended up dying in the process. Despite Satou’s death being pointless—as he learns the girl in danger wasn’t in danger at all and he just panicked giving himself a heart attack—he’s given a choice to either be reincarnated in a new body or journey to a new world to defeat the Demon King. Satou decides on an action-packed life instead of a chance at another boring one and enters the fantasy world and brings Aqua—an annoying goddess—with him. Satou’s new fun filled—and potentially dangerous—life begins anew in this fantasy comedy anime known as Kono Subarashii Sekai ni Shukufuku wo! Kono Subarashii Sekai ni Shukufuku wo! might not be serious in anyway possible, but that’s what makes it such an amazing comedy isekai. We absolutely love the cast of characters in Kono Subarashii Sekai ni Shukufuku wo! and equally love the humor from their interactions with one another. With that being said, are you finding Death March Hajimaru Isekai Kyousoukyoku too akin to a video game world and need something less serious? Why not try out Kono Subarashii Sekai ni Shukufuku wo!? Trust us, by episode 1 of Kono Subarashii Sekai ni Shukufuku wo!, you’ll be laughing so hard tears will be running down your face folks.

Are you someone who loves robots? What would you give to be able to not only live in a world filled with them but also the chance at piloting them? Well, one young otaku who loved robots got his chance at doing exactly this when he died one day and was resurrected in a different world. Here the young man goes by the name of Ernesti Echevarria—Eru to his comrades and friends—and despite having a feminine look and short stature, he’s quite capable of piloting the mechs known as Silhouette Knights. Journey alongside Eru in this mecha fantasy anime called Knight’s & Magic. While Death March Hajimaru Isekai Kyousoukyoku might be pretty enjoyable it’s missing something and that something is mecha. Luckily for you folks there is an anime mecha series with an isekai story called Knight’s & Magic. Watch as a young otaku man gets a new lease on life when he goes from building model robots to piloting and designing real life ones in Knight’s & Magic. We really enjoyed this 13-episode series known as Knight’s & Magic and we know you’ll like it too if you enjoyed Death March Hajimaru Isekai Kyousoukyoku. Plus, unlike Death March Hajimaru Isekai Kyousoukyoku the whole series is out meaning you can binge Knight’s & Magic to your heart’s content.

God is supposed to be the perfect being, unable to make mistakes and thus is flawless. Well, tell that to Touya Mochizuki who died because of a mistake by God’s hand. Thankfully, God realized he messed up with poor Touya and thus gives him a new life to make up for his folly. Touya is given an enhanced body and a special version of his smartphone—which he requested to keep with him—before he is sent to a new fantasy world to live in. Touya’s new life begins here and no matter the danger’s ahead he always can rely on his skills and smartphone to save the day. Though will that be enough to deal with some threats, namely the female kind? Now, maybe you’re liking Death March Hajimaru Isekai Kyousoukyoku but want an isekai series that’s a bit less action focused. Well then why not try out studio Production Reed’s Isekai wa Smartphone to Tomo ni? While it might not be a bit more lax in terms of action and threats, Isekai wa Smartphone to Tomo ni. does have some ecchi, harem and comedy aspects. There’s also some action here and there with Isekai wa Smartphone to Tomo ni. just to keep things from being stale. We fully recommend checking out Isekai wa Smartphone to Tomo ni as we liked here at Honey’s Anime. Ichirou Suzuki might be overpowered in Death March Hajimaru Isekai Kyousoukyoku but he doesn’t have a smartphone like Touya does and that is something we’d want if we were resurrected in a new world.

In a not too distant future, video games have become revolutionary thanks to the introduction of the NerveGear headset. Like never before, people can enter video games and explore worlds as if they were actually in them. That’s why with a recent game called Sword Art Online thousands of gamers are quick to pick up their copies and enter this new world of Aincrad. However, many gamers like Kazuto Kirigaya got a rather unpleasant surprise when they logged into Sword Art Online. Their minds have become trapped in this new world and as the creator of Sword Art Online—Akihiko Kayaba—tells them all, if they die in Sword Art Online then they die in the real world. Now Kazuto will go from just playing Sword Art Online to living it… We end our 6 Anime Like Death March Hajimaru Isekai Kyousoukyoku list with an anime that many are probably pretty aware of at this point. Sword Art Online released in the summer of 2012 and since then has become easily one of the best examples of an isekai growing in popularity. Sword Art Online has tons of themes similar to Death March Hajimaru Isekai Kyousoukyoku but with a darker plot at times and more risk to it initially. With a season 3 of Sword Art Online stated to be released soon as well as a spin off OVA series now is the time to watch this amazing isekai story. We 100% recommend Sword Art Online if you like Death March Hajimaru Isekai Kyousoukyoku.

Living in the backwater town of Bellforest, 14-year-old Renton Thurston feels eager to leave town and stretch his legs – with the wanted mercenary group known as Gekkostate. He hopes to find adventure and live the way they seem to be living in every cover of their Ray:Out magazine; however, caught between his grandfather’s expectations that Renton will become a mechanic like him, and the haunting of his dead father Adroc’s legacy, Renton only finds joy in riding the Trapar Wave Particles in the air, a sport that is much like surfing. Renton’s boring life changes forever when an object found to be a Light Finding Operation (LFO) crashes into his garage. A beautiful pilot named Eureka emerges from the robot, requesting that it gets a tune-up. When it turns out that Eureka is a member of Gekkostate, Renton’s wish to join his heroes is granted – as he is now co-pilot of the Nirvash. Eureka Seven is one of those shows that you watch and become enamoured with how complicated the story really is, how beautiful the art looks and the heavy jet-fuelled combat engaged by people in huge robots that is incredibly exciting. Like Darling in the Franxx, this is a mecha which presents the audience with a situation where the main character becomes involved with a female main character who is quite the mystery. In both instances, these protagonists end up co-piloting giant robots and diving head-first into the battlefield.

During the construction of Kurobe Dam, an ancient artefact was discovered. As a result, the United Nations Kurobe Research Institute was established in order to study the artefact. Shirahane Yukina is the daughter of the facility’s head scientist and while visiting her mother one day, she manages to unlock the artefact, revealing a naked Ouma Kennosuke Tokisada, a samurai from the Sengoku Period. As a result of these developments, as well as a looming alien invasion, Yukina finds herself protecting the Earth from these aliens alongside Kennosuke in his giant robot or Kuromukuro. Kuromukuro is another installation in a long line of series involving a male and female protagonist pairing placed together inside the cockpit of a giant mech, one with a fairly interesting storyline and great art. The similarities between Kuromukuro and Darling in the Franxx are apparent in the main characters’ pairing, but as well as the concept of having a civilian who bears the missing key needed to effectively pilot a robot relic. The main difference here is the high school protagonist this time is female.

In 2015, the world stands at the brink of destruction as large biological assailants known as Angels wreak havoc across the globe. The human race’s only hope lies in the hands of NERV, a special agency under the UN who have built the Evangelion, special robots capable of defeating the Angels. Ikari Gendou, head of NERV, seeks pilots who would be compatible with the Evangelion in order to realise the robots’ true potential. 14-year-old Ikari Shinji’s life is changed forever when he is forced to meet his father Gendou for the first time in years and sent into NERV with a special mission – becoming the pilot of Evangelion Unit-01. With the fate of the human race on his shoulders, will Ikari Shinji become a legend? Heralded as a classic, Neon Genesis Evangelion is a legendary mecha anime which introduced quite a few new things to anime as a whole; however, that’s not quite why we’re here. Having teenage characters work incredibly hard in order to become fitting pilots of giant robots in order to fend off a powerful enemy is a concept that is common to both Evangelion and Darling in the Franxx. Another, is the idea of synchronicity and compatibility – in Darling of the Franxx, it takes compatibility with your partner and the mech itself, whilst in Evangelion, it is the pilot’s compatibility with the unit which determines whether or not they are the right one to save the day.

In this universe, humans currently live on the star Vega, living in constant fear of the threat of trans-dimensional beings known as the Abductors. The Abductors come from the star Altair. In order to defend themselves, an organisation known as Neo-DEAVA was formed. They pilot highly advanced mecha suits known as the Aquaria and they are strictly separated by sex: men and women are not permitted contact, not even on the same battlefield; however, when the Abductors deploy a mecha suit of their own, chaos ensues. Mikono and Amata are two teenagers caught in the chaos and Amata unknowingly summons an Aquaria, initialises a process known as the Forbidden Union: union between male and female Aquaria. Amata’s actions send reverberations throughout Neo-DEAVA because he brings several questions to their attention. While the initial premise seems to completely remove the possibility of the aspect which eventually makes Aquarion Evol much like Darling of the Franxx, it is Amata’s actions which create the perfect situation in that regard. Through his unconscious actions, Amata created a situation where two pilots would be needed to pilot an Aquaria, which is similar to Hiro catching the interest of Zero Two. Like Darling in the FRANXX, the series consists of an unlikely pairing working together to combat an enemy much greater than themselves.

Beneath the Southern Cross Isle, an enigmatic organisation known as the Glittering Crux Brigade often gathers in their underground fortress. They are interested in finding “Cybodies”, stone giants capable of turning into giant fighting robots in a realm known as “Zero Time”. The Crux Brigade wishes to break free of Zero Time and use the Cybodies anywhere and plot to find and shatter the seals of the island’s four seal maidens. One night, Tsunashi Takuto washes ashore on the island and is saved by seal maiden Agemaki Wako and her fiancée, Shindou Sugata. When Takuto comes to, he befriends them and attends the local academy where many members of the student body are secretly part of the Glittering Crux Brigade. Takuto bears a secret; however: in Zero Time, Takuto is capable of summoning his own Cybody – the Tauburn. With this mysterious ability, can Takuto stop the Crux from shattering Wako’s seal? The similarities between Darling in the Franxx and Star Driver lie in the fact that they are both mecha placed in a school setting. Both shows also have a mystery main character, which in the case of Star Driver, it is Takuto and in the case of Darling of the Franxx, it is Zero Two. Both anime are set at schools where the overall influence of these mecha makes student interactions different from your average school setting, with students at Takuto’s academy featuring as hidden members of the Crux Brigade, and Hiro’s entire school dedicated to the piloting of the Franxx.

Simon and Kamina were raised in an underground village, hidden from the surface which has since become myth to the people below. Kamina is a free-spirit who is committed to making a name for himself, while Simon is an unassuming and timid young boy who has no real goals. While digging one day, Simon comes across a strange artefact which turns out to be the ignition key for a giant robotic relic of war that he and Kamina dub “Lagann”. When their village comes under a surprise attack from the surface, the two use their new weapon, as well as the help of gun-toting surface-dwelling redhead, Yoko Littner. After the battle, the village is exposed to the world above, with the sky in plain view, which prompts Simon and Kamina to explore the surface world with Yoko in tow. However, the surface is plagued by a tribe of creatures known as the “Beastmen”, humanoid creatures who terrorise the remnants of humanity using powerful robots known as Gunmen. Now exposed to the threats on the surface, Simon, Kamina and Yoko all join in the fray to fight the Beastmen and reclaim the surface for humanity. While different in direction and overall feel, it cannot be debated that Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann is an outstanding mecha anime. That is its main similarity to Darling in the Franxx – they are both mecha anime featuring giant robots piloted by more than just one individual. From a conceptual perspective, the Gunmen which are piloted by the Beastmen are very similar to the Franxx. Both anime are set in a post-apocalyptic future in which humanity has been driven to the brink of extinction.

Chise Hatori might be only 15 years old but she has had a very long and hard life so far. Abandoned by her parents and put into a slave auction, Chise has known nothing but cruelty for a greater majority of her young life. However, this all changes when Chise is bought by a strange tall man named Elias. Chise learns quickly that Elias isn’t exactly human and comes from a very magical world that is shared with ours. Together with Elias, Chise’s world will soon begin to become brighter and extremely magical. We begin our 6 Anime Like Violet Evergarden list with Mahoutsukai no Yome. While Mahoutsukai no Yome might be more fantasy based, the ideas within echo those of Violet Evergarden. Chise is very similar to Violet as both came from tragic backgrounds with their humanity being ebbed away in the process. As Violet gets closer to seeing the beauty in people and what love is, the closer she becomes to being human just like Chise and her struggles in finding a place to call home. Mahoutsukai no Yome is nearly complete but so far, we consider it one of the better shows to have aired last season and we know you’ll love it. Definitely check out Mahoutsukai no Yome if you’re digging Violet Evergarden.

In Plastic Memories, our story follows 18-year-old Tsukasa Mizugaki who has just ended up working for the Sion Artificial Intelligence Corporation after failing his college entrance exams. Tsukasa has joined Terminal Service One, a retrieval unit for artificial humans called Giftias. While Giftias are impressive artificial humans, they must be recalled after nine years and four months otherwise they lose control and become violent. Tsukasa is about to see how much Giftias are loved and how much their owners will fight to keep their precious loved ones safe. Let the emotional anime rollercoaster begin in Plastic Memories. Emotions are what define us as human beings. Everything from love to hate and even a mixture of the two are what shows the world we are real and we have souls. Can that be said for characters like Isla from Plastic Memories who is an artificial construct? In many ways, you could even ask if Violet is human seeing as how her emotions are all focused on war and taking orders without any freedom of choice. Plastic Memories might be more romance driven than Violet Evergarden but the main females of both shows are truly intriguing. Are they human or are they creations by humans? We’ll let you decide that answer for yourself.

Willem Kmetsch once was a warrior against powerful beasts that threatened humanity. During one of these battles, Willem was frozen in battle and, in the eyes of the world, he disappeared. Nearly 500 years passed and Earth has been taken over by the monsters leaving humanity extinct and other beings taking their place in the skies above. Willem has been found and thawed, but the world he knew is quite different. Now, Willem must take care of the only beings that can fight against the beasts down below child-like beings called Leprechauns. Shuumatsu Nani Shitemasu ka? Isogashii desu ka? Sukutte Moratte Ii desu ka? or simply titled Suka Suka—since that title is indeed a mouthful—is a very dramatic fantasy anime from studio Satelight and C2C. Adapted from a light novel series, Suka Suka tells the story of what it means to survive and how precious life truly is. Don’t get us wrong, folks, there is tons of action in Suka Suka, but namely the emotional themes are what made us think Suka Suka was perfect for our 6 Anime Like Violet Evergarden list. Watch Suka Suka and get some tissues to place nearby. We know you may need them, especially when Suka Suka’s story gets very serious.

What happens when a life perishes? Do they move on to an afterlife, what we know as Heaven or Hell? Maybe, what awaits is a fate that is far different than what we are taught. However, in the world of Quindecim, lives are judged to deem where humans will go after they have abandoned their mortal bodies. Depending on the human and his/her actions, they will either be reincarnated or face an endless abyss of nothing in the void. Death Parade follows several humans who are about to be judged by an arbiter named Decim and he will begin to see that humanity isn’t as simple as many believe it to be. Violet Evergarden, so far, has mystified us here at Honey’s Anime with a lot of emotional themes and stories. That’s why when we were making up this list of 6 Anime Like Violet Evergarden, we were reminded of studio Madhouse’s Death Parade series. Every episode of Death Parade hooks the viewer with emotional stories of individuals who feel real and sometimes could even be compared to the viewer’s life. We also love the amazing music—seriously the opening for Death Parade is incredible—and the animation which make Death Parade an awesome 12-episode series. If you love Violet Evergarden and need more anime like it, we fully recommend checking out Death Parade.

Mailmen and women have it rough. Inclement weather, angry dogs and fear that a letter may be misplaced are just some of the issues they deal with day after day. In the world of AmberGround however, for those who work for Bee Hive Delivery Service like new recruit Lag Seeing, their job is especially rough. With the world only illumined by a faint sun, there are giant insects that roam called Gaichuu making travel a daily nightmare. However, Lag isn’t about to let that stop him in his quest to deliver a letter where it needs to go! Besides the fact that Tegamibachi has a Bee Hive Delivery Service—which our name is Honey’s Anime after all—we actually really like this short and lesser known series. Tegamibachi has the same idea of Violet’s job as an Auto Memory Doll with letters being the center focus. The idea of a letter having emotions etched into it and being the way to show that to another person is an element we’ve seen in every episode of Violet Evergarden. Tegamibachi isn’t a super popular show but we think you might like this adventure/shounen 25-episode anime.

While Sorata Kanda might be a nice guy who loves kittens—which is perfectly fine in our minds—this has caused the second-year student to have a lot of issues. Forced to stay in a dorm in Suimei High School notorious for oddballs and misfits, Sorata now has a slew of odd people he must deal with. Sorata can go back to his normal life if he finds a home for his cats—which Sorata’s friend Nanami wishes he would do—but can he actually accomplish this goal? Sorata’s life is about to change dramatically by being around these people and he might even find romance. Welcome to the world of Sakurasou no Pet na Kanojo where relationships are built off odd quirks and situations. Wrapping our list of 6 Anime Like Violet Evergarden, we look at Sakurasou no Pet na Kanojo. While Sakurasou no Pet na Kanojo is more comedy orientated than the more dramatic and darker toned Violet Evergarden, the idea of coming out of your shell is a theme shared by both anime. We love seeing not only Sorata but also Mashiro Shiina from Sakurasou no Pet na Kanojo become more open people who find happiness and love in the process. Sakurasou no Pet na Kanojo shows that sometimes you must find yourself through trials and tribulations just like in Violet Evergarden. If you need something light hearted but still similar to Violet Evergarden we fully recommend Sakurasou no Pet na Kanojo.

Takeo Gouda is tough looking, huge and extremely scary looking. Takeo might indeed have this look too him, but in reality, he’s actually pretty nice and considered to be a hero among his friends and peers. Though, Takeo’s love life isn’t working the way he wishes it would. Thankfully this might change when Takeo saves a rather cute girl named Rinko Yamato. Now Takeo will begin to finally see his love life begin to bloom, though it won’t be a quick bloom to say the least. Let us begin our list of 6 Anime Like Koi wa Ameagari no You ni with one of our absolute favorite romance anime out there called Ore Monogatari!! Not only does Ore Monogatari!! remove the clichés of most romance anime by having the main man Takeo being anything but typical in design, but even how love is approached in this series doesn’t adhere to typical tropes. That same feeling is seen in Koi wa Ameagari no You ni. That’s why both shows are so great in general and why you need to set some time aside to check out Ore Monogatari!! Just be prepared for a lot of aww and ohh moments.

Following the death of his wife, Kouhei Inuzuka has tried his best to look after his daughter Tsumugi. Kouhei has found that he can deal with Tsumugi’s energy and random acts but cooking for her has been rather tough. Luckily, by a random event Kouhei ends up befriending a student of his named Kotori Iida and she in turn teaches him how to cook. Now Kouhei must master cooking so he can keep Tsumugi happy and healthy. Let the cooking lessons begin in Amaama to Inazuma! At first glance, Amaama to Inazuma might seem to appeal more to those who love food anime, but that couldn’t be further from the case. Amaama to Inazuma contains various themes that can be found in Koi wa Ameagari no You ni such as cute characters, a touching story and various seinen themes. There is also romance in Amaama to Inazuma, but it takes a back burner to being more focused on giving the audience tons of hits to your emotions. At times you’ll laugh and other times cry while watching Amaama to Inazuma and all of these feelings are perfectly normal to experience. Amaama to Inazuma is a emotional rollercoaster and if you love emotional anime like Koi wa Ameagari no You ni then you need to watch Amaama to Inazuma.

There’s an old saying out there in romance, a way to a man is through his stomach. Though maybe Iori Wakabayashi is going about this old saying in the wrong way. Iori currently is infatuated with her boss Habahiro Hige but he way of making him notice is through teasing him with his biggest weakness, Tabekko Marshmallows. Iori thinks Hige will fall for her if she keeps pushing his buttons. However, will this tactic work or will Iori find her job terminated? Iori, in many ways, reminds us of Akira Tachibana from Koi wa Ameagari no You ni. Not only does Iori do things her own way in Ojisan to Marshmallow, but she pretty aggressive in her attempts at wooing her love. Ojisan to Marshmallow is another romance anime with some rather silly themes all while being quite cute and adorable. We can feel it now, you’re wondering if Iori wins over Hige’s big heart. Well, we here at Honey’s Anime won’t spoil it for you; you’ll just need to watch Ojisan to Marshmallow for yourself.

One look at Kuronuma Sawako might scare most people away. Looking similar to a popular ghost girl from The Ring, Sawako has been avoided by her classmates for having a scary demeanor and odd behavior. However, Sawako isn’t doing this on purpose and wishes to just have friends to talk with and a normal school life. Then when popular guy Shouta begins talking to Sawako, things finally seem to change for this awkward girl. Kuronuma Sawako might finally make some friends and even maybe have a love life, if she can find a way to stop doing rather odd things. Here at Honey’s Anime, we know that any romance anime list needs a few good shoujo anime on it. That’s why we think for those who love Koi wa Ameagari no You ni you will most certainly love Kimi ni Todoke. While Akira Tachibana’s awkwardness might not be nearly as bad as Sawako, these two at times mirror each other in their love lives. Sawako is clearly trying to make her relationship with Shouta work and similarly, Tachibana is as well. That’s why we can honestly say Kimi ni Todoke is a perfect anime to recommend for our 6 Anime Like Koi wa Ameagari no You ni list. Plus, when you’re finished with the first 25 episodes, there’s another season of Kimi ni Todoke meaning you won’t have to wait to see how Sawako’s life turns out. Not like how we have to wait for Koi wa Ameagari no You ni to finish airing…which is slowly killing us! kimi ni todoke - From Me to You Official Trailer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_gJR6gfRYEQ

Both Koizumi Risa and Ootani Atsushi are in rather strange predicaments. Not only do the two have rather strange heights for their genders but their crushes are actually dating each other! Struggling with their romance lives together both Atsushi and Risa have begun to get to know one another better. Maybe, love can form between these two…if they don’t anger and annoy each other first. It’s time for a rather comedic romance struggle in Lovely Complex! Both Lovely Complex and Koi wa Ameagari no You ni are quite similar and it doesn’t take too long to realize why. In Lovely Complex, a tall girl and a short guy are beginning their road to romance. Meanwhile, in Koi wa Ameagari no You ni a 45 year old is trying to deal with a 17 year old girl who seems to love him. That’s why Lovely Complex is a perfect anime to binge if you are in dire need of some comedy with your romance tale. These romances are indeed rather strange but you can’t say they aren’t both interesting.

What do you usually expect when you go up to the guy of your dreams and confess to them? Usually, you’d expect a comment back or some form of normal acknowledgement. However, that isn’t the case for high school girl Chiyo Sakura who has just confessed to Umetarou Nozaki. Instead of hearing a confirmation of her feelings, Chiyo instead gets an autograph and then learns something interesting; Nozaki is actually a popular shoujo mangaka! Making matters even stranger, following more attempts by Chiyo to make Nozaki notice her, she ends up becoming his assistance! Can Chiyo get Nozaki to notice her?! As we mentioned earlier, love isn’t an easy battle. You see this in Koi wa Ameagari no You ni and you also see it in our last recommendation for our 6 Anime Like Koi wa Ameagari no You ni list in the anime known as Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun. Similarly to Akira, Chiyo must prove to her love that she’s there and even more so, prove her confessions aren’t that of a crazed fan! Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun will make you laugh non-stop while watching—usually at the expense of Chiyo—but the romance element will also be quite solid. We can’t recommend Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun any harder if you really are digging Koi wa Ameagari no You ni like we are.

Guts was once a wandering mercenary who couldn’t care less who his allies were as long as he got paid after doing what he was tasked to do. That changed when he met Griffith and his Band of the Hawk. Forced to join after losing to Griffith in a sword dual, the once lone mercenary finally seemed to have found a group worthy of calling allies. However, Griffith’s dream would eventually lead Guts—and the whole world for that matter—to a nightmare that is all too real. Learn of Guts’ dark story in Kenpuu Denki Berserk and be prepared for a story that will shock you to the core… Back in the late 90s, Kenpuu Denki Berserk released acting as anime adaption of the popular manga series created by mangaka Kentarou Miura. Ever since then, people who consider themselves fans of dark and truly mature anime know of Kenpuu Denki Berserk and the struggles of Guts and his fellow friends. There is a movie trilogy which acts as a remake of Kenpuu Denki Berserk but we think you’ll enjoy the original 1997s version even with the older animation style it uses. Many don’t realize that Miura actually got ideas for Kenpuu Denki Berserk from the original Devilman series and you can see some of these similarities in Devilman: Crybaby. Mature, dark and truly stunning, Kenpuu Denki Berserk is a renown anime series for a reason and we think you’ll like it a lot if you loved Devilman: Crybaby.

One morning, Shinichi Izumi—a regular high schooler—awoke to quite a shock. Shinichi’s once normal hand is now possessed by an alien life form with intelligence. Naming the being Migi, Shinichi learns that Migi tried to take over Shinichi’s mind but failed and thus was isolated to his hand. Shinichi also learns that other parasitic organisms like Migi have fallen to Earth and begun taking over humans and animals. Now Shinichi must somehow survive against an alien race that is both powerful and nearly hidden, disguised as normal humans and with a dire need to feed… Kiseijuu: Sei no Kakuritsu is probably one of the closest anime to Devilman: Crybaby in terms of graphic content and scary hidden symbolism. Filled with aliens who slice their foes apart, Kiseijuu: Sei no Kakuritsu hits all the right notes for being a great series echoing Devilman: Crybaby in numerous ways. Crafted by studio Madhouse—known for series like Black Lagoon, Death Note and HighSchool of the Dead to name a few—is usually know for their seinen anime works and Kiseijuu: Sei no Kakuritsu proves that. Shinichi’s story in many ways can be compared to Akira Fudou’s story from Devilman: Crybaby thus why we think Kiseijuu: Sei no Kakuritsu is perfect for our 6 Anime Like Devilman: Crybaby list. Now here’s a question for you all: What’s worse Aliens from another world who can disguise themselves as humans or Demons that do the same? Honestly, we think both are pretty scary.

In this world, a powerful organization called Chronos exists. Dabbling with alien technology, Chronos plans on ruling the world via their creations known as Zoanoids. However, one teenager named Sho Fukamachi plans on making that a difficult task for Chronos. Wielder of an ancient alien armor called the Guyver Unit, Sho must battle against Chronos and its terrible creations to keep those he loves safe from their evil intentions. Sho might have found the Guyver Unit by accident but now his destiny—as well as his life—ride on using this power to stop an evil that has been around for a long time… Similar to Devilman: Crybaby, Kyoushoku Shoukou Guyver is also a reimagining of an original version released in the late 1980s. Kyoushoku Shoukou Guyver is filled with brutal action as limbs fly when the Sho unleashes his alien Guyver armor and it’s truly a beautiful thing to witness. We also love the deep story that comes with a normal teen becoming anything but normal and the responsibilities laid upon him to use his new powers for good. This theme mirrors Devilman: Crybaby and we know you’ll notice that too while watching Kyoushoku Soukou Guyver. Desperate for more bloody action and gripping narrative? We recommend checking out Kyoushoku Soukou Guyver.

What do you get when you mix one eighth grader and psychic powers? You get Shigeo Kageyama or better known as Mob. Within Mob lies a powerful psychic user unlike the world has ever seen before but rather than use his powers for bad, Mob just wishes to be a kid and become stronger physically. Maybe Mob can even attract the attention of a girl he likes named Takane Tsubomi. However, Mob isn’t one to be messed with mind you. If he lets his inner energy reach 100, then Mob’s power becomes berserk and the world will see just how powerful Mob truly is… Do you need a break after all the roughness of Devilman: Crybaby but still want an anime with a unique art style and animation? Then we here at Honey’s Anime recommend Mob Psycho 100. While Mob Psycho 100 might not have the brutality of Devilman: Crybaby or the super deep narrative it does have some amazing music, insane psychic battles and truly outlandish art/animation that needs to be seen to be believed. Mob Psycho 100 is an awesome series and will surely be a good relief for you if the ultra-violence of Devilman: Crybaby was a bit too much for you. Studio Bones is always known for delivering great anime series and Mob Psycho 100 is no exception.

The quiet village known as Sotoba was seemed to be perfect for those set in the older ways. However, with a slew of deaths that recently have begun taking place in Sotoba, the quiet village has become loud with rumors and stories. Doctor Toshio Ozaki has a feeling these deaths can be explained as a strange disease but little does he know that this is no disease. Sotoba has been invaded by a new threat that those within the quaint village are unprepared to deal with. If Sotoba wishes to keep the townsfolk alive he will need to realize that medicine and science can’t always explain everything. Sometimes, death can come from ancient phenomenon that have been hiding behind the scenes all along… Shiki might not be about demons like Devilman: Crybaby but it does contain another ancient threat and that comes in the form of vampires. We won’t spoil too much about Shiki’s story—Shiki is better experience knowing as little as possible to be honest—but we will say it’s one heck of an anime series. Filled with mystery, horror and supernatural themes, Shiki will keep you guessing and watching in suspense from beginning to end. Here at Honey’s Anime, we have rewatched Shiki numerous times and we’ve loved it every time. Why not give it a try if you need a new series to binge after Devilman: Crybaby?

Unknown to many, 17 years ago a strange thing occurred within the forests of Africa. Immortal beings appeared being called Ajin and seemed to be a threat to humanity as a whole. Humanity eventually learned of Ajin and were told of the dangers these beings possessed making them targets to be arrested on sight. Kei Nagai soon will learn he has become an Ajin and will go on the run to survive against those that wish him neutralized and or captured. Kei will also come face to face with other Ajin who see humanity as a threat to their existence and must be dealt with by force. Ending our list of 6 Anime Like Devilman: Crybaby is a great two season anime series called Ajin. Adapted from the manga made by mangaka Gamon Sakurai and Tsuina Miura, Ajin deals with corrupt governments, immortal beings and what constitutes as being human versus being an Ajin. We really loved Ajin’s subtle ways of showing humans being just as bad as Ajin which Devilman: Crybaby also did with the demons and humans in its series as well. Ajin also utilizes a strange animation style—a style seen often by studio Polygon Pictures—which might appeal to those who like their anime animated differently. We can only hope for a season 3 of Ajin, but until then, we recommend checking out Ajin season 1 and 2 if you loved Devilman: Crybaby.

In 2039, Japan found itself shaken to the core when a large-scale virus breaks out. Dubbed the Apocalypse Virus, many men and women of Japan found themselves covered in a strange crystal-like abrasion and began to die as time went on. Hit hard in the governmental scene, Japan turned to using a group called the GHQ to restore order and maintain peace but were met by cruel regulations. Rising to stand up against GHQ was a group of rebels known as Funeral Parlor and during a mission, a young man named Shuu Ouma ends up in the crossfire. Awakening to a new power, Shuu will find himself thrown headlong into a war to save Japan from two very extreme powers. Guilty Crown was the first anime we thought of for our list of 6 Anime Like Beatless for numerous reasons. Not only are the ideas of rebellion relevant in both shows but the idea of normal teens getting mixed up in war—namely Shuu from Guilty Crown and Arato Endou from Beatless—also seems to be a central theme. Guilty Crown is very action focused with tons of sci-fi themes like mechs and even new technology that humans have come to rely on. Guilty Crown is a truly awesome show—despite some issues here and there—that will be an anime you’ll like if you’re digging Beatless. Plus, unlike Beatless, all 22 episodes of Guilty Crown can be watched and binged to your heart’s content!

Tsukasa Mizugaki is having a tough time entering college, probably due to the fact he’s failed his entrance exams. Thankfully, Tsukasa isn’t completely defeated as he gains the right to work for the Sion Artificial Intelligence Corporation—or SAI for short—as a trainee. Tsukasa’s job is simple enough, reobtain Giftias—machines with human-like bodies and minds—who have exceeded their degradation date of 81,920 hours. However, as Tsukasa will soon learn working alongside his new Grifita partner—Isla—those who have come to love Giftias won’t always enjoy giving them up… As we mentioned earlier, a common theme in Beatless is what constitutes having a soul. That’s a central focus in Plastic Memories as we see the various Giftias harbor within them feelings regular humans have. Just look at Isla for a better example of this. Not only does Isla show feelings, but she shows she has empathy and various other emotions that we obviously have as human beings. That’s what makes Plastic Memories so great though. From beginning to end, Plastic Memories keeps you engaged by showing a light and dark side to having beings similar to man and what pains losing someone you begin to love or grow fond of does to man equally. Beatless might not yet mirror Plastic Memories in this theme just yet, but we can bet it will begin to as the series progresses.

In a far off future, humanity has undergone numerous changes. Not only is the world not just a simple body of land and water anymore—instead it’s an amalgamation of gears—but it even has various technological breakthroughs like mechs and AI. Naoto Miura is about to discover one of these amazing pieces of technology, though not in a usual way. Quite literally, a being within a black box slams into his home and appears before Naoto changing his life forever. We have to wonder here at Honey’s Anime if Naoto and Endou are blessed or cursed. They are clearly blessed by having highly advanced androids basically land in their laps but equally are then thrown into battles they had nothing to do with. Regardless of that, Clockwork Planet isn’t that hard for us to prove to you folks how similar it is to Beatless. With action, tons of sci-fi ideals and even some ecchi—way more than Beatless so far—Clockwork Planet is an enjoyable 12-episode anime series. Similar to Beatless, don’t expect Clockwork Planet to be an amazing series but equally if you’re loving Beatless, we think you’ll love Clockwork Planet in turn.

What if man were to discover a new dimension? What would this dimension hold for the human race? These questions were answered when in a far off future humans found a 4th dimension. Titled Dimension W, humanity gained new energy that could be used cleanly and efficiently by using creations called Coils stemming from the discovery of Dimension W. Now in the year 2071, the New Tesla Energy corporation have gained sole rights to energy which has in turn led to people doing illegal activities for coils. Enter Kyouma Mabuchi a “collector” whose sole job is to hunt down these vagrants and ensure the coils stay with their respective owners. Kyouma whose hatred for coils and other new age tech will soon come face to face with an android named Mira who body was fueled with coil tech. An unlikely partnership is about to form and it will lead to some rather interesting moments in Dimension W. Back in 2016, Dimension W aired and really impressed many with some amazing animation courtesy of studios Orange and Studio 3Hz. Here at Honey’s Anime, we also loved Kyouma and the amazing fighting he does quite often during the 12-episode run of Dimension W. Similar to Beatless, Dimension W is chock full of sci-fi ideals that will truly appeal to those who love wondering what the future could look like. Honestly, we won’t mind any future that has cute android girls like Mira in them.

Raishin Akabane has found himself in a rather bad situation. Failing the entrance exam for the prestigious Walpurgis Royal Academy of Machineart, Raishin and his machine doll Yaya must show their strength in another way. If the duo wish to continue studying in this well known school they must defeat one of the top 100 students. Raishin thus challenges Charlotte Belew and her partner Sigmund, but things won’t go so easily seeing as how Sigmund gets attacked by an unknown force. Raishin has his work cut out for him if he wishes to keep going to the school and to attend the Evening Party which is filled with others like him seeking to show off their robotic companions. Nevertheless, Raishin and Yaya are ready for the challenge in Machine-Doll wa Kizutsukanai! Let’s do a checklist for Machine-Doll wa Kizutsukanai in comparison to Beatless. Cute robotic girls itching to fight for their masters, check. Tons of action because of cute girls who wish to fight for their masters, also check. Robotic beings with elements like humans, final check. That’s why we don’t think we need to argue too much for why you should watch Machine-Doll wa Kizutsukanai. Though, prepare for a lot of nosebleeds from Yaya as she is quite often seducing Raishin in Machine-Doll wa Kizutsukanai, which in turn will probably seduce most of those watching.

Can the human race fall in love with things not exactly human? Hideki Motosuwa—who is the definition of good—has moved from the country to the city to enter college and find work. Broke and horrible with technology, Hideki wants one of the newest creations to wow the world—Persocoms—but equally wouldn’t know how to afford one or if he could even take care of one. However, by complete accident, Hideki finds a full-sized perscom abandoned in the trash. Taking her home and naming her Chi—seeing as that’s the only thing she can say—Hideki is about to understand why Persocoms are both loved and hated in society. Ending our 6 Anime Like Beatless list, we chose a classic but a truly amazing anime named Chobits. Animated by studio Madhouse and adapted from the original manga made by CLAMP, Chobits shows what shape love can take in a world filled with robotic lifeforms that look, sound and act like humans. Chi and Hideki’s relationship in Chobits is easily the best element to Chobits as we see love blossom in a rather dramatic way and one that will keep your heart gripped by emotion. Chobits is a loved anime series and its one we can’t recommend more to watch!