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Total Recommendations: 312
Both series deal with dead characters who can't remember their lives (or deaths), and their interactions with living characters who help them regain their memories while dealing with their own lives.
Detective series with a consecutive series of cases, with the clever and unusual detective lurking in the shadows while his female sidekick does the legwork and often gets the credit. Remote doesn't deal with the supernatural like Neuro does, and it favours 'fair play' mysteries as opposed to Neuro's clueless ones, but their shared fondness for gory murders, shocking twists, and of course the main character setup begs comparison.
A female police officer does the footwork for a reclusive and unusual genius detective, with their primary (or sole) method of communication being a cellphone. Aside from the similarity in setup, both are keen on 'fair play' mysteries -- you can indeed play along at home.
Detective stories with one quirky detective. Remote deals with a series of cases and has a two-person investigation tag-team as compared to Death Note's single case and villain protagonist setup, but if you're into reclusive, sometimes misanthropic, and generally unconventional detectives, both L and Himuro have you covered.
Adachi Mitsuru series about brothers, dealing with how they get along and how one deals with living in the other's shadow. Q and A is a lot more lighthearted than Touch, which in turn lacks Q and A's supernatural element, but the same author and the same story element make for an obvious comparison.
Adachi Mitsuru series that differ from his usual fare thanks to the inclusion of a supernatural twist.
Both series feature a young male protagonist who works in an unusual shop stocked with supernatural objects who deals with various supernatural cases in an episodic story structure. Both series also become increasingly about the truth behind his identity, his past, and his family, revealing secrets even he was not aware of.
Both series feature a mysterious and handsome young man who contends with a series of supernatural cases his occult knowledable make him particularly suited to handle. Tousei Gensou is a period piece while Ghost Hunt is contemporary, and Shinobu doesn't have a constant helper like Naru does, but the case-by-case structure of the stories bear strong comparison, and both series spend the bulk of the last volumes focused on revealing the truth behind the protagonists' identities, including highlighting the hints that have been scattered in the chapters that came before.
Although Tousei Gensou is somewhat dark when compared to Mushishi's relatively easygoing tone, both have a protagonist who deals with episodic (usually single chapter or small arcs) supernatural cases he is unusually knowledgable about. Both also delve into the protagonist's past and eventually explain how he came to be the way he is.
Both series have a handsome young male protagonist who becomes involved in a series of mysteries and crimes, many of which are supernatural in nature, while also contending with his dark personal and family histories.
Both are period pieces featuring a handsome and knowledgeable yet mysterious young man who becomes involved in unravelling a series of mysterious cases, including crimes. Both series also deal with the protagonists' backstories and complicated family histories.
Both series are about a magical girl who works alone to seal away harmful artefacts and who comes into contact with a magical boy infringing on her territory who is first a rival, then a friend, and eventually a romantic interest. Both series also include a miniature non-human sidekick, themes of reincarnation, and continuous character development, although KKJ has a stronger focus on the romantic aspects of the series while CCS is more about Sakura's personal mission to seal the cards.
Both series are relatively short vintage shoujo series about charming and well-loved protagonists who identifies as male but, due to social mores, class, and familial obligations, are continually forced into the role of their biological sex instead. Both series also deal with inter-class romance, though Paros has one primary pairing throughout and Claudine features a string of loves, and both have a historical European (or for Paros, pseudo-European) setting.
Both series are about a group of people involved in a deadly game trapped in an unfamiliar location, with the main questions being how to survive and who among them is behind it all.
Both series involve a young protagonist trapped in a "prison" setting and forced to fight for survival. Life is Money's use of depriving the senses is similar to Deadman Wonderland's bodypart harvesting penalties, the range of character types is comparable, and the art styles have similarities.
Both series deal with a number of participants forced into a high-stakes kill-or-be-killed situation with a lot to gain if they make it out alive. Both also involve a gradually developing romance, necessary alliances, and the question of who can be trusted. They share a similar overall ambiance and general feel.
Igarashi Yumiko's recognizable and iconic style make the comparison obvious, but beyond that they're both wonderfully sweet series about a plucky and energetic young orphan girl who gradually finds first a family and then her own way in the world.
Both are short, episodic supernatural horror series with a recurring protagonist and an otherwise perpetually changing cast that deal with death, guilt, revenge, and punishment.
Both are creepy short series dealing with the denizens of a particular town and the unusual and unsettling events than afflict them, with the protagonist switching regularly and the stories appearing at first more or less unrelated but gradually tying together.
Both are supernatural horror series based in a small, somewhat isolated town with an unusual and dangerous secret. Incidentally, both series are based on novels, and the original authors are married; though these series approach fairly different subjects, the similarities in their styles and tastes are clear.
Short horror series centring around unusual deaths related to local folklore, taking place in a small town, but mostly a school. Tsumitsuki is semi-episodic and has a slightly more fantasy-style view of the supernatural, but having the same artist (though Another is based on a novel) results in them having the same kind of style, pacing, and overall dark ambiance.
Episodic narratives focusing on the interaction between humans and a curiously supernatural brand of nature. Hanashippanashi is more a collection of vignettes as opposed to Mushishi's comparatively conventional method of storytelling.
Horror series featuring a mysterious girl and an ordinary boy trying to discern and overcome the supernatural circumstances plaguing them. The plots are quite different, but the creepy ambiance pervading both is remarkably similar.
This is mostly for the second episode of Higurashi: Kira -- but if you like this one magical girl AU spinoff OVA of a gory and violent anime, perhaps you will like this other one.
Both are comedy/romance series about two attractive and popular brothers who are both head over heels for their only sister -- domestic and romantic hijinks ensue. Sonnan ja nee yo has the added twist of one of them not being related to her, with the looming question being which of them it is, whereas in Brothers they're all related but their troll of a father keeps suggesting they might not be.
A series of extremely short one-offs lasting a couple of pages each, if that(yup, even Murikuri is a oneshot composed of oneshots), that demonstrate a completely bizarre sense of humour and storytelling.
Both series are about a meek and downtrodden high school boy who is bullied and suffering emotionally until he begins to find purpose in street fighting. They both definitely work in the same vein, taking a very similar approach to essentially the same subject.
Both series are about a loser protagonist's efforts in learning to fight and in doing so finding direction, purpose, confidence, pride, and friends they can rely on.
Josei titles about a woman who goes to great lengths for beauty and the ensuing breakdown of her life, her relationships, and her career.
He wants to play guitar and she's disenchanted with her work -- the same premise, twice over. Solanin is a little more lively and deals with personal tragedy while Pumpkin and Mayonnaise takes a fairly relaxed approach with themes of infidelity, but even with their differences they're markedly similar.
Stories about separated siblings, unfit parents, complicated family situations, and sometimes reconciliation.
Both series are about a man who meets and raises a young girl he hadn't previously known to exist after the death of her parent -- in My Girl it's his daughter whose mother has died, in Usagi Drop it's his late grandfather's child. Very much the same slice-of-life-ish 'children raise you' kind of series.
Both series deal with a girl whose single father runs a gym specializing in a sport she excels at but hates, and a boy who joins said gym because of his enthusiam for the sport. The primary difference is that Matsuri Special has a female protagonist and Katsu! focuses on the aforementioned boy, but the similarity in character attitudes and focus on both the sport and developing character relationships begs comparison.
Both are Sugita Naoya oneshots about a seemingly harmless and ordinary high school boy who transfers to a school full of delinquents and ends up demonstrating considerable skill and physical prowess when he becomes involved in fights.
Both series are highly comedic school series about delinquents with a great deal of fighting, a moderate amount of studying, and a rather hefty character roster for the chapter count.
Both reasonably short series are about a young lady with psychic powers and a man with unnatural strength and fighting prowess, and riff on similar themes, such as secret government organizations conducting human experimentation and hunting down empowered individuals. The primary differences between the series is that Mai has the titular psychic girl as the protagonist and the fights mainly utilize the characters' psychic powers while the animalist strong-man is a supporting character, and Baoh has the scientifically enhanced male protagonist engaging in violent battles with the psychic girl playing more of a tag-along kid sidekick role.
One-volume science fiction romances adapted by Yumeka Sumomo from Shinkai Makoto films -- so they have the distinctive signature touch of two talented creators over two mediums.
Horror series about the bizarre and disturbing circumstances that torment a group of people.
Although Thomas no Shinzou is a lot more dramatic and angsty, both series deal with characters grappling with self-discovery and facing their true selves, and how this influences the way they interact with others. Both also have themes of repressed or closeted sexuality, and since they're both '70s shoujo series they have a remarkably similar overall aesthetic and presentation.
Both series portray a fairly cynical and pessimistic view of characters trying to escape reality by denying their true selves and how it influences the way they interact with others and the world around them, as well as the detrimental influence the protagonists' obsessions have on them.
Both involve romance between a loser protagonist and a "girl" who's really more of an A.I. Chobits plays the romance angle harder while Ressentiment is a really cynical and messy version of similar themes, but they make an interesting comparison and each can be compelling if you want a different portrayal of the same theme.
Both series deal with an antisocial loser protagonist whose inability to cope with reality lead him deeper and deeper into his delusions and constructed fantasies -- where, ironically, he finally manages to find people like him and form friendships. Ressentiment pushes the escapist digital world angle as its main element, but otherwise they're fairly similar.
Both series have a protagonist who undergoes physical training in order to become capable of protecting himself and the things and people he cares about. Themes in common include justice/injustice, revenge/punishment, and a weak character realizing his own potential.
Both series centre around a uniform-wearing girl with unusual powers who originates from a bygone era. Natsu no Arashi has a lot more humour and slice-of-life aspects compared to Tasogare Otome's fairly consistant drama and seriousness, but both series have a reasonable enough balance of humour and seriousness that they're still very comparable. Additionally, they both have a similar directorial style -- not all THAT surprising, given Oonuma Shin worked on both.
Both series deal with a supernaturally perceptive protagonist and the supernaturally afflicted arrogant girl who becomes his girlfriend, as well as various unusual supernatural cases he becomes involved in. Tasogare Otome's aesthetics and directorial style are very obviously influenced by Bakemonogatari as well.
Both series have a high school boy protagonist joined by an unusual female student who goes overlooked or is ignored by others (Another because of curse-related superstitions, Tasogare Otome because she's a ghost), and deal with the frightening and dangerous results of curses and superstitions relating to their school. Overall they both have a similar dark ambiance and ocassional disturbing moments, resulting in both series giving off a similar feeling.
Both series are about an offbeat high school boy and his supernatural girlfriend, with plot elements including attempts to better understand her unusual situation and dark past, their developing relationship, and her desire to be a normal girl. Sankarea is overall lighter in tone compared to Tasogare Otome, but they both have serious and dramatic moments in spades.
Both have an unusual, mysterious protagonist with supernatural abilities who travels in order to find and help those plagued by otherworldly troubles. Mononoke deals with a single case (although the anime it's adapted from has a wider variety of incidents) whereas Mail has a case per chapter and Mononoke is more of an eerie brand of supernatural fantasy while Mail is straight-up horror, but if you like series with freelance supernatural detectives, both have you covered.
Both series are about a protagonist who's skilled at running and his tumultuous relationship with the object of his affections over a number of years (although the time period is larger in D-ASH). Both also balance some serious drama with frenetic humour, although Suzuka (targetted toward a younger audience) is overall more light-hearted.
Both are short, more or less episodic series about a doctor with unusual talents. Both are rather light-hearted, although Asklepios takes a comparatively serious approach and lacks Saori's fondness for comedic violence and gag genre.
Both series are about an unusual female doctor with a particularly unusual set of medical skills that usually leaves her patients traumatized, though perfectly healthy. Saori lacks Fran's outright gory body horror and black comedy, instead going for good old fashioned gag-oriented comedic violence.
Although their overall focus doesn't quite line up, both series have recurring themes of false fronts, fake personalities, and the dishonesty required to be considered a successful and prosperous member of society, as well as the strain this places on the protagonist when he feels he can't handle it anymore and where the fallout leads him.
Both series are about a loner protagonist who makes use of his ability to percieve a visual manifestation of the darkness in people's hearts to help them with the problems they don't want to face, and ultimately has to face his own troubles. Genkaku Picasso is a rather shounen approach to the subject and comparatively optimistic, whereas Homunculus brings adult subject matter and ambiguous morality into the mix.
Perhaps the most obvious recommendation, as MW's influences on Monster are many and Johan's similarities to Yuki are plain as day. Both series are dramatic thrillers with an unflinchingly cynical view of humanity and no fear of flawed heroes. Perhaps the most obvious parallels are the mutually destructive yet irresistable conection between the morally conflicted "hero" who finds himself on the wrong side of the law and the handsome, charismatic, and entirely ruthless antagonist who is the cause of his troubles.
Both are short series about soccer that take a reasonably similar approach to a school sports team story. They both give the impression that the author was gearing up for something bigger than the series ended up being, but are a good way to kill time for any fan of sports series -- especially soccer fans.
Both are one volume series about soccer(/football) that deal with an athletic protagonist's love of the game and the troubles that arise in his search for victory with a rather ragtag team. Get! takes a fairly standard approach to high school team sports, whereas Mirai brings in a time travel element with a contemporary protagonist.
Both are short series that deal with a complicated or even troubled father-daughter relationship. Although in Seizon's case the daughter is deceased and the father is learning about her while trying to solve her murder and in Jinbe's case the parent and child aren't related by blood, both have similarities in tone and presentation by taking the father's perspective and exploring his view of his daughter.
Both series deal with complicated family ties and attraction to a family member who isn't related by blood. Miyuki has a lot more silly, fun, or slice-of-life-ish moments whereas Jinbe is more easy-going and mellow, but because they're both by Adachi Mitsuru they still have a similar feel.
Both series are about a male protagonist who lives in close proximity to a large number of female students of various ages and helps maintain their living quarters under orders from a female relative who runs the place. Multiple love interests, romantic drama, comedic violence, and occasional nudity ensue. While Suzuka has athletic competition as a secondary focus, Love Hina uses academic demands and exams to similar effect.
Both series have multiple protagonists whose troubled and traumatic pasts have led them into a world of black-and-grey morality where they fight against the forces that made them the way they are. Diabolo has a sinister supernatural element with pseudo-religious overtones while Anne Freaks is purely fantasy-secular, but other than that there are a number of commonalities in the story elements and overall ambiance; the art styles are also similar.
Both are about a disturbed, deranged young woman who stalks and harasses the male protagonist after a chance encounter and doesn't hesitate to harm those close to him to get to him. The main differences are that Zashiki Onna starts off fairly mild and builds up tension and terror as it goes along whereas Ibitsu goes full tilt from the beginning, and that the stalker in Ibitsu is developed and explored a bit more thoroughly than in Zashiki Onna. Other than those factors, they're pretty much different takes on the same story.
Both series are about school sports teams and have protagonists who decide against attending a prestigious school known for its talented athletes and powerhouse teams and instead go to a school that's down on its luck athletically but will allow them to play with more freedom for the love of the game.
Both are volleyball series with equal focus on the protagonists' passion for the sport and their teams' struggles in learning to get along and work together.
Both are one-volume horror series that deal with the unusual and disturbing circumstances surrounding and following group suicide(/suicide attempts).
Both series deal with tensions between humans and the supernatural in a contemporary setting. Although Bokkesan treats the supernatural as a "secret world" and Aratama deals with it as a publicly acknowledged menace, they both riff on the same themes and give comparable views of similar subjects.
Both series deal with the interaction between the supernatural/youkai and humans in a contemporary setting. Aratama gives a very socially structured depiction of humans vs. youkai and treats youkai as inherently evil whereas NuraMago treats youkai as equally morally diverse as humans; as a result, they give different but comparable views on a world in which humans and the supernatural interact.
Both are episodic horror series about immortal characters and the horrifying actions they and those around them are driven to. Tomie is more about the depths of depravity explored by those who have met the immortal Tomie whereas Mermaid Saga's creepiness more often comes from the desperate actions taken by those seeking immortality themselves, but the slowly revealed disturbing situations often take a similar tone; in particular the Mermaid Forest story really reminded me of Tomie.
Both are based on the idea of eating a mermaid's flesh to benefit from its supernatural powers -- in Mermaid Saga to obtain immortality, and in School Ningyo to win the favour of a crush. Although both are horror, both scare more with the overall creepy tone of the works and dark themes rather than overtly frightening imagery, although that does turn up in both as well.
Both are sports series about a young student at an unremarkable school who joins a sports team despite having limited talent for it and, through hard work, becomes a highly capable integral member of the team under the guidance of several upperclassmen of varied temperament and alongside his teammates and friends.
Both series are sports series about an extremely talented young student who joins a school sports team and quickly becomes an integral part of its primary lineup. Both series deal with the dichotomy of talent born from hard work versus inborn genius; they also both have the ongoing motivation of senior students having their last chance at a substantial tournament win.
Sports series with a protagonist who starts out knowing nothing about the sport and ends up joining the team for frivolous reasons but ends up becoming a key player. Both have a fair volume count but span a single year, tracking their progress with a specific tournament goal in mind; both also stress the value of teamwork and hard work while also presenting well-rounded supporting characters and members of opposing teams to make every single one of them endearing.
Both series have a hapless loser protagonist who becomes part of a group initially against his will and in doing so forms bonds and grows as a person. Together they face increasingly formidable opponents as the series increases in seriousness and intensity, with themes of teamwork, friendship, and hard work become becoming major elements. Although the overall subjects of the series are different, the structure, character types, and themes are remarkably similar.
ONA series about several girls and not much of a plot. Scandal has a loosely-defined idea of where the story is supposed to go and kind of meanders on its way there, while Copihan revels in its plotlessness, switching between protagonists each episode and making the most of slice-of-life nature.
Both OVAs are as much about the taboo relationship between a brother and sister as they are about the gradually revealed dark secrets hidden in their pasts. Hitsuji no Uta doesn't go quite as strongly for incest angle as Angel Sanctuary does, but the subtexts are still definitely there.
Both are OVAs centring around the forbidden attraction between a brother and sister in a highly dramatic and angsty fashion. Although Angel Sanctuary has the whole apocalypse thing to divvy the plot's attention between, its focus on the earliest parts of the manga allows the forbidden love component to take nearly as big a role as it does in BokuImo.
Both are horror series dealing with the worst case scenario effects of inhuman and monstrous phenomena encroaching on human territory. Different plots, same 'defenseless humans versus monsters and disease' deal, with a similar creepy ambiance to boot.
Both series are about a group of people in a post-apocalyptic near-future setting trying to find out how much time has passed since the present as they know it and what exactly has happened to change the world so drastically and frighteningly while fighting for survival -- against the monsters that want to make a meal out of them, and sometimes against each other.
Both are fantasy-tinged action-centred series about groups of freelancers with unusual areas of expertise. In both series the main characters' backstories become gradually increasingly important, with their attempts to discard their pasts giving way to confrontation and conflict.
Both series look at Japanese folklore in an unusual and unique way, with an amiable but mysterious practitioner of a strange trade giving aid to those afflicted by forces they can't see or understand. In both series lessons are sometimes learned, and not all stories end happily.
Both series have a travelling protagonist who helps different people in each place he stops with supernatural creatures they don't understand -- traditional Japanese spirits in Mononoke, and unusual nature spirits in Mushishi.
Revenge stories about a wronged protagonist seeking vengeance against those who have done them wrong. Old Boy has the added twist of having to find out the reasoning behind the crimes committed against him while interacting with the antagonist throughout the series whereas Lady Snowblood is a comparatively straightforward search for the antagonists with the backstory being gradually revealed, but they have the same kind of feel at a number of points throughout the series. Aside from that they both deal with a kind of protagonist-centred grey morality that makes things interesting.
Both stories are thrillers that are a race against time as the protagonist has to remember events and people from his childhood to protect himself and those he cares about. They definitely have the same kind of series-long tension that keeps you reading late into the night.
Both series are anthologies composed of different stories handled by different creators. Aside from the similarities in structure, both take a very classical and characteristically Japanese approach to storytelling, with Aoi Bungaku basing all of its stories in well-known Japanese literary masterpieces and Ayakashi's stories dealing with Japanese mythology, folklore, superstitions, and ghost stories.
Romance between people living under the same roof in a complicated family situation. Marmalade Boy is between step-siblings in a silly two-family setup, whereas Sonnan ja nee yo has siblings trying to figure out how they're actually related and whether one of them is adopted. Sweet love stories and cute humour ensue!
Both are about a highly likeable protagonist who is considered the one plain-looking member of an otherwise gorgeous family, and though Sonnan ja nee yo gradually turns romantic, both are pretty darn funny.
Both series have a heroine who has to deal with a romantic interest who starts off as a bully. Because of the social differences between the characters ("You can't stand up to him! Don't you know who his mother is?") they have the same kind of feel a lot of the time, and both series have more romantic interests turn up along the way.
Both series have kind of 'harlequin romance' approaches to love stories, with lots of drama and backstabbing. The stories are pretty different, but if you're interested in an unusually high drama quotient, both series have you covered.
Lightly steampunkish futuristic series dealing with everyday protagonists getting gradually drawn into a war taking place. They definitely have the same feel to them.
Stories set in a possible future that deal with the gradually revealed Orwellian control exercized over the people by government institutions and involve advanced technology for everyday use.
Beware the seemingly innocent children -- when push comes to shove, they can be the scariest. Both series explore the increasingly horrific circumstances that come to pass when desperation leads to sanity slippage and an ever-increasing body count. Sometimes the most important thing is knowing who to trust, but even that's not foolproof.
Both series deal with a teenage protagonist given an unusual supernatural tool in an otherwise ordinary world and the moral dilemmas, mind games, and fights for survival that ensue.
Both series have a young protagonist who is given/discovers he has an unusual power and is required to fight similarly powered people to survive. Both have similar art styles and rather stylishly violent action on top of its inherent moral dilemmas and pervasive air of desperation.
Kids fighting for their lives, knowing full well most of them won't make it out alive. While Mirai Nikki is a bit more violent, both have their fair share of nightmare fuel and horrifying revelations as the stories unfold.
Although not the same, there are striking structural similarities. Mirai Nikki has a protagonist who recieves an empowering item that puts him at great risk and requires him to forge alliances and take arms against others within a similarly affected group, with his survival primarily dependent on knowing who to trust and when to trust them. Shiki is about a group of protagonists, some of whom become supernaturally afflicted, whose survival is dependent on knowing who to trust as the death toll climbs. Not the same, but similar.
Kids fighting for their lives, knowing full well most of them won't make it out alive. While Mirai Nikki is a bit more violent, both have their fair share of nightmare fuel and horrifying revelations as the stories unfold.
Protagonists thrown into a semi-supernatural fight for survival (with a low chance of actually making it out alive) while trying to maintain an ordinary life. Violence, desperation, intermittent insanity, and things you can never unsee ensue.
Both series deal with a teenage protagonist given an unusual supernatural tool in an otherwise ordinary world and the moral dilemmas, mind games, and fights for survival that ensue.
Both series have a young protagonist who is given/discovers he has an unusual power and is required to fight similarly powered people to survive. Both have similar art styles and rather stylishly violent action on top of its inherent moral dilemmas and pervasive air of desperation.
Both series centre around a protagonist who becomes aware of and learns to love a classic Japanese game that's faded to 'niche interest' status, aspiring to become the very best and accumulating similarly-minded friends along the way. Although Chihayafuru lacks the mild supernatural element found in Hikaru no Go, Chihaya's motivation of improving to Arata's level of skill function similiarly to Hikaru playing go at Sai's urging and wanting to catch up with Touya.
Condensed OVAs of stories about the troubled relationship between co-dependent siblings. Hitsuji no Uta is thematically darker, but its incestuous undertones definitely draws comparison.
Both are based on classic stories (Water Margin/Suikoden, Chunhyangga) about travelling revolutionaries seeking to topple corrupt government officials on behalf of the repressed and victimized people of the plauged country.
Horror series featuring a mysterious girl and an ordinary boy trying to discern and overcome the supernatural circumstances plaguing them. The plots are quite different, but the creepy ambiance pervading both is remarkably similar.
Both series take place in and around an abnormal school, with its students trying desperately to understand their situation with deaths taking place pretty much constantly. In Angel Beats! death is cheap (and impermanent), but Another plays for keeps.
Surreally hilarious (and hilariously surreal) slice-of-life series about allegedy normal life at all-boys high schools.
Slife-of-life series that set themselves apart from the rest with their ridiculous humour and random high-tension moments. They call themselves 'everyday' series, and sure enough, even their absolute weirdest moments can be strangely relatable.
Hilariously high-tension slice-of-life series about high school boys. Neither has much of a plot to speak of, but they both have the same bizarre sense of humour -- if you've seen one, you know what I mean!
Both deal with the interactions between an ordinary human protagonist and the supernatural creatures they encounter. Both have similar meticulous pacing, themes of friendship, character growth, and are pretty much guaranteed to warm your heart at least a little.
Both are slice-of-life series more concerned with building bonds and interactions between characters (with ocassional endearingly quirky humour) than any kind of overarching plot. Natsume Yuujinchou has the distinction of incorporating strong supernatural themes, but if that was excluded they'd be remarkably similar series! Even with that, they have a lot of thematic and stylistic similarities, generally giving off the same pleasant, heart-warming vibe.
Both series are focused on a protagonist who serves as a bridge between the youkai and human worlds and works to keep harmful youkai from disturbing the human world while receiving support from amicable youkai and spiritually gifted humans. NuraMago is more action oriented, but both are centred on themes of friendship, interdependence, and the supernatural all the same.
Both are calm, slice-of-life-ish series that deal with the supernatural (youkai/mushi) in one- or two-episode arcs and have protagonists who are quiet and standoffish as a result of their abilities to deal with the supernatural.
Both series have a travelling protagonist who helps different people in each episode or story arc with supernatural creatures they don't understand -- traditional Japanese spirits in Mononoke, and unusual nature spirits in Mushishi.
Both are fantasy-tinged action-centred series about groups of freelancers with unusual areas of expertise. In both series the main characters' backstories become gradually increasingly important, with their attempts to discard their pasts giving way to confrontation and conflict.
Both series centre around mysterious epidemics, government conspiracies, and ragtag groups of rebels trying to reveal the truth and take action against the controlling and harmful governments. Guilty Crown has a lot more action than No.6, but otherwise they have a lot of aspects in common and a very similar vibe.
Both series are about a teenage boy who receives/gains access to a great power thanks to a mysterious girl and uses it to become politically subversive and wage war against a destructively repressive and controlling government. If you like the core elements of one, they can be found pretty much intact in the other.
Both are horror series that centre around a series of strange phenomena threatening the residents of a small town mostly cut off from the outside world.
Despite both being '90s mecha anime, they're not exactly similar -- and that's the point. Evangelion is well-known for having deconstructed the tropes of the mecha genre as they had been traditionally presented to that point, and doing so with unrestrained brutality. GaoGaiGar came about in the immediate aftermath in part as a reaction to this, consciously reconstructing the genre tropes and traditions to show that, even with their potential shortcomings having been highlighted, they can still be assembled into a fine series.
So I heard you like heartwarming, awesome, hotblooded, charmingly cheesy 90s mecha anime from Sunrise.
Extra hotblooded manly mecha! Both series reconstruct classic kid-oriented mecha tropes that seemed to have become outdated but turn out to be lots of fun when intentionally reassembled. They run on manliness and shouting, and when they get a bit cheesy it's all the more fun. Before Gurren Lagann came along, GaoGaiGar was pretty much the standard for super hotblooded mecha anime -- it set the bar that Gurren Lagann had to surpass to be considered truly over-the-top.
Both fall into the 'slice of schoolgirls' life' category, with their easy-going paces, emphasis on character bonds, and inherent sweetness all making them a good match.
Super moe school girl slice of life series! Between the silly sense of humour and ocassional antagonism amongst the supporting characters, there's a lot of points worth comparing. And while Yuru Yuri is a lot more overt about its girls love themes, Toru's attachment to Run can make you wonder at times!
If you like one slice-of-life series about four school girls, surely you'll like this other series fitting the same description! Both have a very easy-going tone and a silly, quirky sense of humour, and if you like the music in one series, then you're in luck! Both have music done by the wonderful Kousaki Satoru.
The same 'school girls + slice of life' formula, of course! Both are pretty heavy on emphasizing the close bonds between the girls so they beg comparison a bit more than other series in the genre. And while K-ON! has the light music club as a central focus, A-Channel's inclusion of an insert song in each episode gives it a bit of a musical theme as well.
Both series are about an artistically talented young man, a supernatural young woman only he can interact with, and a series of potential disasters they work together to avert. Picasso has more mainstream shounen elements than Cossette, which errs toward a rather gothic combination of horror and romance, but elements of Furuya's typical creepy style always find their way in somewhere.
Both centre around new step-siblings whose initial antagonism gradually gives way to romance -- and, of course, drama.
Both centre around a painfully cute group of girls and their often silly, always cute activities in their school club and outside of it. Yuru Yuri demonstrates an awareness of the girls love subtexts that tend to pervade all-girl slice of life school series, but it's fairly tame (at least for something with 'yuri' right in the title!) so the differences are fewer and subtler than you might expect.
Although the stories are different, both use the supernatural to play out stories about the repercussions sins of the past have in the present with a dark, highly dramatic, horror-themed style.
Both series are mostly-friendship-based reverse harem shoujo series catalyzed by an important and series-enduring secretive element that provides as much drama as humour for the series. As both progress, the potential for drama and tears becomes clearer the more the reader gets to know about the characters' families. Some romance, some cuteness, and it turns out the series may be more similar than they seem at first glance!
Both series start with an average boy encountering the sole fantasy element in an otherwise true-to-life setting and being irresistibly drawn into a world in which is allowed to demonstrate his true abilities and judgment. And of course they both have a flair for the dramatic: board games and notebooks have never been so thrilling!
A group of imprisoned people have to fight for survival while trying to seperate ally from enemy, uncover the truth, and scramble for an escape plan.
Kyou no Go no Ni tends toward the ecchi side of things, but both series are cute slice-of-life school series with a light, shallow, topical sense of humour and an easy watch.
Deadman Wonderland has a lot more blood and violence while Air Gear has some of the markings of a traditional inspiring shounen series, but both series have a similar kind of action and kinetic feel to them, a similar unorganized non-tournament fight-after-fight structure, and the same 'find your own reason' motivation for the characters to keep going and base their choices on.
Both series are heavy on characters with dark/angsty backstories, blood and death, stylized violence, and general crazy-awesome badassery. They have a very similar feel to them.
The main characters must keep the strange, unlikely secrets of characters that had previously been strangers and in doing so become closer to them; romantic comedy with fighting ensues.
Two uniquely skilled guys and their ever-increasing group of allies work through supernaturally-tinged cases that their unique skill sets permit them to tackle and try to grind down some of their debt. In Zombie-Loan they hunt down zombies that shouldn't be alive; in GetBackers they get back what shouldn't be gone.
Both are horror-action series that are unusually heavy on the bloody, gore, and sexual content and have forced kill-or-be-kill battle set-up.
Both series have a kill-em-all survival game set-up. Battle Royale gets a lot more gratuitous with the sex and violence (not that Mirai Nikki lacks either of those), and Mirai Nikki has some mild fantasy elements, but if you like enforced kill-or-be-killed scenarios, both deliver in that respect -- and might give you some nightmares in the process.
Episodic series about a perpetually travelling protagonist who moves from one locale to another and becomes involved with its denizens on a regular basis. They both have a fairly laidback pace, and the rather stoic yet softhearted nature of both protagonists begs further comparison. Although Kino focuses more on the travelling and Kino herself while Mushishi brings more attention to the mushi and patients being treated, the similarities are very hard to miss.
Sato Junichi doing what he does best -- making series that heal your heart. If you like one of these sweet, touching, easygoing, heartwarming series, I am fully confident you will love the other as well!
Both are action adventure shoujo series with a historical setting, a strong and empowered butt-kicking female lead, and a healthy dose of romance throughout. If you like the way any of those aspects are portrayed in one series, I can pretty much guarantee you'll love the other; save for Yuri's modern origins in Red River, they're actually extremely similar in tone and content (without being similar enough to be anything close to boring).
Both centre around the darker aspects of life in urban Tokyo and the mysteries its streets hold. Similarly, both start off seeming fairly straightforward but get increasingly involved and reveal an ever-increasing amount of shocking and intriguing backstory that puts characters and events in a new light each time. Durarara may not have KamiMemo's more organized and concise sequential arc structure, but otherwise the setting, ambiance, and general vibe of each is quite similar.
Both deal with a reclusive girl and a boy she treats as a combo gofer-assistant solving mysteries. Although the settings and time periods are markedly different, the way the primary characters interact and the involving degree of the cases and character-derived backstory are quite alike.
Both centre around the unique features of a small, remote village and the events that have transpired there. Kamisama Dolls is less severe about it, since the majority of the series takes place in a more urban setting and deals with the repercussions, whereas Higurashi definitely tends toward the worst case scenario -- but as each piece of the backstory for Kamisama Dolls is revealed, it becomes increasing obvious that it's not exactly sunshine and lollipops either.
Both deal with a plucky young girl finding her way in world that is new to her -- a new country in Ikoku Meiro no Croisée, and a new family in Usagi Drop. Though contextually quite different, their shared slice-of-life approach and fondness for warm and fuzzy feelings (for the characters and viewers both!) ensure they have a similar pleasant and charming feel throughout.
Both series deal with a Japanese person adapting to life in turn-of-the-century Europe. Gosick is a fair bit heavier with its mystery plots and intrigue whereas Ikoku Meiro no Croisée is typically lighthearted and slice-of-life-y, but the fish-out-of-water character aspects and moments of unanticipated cultural clashes are consistant between both and provide ample similarities throughout.
Both series are action/fighting-based period pieces -- though different eras -- set in the wake of a changing age. Likewise, both deal with the clash between those trying to find their way in changing times and those clinging to and attempting to revive a past that allowed them to prosper through violence.
Both are offbeat comedies about an ordinary guy, his sort-of-romantic-but-not-really relationship with a girl who claims to be an alien, and their unconventional friends and peers. Arakawa's gag series nature renders it a lot sillier than Denpa Onna, but it's not without its own ridiculous elements. And of course both are directed by Shinbo, so you can't leave out his signature style.
These two series share the same three core elements: maids, boobs, and humour. He is My Master combines the 'maids' and 'boobs' elements into the same characters while Maid Guy has the 'master' characters providing the fanservice, but let's be honest, it doesn't make much of a difference.
School life humour and mecha drama, powered by ~FABULOUSNESS~. Star Driver augments it with pseudo-Freudian psychology while Geass prefers its politics, but they definitely take a similar approach to the same general framework.
Both series start with the meeting between the protagonist and an odd yet characteristically deadpan girl he forms an arbitrarily romantic relationship with and follow up with his dealings with various increasingly odd people and their problems. Having the same production studio, director, and lead seiyuu, they often feel quite similar, despite Bakemonogatari possessing a seriousness and sequential arc structure Arakawa consistently avoids.
Both series centre around sequential arcs in which the protagonist tackles a supernatural entity plaguing humans by unravelling the circumstances surrounding it. Bakemonogatari has a modern setting while Mononoke is a period piece, so they complement each other with the contrast.
One volume manga series about the cute and often silly experiences of a set of four siblings -- with the main difference being that Clover is about four girls and gives everything a girls love tinge, while Family Complex has both boys and girls and more diverse subject matter. (Natsuru's section would be right at home in the midst of Clover's chapters, though!)
A ragtag group of students with a similar interest, an otherwise mundane technological development they utilize choose to use for good, and a healthy dose of shady organizations and underhanded dealings.
Series as much concerned with government corruption, political unrest, and societal revolution as they are with the mech gimmick that become the trademark vehicles for rebellion and resistence. Both deal with a core group of students, some with tenuous ties to those in power and others with no connection at all, who gradually become increasingly involved in the political situation, and both have a relatively recognizable setting -- the near future in the case of RideBack, and a contemporary alternate timeline for Code Geass.
Both mix episodic stories, protagonist-centric heroics, frenetic humour, and an over-the-top grandiose presentation of events to achieve somewhat typical but very cute and fun early '90s shoujo series.
A lot of bleakness with a touch of black humour and, ultimately, a note of hopefulness that suggests it's not all as pointless as it often seems. Both works switch around between a bunch of at first seemingly unrelated stories with the ties between them becoming clearer the longer you read. There's a realism in the atmosphere and characterization and a questionably mystic touch filling in the cracks that I can only think to call Asano Inio's signature style.
One guy surrounded by numerous girls with a creative variety of psychological issues and violent tendencies. Both depict violence, gore, and associated depravity without pulling any punches and have some rather unsexy sexual content; neither is exactly a mood-boosting feel-good series. Denpateki na Kanojo doesn't really bother with cultivating the romatic relationship School Days busies itself with; it's more like if the end of School Days was all there was to a series -- and it ends up working quite well!
Not your average magical girl series -- not by a long shot! Both series take the framework of the traditional magical girl series and turn the tropes and trappings of the genre on their heads. Panty & Stocking goes for vulgarity and sexuality while generally keeping a light tone, while Madoka keeps the frills and cuteness but goes darker than you'd think the genre would allow. Both work well as deconstructions of the magical girl genre, while taking it in completely different directions.
Are they similar? Well, yes and no. Shugo Chara! is a fairly straight-forward magical girl series, whereas Madoka errs much darker as a deconstruction, but it just so happens that Shugo Chara! is a perfect example of the kind of series Madoka seeks to deconstruct. If you've seen Madoka, perhaps you need more standard fair to pick you up -- and if you're done with Shugo Chara!, perhaps you're interested in something that starts similar, but shows you how dark the genre can go...
Magical girls and mecha are genres apart, but these series do the same thing with them: deconstruct them viciously. You have one, maybe two episodes to get used to the cast and premise, and then prepare to have your expectations torn down and a wonderfully told story filled with drama and trauma unfurl before your eyes. Structurally and content-wise there are similarities that pile up the farther you go, but of course to elaborate would be to spoil -- and if you've seen one series, you know you won't want to be spoiled for the details of the other.
Magical girl series that tend more toward action and dark themes than the frills and cuteness one might expect from the genre. Although Princess Tutu does play the genre straight, it does it in a fairly unexpected and mature way, and Madoka's a straight-up deconstruction that will leave you increasingly unnerved with each episode -- both in a good way, of course. Both series are great for magical girl fans who want something fresh from the genre.
One middle-class girl and her reverse-harem of insanely wealthy guys, coming right up! Ouran is intentionally a lot more gimmicky and silly to the point of ocassional parody when it comes to its approach, but Hanadan's funny moments are not exactly scarce.
Both series are mostly-friendship-based reverse harem shoujo series catalyzed by an important and series-enduring secretive element that provides as much drama as humour for the series. As both progress, the potential for drama and tears becomes clearer the more the reader gets to know about the characters' families. Some romance, some cuteness, and it turns out the series may be more similar than they seem at first glance!
Very, very short boys love oneshots that focus more on the sweet, energizing feeling of potential rather than an actual full-blown relationship.
Both series have a high school student protagonist who's fed up with the degradation of society and uses the series gimmick to try to revolutionize it. Death Note is great for anyone who thinks LOST+BRAIN was on to something, and LOST+BRAIN is good for anyone who wants just a little more of what Death Note had going on.
Both are sports series that track the passion-fueled progress of an up-and-coming team with delinquent tendencies, with more than their fair share of humour and awesomeness. In a vaguer kind of way, they both have the same reader-involving '90s Shonen Jump vibe that makes a series unforgettable.
To put it simply, both are about a young woman coming to terms with her own problems and facing tragedy in order to find her own way in the world.
The series are structurally similar, with both focused around a listless, unmotivated teenage girl who meets and befriends a group of unusual but talented peers whose drive and support inspires her to make and pursue her own dreams.
Both series have battle-hardened leading guys surrounded by an unwanted harem of boobtacular classmates/housemates. Lots of boobs, lots of fighting, lots of laughs.
Both are very sweet, heartfelt Yumeka Sumomo oneshots about a girl who meets and forms an emotional connection with a boy who turns out to be not entirely ordinary -- and not exactly human.
Very short, very strange, and just a little creepy Yumeka Sumomo oneshots. They're both not her usual work, so if you like the quirky, unusual qualities of one, you're apt to like the other!
Both stories are about the very strange, creepy, and sometimes unexplainable happenings that centre around a town and its not-quite-normal occupants.
Both are Yumeka Sumomo oneshots about two boys, their secrets, and the sense of listlessness that comes with pretending to be satisfied with the way things are.
Both stories centre around a pair that live alone together and, despite their moments of drama, generally have a pleasant, feel-good tone that keeps one in the back of my mind whenever I watch the other.
Cute boys love stories that are as much concerned with the potential for hilarity as the relationships at the plots' centres. Prepare to laugh a lot!
Funny, clever, and cute boys love OVAs with great stories, characters, and animation. And since they were made by the same company at around the same time, they definitely have the same vibe to them.
Both series are about a quiet, relatively antisocial, and seemingly normal boy who turns out to belong to a secret world living in harmony with the world we know without "normal" people knowing. It's hard to put my finger on it, but at times they seem to have a very similar atmosphere.
Both series are about an average, unassuming guy who gets sucked up into a world of classical Japanese spirits living in the world without humans knowing, and ends up becoming a powerful force and influencing the struggle between spirit and human.
Both series are quirky love comedies about couples that often act more like manzai comedy duos -- and who doesn't like manzai?
Both series centre around the slightly awkward but sweetly earnest relationship that unfolds between two students over the time they spend in high school together, and is made up of unconventional discussions about the relationship as much as it is actually doing anything about it. Kare Kano explores the depths of angst and dramatics the situation allows whereas Love Roma's a lot milder about everything, but they both have a very similar feel in the way the main couple interacts and how their relationship unfolds.
Both series have a largely episodic nature and juvenile humour. DMC's more crass about it, but Dr. Slump's poop and sex jokes prove it's far from innocent.
Both series are about aspiring musical artists who struggle for their big breaks and learn to balance label drama and their own personal drama, both of which they have in spades.
Both series are ultimately about the ideas of fate, destiny, and a life's path being preordained before birth, and struggling desperately to overcome this to decide one's own role and path in life.
Both series are about a perpetual benchwarmer who tries to get a fresh start at his new school and take the opportunity to develop his athletic abilities with the help of his natural talent.
Both are short series about a guy who gets shanghai'd into playing basketball at school.
Both are basketball series about a guy with no interest in basketball who joins the team after a cute girl asks him if he plays and ends up experiencing delusions of grandeur and getting a bit of a big head as he learns the basics.
Although neither explains just how it works until the end, both series are about fate, destiny, and trying to forge your own path in spite of seemingly unavoidable doom. And being from the pen of CLAMP, both series have that certain something that will leave you thinking, "Wait, what? Oh, woah."
Early CLAMP series with that unmistakable early CLAMP vibe. Both series start off fun and engaging and get progressively serious, dramatic, and most importantly shocking, and both series centre around a seemingly codependent duo whose bond turns out to be fairly self-destructive.
Both series are about a reluctantly paired duo with supernatural powers who sort out supernatural problems on assignment.
Both series are about protagonists who use their spiritual powers to help the living and the recently deceased. Both also start off relatively lighthearted and gradually get darker in tone, though Yami no Matsuei is a lot quicker about it than Tokyo Babylon. The situation between Subaru and Seishirou turns out to have some striking similarities with the Hisoka-Muraki backstory as well.
Both are shoujo series that deal with romance and tragedy equally and have a more serious, adult tone. It's hard to be particular about it, but they both definitely have the same feel to them.
Both series are about a protagonist with a strong sense of honour fighting both to protect his lady love and because of the legacy he has come to represent.
Similar fighting series with a supernatural-superpower angle, similar protagonists and supporting casts and even plot structures (gotta love those tournament arcs).
Although HSD doesn't have MeruPuri's all-over fantasy element, both series are about a girl who has her heart set on falling in love but ends up falling for the least likely candidate. (Hijinks, cuteness, and occasional mild drama ensues.)
While Furuba has a supernatural element, both series are, at their hearts, about teenagers with a whole lot of problems (including a lot of bad family situations) and the importance of friends in overcoming them. They also deal with topics like public versus true identity/persona.
Both series sport a protagonist who starts off with little skill at his game/sport of choice but comes to develop at a rapid pace due to both guidance from those around him and innate natural ability.
Both series are about a relatively ordinary boy who, after a supernatural encounter that leaves him playing proxy for an otherworldly entity, demonstrates tremendous innate ability at and enthusiasm for his new job.
Both series start with an average boy encountering the sole fantasy element in an otherwise true-to-life setting and being irresistibly drawn into a world in which is allowed to demonstrate his true abilities and judgment. And of course they both have a flair for the dramatic: board games and notebooks have never been so thrilling!
Life -- and high school first love -- after baseball. Both series have protagonists with a sporty background they've had to ditch for their current lifestyle, and have a similar slightly awkward but wonderfully earnest approach to the romantic aspect.
Cute, funny, quirky, and all around awesome and enjoyable shoujo high school romance series. They both have a very similar vibe to them, and similar approaches to their manic, endearing love stories. If these two series were people, I'd think they'd been separated at birth.
Both are based around the Yamata no Orochi in Japanese mythology.
Mecha series with a hero motivated primarily by his unresolved issues with his long lost/presumed dead older brother.
Great adventure-y battle series with similar protagonists and cast structures.
Both are great shoujo romance series about a couple no one thought would ever happen, whose biggest relationship obstacle seems to be themselves. Both also have great supporting casts who gradually get fleshed out and have their own great subplots.
Both are shoujo romance series about an unlikely couple with seemingly incompatible personalities whose own stubbornness poses the biggest problem to their relationship.
Shoujo standards about love between an unlikely couple. In Mars they get and stay together early and have outside forces to contend with, while in HanaDan its their own problems that typically provide the problems.
Classic high school romance series about an unlikely couple and the numerous, often improbable problems their relationship stumbles over along the way.
Both series start off being about characters who put up a false front in public and have to learn how to be themselves. Kare Kano heads in a somewhat dark direction as it explores the repercussions of a situation like that, while Shugo Chara! heads in a magical girl direction for a happier, more positive tone.
Very similar main characters -- a small fry whose talent at his game of choice is surpassed only by his enthusiasm. Both series are great as an mood booster, too!
Both series are about an incredibly popular game and a high-stakes tournament. Lessons about hard work, teamwork, and friendship ensue.
Both are romance series about an average high school girl who lives by herself and has her life turned upside down when a highly unusual young man has to share her residence. In Zettai Kareshi he's a robot, in MeruPuri a magical prince.
Both feature an aristocratic young man and his loyal manservant among the main cast. Godchild typically avoids the romantic angle but provides Merryweather as the plucky girl character, roughly equivalent to MeruPuri's Airi.
Both series are magical romances featuring an ordinary schoolgirl and a character from another world as the central characters. Ultra Maniac has the otherworldly character as a girl and best friend and brings in supporting characters for the romance, while MeruPuri combines the two by having the otherworldly character as the romantic interest.
Both series feature a romance between an ordinary high school girl and a boy who's from a completely different world (socially in HYD, literally in MeruPuri). They also both feature memory loss plotlines that have strong similarities.
The plotlines are very different, but both series have Hino Matsuri's lovable characters, great stories, and beautiful art.
Series that take alchemy as a basic plot element and then take off running in opposite directions. It's pretty cool to see how they use the same topic in completely different ways.
Both are battle series about slacker heroes given supernatural powers.
Both are battle series about slacker heroes given supernatural powers.
Sports series with unnaturally talented characters and questionable physics.
Both are about a magical girl from another world who enrolls in school in the human world; both also have a cute, upbeat romantic comedy vibe.
Blood, violence, sex, and boobs. GANTZ is the more pessimistic of the two by a long shot, but if you're in it for the fighting and fanservice, well there you go.
Classic Gainax mecha anime that had a huge influence on the genre of mecha anime as we know it today.
Emo teens in mecha. Pretty straight forward, really.
Mecha series as much concerned with the sometimes silly, sometimes serious interactions and school lives of the main characters as the mecha battles. It's hard to describe them in a way that doesn't make them sound like every other mecha series out there, but the two series definitely have the same feel to them.
Great short-lived fantasy adventure series with spunky characters and a fun, upbeat plot.
The series are very similar, from the plot to the character types to the world the story takes place in. You almost expect the characters from one series to run into the characters from the other!
Both are unconventional yet compelling stories that take place in a world similar yet significantly different to our own and show a definite influence by European comics (French for BLAME!, Italian for Tekkon Kinkreet).
Cute Yoshizumi Wataru school-setting love stories that are great examples of her upbeat, manic, and really fun style.
Magical girl series featuring a schoolgirl who puts on a fake cool personality but gradually learns how to be herself.
Both series feature a girl who puts on a public persona to make people like her and a boy she falls for who turns out to be doing the same. Kare Kano goes in a bit of a darker direction while Ultra Maniac turns magical girl to explore the funner aspects of such a situation.
Pessimism, antiheroes, chiaroscuro, guns, and violence ahoy! BLAME! lacks the outright gore and sexual vulgarity GANTZ is known for, but if that doesn't bother you, the series have similarities in spades.
If you liked this one excellent series about a bleak, dystopian sci-fi future, you might like this other excellent series about a bleak, dystopian sci-fi future! And on the one-in-a-million chance you're in it for the intricate, expansive, painstakingly-rendered backgrounds, HAVE I GOT AWESOME NEWS FOR YOU...!
Classic mecha anime, the kind of series any fan of the genre should have on their "must watch" list.
A lot of over-the-top manliness. Honoo no Tenkousei plays it very tongue-in-cheek, whereas G Gundam's charm is in how serious it is about itself (thus becoming awesomely cheesy). I'd bet Domon and Takizawa are related, or alternate universe versions of each other or something.
Opposite sides of the Ishin-Shishi/pro-Shogunate clash of the Bakumatsu and, in Ruroken's case, into the Meiji period. Because Ruroken deals with the aftermath of pro-sonno joi activism and SIMP centres around Bakumatsu era Shinsengumi action, it's like they tell the same story from opposing sides. For anyone interested in Japanese history, it might be fun to try a different perspective.
Fighting series about a former assassin who's sworn never to kill again. Both series handle the balance between the 'starting a new life with new friends' and 'what to do when the past catches up with you' elements similarly.
Shounen series about two things: the supernatural, and fight tournaments. YYH is more about spirit-based attacks and demons while SK is about ghosts, but both like to toss in references to Japanese mythology and spiritual beliefs so there's still lots of common ground.
Great early CLAMP series more about friendship and the personal growth of the young heroine than the weirder elements CLAMP are known for these days.
Cute magical girl series. CCS is more of a wholesome cuteness based around friendship and personal growth whereas TMM is a bit more manic, love- and adventure-based, so there's a nice sense of variety without straying from the genre.
Great magical girl series about making friends and saving the world. MKR leans more toward sentai-style warrior magical girls whereas TMM is more about traditional cutesy magical girls, so the different types provide a nice sense of variety within the same genre.
Mega-cute magical girl series -- if you like one, why not try another? Both are as much about the love lives of the preteen protagonists as they are about saving the world, so that's another element they have in common.
High school romances with equal amounts of humour and drama. The main couple are an odd fit but seem to work well together, until aquaintances and past troubles start to interfere. Marmalade Boy doesn't get quite as "dark" as Kare Kano, but otherwise they're the same kind of story.
High school romances between an unlikely couple forced to deal with interfering friends and rivals and their own emotional baggage as their pasts catch up with them. Both are great if you like series that lay on the angst and improbable amounts of emotional strife. (I mean it in a good way!)
Both add a fantasy element to a world that's otherwise not too different from the one we know. Both also have different political groups butting heads and secretive government groups with shady motives. Hellsing leans toward heavy violence and gore in its execution, but FMA's not shy when it comes to fight scenes.
Both centre around a fantasy/supernatural/not-quite-normal element kept secret in an otherwise mundane, relatively true-to-life world, and a great deal of bloody, gory violence.
Both are about a player who ditches a school known for its excellent sports team in favour of one that will let him have fun playing.
Both star enthusiastic rookies who just want to play their sport and have fun, and their undefeatable optimism that inspires their teams to do likewise.
Both series have a boy-turned-girl character living with the object of their affections, though for very different reasons. They play out and are portrayed very differently, but fanservice and sexual tension are present in massive doses in both.
Both are about a delinquent boy with a heart of gold and a really weird secret that manages to bring him closer to his primary love interest. Their secrets are vastly different (Pretty Boy has a boy given a girl's appearance and identity, Midori Days has a boy with a girl inexplicably attached to his wrist in place of his hand), but the ways they play out have surprisingly similarities.
Both series are about a delinquent boy who is forced to assume the identity of a female stranger and pick up her life where she left off, suffering the trials of keeping anyone from finding out, dealing with those who do, and trying to find a way back to his own appearance/body and identity.
Both are about a delinquent boy who becomes a girl via surgery and has to cope with this sudden change, though for different reasons. In Pretty Face he has to conceal his true identity while assuming that of his crush's identical twin sister, while Day of Revolution has him replacing his former identity with a new female one, which his old friends find out about very quickly.
Immortals, switches between multiple timeframes, and some truly awesome stylish violence.
An inhuman man fights other inhuman creatures with the aid of a young woman backed by an organization and their oddball allies. Quirky urban fantasy stories with a violent edge.
Vampires in a semi-post-apocalyptic setting.
Vampires hunting lowlife vampires with government aid.
Even though the characters in both series are the same age, Marmalade Boy comes off as a kind of "MARS Junior" series. Both are about the trials and tribulations surrounding family, friends, and young love, with the various problems faced by characters in each series sometimes having striking similarities; Marmalade Boy just takes a lighter, softer approach that lends itself to humour, a more casual tone, and a younger audience while MARS amps up the drama to keep readers rivetted.
Both series are period pieces with some basis in actual East Asian history, augmented with an inventive supernatural aspect and some creative storytelling. Bakumatsu Kikansetsu Irohanihoheto uses the end of the Tokugawa shogunate as the backdrop for an original story with original characters that weaves in and out of historical events; Koutetsu Sangokushi is largely based on The Romance of the Three Kingdoms which in turn is based on the end of the Han Dynasty in Chinese history. (Both timeframes are notable for their political turbulence, disunity, and action in battle.)
A largely unskilled but hardworking girl joins two uniquely skilled guys and does her best to help them out as they work through supernaturally-tinged cases that their unique skill sets permit them to tackle and try to grind down some of their debt. In Zombie-Loan they hunt down zombies that shouldn't be alive; in GetBackers they get back what shouldn't be gone.
Quirky, cute high school boys love stories with an uke who's a delinquent student with a heart of gold and a seme who has a position of power within the school's student body.
A group of imprisoned people have to fight for survival while trying to seperate ally from enemy, uncover the truth, and scramble for an escape plan.
A special and distinguished girl (a sheltered young girl in Kure-nai, a literal goddess in Kannagi) has to learn how to cope with living a normal life and shakes up life for the young man putting a roof over her head and his friends alike while carefully hiding the secret of how she came into her current situation.
Both series are about a secret world that coexists within the "normal" world we know without people knowing about it, and a relatively defenseless kid from one world who's drawn into the other, being protected by a group of skilled guardians as they learn the ropes and get their bearings. The primary different in premise is that Nabari no Ou has a seemingly average boy drawn into the ninja world, while Kure-nai has a girl rescued from her own household's harmful customs and intentions and brought into the "real" world.
Both series are pseudo-historical with a supernatural twist, augmented with elements of traditional Japanese theatre.
The semi-episodic adventures of a loosely organized group of do-gooders with dubious authority, and backstories that lay a foundation of a moral- and faith-based struggle not just between groups but within individuals.
Somewhat confusing series about morally ambiguous ancient vampires in a more-or-less modern setting with a great deal of fighting, gore, and stylized violence.
Series with repeated timeshifts that eventually land in recognizable but undeniably futuristic settings, lots of gore and stylized fighting, gratuitous sex, much ado about immortality, mildly creepy seperated soulmates, and a good deal of confusion.
Kurozuka moves from the distant past to the near future in the first couple of episodes while Mononoke doesn't shift into a more recognizable setting until the last storyline, but they both tell a historically-based supernatural story with a Noh/Kabuki-derived aesthetic and storytelling methodology with sound effects to match.
Completely different plot-wise, but the foundation of the same studio, director, and lead actor give a kind of deja vu feel. Other factors like a handsome but morally-dubious protagonist, a similar aesthetic sense, an overall dark tone, frenetic pace, and clever but secretive and occasionally treacherous cast make it a sealed deal.
High-stakes gambling, on a boat! Both take somewhat simple things like rock-paper-scissors and tennis and make them RIDICULOUSLY DRAMATIC, with Kaiji making such things as flipping over a card or emptying a tissue box INCREDIBLY INTENSE, and Tenipuri cranking its characteristic improbable physics up to eleven. Tezuka kills the dinosaurs. With tennis. I'm completely serious.
Both are collections of somewhat simple but poignant stories told in a solemn but delicate, almost caring manner, that emphasize the ephemeral beauty in everyday life by introducing a not-so-everyday element. They have a very similar feel to them.
Both are about a high school girl with an unconventionally attractive aesthetic who visits a shop at the suggestion of her friend, falls in love at first sight with an employee who is kind to her, and, wanting to spend more time with him and make some money in the process, ends up working there as well. They go in slightly different directions from that point, but the similar premise and the ongoing romantic element in each provide a substantial common ground.
Solanin is a very down-to-earth slice-of-life story whereas DMC tends toward vulgar slapstick, but at their basest levels they're both about using a passion for music and a place in a hastily composed band to follow dreams and to make the best of and/or overcome a less than ideal situation.
'Kimi no Suki na Hito' from Himitsu no Shitsuji-kun and Atashi wa Bambi are about two boys and a girl that are friends, the deadlocked struggle to evolve the relationship between any two of them past just friends, and the trouble of sorting out which relationship their effort should be going into.
Both the title story of My Boy X My Love and Atashi wa Bambi revolve around one girl and the two boys she cares about, and her struggle to define her evolving relationship with either because of the connection that exists between them.
A young slacker protects, problem-solves in, and indirectly rules his corner of Tokyo using his unique skills and knowhow, and it doesn't hurt that, despite not being directly involved with them, he has every gang in the area at his beck and call. All the while, his clingy, amateurish female sidekick follows after him like a puppy and his hardboiled single mother nags him for being lazy and never helping her at work. It would actually probably be quicker to list the differences; looking at it like this, they're practically the same series!
Both are about a young man being drawn into a subculture because of the people close to him and having to take up a new skill. Because street dancing (23:00) and DJing (Good Father) are hard to portray in manga, they both rely on a number of methods to try to convey the characters' perception of events to the reader.
Both are oneshot collections from Yumeka Sumomo telling simple, honest, touching stories of love in its many forms, however it may occur.
Plot-wise they're entirely different series, but the characters are curiously similar. Air Gear is basically Kyou no Go no Ni grown up and given a plot to work with; if you told me Ryota grows up to be Ikki, I'd believe it in a heartbeat.
Kyou no Go no Ni tends toward the ecchi side of things, but both series are cute slice-of-life school series with a light, shallow, topical sense of humour and an easy read.
Both demonstrate the difficulty of balancing friendship, love, heartache, work, dreams, motivation, admiration, and obligations for young women and the vague and sometimes overlapping divisions between them. They also demonstrate how, when life gets rough, it's good to have a dear friend to come back to cry to.
Both are about an average high school girl, set in her ways and bored with her everyday life, suddenly motivated by an older man of ambiguous moral inclination to pursue a career in something she ends up having a knack for. One is photography, the other modelling, so there's a fair bit of overlap in character roles as well, and the way the romantic angle is worked in each is quite similar.
Both are about a young woman who finds herself in a rut, bored with her life and at a standstill, until a sudden decision gives her a shove and propels her toward independence, self-assurance, and the right path. Both end with a wonderfully satisfying kind of "from now on, I think I'll be all right" feeling.
Unlike its parent series, .hack//GIFT has a shallow, disjointed, random, quirky style driven more by silliness and entertainment value than plot, which can be seen in some sections of Furi Kuri. The latter has a more complex overarching plot, but when that's removed they're quite similar.
Both series have a similar kind of random, quirky, unconventional humour, a similar aesthetic style, character who are supposed to be rough and tough but really aren't (a death metal band who've done nothing to deserve their infamy, the world's most well-behaved delinquents), and short episodes to boot.
Both series have a normal high school girl who suddenly finds herself swept up in learning about fashion after a chance encounter and pursues the affection of a young man immersed in the newly discovered world whose own feelings and intentions are not always so easy to discern.
Although Solanin remains faithfully realistic while With!! adopts an occasionally comedic supernatural element, at their core both series are about a young woman struggling to come to terms with a sudden devastating tragedy and forcing herself to overcome and move forward in stories that are sure to tug at your heartstrings.
Admittedly a vulgar death metal band and a group of dayglo-haired high school girls don't have much in common, but both series do have a similar strange, quirky, oddly endearing sense of humour and not much in the way of any overarching plot structure.
Deadman Wonderland has a lot more blood and violence while Air Gear has some of the markings of a traditional inspiring shounen series, but both series have a similar kind of action and kinetic feel to them, a similar unorganized non-tournament fight-after-fight structure, and the same 'find your own reason' motivation for the characters to keep going and base their choices on.
Both series start as simple high school romantic comedies composed of various character focus episodes and mini-arcs and eventually switch over to serious, high-stakes drama and varying levels of angst. Happiness! is pretty much just Myself ; Yourself with magical girls -- by-the-book harem setup, generic insert-self-here protagonist, obligatory twins, and all.
Both series start off as seemingly innocuous, unassuming, slightly awkward high school harem-ish romantic comedy series but spend the last few episdoes kicking the drama and insanity up to eleven and careening out of control. One gets a hold of itself and pulls together a happy ending; the other... not so much.
Take one unladylike girl, stick her with a handful of dazzling, charismatic boys, and fill in the leftover space with fast-paced, frenetic, occasionally absurd humour. The series take a very similar premise (an androgynous girl works off a debt to a host club by learning to become one of them, a group of dazzling boys attempt to reform their landlady's anti-social niece with free rent as their motivation) and take off running in opposite but equally hilarious and entertaining directions. Similar, but different enough to be fresh and funny instead of the same ol' thing.
They're both mecha series from Gainax, and that's where the similarities end, but that's really the point. Evangelion is a deconstruction of mecha anime, basically saying, "You know how all those other mecha series made piloting a giant robot look fun? Well I'll show you how miserable it can really be." Gurren Lagann is a reconstruction; a decade later, saying, "You know how those mecha deconstruction series made piloting a giant robot look really awful? Well I'll show you how AWESOME it can really be!" The persistent despair of the former and unshakable optimism of the latter make excellent counterpoints and contrast beautifully.
Fourteen-year-olds with loads of emotional baggage piloting giant robots to protect a world full of people and things that sometimes seem like they might not be worth protecting. They both work the psychological angle nicely and are great if you want to kick your mood down a few notches.
Both series are supernatural ecchi 'unwanted harem' love comedies with boatloads of fanservice and a very similar sense of humour. Kanokon has animal spirits and Ninomiya-kun has succubi, but the only notable difference is actually the 'normal human' protagonists: helpless, hapless, jailbaity Kouta and battle-hardened high school warrior Ninomiya.
Taking advantage of a minimalist structure, both tell bittersweet stories revolving around love, loss, longing, and the idea that sometimes a place to belong can be a person. Calling You is composed of three unrelated stories, whereas Clover uses a single setting and cast to tell multiple semi-detached stories.
Despite the futuristic settings and superhuman nature of large sections of the casts, both series are, at heart, bittersweet searches for love and a place to belong as only CLAMP can tell it.
Both series are about an underdog basketball team working hard to establish themselves as a force to be reconned with. The characters are very similar, including a protagonist who makes up for his short stature with speed and skill.
Both series are about a ragtag underdog team held together by a player who makes up for a short stature with speed and skill and leads the way with unbeatable optimism and cheerfulness.
They're about different sports, but a good chunk of the plot of both series is the competition between two teams at the same school -- the jerkwad coach's handpicked crew of golden boys, and our neglected, ignored, ragtag bunch of hardworking heroes.
Both series are heavy on characters with dark/angsty backstories, blood and death, stylized violence, and general crazy-awesome badassery. They have a very similar feel to them.
Both series focus on the adventures and trials of a group of attractive, charismatic, elite male students destined for greatness during their time at their prestigious academies.
Both series follow a clique of students and their silly adventures at an all boys school. Family troubles balance the mood and both have their own unique entertaining quirk: compulsory crossdressing in Princess Princess, episodic nonsequitur singing in Marginal Prince.
The main characters must keep the strange, unlikely secrets of characters that had previously been strangers and in doing so become closer to them; romantic comedy with fighting ensues.
Though vastly different in subject matter and theme, one important thing about Edmond and Akagi creates much of the appeal for their respective series: they are, somehow, in control of everything, at all times, they are going to have things their way, they are going to demolish the opponents, there's no two ways about it. They know it, you know it, and yet watching the inevitable devestation unfold is rivetting. Come on, you know there's really no such thing as a "boring invincible hero".
Betrayal! Murder! Revenge! Insane laughter! Epic over-the-top plots you can't help but love! Both series are built on the insanely detailed and just plain insane Xanatos gambits crafted by the characters, Death Note having a gambit war develop between Light and L and Gankutsuou just having everyone get swept away by the tidal wave of Edmond's ridiculously well-thought-out wrath and vengeance.
A young man struggles with his own issues and is forced to deal with the strange and overbearing supporting cast, mostly female, he attracts. Both series take an over-the-top approach to humour that can get quite dark at times; they're quick-paced, cynical, and rife with anime references, and the parallels between Satou's intense paranoia and Itoshiki-sensei's perpetual despair, both played for laughs, are hard to deny.
Both are incredibly strange, aesthetically offbeat, and paced fast enough to give you whiplash. Multiple viewings are conducive to making heads or tails of either, but it's just as easy to take the overwhelming buzz of confusion upon completion as part of their odd charm and maybe even a virtue in its own right.
Attractive guys with lots of intra-group chemistry problem-solve and kick butt in the name of justice and honour. There's some overlap in the voice casts as well.
Absolutely drenched in hotblooded manliness. Oh, and yelling. Can't forget the yelling.
Both series tell very sweet, very sad love stories. (Bittersweet, I suppose you could say.) They evoke sympathy for the characters without feeling at all contrived. There's a pretty good chance you'll at least have tears in your eyes by the end of both, as well.
Both series have a serious tone and a lot of blood and violence. Elfen Lied has a harem setup to keep the mood light at times, but when you get right down to it, neither series pulls punches.
Both series have a core love story that has difficulties along the way, multiple love interests, and a strong tragic element. Saikano's heavy on the violence as well, but otherwise they're quite similar thematically.
Both series have a very cute, relaxed, pleasant feel to them, and are kid-friendly without coming off as condescending, immature, or boring to an older audience. |
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