Anime like AKIRA

Shin Seiki Evangelion

Also known as Neon Genesis Evangelion.

Studio: GAINAX , TV Tokyo , ADV Films , Kadokawa Shoten , NAS , Tatsunoko Production , GKIDS , Madman Entertainment
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Drama , Mecha , Mystery , Psychological , Sci-Fi

In the year 2015, the Angels, huge, tremendously powerful, alien war machines, appear in Tokyo for the second time. The only hope for Mankind's survival lies in the Evangelion, a humanoid fighting machine developed by NERV, a special United Nations agency. Capable of withstanding anything the Angels can dish out, the Evangelion's one drawback lies in the limited number of people able to pilot them. Only a handful of teenagers, all born fourteen years ago, nine months after the Angels first appeared, are able to interface with the Evangelion. One such teenager is Shinji Ikari, whose father heads the NERV team that developed and maintains the Evangelion. Thrust into a maelstrom of battle and events that he does not understand, Shinji is forced to plumb the depths of his own inner resources for the courage and strength to not only fight, but to survive, or risk losing everything.



Note: Later releases include edited versions of Episodes 21-24 called the "Director's Cut" with some visual editing and adding extra scenes that previously appeared in the theatrical recap 'Death'.

Tags: Philosophy , Coming of Age , Tragedy , Super Robot , Meta , Cosmic Horror , Dystopian , Denpa , Post-Apocalyptic , Angels , Primarily Teen Cast , Kaiju , Psychosexual , Male Protagonist , Conspiracy , Aliens , Mythology , Body Horror , Suicide , Religion , Hikikomori , Military , Estranged Family , Kuudere , Clone , Tokusatsu , Tsundere , Politics , Spearplay , Foreign , Heterosexual , Gore , Trains , Espionage , Masturbation , Found Family , Office Lady , Episodic , Nudity , Family Life , Artificial Intelligence , Real Robot

GHOST IN THE SHELL: Koukaku Kidoutai

Also known as Ghost in the Shell.

Studio: Production I.G , Bandai Visual , Kodansha , Manga Entertainment
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Psychological , Sci-Fi

2029: A female cybernetic government agent, Major Motoko Kusanagi, and the Internal Bureau of Investigations are hot on the trail of “The Puppet Master,” a mysterious and threatening computer virus capable of infiltrating human hosts. Together with her fellow agents from Section 9, Kusanagi embarks on a high-tech race against time to capture the omnipresent entity.



Tags: Cyberpunk , Artificial Intelligence , Philosophy , Urban , Cyborg , Robots , Seinen , Police , Female Protagonist , Primarily Adult Cast , Primarily Male Cast , Cosmic Horror , Noir , Dystopian , Crime , Guns , Espionage , Nudity , Gore , CGI

Shin Seiki Evangelion Movie: Air / Magokoro wo, Kimi ni

Also known as Neon Genesis Evangelion: The End of Evangelion.

Studio: GAINAX , Production I.G , TV Tokyo , Toei Animation , Kadokawa Shoten , Movic , Sega Games , TV Tokyo Music , Selecta Visión
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Drama , Mecha , Psychological , Sci-Fi

NERV faces a brutal attack from SEELE, but with Asuka in a coma, and Shinji in a nervous breakdown, things soon turn into the surreal. This movie provides a concurrent ending to the final two episodes of the show Neon Genesis Evangelion.



Tags: Philosophy , Tragedy , Coming of Age , Post-Apocalyptic , Dystopian , Denpa , Meta , Male Protagonist , Gods , Body Horror , Psychosexual , Conspiracy , Super Robot , Gore , Primarily Teen Cast , Cosmic Horror , Afterlife , Kaiju , Mythology , Robots , Religion , Female Protagonist , Nudity , Mixed Media , Clone , Masturbation , Tsundere , Guns , Politics , Space , Kuudere , Boys' Love , Angels , LGBTQ+ Themes , Bisexual

DEVILMAN crybaby

Also known as Devilman Crybaby.

Studio: Science SARU , Aniplex , Netflix , Dynamic Planning
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Drama , Horror , Psychological , Supernatural

The protagonist Akira Fudou learns from his best friend, Ryou Asuka, that an ancient race of demons has returned to take back the world from humans. Ryou tells Akira that the only way to defeat the demons is to incorporate their supernatural powers, and suggests that he unite with a demon himself. Akira succeeds in transforming into Devilman, who possesses both the powers of a demon and the soul of a human. The battle of Devilman and Akira Fudou begins.



Note: New Devilman project marking Go Nagai's 50th anniversary as a creator.

Tags: Demons , Tragedy , Body Horror , Psychosexual , Gore , Urban Fantasy , Gods , Shapeshifting , Nudity , Male Protagonist , Cosmic Horror , Philosophy , Monster Boy , Unrequited Love , Curses , War , Angels , Henshin , Post-Apocalyptic , Anti-Hero , Mythology , Cannibalism , Coming of Age , Conspiracy , Revenge , Hip-hop Music , Athletics , Guns , Urban , Drugs , Meta , Masturbation , Public Sex , Heterosexual , Afterlife , Politics , Motorcycles , Shounen , Flash

Cyberpunk: Edgerunners

Also known as Cyberpunk: Edgerunners.

Studio: TRIGGER , CD PROJEKT RED , Netflix
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Drama , Psychological , Sci-Fi

Cyberpunk: Edgerunners tells a standalone, 10-episode story about a street kid trying to survive in a technology and body modification-obsessed city of the future. Having everything to lose, he chooses to stay alive by becoming an edgerunner—a mercenary outlaw also known as a cyberpunk.



Note: The first episode received a pre-screening at Anime Expo on July 2, 2022. The first 3 dubbed episodes were streamed on Twitch as part of a co-stream promotion on September 12, a day before the show’s premiere.

Tags: Cyberpunk , Tragedy , Crime , Dystopian , Cyborg , Male Protagonist , Urban , Gangs , Class Struggle , Body Horror , Orphan , Gore , Guns , Revenge , Primarily Adult Cast , Anti-Hero , Heterosexual , Drugs , Terrorism , Nudity , Coming of Age , Ensemble Cast , Artificial Intelligence , Time Skip , Robots , Time Manipulation , Software Development , Space , Age Gap , Cars , Tomboy , Bar , Advertisement

Akudama Drive

Also known as Akudama Drive.

Studio: Studio Pierrot , Delfi Sound , NBCUniversal Entertainment Japan
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Drama , Sci-Fi , Thriller

Many years ago, a Great Civil War ravaged Japan, leaving the country fragmented between two regions: Kansai and Kanto. In Kansai, a group of six Akudama carry out missions given to them by a mysterious black cat, while evading the police. But a dangerous journey is about to unfold when a civilian girl becomes twisted into the Akudama’s way of life and witnesses their criminal drives.



Note: On May 28, 2021, a director's cut of the final episode was released which included approximately 5 minutes of new content.

Tags: Anti-Hero , Crime , Urban , Cyberpunk , Fugitive , Dystopian , Tragedy , Female Protagonist , Ensemble Cast , Primarily Adult Cast , Gore , Politics , Conspiracy , Prison , Yandere , Tomboy , Artificial Intelligence , Found Family , Unrequited Love , CGI , Motorcycles , Trains , Virtual World , Kuudere , Space , Tanned Skin

PLUTO

Also known as PLUTO.

Studio: Studio M2 , Genco , Netflix
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Drama , Mecha , Mystery , Psychological , Sci-Fi , Thriller

A murder occurs in an orderly world where robots are unable to kill humans. The robotic Europol investigator Gesicht takes the case, but the mystery deepens when he finds no trace of a human at the scene of the crime. As he pursues the truth, Gesicht uncovers the most evil manifestation of hate that history has ever seen, one that is bent on bringing destruction to the world ...



Tags: Robots , Artificial Intelligence , Revenge , Detective , Seinen , Police , Ensemble Cast , Crime , Tragedy , War , Philosophy , Memory Manipulation , Politics , Conspiracy , Primarily Male Cast , Foreign , Male Protagonist , Primarily Adult Cast , Amnesia , Noir , Urban , Dystopian , Guns , Terrorism , Travel , Cyberpunk , Adoption , Cult , Military , Anachronism , Desert , Proxy Battle

Metropolis

Studio: MADHOUSE , Kadokawa Shoten
Status: Finished
Genres: Adventure , Drama , Romance , Sci-Fi

In the great city of Metropolis, severe community structures and prejudice dominate a world where humans and robots live together. Unrest and violence increase with each new day.

Searching for the scientist Dr. Laughton, suspected to violate human rights by trading organs, the Japanese detective Shunsaku Ban and his nephew Kenichi arrive at Metropolis. In the scientist's laboratory, Kenichi discovers a girl without any memory of her past life. He decides to help her, so they run away together. His uncle follows him and penetrates the dark secrets of the city to find Duke Red, the man ruling from the shadows. Meanwhile, Kenichi desperately tries to protect the mysterious girl from the people hunting her. However, Duke Red and his adoptive son have their own deep reasons for chasing the girl. These reasons are connected to her true identity and the struggle for the domination of Metropolis...

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Tags: Robots , Dystopian , Artificial Intelligence , Fugitive , Detective , Urban , Class Struggle , Female Protagonist , Politics , Cyberpunk , Police , Male Protagonist , Crime , Terrorism , Guns , Foreign , CGI , Philosophy

MEMORIES

Also known as Memories.

Studio: MADHOUSE , Horipro , Studio 4°C
Status: Finished
Genres: Adventure , Comedy , Drama , Horror , Mystery , Psychological , Sci-Fi

Memories is a compilation of three standalone short films encompassing different genres.

Magnetic Rose — a science fiction tale that tells a chilling story of love, loss, and the unwillingness to forget.
Stink Bomb — a tongue-in-cheek story of a chemical researcher who is just looking for a way to get rid of his cold... so why is everybody around him dying?
Cannon Fodder — an introspective tale about modern wars and simply following orders.

Tags: Anthology , Steampunk , Dystopian , Politics , Seinen , Space , Cyberpunk , Military , Primarily Male Cast , War , Male Protagonist , Primarily Adult Cast , Tragedy , Episodic , Work , Guns , Mopeds , Memory Manipulation , Tanks

Koukaku Kidoutai: THE GHOST IN THE SHELL

Also known as THE GHOST IN THE SHELL.

Studio: Science SARU , Bandai Namco Filmworks , Kodansha , Science SARU , Production I.G , flying DOG , Dentsu , Kansai TV
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Ecchi , Psychological , Sci-Fi

The year is 2029. In near-future Japan, where the world has become highly information-intensive, with a vast corporate network covering the planet, electrons and light pulsing through it. But the nation-state and ethnic groups still survive.

Motoko Kusanagi, a full-body cyborg, leads an elite combat unit, including Batou. While commanding her team, Kusanagi envisions the creation of a specialized task force to preemptively strike against emerging threats. Meanwhile, Daisuke Aramaki of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, who had been planning to establish a similar unit, recruited Kusanagi and her team. Together, they begin operations as Public Security Section 9—an offensive tactical unit known as “Shell Squad.” As they confront complex cybercrimes and international conspiracies, the existence of a mysterious, unidentified hacker known as The “Puppet Master” emerges on the horizon of their investigation.

What fate awaits Kusanagi? And what is the Puppet Master’s true objective? A new era of cyberpunk action begins.

(Source:攻殻機動隊 THE GHOST IN THE SHELL Site)

Tags: Philosophy , Cyberpunk , Cyborg , Artificial Intelligence , Robots , Female Protagonist , Primarily Adult Cast , Police , Urban , Conspiracy , Dystopian , Crime , Politics , Seinen , Guns , Anti-Hero , Gore , Bisexual , Gender Bending , LGBTQ+ Themes , Episodic