Anime like Brigadoon: Marin to Melan

Mahou Shoujo Madoka☆Magica

Also known as Puella Magi Madoka Magica.

Studio: Aniplex , Shaft , Mainichi Broadcasting System , Movic , Nitroplus , Aniplex of America , Madoka Partners , Houbunsha , Manga Entertainment
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Drama , Fantasy , Mahou Shoujo , Psychological , Thriller

One night, 14-year-old Madoka Kaname has a terrible nightmare - against the backdrop of a devastated city, she witnesses a girl fight a losing battle against a dreadful being lingering above, while a cat-like magical creature tells Madoka the only way to change such tragic outcome is for her to make a contract with him and become a magical girl.

The next day, the teen's dream seemingly becomes reality as the girl she saw in her dream - Homura - arrives at Mitakihara Middle School as a transfer student, mysteriously warning Madoka to stay just the way she is; but when later on she and her best friend Sayaka encounter the same cat-like magical creature from her dream - who introduces himself as Kyubey - the pair discovers that magical girls are real, and what's more, they can choose to become one. All they must do is sign a contract with Kyubey and agree to take on the duty to fight abstract beings called 'witches' that spread despair to the human world, and in return, each one of them will be granted any single wish they desire. However, as Homura's omen suggests, there might be far more to becoming a magical girl than Madoka and Sayaka realize...

Notes:
Due to the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, the broadcasts of episodes 11 and 12 were delayed and were later aired as a double feature on April 21, 2011.

Tags: Tragedy , Magic , Female Protagonist , Witch , Primarily Female Cast , Time Manipulation , Urban Fantasy , Philosophy , Alternate Universe , Primarily Teen Cast , Yuri , Time Loop , Coming of Age , Henshin , Kuudere , Survival , Aliens , Urban , Primarily Child Cast , Ensemble Cast , Gods , Anti-Hero , Suicide , Love Triangle , Guns , Spearplay , School , Tomboy , Anthropomorphism , Achronological Order

Betterman

Studio: Sunrise , Sentai Filmworks
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Adventure , Comedy , Drama , Horror , Mecha , Mystery , Sci-Fi

A deadly virus known as "Algernon" has attacked humanity with vicious meaning. At the forefront of the battle is the mystifying Akamatsu Industries - disguised as a heavy machine factory in Tokyo, this undercover organization uses neural enhanced weapons known as NeuroNoids to battle Algernon. Also helping with their secret efforts is the mysterious mutant who is only known as "Betterman".



Tags: Kaiju , Real Robot , Henshin , Cosmic Horror , Male Protagonist

Figure 17: Tsubasa & Hikaru

Studio: Bandai Visual , OLM , Genco , MediaNet , Media Blasters , Madman Entertainment
Status: Finished
Genres: Sci-Fi , Slice of Life

Tsubasa Shiina is a 10-year-old girl who recently moved to Hokkaido to live with her father. In school, she is very quiet and unsociable with her classmates. Then one night, she witnesses a UFO crash in the forest near her home. She rushes to the scene and finds the pilot, codenamed "D.D.", in a barely stable condition. Also in the scene is a Maguar, a hideous alien that hatched aboard D.D.'s ship. As the Maguar is close to taking Tsubasa's life, an alien lifeform fuses with her body to form the Riberus battle armor Figure 17, which shortly destroys the alien threat. The life form takes the name Hikaru and turns into an identical twin of Tsubasa. As time passes, Tsubasa becomes more open to everyone around her, thanks to her new twin sister Hikaru. However, with Maguar eggs scattered all over Hokkaido, their ability to form Figure 17 is needed to eliminate all hatched Maguars until backup from D.D.'s home planet arrives on Earth.



Tags: Clone , Aliens , Found Family , School , Rural , Henshin , Female Protagonist , Primarily Female Cast , Primarily Child Cast , Superhero , Tragedy

Yuusha-Ou GaoGaiGar

Also known as The King of Braves: GaoGaiGar.

Studio: Sunrise , Victor Entertainment , Media Blasters
Status: Finished
Genres: Adventure , Mecha , Sci-Fi

In the year 2005, a race of alien monsters called Zonders emerge from underground and launch a series of attacks on the city of Tokyo. The only defense against these creatures is the secret agency known as the Gutsy Geoid Guard (or 3G) and their ultimate weapon, the awesome giant robot GaoGaiGar. GaoGaiGar's pilot, Guy Shishio, is a former astronaut who was nearly killed two years before when the Zonders first crashed to earth. Guy's life was spared when a mysterious robot lion called Galeon pulled him from the burning shuttle and brought him to Earth. Guy's father, Leo, then used Galeon's technology to rebuild his shattered son as a cyborg, in the hopes that he could stop the aliens when they appear. Now, with Galeon as its core, GaoGaiGar fights to protect Earth. He is aided by a team of transforming robots and by a young boy named Mamoru, who has the power to purify the Zonders' cores, and seems to be connected to the mysterious Galeon.



Tags: Super Robot , Robots , Artificial Intelligence , Cyborg , Aliens , Male Protagonist , Trains , Urban , Space , Family Life , School , CGI , Kuudere

Digimon Tamers

Studio: Toei Animation , Yomiko Advertising
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Adventure , Drama , Fantasy , Sci-Fi

Takato Matsuda, Ruki Matsuno, and Lee Jenrya are children who have, by fate, received real Digimon, unlike the imaginary ones in the card game they play. Each of the children, or "Digimon Tamers", have their different views on how Digimon should be treated. But when other Digimon begin to appear around Japan, they must put aside their differences to fend off the digital intruders; even though Yamaki, who is the head of a secret organization called Hypnos is trying to eliminate all of the Digimon himself.



Tags: Primarily Child Cast , Artificial Intelligence , Virtual World , Tragedy , Denpa , Animals , Kids , Cosmic Horror , Male Protagonist , Kaiju , Henshin , Isekai , Card Battle , Dinosaurs , Kuudere , Anthropomorphism

Uta∽Kata

Also known as Uta∞Kata.

Studio: Bandai Visual , Hal Film Maker , Shaft , Sentai Filmworks , gimik
Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Fantasy , Mahou Shoujo , Psychological

On the last day of the school year, 14-year-old Ichika Tachibana comes across an old, busted mirror in an unused campus building. When Manatsu, a mysterious girl from inside the mirror, steps out and offers her friendship for the summer, she also offers Ichika magical powers. Now, Manatsu must help Ichika unlock the powers of the 12 Djinn in order to complete her magic training... but perhaps this is something that will prove too difficult a task. Some offers may appear to be too good to be true and this one just may turn out to do more harm than good.



Tags: Magic , Coming of Age , Henshin , Denpa , Gods , Cute Girls Doing Cute Things , School , Yuri , Boys' Love , Kuudere

Alien 9

Also known as Alien Nine.

Studio: J.C. Staff , Genco , MediaNet , Central Park Media , Nippon Columbia , AT-X , Bandai Visual , Hanabee Entertainment
Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Horror , Psychological , Sci-Fi , Slice of Life

Yuri Ootani, a girl who has been afraid of aliens, has been chosen to be on the alien party with the class president Kumi Kawamura, whose only intention to join the alien party is to get out of presidential duties, as well as Kasumi Tomine who is perfect at everything she does, including fighting all the aliens that come in their way. But can they defeat a massive alien who has already abducted Kasumi?

Tags: Aliens , Coming of Age , Body Horror , Denpa , Cosmic Horror , Primarily Child Cast , School , Female Protagonist , Primarily Female Cast , School Club , Tragedy , Philosophy , Seinen , Gore , Dullahan , Nudity , Vore

Gakuen Senki Muryou

Also known as Shingu: Secret of the Stellar Wars.

Studio: MADHOUSE , Starchild Records , The Right Stuf International
Status: Finished
Genres: Adventure , Mecha , Sci-Fi , Supernatural

The world is about to be turned upside down for Hajime Murata. First, a strange alien ship appears over Tokyo, and then a mysterious new transfer student arrives at his school wearing an ancient school uniform. His name is Muryou, and with his arrival, everything begins to change. Students suddenly begin to display amazing psychic powers, a giant white guardian keeps appearing in the skies over the city to fight off gigantic alien creatures, and men with threatening weapons are haunting the shadows of the school grounds.

With all these strange events taking place around him, Hajime is determined to figure out the truth about a world he thought he already knew. This is his story: a tale of aliens and humans, starships and spies, and friends who are often more than they appear. Join Hajime as he uncovers the mystery of Shingu: Secret of the Stellar Wars!



Tags: Space , Aliens , Politics , Cult

Yuusha-Ou GaoGaiGar FINAL

Also known as The King of Braves: GaoGaiGar Final.

Studio: Sunrise
Status: Finished
Genres: Adventure , Drama , Mecha , Sci-Fi

Following Gutsy Galaxy Guards victory over the Zonder Empire and the 31 Primevals, a new threat makes their appearance on Earth. GGG - with Guy Shishio and the newly-constructed GaoFighGar - team up with their French counterpart Chasseur to battle the evil organization BioNet. Among Chasseurs ranks is Renais Cardiff Shishioh - a former BioNet cyborg with the relentless pursuit of destroying those who took away her humanity. But as GGG and Chasseur fight the BioNet, GGGs bases around the world are suddenly attacked, and the recently-discovered "Q-Parts" and the original Gao Machines are stolen by Mamoru Amami, who has been abducted and cloned by an even greater threat known as the "Eleven Kings of Sol." Evicted from Earth by the United Nations, GGG must now travel to the far reaches of the galaxy to battle the Eleven Kings of Sol and save Mamoru before its too late.



Tags: Super Robot , Shounen , Space , Aliens , Cosmic Horror , Kuudere

Flip Flappers

Also known as FLIP FLAPPERS.

Studio: Studio 3Hz , Infinite , Happinet , Hakuhodo DY Music & Pictures , GAGA , Lantis , Medicos Entertainment , AT-X , Sotsu , BS Fuji , TOKYO MX , Ray
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Adventure , Comedy , Fantasy , Mahou Shoujo , Psychological , Sci-Fi

As a middle school student, Cocona has been trying to decide what to do with her life. Magical Girl, however, wasn’t a career path that she’d ever considered. When suddenly a strange girl named Papika thrusts her into a secret organization called Flip Flap, Cocona’s outlook does a radical flip-flop. Her views start to change when she is dragged into an alternate dimension called Pure Illusion where she’s charged with gathering crystal shards and fighting strange creatures. Now, between running missions and facing off against a rival organization, Cocona doesn’t have much time to consider alternate career choices. What are these shards, and why is gathering them so important? There’s a mystery to be solved and multiple worlds to be saved in FLIP FLAPPERS!



Tags: Coming of Age , Female Protagonist , Henshin , LGBTQ+ Themes , Meta , Yuri , Magic , Primarily Female Cast , Surreal Comedy , Memory Manipulation , Super Power , Cult , Dissociative Identities , Time Manipulation , Isekai , Episodic , Tragedy , Age Regression , Twins , School , Love Triangle , Tsundere , Surfing , Parody , Yandere , Super Robot , Heterosexual