Anime like Bungou to Alchemist: Shinpan no Haguruma

Bungou Stray Dogs

Also known as Bungo Stray Dogs.

Studio: bones , Glovision , Funimation
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Comedy , Mystery , Supernatural

Stalked by a beastly white tiger, Atsushi Nakajima has no idea that the menace lives inside him—a power that catches the attention of the Armed Detective Agency. Using inhuman abilities to combat crime, this team takes Atsushi under the wing of their most eccentric member, Dazai. Together, they tear through mafia-muddled mysteries while enemies keep an eye on the tiger’s lofty bounty.



Tags: Super Power , Crime , Detective , Mafia , Urban Fantasy , Male Protagonist , Classic Literature , Yakuza , Urban , Primarily Male Cast , Ensemble Cast , Primarily Adult Cast , Work , Orphan , Gangs , Seinen , Suicide , Slapstick , Gore , Kuudere , Guns , Terrorism , Shapeshifting , Anti-Hero , Assassins , LGBTQ+ Themes , Incest , Episodic , Tragedy , Bar , Homeless

Katsugeki Touken Ranbu

Also known as Katsugeki TOUKEN RANBU.

Studio: ufotable , Nitroplus , Good Smile Company , Aniplex , Studio Mausu
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Drama , Fantasy

The year is 1863, the tumultuous samurai era is coming to an end. Japan is split between the pro-shogunate and anti-shogunate factions. The fate of the world is threatened as an army of historical revisionists are sent from the future to alter the course of history. In order to bring these forces down and protect the real history, two sword warriors, spirits who are swords brought to life by Saniwa (sage), rush to Edo with a lively gang of warriors to confront the invaders.

Tags: Samurai , Historical , Swordplay , Time Manipulation , Primarily Male Cast , Ensemble Cast , Shoujo , CGI

Aoi Bungaku Series

Also known as Blue Literature Series.

Studio: MADHOUSE
Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Psychological , Thriller

The series consists of adaptations of six modern classics of Japanese literature: Osamu Dazai’s No Longer Human (Ningen Shikkaku) & Run Melos! (Hashire Melos!), Natsume Soseki’s Kokoro, Ryunosuke Akutagawa’s Hell Screen (Jigoku Hen) & The Spider's Thread (Kumo no Ito), and Ango Sakaguchi's In the Forest, Under Cherries in Full Bloom (Sakura no Mori no Mankai no Shita).

No Longer Human (Ningen Shikkaku) - A high school student becomes lost and alienated. Despondent and aimless, he falls into a cycle of self abuse, depression and drugs that taints his life for years. Told in three chapters, each chapter deals with a different point in his life and the final chapter leaves him standing alone - an empty and hollow charicature of his former self.

In the Forest, Under Cherries in Full Bloom (Sakura no Mori no Mankai no Shita) - A love story between a 12th-century woman and a mountain bandit who abducts her.

Kokoro - A 1914 tale of a young man's life journey during the Meiji era. The work deals with the transition from the Japanese Meiji society to the modern era, by exploring the friendship between a young man and an older man he calls "Sensei". It continues the theme of isolation developed in Soseki's previous works, here in the context of interwoven strands of egoism and guilt, as opposed to shame.

Run Melos! (Hashire Melos!) - An updated retelling of a classic Greek tale of the story of Damon and Pythias. The most prominent theme of "Run Melos!" is unwavering friendship. Despite facing hardships, the protagonist Melos does his best to save his friend's life, and in the end his efforts are rewarded.

The Spider's Thread (Kumo no Ito) - The Buddha Shakyamuni chances to notice a cold-hearted criminal suffering in Hell. But this criminal did perform one single act of kindness in not stepping on a spider in a forest. Moved by this selfless act, Shakyamuni takes the silvery thread of a spider in Paradise and lowers it down into Hell, but it falls upon the criminal to seize the opportunity and pull himself out - if he can.

Hell Screen (Jigoku Hen) - A famous artist is commissioned by a great lord to create a series of paintings depicting scenes of the 'Buddhist Hell'. The artist is unable to paint scenes that he has not seen himself, prompting him to torture and torment the Lord's staff to create his imagined images of hell. His creative efforts taint the household, as the story descends into madness and destruction.



Tags: Classic Literature , Tragedy , Philosophy , Anthology , Historical , Suicide , Autobiographical , Urban , Primarily Adult Cast , Drawing , War , Gore , Trains , Politics , Rural , Demons , Ojou-sama , Female Harem , Writing , Fairy Tale , Afterlife , Delinquents , Psychosexual

Grimms Notes The Animation

Also known as Grimm's Notes The Animation.

Studio: Brain's Base
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Adventure , Fantasy

The game takes place in a world created by a beings known as "Story Tellers." At birth, all inhabitants of this world are bestowed with a "book of fate" where all their lives are written in advance. However, rogue Story Tellers known as Chaos Tellers are writing bad events into people's books without them knowing. It is up to the holders of blank books of fate to seek out the Chaos Tellers and restore the world.



Tags: Fairy Tale , Magic , Henshin , Episodic , Gender Bending , Kemonomimi

Kitsutsuki Tantei Dokoro

Also known as Woodpecker Detective’s Office.

Studio: LIDENFILMS , Touhouku Shinsha , Happinet , BS Fuji , TOKYO MX , Marvelous , Crunchyroll
Status: Finished
Genres: Mystery

Adaptation of Kei Ii's mystery novel.

The story is set in 1909 during Japan's Meiji era, and centers on fictional versions of real-life poet Takuboku Ishikawa and real-life linguist Kyousuke Kindaichi, who were acquaintances in real life. Takuboku runs a private detective agency to support his family. Both begin to investigate a case of supposed ghost appearances at the Asakusa Junikai building, also known as the Ryounkai.



Tags: Detective , Historical , Primarily Adult Cast , Primarily Male Cast , Classic Literature , Writing , Tragedy , Male Protagonist , Police , Philosophy , Prostitution , Ghost , Rural

Touken Ranbu: Hanamaru

Also known as Touken Ranbu - Hanamaru.

Studio: Doga Kobo , DMM.com , Good Smile Company , Toho , Nitroplus , Delfi Sound , Toho Music , Q-Tec , Green Ooita
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Comedy , Drama , Fantasy , Slice of Life

In the year 2205, the past becomes threatened by the historical revisionists who seek to change it. Protecting history becomes the task of a boisterous band of swords that are brought to life, including the glamorous Kashu Kiyomitsu and the kindly Yamatonokami Yasusada. Beyond their battles, these legendary swords from different eras lead charming daily lives.



Tags: Cute Boys Doing Cute Things , Primarily Male Cast , Historical , Samurai , Episodic , Shoujo , Swordplay , Ensemble Cast , Time Manipulation , Urban Fantasy

Bungou Stray Dogs: DEAD APPLE

Also known as Bungo Stray Dogs: DEAD APPLE.

Studio: bones
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Comedy , Mystery , Supernatural

The film's story involves a mystery case of power users around the world suddenly committing suicide one after another, in all cases after a strange fog appears at the scene. At a request from Ango Sakaguchi, the Armed Detective Agency head out to investigate Tatsuhiko Shibusawa, a power user who calls himself "collector," and a man suspected of being tied to the incident.



Tags: Detective , Super Power , Urban Fantasy , Mafia , Anti-Hero , Male Protagonist , Crime , Seinen , Classic Literature , Police , Kuudere , Noir , Body Horror

Nil Admirari no Tenbin

Also known as Libra of Nil Admirari.

Studio: Zero-G , Idea Factory , Otomate
Status: Finished
Genres: Romance , Supernatural

The Taishou era didn’t end in 15 years, but went on for another 25.

In order to protect her waning family, a girl resolves to marry a man she doesn’t even know the name of. However, just before the marriage was to take place, the girl’s younger brother mysteriously committed suicide by self-immolation and was found holding an old book in his hands.

Appearing before the bewildered young girl was the “Imperial Library Intelligence Asset Management Bureau”- more commonly referred to as “Fukurou”.

According to these men, there exists “Maremono”, which are books that greatly affects its readers. On top of that, ever since the incident involving the girl’s younger brother, she unwittingly gains the ability to see “Auras” (the sentiments of the Maremono which manifest as bright lights and are usually invisible to humans). It was as though fate were trying to drag the young girl in its flames.

And then, even though apprehensive, the girl chooses to venture outside her bird cage.

Jealousy, hatred, scorn, compassion and love. What awaited the girl was the darkness of betrayal that had already begun to bewitchingly inlay the imperial capital.

Toyed by and swayed within that darkness, will the young girl finally reach the truth after her struggles, or…?



Tags: Male Harem , Super Power , Urban Fantasy , Ensemble Cast , Primarily Adult Cast , Shoujo , Female Protagonist , Historical , Magic , Primarily Male Cast , Tsundere

Bungou Stray Dogs Wan!

Also known as Bungo Stray Dogs WAN!.

Studio: Nomad , bones , Lantis
Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Slice of Life , Supernatural

The peaceful days of the very popular work Bungou Stray Dogs are here. The characters of the Armed Detective Agency and the Mafia are in miniature form?! Due to Atsushi and co. becoming cute, this is a different experience to the original work.

Tags: Slapstick , Chibi , Episodic , Ensemble Cast , Detective , Mafia , Urban Fantasy , Seinen , Tsundere , Primarily Adult Cast , Male Protagonist , Super Power , Kuudere , Chuunibyou