Anime like ChaO

Yoake Tsugeru Lu no Uta

Also known as Lu Over the Wall.

Studio: Science SARU , BS Fuji , Toho , GKIDS
Status: Finished
Genres: Adventure , Fantasy , Music , Supernatural

Kai Ashimoto, a gloomy young middle schooler, lives in Hinashi Town, a lonely fishing village, with his father and his grandfather, a parasol maker. He used to live in Tokyo, but after his parents divorced he moved back to his father's home town. Kai has trouble telling his parents the complicated feelings he has for them, and he's lonely and pessimistic about his school life. One of his joys is uploading songs he writes to the internet. One day, his classmates Kunio and Yuuho invite him to join their band, "SEIREN". As he reluctantly follows them to Merfolk Island, their practice spot, they meet Lu, the mermaid. Lu sings merrily and dances innocently. As Kai begins to spend time with her, he starts to be able to say what it is that he's really thinking.


Tags: Mermaid , Mythology , Coming of Age , Dancing , Band , Male Protagonist , Fishing , Fairy Tale , Coastal , Swimming , Ships , School , Monster Girl

Mind Game

Also known as Mind Game.

Studio: Horipro , Studio 4°C , GKIDS , Madman Entertainment
Status: Finished
Genres: Adventure , Comedy , Psychological , Romance

Audiences will begin to grasp what they are in for early on, as loser Nishi, too wimpy to try to save his childhood sweetheart from gangsters, is shot in the butt by a soccer-playing psychopath, projecting Nishi into the afterlife. In this limbo, God - shown as a series of rapidly changing characters - tells him to walk toward the light. But Nishi runs like hell in the other direction and returns to Earth a changed man, driven to live each moment to the fullest.



Tags: Surreal Comedy , Reincarnation , Philosophy , Primarily Adult Cast , Afterlife , Nudity , Mixed Media , Male Protagonist , Seinen , Yakuza , Heterosexual , Gods , Swimming ,

Tekkon Kinkreet

Also known as Tekkonkinkreet.

Studio: Horipro , Aniplex , Studio 4°C
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Psychological , Supernatural

Black, a boy who seeks to bend the city to his will through strength, and White, his innocent counterpart, are two orphaned street kids living in the slums of Treasure Town. When real estate developers threaten to transform Treasure Town into a massive theme park, its very existence is put at risk. Determined to protect both White and their city, Black takes on the yakuza and assassins, gradually losing his innocence as he confronts a dark manifestation within himself.



Tags: Found Family , Coming of Age , Gangs , Orphan , Crime , Urban , Primarily Child Cast , Urban Fantasy , Primarily Male Cast , Male Protagonist , Seinen , Yakuza , Parkour , Philosophy , Homeless , Acrobatics , Fugitive , Dissociative Identities , Time Skip , Conspiracy , Cars , Guns , Nudity

Bakeneko Anzu-chan

Also known as GHOST CAT ANZU.

Studio: Shin-Ei Animation , Toho , Miyu Productions
Status: Finished
Genres: Fantasy , Slice of Life , Supernatural

Precocious tween Karin finds herself abandoned by her father in rural Japan. Living in a temple with her grandfather, she meets Anzu, a giant “ghost cat” and notorious layabout tasked with looking after her. Distrustful of her new guardian, Karin sabotages Anzu’s odd jobs for the townsfolk and befriends the eccentric local forest spirits. In an effort to win Karin over, Anzu accidentally makes a deal with the devil, and all Hell breaks loose.



Tags: Ghost , Rotoscoping , Female Protagonist , Afterlife , Youkai , Animals , Rural , Urban Fantasy , Urban , Mopeds , Gods

Shoka

Studio: Production I.G
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Fantasy

The story is set during the turbulent years of the shogunate, as dark forces try to undermine the shogun's power in Edo-era Tokyo. Shirou Sumiya is the leader of the "Way of the Paper Drawing" clan which captures the chaos of the struggles with rapid brush strokes. Sumiya is summoned to Edo, and his disciples, who have extraordinary powers in their secret drawing techniques, become part of the ensuring battles with giant drawn creatures.



Tags: Calligraphy , Super Power , Historical , Youkai , Guns

Gake no Ue no Ponyo

Also known as Ponyo.

Studio: Studio Ghibli , Dentsu , d-rights , Toho , Walt Disney Studios
Status: Finished
Genres: Adventure , Fantasy

A young boy named Sosuke rescues a goldfish named Ponyo, and they embark on a fantastic journey of friendship and discovery before Ponyo's father, a powerful sorcerer, forces her to return to her home in the sea. But Ponyo's desire to be human upsets the delicate balance of nature and triggers a gigantic storm. Only Ponyo's mother, a beautiful sea goddess, can restore nature's balance and make Ponyo's dreams come true.



Tags: Coastal , Natural Disaster , Primarily Child Cast , Kids , Environmental , Urban Fantasy , Anthropomorphism , Rural , Magic , Male Protagonist , Family Life , Female Protagonist , Swimming , Ships , Mermaid , Gods , Chibi , Interspecies , Revenge