Anime like DARKER THAN BLACK: Kuro no Keiyakusha

Phantom: Requiem for the Phantom

Also known as Phantom: Requiem for the Phantom.

Studio: Bee Train , Genco , Funimation , Bushiroad , Nitroplus , Hakuhodo DY Music & Pictures , OVERLAP , Lantis , TV Tokyo , Rakuonsha , TV Tokyo Music
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Drama , Thriller

A young man wakes up in a strange room with no memory of who he is or how he got there. His past is lost—and his future belongs to Inferno, a violent crime syndicate. They give him a new name—Zwei—and team him with their top assassin, the enigmatic Ein. She’ll teach Zwei all he needs to know about his new life as an Inferno operative, starting with lesson number one: kill or be killed.



Tags: Amnesia , Anti-Hero , Assassins , Noir , Mafia , Tragedy , Coming of Age , Crime , Guns , Memory Manipulation , Heterosexual , Female Protagonist , Foreign , Male Protagonist , Time Skip , Yakuza , Nudity

Durarara!!

Also known as Durarara!!.

Studio: Aniplex , Brain's Base , Movic , Aniplex of America , ASCII Media Works , Hakuhodo DY Media Partners , Mainichi Broadcasting System
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Mystery , Supernatural

In Tokyo's downtown district of Ikebukuro, amidst many strange rumors and warnings of anonymous gangs and dangerous occupants, one urban legend stands out above the rest—the existence of a headless "Black Rider" who is said to be seen driving a jet-black motorcycle through the city streets.

Ryuugamine Mikado has always longed for the excitement of the city life, and an invitation from a childhood friend convinces him to move to Tokyo. Witnessing the Black Rider on his first day in the city, his wishes already seem to have been granted. But as supernatural events begin to occur, ordinary citizens like himself, along with Ikebukuro's most colorful inhabitants, are mixed up in the commotion breaking out in their city.



Tags: Urban Fantasy , Gangs , Urban , Ensemble Cast , Dullahan , Achronological Order , Delinquents , Crime , Female Protagonist , Mythology , Yandere , Male Protagonist , Motorcycles , School , Orphan , Otaku Culture , Amnesia , Swordplay , Heterosexual , Bullying , Incest , Suicide , Anti-Hero

BLACK LAGOON

Also known as Black Lagoon.

Studio: MADHOUSE , Funimation , Selecta Visión , Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Adventure , Drama , Thriller

Okajima Rokuro is a Japanese businessman in a town full of Japanese businessmen. His normal day consists of social drinking with clients and being kicked around by his bosses. He finally gets a break though, as he's sent by his company to the tropical seas of Eastern China to deliver a disc. But his boat gets hijacked by a band of mercenaries hired to retrieve the disc. Rock (as he is newly dubbed by his captors) catches the interest of the only female merc Revy as she thinks he's worth a ransom, taking him hostage. However, the disc that was stolen has a terrible secret that's unknown to Rock, which causes massive confusion and chaos for both him and his kidnappers.

Tags: Crime , Guns , Seinen , Primarily Adult Cast , Pirates , Anti-Hero , Gangs , Travel , Ensemble Cast , Mafia , Assassins , Female Protagonist , Tomboy , Foreign , Ships , Military , Episodic , Male Protagonist , Triads , Noir , Maids , Gore , Politics , Nudity , Nun

Cowboy Bebop

Also known as Cowboy Bebop.

Studio: Sunrise , Bandai Visual , Bandai Entertainment
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Adventure , Drama , Sci-Fi

Enter a world in the distant future, where Bounty Hunters roam the solar system. Spike and Jet, bounty hunting partners, set out on journeys in an ever struggling effort to win bounty rewards to survive.

While traveling, they meet up with other very interesting people. Could Faye, the beautiful and ridiculously poor gambler, Edward, the computer genius, and Ein, the engineered dog be a good addition to the group?

Tags: Space , Crime , Episodic , Ensemble Cast , Primarily Adult Cast , Tragedy , Noir , Travel , Anti-Hero , Philosophy , Guns , Cyberpunk , Male Protagonist , Found Family , Terrorism , Female Protagonist , Cowboys , Martial Arts , Cyborg , Tomboy , Amnesia , Gambling , Heterosexual , Yakuza , Drugs , Police , Nudity , Tanned Skin , Cult , Circus , CGI

PSYCHO-PASS

Also known as PSYCHO-PASS.

Studio: Production I.G , Fuji TV , Nitroplus , Sony Music Entertainment , KYORAKU , Toho , Funimation , Dentsu
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Psychological , Sci-Fi , Thriller

Justice, and the enforcement of it, has changed. In the 22nd century, Japan enforces the Sibyl System, an objective means of determining the threat level of each citizen by examining their mental state for signs of criminal intent, known as their Psycho-Pass. Inspectors uphold the law by subjugating, often with lethal force, anyone harboring the slightest ill-will; alongside them are Enforcers, jaded Inspectors that have become latent criminals, granted relative freedom in exchange for carrying out the Inspectors' dirty work.

Into this world steps Akane Tsunemori, a young woman with an honest desire to uphold justice. However, as she works alongside veteran Enforcer Shinya Kougami, she soon learns that the Sibyl System's judgments are not as perfect as her fellow Inspectors assume. With everything she has known turned on its head, Akane wrestles with the question of what justice truly is, and whether it can be upheld through the use of a system that may already be corrupt.



Note: In the Summer 2014 season, Psycho-Pass was rebroadcast and re-edited to fit into an hour time-slot, ending up in 11 one-hour episodes. This edit included added scenes at the beginning and middle of the episodes, as well as fixing and improving animation.

Tags: Detective , Police , Dystopian , Cyberpunk , Crime , Philosophy , Primarily Adult Cast , Urban , Female Protagonist , Artificial Intelligence , Conspiracy , Revenge , Male Protagonist , Fugitive , Guns , Anti-Hero , Terrorism , Augmented Reality , Gore , Class Struggle , Tragedy , Robots , Body Horror , Nudity ,

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 , Male Protagonist , Urban Fantasy , Classic Literature , Yakuza , Urban , Primarily Male Cast , Ensemble Cast , Primarily Adult Cast , Seinen , Work , Orphan , Gangs , Suicide , Slapstick , Guns , Terrorism , Gore , Kuudere , Shapeshifting , Anti-Hero , Assassins , Episodic , Tragedy , Bar , Homeless , Found Family

MONSTER

Also known as Monster.

Studio: MADHOUSE , VAP , Viz Media , Nippon Television Network
Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Horror , Mystery , Psychological , Thriller

Dr. Kenzo Tenma is a renowned Japanese brain surgeon working at a leading hospital in Germany. One night, Dr. Tenma risks his reputation and career to save the life of a critically wounded young boy over that of the town mayor who had been planning to support the hospital financially. A string of mysterious murders begin to occur soon after the operation, and Dr. Tenma emerges as the primary suspect despite no incriminating evidence.

A doctor is taught to believe that all life is equal; however, when another series of murders occur in the surgeon's vicinity, Dr. Tenma's beliefs are shaken as his actions that night are shown to have much broader consequences than he could have imagined. Leaving behind his life as a surgeon he embarks on a journey across the country to unravel the mystery of the boy he saved.

Tags: Crime , Seinen , Detective , Philosophy , Ensemble Cast , Fugitive , Primarily Adult Cast , Revenge , Noir , Twins , Memory Manipulation , Tragedy , Urban , Conspiracy , Adoption , Foreign , Police , Politics , Male Protagonist , Dissociative Identities , Medicine , Amnesia , Travel , Orphan , Historical , Time Skip , Guns , Suicide , Torture , Primarily Male Cast , Crossdressing , Episodic , Gore , Nudity , Rescue , Bullying

Baccano!

Also known as Baccano!.

Studio: Aniplex , Brain's Base , Aniplex of America , Sakura Create , Happinet Pictures
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Mystery , Supernatural

During the early 1930s in Chicago, the transcontinental train, Flying Pussyfoot, is starting its legendary journey that will leave a trail of blood all over the country. At the same time in New York, the ambitious scientist Szilard and his unwilling aide Ennis, are looking for missing bottles of the immortality elixir. In addition, a war between the mafia groups is getting worse. On board the Advena Avis, in 1711, alchemists are about to learn the price of immortality.

Based on the award winning light novels of the same name, this anime adaptation follows several events that initially seem unrelated, both in time and place, but are part of a much bigger story—one of alchemy, survival and immortality. Merging these events together are the kindhearted would-be thieves, Isaac and Miria, connecting various people, all of them with their own hidden ambitions and agendas, and creating lifelong bonds and consequences for everyone involved.



Tags: Mafia , Ensemble Cast , Crime , Achronological Order , Alchemy , Historical , Trains , Urban Fantasy , Heterosexual , Foreign , Noir , Primarily Adult Cast , Guns , Gore , Urban , Torture , Vore , Demons , Surreal Comedy , Travel , Meta , Disability

Wolf's Rain

Also known as Wolf's Rain.

Studio: bones , Bandai Visual , Asatsu DK , Fuji TV , Bandai Entertainment
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Adventure , Drama , Fantasy , Mystery , Sci-Fi

In some distant future, it's common knowledge that all wolves have been extinct for 200 years. However, it seems this is false as wolves have not disappeared but rather have taken human form. Kiba, a lone wolf, wanders into a city, trying to sniff out the Lunar Flowers that are supposed to lead whoever follows the scent to paradise. The source of the smell is Cheza, a girl who sleeps in what appears to be suspended animation in a lab. She and the wolves are drawn to each other, and Kiba hopes to find paradise once he finds the source of the scent of Lunar Flowers. However, once Kiba finds Cheza, she is kidnapped by a mysterious person called Darcia, and his search begins anew. Before he leaves the city, he meets 3 other wolves, Tsume, Hige and Toboe. All four wolves have very different personalities and ideas, and their friendliness towards each other is a little rough around the edges. However, they soon band together to continue to search for paradise.



Tags: Survival , Primarily Male Cast , Dystopian , Animals , Werewolf , Post-Apocalyptic , Tragedy , Memory Manipulation , Tanned Skin , Snowscape , Found Family , Primarily Adult Cast , Boys' Love , Indigenous Cultures

Koukaku Kidoutai: STAND ALONE COMPLEX

Also known as Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex.

Studio: Production I.G , Kodansha , Trilogy Future Studio , Bandai Entertainment , Tokuma Shoten
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Mystery , Psychological , Sci-Fi

In the not so distant future, mankind has advanced to a state where complete body transplants from flesh to machine is possible. This allows for great increases in both physical and cybernetic prowess and blurring the lines between the two worlds. However, criminals can also make full use of such technology, leading to new and sometimes, very dangerous crimes. In response to such innovative new methods, the Japanese Government has established Section 9, an independently operating police unit which deals with such highly sensitive crimes.

Led by Daisuke Aramaki and Motoko Kusanagi, Section 9 deals with such crimes over the entire social spectrum, usually with success. However, when faced with a new A level hacker nicknamed “The Laughing Man”, the team is thrown into a dangerous cat and mouse game, following the hacker’s trail as it leaves its mark on Japan.



Tags: Cyberpunk , Police , Episodic , Robots , Politics , Philosophy , Crime , Artificial Intelligence , Cyborg , Work , Urban , Detective , Military , Seinen , Female Protagonist , Conspiracy , Primarily Male Cast , Guns , Primarily Adult Cast , Dystopian , Memory Manipulation , Real Robot , Ensemble Cast , CGI , Body Swapping , Kuudere , Bisexual , Gore