Anime like Denpa Teki na Kanojo

Higurashi no Naku Koro ni

Also known as When They Cry.

Studio: Studio DEEN , Frontier Works , Sotsu , DAX Production , Sentai Filmworks
Status: Finished
Genres: Horror , Mystery , Psychological , Supernatural , Thriller

After moving into the quiet town of Hinamizawa, Maebara Keiichi spends his days blissfully in school often playing games with his local friends. However, appearances can be deceiving. One fateful day, Keiichi stumbles upon news of a murder that had occurred in Hinamizawa. From this point on, horrific events unfold in front of Keiichi, as he soon learns his close friends may not be all that they seem. Based on the amateur mystery game by 07th Expansion, the story is told in a series of different scenarios.

Tags: Denpa , Alternate Universe , Ensemble Cast , Time Manipulation , Tragedy , Rural , Conspiracy , Achronological Order , Gore , Time Loop , Chibi , Body Horror , Bullying , Torture , Male Protagonist , Yandere , Twins , Urban Fantasy , Mythology , Pandemic , Primarily Female Cast , Cosmic Horror , School Club , Primarily Teen Cast , Shrine Maiden , Police , Female Protagonist , Historical , Board Game , Crossdressing

Mousou Dairinin

Also known as Paranoia Agent.

Studio: MADHOUSE , Asmik Ace , Geneon Entertainment , Tohokushinsha Film Corporation , WOWOW , Techno Sound , Chaos Union
Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Mystery , Psychological , Supernatural , Thriller

An elementary school kid dubbed with the title "shounen bat" or "lil slugger" has been going around attacking people with his bent, golden bat. Now, two detectives are investigating so they can stop this kid from making any more attacks, but they will find out soon enough... that this case is much more than they expected.



Tags: Denpa , Crime , Detective , Ensemble Cast , Urban Fantasy , Police , Female Protagonist , Meta , Urban , Episodic , Philosophy , Dissociative Identities , Disability , Satire , Suicide , Male Protagonist , Nudity , Primarily Adult Cast , Chuunibyou , Ghost , Prostitution , Cosmic Horror , LGBTQ+ Themes

Kara no Kyoukai: Fukan Fuukei

Also known as the Garden of sinners Chapter 1: Thanatos. (Overlooking View).

Studio: Aniplex , ufotable , Kodansha , Aniplex of America , Notes
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Mystery , Supernatural , Thriller

September, 1998: In the city where Shiki lives, something triggers a spate of mysterious schoolgirl suicides. The connection between the girls who've leapt to their deaths is unclear, although all of them have jumped from the Fujou Building, a skyscraper scheduled to be demolished.



Tags: Suicide , Ghost , Urban Fantasy , Female Protagonist , Dissociative Identities , Super Power , Urban , Philosophy , Tragedy , Gore , Achronological Order , Kuudere , Primarily Adult Cast , Denpa

Nazo no Kanojo X

Also known as Mysterious Girlfriend X.

Studio: Starchild Records , Kodansha , Hoods Entertainment , Sentai Filmworks , Yomiuri Advertising
Status: Finished
Genres: Ecchi , Mystery , Romance

When the oddly peculiar Mikoto Urabe transfers into Akira Tsubaki's class, he finds that life has thrown him the weirdest curve ball ever. Because while Urabe may be an anti-social loner who sleeps on her desk, carries a pair of scissors in her underwear and breaks out in sudden fits of insane laughter, there's something about her that Tsubaki just can't quite put his finger on. Until he accidentally puts his finger in it, and suddenly the phrase "sharing spit with a girl" takes on an entirely new meaning! Before he can wipe her drool off his face, Tsubaki is mysteriously addicted to Urabe, which isn't half as strange as the fact that she not only finds this normal, but already seems to have plans for her new drooling boyfriend.



Tags: Coming of Age , School , Kuudere , Heterosexual , Seinen , Psychosexual , Male Protagonist , Primarily Teen Cast , Female Protagonist , Love Triangle , Nudity , Unrequited Love

Another

Also known as Another.

Studio: Lantis , Kadokawa Shoten , P.A. Works , Toho , Sentai Filmworks , KLOCKWORX , Bandai Namco Live Creative , NTT Docomo
Status: Finished
Genres: Horror , Mystery , Psychological , Supernatural , Thriller

When Kouichi Sakakibara transfers to a new school, he senses a frightening atmosphere in his new class, a secret none of them will talk about. At the center is the beautiful Mei Misaki. Kouichi is immediately drawn to her mysterious aura, but he begins to realize that no one else in the class is aware of her presence. Soon after his arrival, what is known as the Calamity begins, and it claims the lives of many students.



Tags: Tragedy , Gore , School , Memory Manipulation , Urban Fantasy , Primarily Teen Cast , Survival , Rural , Seinen , Assassins , Curses , Kuudere , Male Protagonist , Denpa , Ghost , Female Protagonist , Suicide , Twins , Teacher , Philosophy , Death Game

Bakemonogatari

Also known as Bakemonogatari.

Studio: Aniplex , Shaft , Kodansha , Aniplex of America , Hanabee Entertainment
Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Drama , Mystery , Psychological , Romance , Supernatural

First season of the Monogatari Series, part 1/6. Contains the arcs Hitagi Crab, Mayoi Snail, Suruga Monkey, Nadeko Snake, and Tsubasa Cat from the Bakemonogatari light novels.

Thanks to Meme Oshino, Koyomi Araragi, a high school student, is able to remain a human after coming across a female vampire... However, since the incident, Koyomi seems to meet girls who have an apparition-related issue. Hitagi Senjougahara doesn’t weigh anything, Suruga Kanbaru’s right arm becomes like that of a monkey’s, and a young girl, Mayoi, cannot find her way home no matter how many times she tries. Koyomi, a Mr. Nice Guy, ends up helping each and every girl solve her problem with the help of Meme Oshino.



Tags: Ensemble Cast , Youkai , Urban Fantasy , Male Protagonist , Surreal Comedy , Kuudere , Philosophy , Primarily Female Cast , Vampire , Ghost , Coming of Age , Satire , Heterosexual , Primarily Teen Cast , Meta , Dissociative Identities , Curses , Monster Girl , Psychosexual , Love Triangle , Yandere , Tomboy , Parody , Gore , Rotoscoping , Nekomimi , Female Harem , LGBTQ+ Themes , Tsundere , CGI , Gods , School , Amnesia , Rehabilitation , Aliens

PERFECT BLUE

Also known as Perfect Blue.

Studio: MADHOUSE , Rex Entertainment , ONIRO , Techno Sound , GKids
Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Horror , Psychological , Thriller

Rising pop star Mima has quit singing to pursue a career as an actress and model, but her fans aren’t ready to see her go... Encouraged by her managers, Mima takes on a recurring role on a popular TV show, when suddenly her handlers and collaborators begin turning up murdered. Harboring feelings of guilt and haunted by visions of her former self, Mima’s reality and fantasy meld into a frenzied paranoia. As her stalker closes in, in person and online, the threat he poses is more real than even Mima knows, in this iconic psychological thriller that has frequently been hailed as one of the most important animated films of all time.



Note: The film received an early premiere at the Fantasia Film Festival on August 5, 1997.

Tags: Dissociative Identities , Denpa , Female Protagonist , Acting , Idol , Primarily Adult Cast , Meta , Work , Philosophy , Tragedy , Filmmaking , Gore , Nudity , Noir

Kara no Kyoukai: Satsujin Kousatsu (Zen)

Also known as the Garden of sinners Chapter 2: …and nothing heart. (Murder Speculation Part A).

Studio: ufotable , Aniplex of America , Notes
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Mystery , Romance , Supernatural , Thriller

March, 1995: Mikiya Kokutou meets a girl who has a mysterious gaze and falls in love with her. That April, he's reunited with her at his high school entrance ceremony. The girl's name is Shiki Ryougi. Meanwhile, the city has been rattled by a series of bizarre murders. There are no known links between victims, and the motive is unclear. An astonishing secret awaits Mikiya, but he doesn't find out until three years later...



Tags: Dissociative Identities , Kuudere , Female Protagonist , Police , Anti-Hero , Urban Fantasy , Achronological Order , Super Power , Crime , Gore , Male Protagonist , Yandere , School , Urban

Kamisama no Memochou

Also known as Heaven's Memo Pad.

Studio: J.C. Staff , Lantis , AT-X , Sentai Filmworks , Warner Bros. Japan , KLOCKWORX , ASCII Media Works
Status: Finished
Genres: Mystery

Narumi Fujishima isn't your typical high school student. He's never really fit in and has become increasingly more isolated from his fellow classmates. But he's not alone, and when Ayaka, the sole member of the Gardening Club, introduces him to the reclusive girl who lives above the ramen shop, Narumi enters a whole new secret world. Alice is a NEET, someone who is Not Employed, being Educated or in Training, but as Narumi quickly discovers, that doesn't mean that she does nothing all day.

In between tending to her small army of stuffed bears, Alice is an expert hacker and a very exclusive private detective. To his surprise, Narumi finds himself drafted as one of the strange-but-elite team of associates that Alice has assembled from her NEET acquaintances. Together they'll battle gangs, thieves, murderers, and drug lords. And in the middle of it all, Narumi will find his life changing forever!



Note: The first episode aired with a runtime of ~48 minutes as opposed to the standard 24 minute long episode.

Tags: Hikikomori , Crime , Detective , Philosophy , Yakuza , Male Protagonist , Episodic , Gangs , Drugs , Noir , Suicide , Transgender

Mirai Nikki

Also known as The Future Diary.

Studio: Funimation , Lantis , Kadokawa Shoten , Asread , Rakuonsha , Kadokawa Pictures Japan , KLOCKWORX , chara-ani.com , 12 Diary Holders , Dwango , Sakura Create
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Horror , Mystery , Psychological , Supernatural , Thriller

This psychological thriller, based on the manga written and illustrated by Sakae Esuno, is about Yuki, a loner who's not very good with people. He prefers to write a diary on his cell phone and talk to his imaginary friend, Deus Ex Machina – The God of Time and Space. However, Yuki soon learns that Deus is more than a figment of his imagination when he makes Yuki participate in a battle royale with eleven others. The contestants are given special diaries that can predict the future, each diary possessing unique features that give it both advantages and disadvantages. Within the next 90 days, the contestants must try to survive until there is only one left standing. The winner will become the new God of Time and Space.



Tags: Battle Royale , Death Game , Survival , Yandere , Tragedy , Alternate Universe , Suicide , Meta , Gore , Gods , Time Manipulation , Male Protagonist , Crime , Super Power , Urban , Female Protagonist , Shounen , Urban Fantasy , Heterosexual , Age Gap , Clone , Anti-Hero , Netorare , Guns , CGI , Terrorism , Police , Henshin , Adoption , Nudity , LGBTQ+ Themes , Bisexual , Orphan , Tanned Skin , Cult , Stop Motion , Disability , Psychosexual , Boys' Love