Anime like Gurren Lagann | Anime Like List

What is Gurren Lagann about?

Studio: Gainax
Status: Finished

In a far away future, mankind lives underground in huge caves, unknowing of a world above with a sky and stars.

In the small village of Jiha, Simon, a shy boy who works as a digger discovers a strange glowing object during excavation. The enterprising Kamina, a young man with a pair of rakish sunglasses and the passion of a firey sun, befriends Simon and forms a small band of brothers, the Gurren Brigade, to escape the village and break through the ceiling of the cave to reach the surface, which few believe exist.

The village elder won't hear of such foolishness and punishes the Brigade. However, when disaster strikes from the world above and the entire village is in jeopardy, it's up to Simon, Kamina, a girl with a big gun named Yoko, and the small yet sturdy robot, Lagann, to save the day.

The new friends journey to the world above and find that the surface is a harsh battlefield, and it's up to them to fight back against the rampaging Beastmen to turn the tide in the humans' favor! Pierce the heavens, Gurren Lagann!

Tags: Super Robot , Coming of Age , Found Family , Dystopian , Male Protagonist , Post-Apocalyptic , Primarily Adult Cast , Space Opera , Tragedy , Travel , Class Struggle , Space , War , Aliens , Time Skip , Politics , Desert , Anthropomorphism , Heterosexual , Outdoor , Henshin , Military , Alternate Universe , Animals , Cosmic Horror , Guns , Shounen , Urban , Nudity , CGI , Love Triangle , Suicide , Swordplay , Boys' Love

Where to watch?

Crunchyroll

Hulu

Kill la Kill

Also known as Kill la Kill.

Studio: Aniplex , Trigger , Dentsu , Kadokawa Shoten , Mainichi Broadcasting System , Ultra Super Pictures , Movic , Aniplex of America
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Comedy , Ecchi

After the murder of her father, Ryuuko Matoi has been wandering the land in search of his killer. Following her only lead—the missing half of his invention, the Scissor Blade—she arrives at the prestigious Honnouji Academy, a high school unlike any other. The academy is ruled by the imposing and cold-hearted student council president Satsuki Kiryuuin alongside her powerful underlings, the Elite Four. In the school's brutally competitive hierarchy, Satsuki bestows upon those at the top special clothes called "Goku Uniforms," which grant the wearer unique superhuman abilities.

Tags: Henshin , Female Protagonist , Revenge , Nudity , Parody , Surreal Comedy , Class Struggle , Dystopian , Super Power , Tomboy , Aliens , Coming of Age , Primarily Teen Cast , School , Military , Anti-Hero , Cult , Psychosexual , Villainess , Incest , Bullying , Philosophy , Ensemble Cast , School Club , Tokusatsu , Delinquents , CGI , Gore , LGBTQ+ Themes , Tragedy , Orphan , Tsundere , Meta , Cosplay , Yandere , Cheerleading

Where to watch?

Netflix

Hulu

Crunchyroll

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Promare

Also known as Promare.

Studio: Trigger , XFLAG , GKids
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Mecha , Sci-Fi

Thirty years have passed since the appearance of the Burnish, a race of flame-wielding mutant beings who destroyed half of the world with fire. When a new group of aggressive mutants calling themselves Mad Burnish appears, the epic battle between their leader, Lio Fotia, and Galo Thymos, a new member of the anti-Burnish rescue team Burning Rescue, begins.

Tags: Firefighters , Robots , Super Robot , Male Protagonist , Environmental , Super Power , Satire , Primarily Adult Cast , Philosophy , Politics , Aliens , CGI , Urban , Terrorism , Post-Apocalyptic , Alternate Universe , Dragons , Boys' Love , Artificial Intelligence , Motorcycles , Conspiracy

Where to watch?

Crunchyroll

Max

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Shin Seiki Evangelion

Also known as Neon Genesis Evangelion.

Studio: Gainax , TV Tokyo , ADV Films , Kadokawa Shoten , NAS , Tatsunoko Production , GKids , Madman Entertainment
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Drama , Mecha , Mystery , Psychological , Sci-Fi

In the year 2015, the Angels, huge, tremendously powerful, alien war machines, appear in Tokyo for the second time. The only hope for Mankind's survival lies in the Evangelion, a humanoid fighting machine developed by NERV, a special United Nations agency. Capable of withstanding anything the Angels can dish out, the Evangelion's one drawback lies in the limited number of people able to pilot them. Only a handful of teenagers, all born fourteen years ago, nine months after the Angels first appeared, are able to interface with the Evangelion. One such teenager is Shinji Ikari, whose father heads the NERV team that developed and maintains the Evangelion. Thrust into a maelstrom of battle and events that he does not understand, Shinji is forced to plumb the depths of his own inner resources for the courage and strength to not only fight, but to survive, or risk losing everything.

Note: Later releases include edited versions of Episodes 21-24 called the "Director's Cut" with some visual editing and adding extra scenes that appeared in the theatrical recap 'Death'.

Tags: Philosophy , Psychosexual , Coming of Age , Tragedy , Denpa , Super Robot , Dystopian , Post-Apocalyptic , Angels , Primarily Teen Cast , Suicide , Kaiju , Conspiracy , Male Protagonist , Aliens , Body Horror , Religion , Mythology , Military , Clone , Tokusatsu , Kuudere , Tsundere , Politics , Bisexual , Gore , Trains , Boys' Love , Espionage , Nudity , LGBTQ+ Themes , Episodic

Where to watch?

Netflix

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FLCL

Also known as FLCL.

Studio: Gainax , Production I.G , Starchild Records , Funimation , GANSIS
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Comedy , Mecha , Sci-Fi

Naota is a detached sixth grader afflicted by the pangs of puberty. He's fooling around with his brother's ex-girlfriend when a crazed girl on a motor scooter runs him over, brains him with a bass guitar, and moves into his house. This pink-haired girl, Haruko - who claims she's an alien - hurls Naota into the middle of a mega-corporation's secret agenda. Oh, and now giant battling robots shoot from his skull. Mix in mind-bending animation and tunes that echo through your cerebellum to top off the trip that will have you falling hard for FLCL.

Tags: Coming of Age , Surreal Comedy , Male Protagonist , Age Gap , Psychosexual , Meta , Philosophy , Robots , Slapstick , Primarily Teen Cast , Denpa , Love Triangle , Aliens , Parody , Heterosexual , Mopeds , Vore , Amnesia , Guns , Female Protagonist , Kaiju , Urban , Gods , Episodic , Super Robot , Body Horror , Real Robot , Nudity , Baseball , CGI

Where to watch?

Hulu

Adult Swim

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Top wo Nerae! GunBuster

Also known as Gunbuster.

Studio: Gainax , Studio Fantasia , Bandai Visual , Victor Entertainment , Discotek
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Drama , Mecha , Sci-Fi

In the very near future, a race of huge, insect like aliens is discovered traveling the galaxy. These aliens seem dedicated to the eradication of the human species as it takes its first steps away from the solar system, and they are getting closer and closer to Earth. Humanity has responded by developing spacegoing battleships and giant fighting robots. These robots are piloted by the best and brightest of Earth's youth, picked from training schools around the world.

The story begins in the year 2023, not long after the first battles with the aliens, and centers on young Noriko Takaya. Although Noriko's father was a famous Captain in the space fleet who was killed during one of the first battles of the war, her own talents as a pilot are questionable. Nonetheless, she has entered a training school. Through the series Noriko, joined by the beautiful and talented Kazumi Amano, will fight to overcome the trauma of war, the doubts of her peers, and her own lack of confidence.

Tags: Space , Female Protagonist , Coming of Age , Military , Space Opera , War , Super Robot , Time Manipulation , Primarily Female Cast , Aliens , Time Skip , Cosmic Horror , Tragedy , Kaiju , Tomboy , Travel , Nudity , Bullying , Philosophy , Heterosexual , Astronomy , Achromatic , School , Parody , Henshin , Love Triangle

Where to watch?

Crunchyroll

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Deca-Dence

Also known as DECA-DENCE.

Studio: NUT , Funimation
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Adventure , Sci-Fi

Many years have passed since humanity was driven to the brink of extinction by the sudden emergence of the unknown life forms Gadoll. Those humans that survived now dwell in a 3000 meter-high mobile fortress Deca-dence built to protect themselves from the Gadoll threat.

Denizens of Deca-dence fall into two categories: Gears, warriors who fight the Gadoll daily, and Tankers, those without the skills to fight. One day, Natsume, a Tanker girl who dreams of becoming a Gear meets surly Kaburagi, an armor repairman of Deca-dence.

This chance meeting between the seemingly two opposites, the girl with a positive attitude who never gives up on her dreams and the realist who has given up on his, will eventually shake the future course of this world.

Tags: Dystopian , Post-Apocalyptic , Video Games , Kaiju , Female Protagonist , Artificial Intelligence , Cyborg , Male Protagonist , Augmented Reality , Robots , Coming of Age , Steampunk , Found Family , CGI , Tanned Skin , Heterosexual , Age Gap , Slapstick , Satire

Where to watch?

Hulu

Netflix

Crunchyroll

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Top wo Nerae 2! DIEBUSTER

Also known as Gunbuster 2: Diebuster.

Studio: Gainax , Bandai Visual , Discotek
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Comedy , Mecha , Sci-Fi

While Gunbuster's final mission destroyed the space monsters' star system, the intergalactic war still continues. Earth's only hope lies in the hands of "TOPLESS", an elite mecha group with children possessing supernatural powers and new Buster Machines. Among their ranks is a rookie named Nono and the ace pilot Lal'C - whom Nono looks at as a "big sister". Together with their teammates Nicholas and Chiko they must aim for the top and protect all of mankind from the wrath of the space monsters.

Tags: Super Robot , Cosmic Horror , Female Protagonist , Space , Kaiju , Coming of Age , Tragedy , Artificial Intelligence , Aliens , Surreal Comedy , Space Opera , Henshin , Nudity , CGI , LGBTQ+ Themes , Tanned Skin , Tomboy , Twins

Where to watch?

Crunchyroll

Amazon Prime Video

RetroCrush

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Cyberpunk: Edgerunners

Also known as Cyberpunk: Edgerunners.

Studio: Trigger , CD PROJEKT RED , Netflix
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Drama , Psychological , Sci-Fi

An original anime series set in in the universe of Cyberpunk 2077.

Cyberpunk: Edgerunners tells a standalone, 10-episode story about a street kid trying to survive in a technology and body modification-obsessed city of the future. Having everything to lose, he chooses to stay alive by becoming an edgerunner—a mercenary outlaw also known as a cyberpunk.

Note: The first episode received a pre-screening at Anime Expo on July 2, 2022. The first 3 dubbed episodes were streamed on Twitch as part of a co-stream promotion on September 12, a day before the show’s premiere.

Tags: Cyberpunk , Tragedy , Crime , Dystopian , Cyborg , Class Struggle , Gangs , Male Protagonist , Urban , Orphan , Body Horror , Guns , Gore , Revenge , Primarily Adult Cast , Anti-Hero , Drugs , Heterosexual , Terrorism , Coming of Age , Nudity , Artificial Intelligence , Ensemble Cast , Time Skip , Time Manipulation , Software Development , Space , Cars , Age Gap , Robots

Where to watch?

Netflix

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SSSS.GRIDMAN

Also known as SSSS.GRIDMAN.

Studio: Trigger , Tsuburaya Productions , Fields , Pony Canyon , Docomo Anime Store , KLOCKWORX , Mainichi Broadcasting System , Ultra Super Pictures , BS11 , Graphinica
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Mecha , Sci-Fi

Collaboration with Tsuburaya Productions.

Yuta Hibiki awakens with amnesia and the ability see things that others cannot. He first encounters a Gridman in the reflection of his friend Rikka Takarada's computer and it tells him to "Remember his calling," but Yuta doesn't understand what this means. Later, in the distance, he sees an extremely large monster but it doesn't move. It's only when Yuta gets to school that the two sightings make sense: a monster attacks and the hero Yuta saw in the computer screen pulls him within the computer and transforms Yuta into a giant hero named Gridman.

Tags: Tokusatsu , Kaiju , Super Robot , Alternate Universe , Denpa , Memory Manipulation , Virtual World , Meta , Superhero , Anti-Hero , Henshin , Gods , Hikikomori , Amnesia , CGI , Super Power , Aliens , Yandere , Male Protagonist , School , Ensemble Cast , Female Protagonist , Gore , Villainess , Love Triangle

Where to watch?

Crunchyroll

Netflix

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Darling in the Franxx

Also known as DARLING in the FRANXX.

Studio: Trigger , Aniplex , CloverWorks , A-1 Pictures , Movic , Ultra Super Pictures , Crunchyroll , Funimation
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Drama , Mecha , Psychological , Romance , Sci-Fi

The distant future: Humanity established the mobile fort city, Plantation, upon the ruined wasteland. Within the city were pilot quarters, Mistilteinn, otherwise known as the “Birdcage.” That is where the children live... Their only mission in life was the fight. Their enemies are the mysterious giant organisms known as Kyoryu. The children operate robots known as FRANXX in order to face these still unseen enemies. Among them was a boy who was once called a child prodigy: Code number 016, Hiro. One day, a mysterious girl called Zero Two appears in front of Hiro. “I’ve found you, my Darling.”

Tags: Orphan , Super Robot , Post-Apocalyptic , Dystopian , Coming of Age , Primarily Teen Cast , Tragedy , Robots , Heterosexual , Conspiracy , Found Family , Psychosexual , Kaiju , Monster Girl , Lost Civilization , Memory Manipulation , Aliens , Male Protagonist , Female Protagonist , Politics , Demons , Environmental , Love Triangle , Military , Clone , Monster Boy , Travel , Family Life , Virginity , Space , Body Horror , Unrequited Love , Nudity , Survival , Yandere , Netorare , Time Skip , Marriage , Tsundere , Drawing , Medicine , Reincarnation , Aviation , Agriculture , Fishing , Gore , Pandemic

Where to watch?

Crunchyroll

Netflix