Anime like Pocket Monsters

Pocket Monsters (2019)

Also known as Pokémon Journeys: The Series.

Studio: OLM , MediaNet , TV Tokyo
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Adventure , Comedy , Fantasy

Pokémon Trainer Satoshi has a new plan: see the world! But first, he and his partner Pikachu are headed to the opening of the Sakuragi Institute, a research facility dedicated to uncovering the mysteries of Pokémon in every region. Satoshi meets Gou, another boy with boundless curiosity about Pokémon, and both are overjoyed when Professor Sakuragi asks them to become official research fellows. With Satoshi as determined as ever to become a Pokémon Master, and Gou aiming to catch one of every Pokémon (including the Mythical Mew), our heroes are in for adventure and excitement as they explore the wide world of Pokémon!



Note: Episode 119, 121, 126 and 128 are recap episodes that did not air outside of Japan.

Tags: Animals , Episodic , Primarily Child Cast , Kids , Male Protagonist , Outdoor Activities , Rural , Proxy Battle , Meta , Slapstick , Urban Fantasy , Travel , Creature Taming , Delinquents , Age Regression , Environmental , Alternate Universe , Cyberpunk

Digimon Adventure

Also known as Digimon: Digital Monsters.

Studio: Toei Animation , Yomiko Advertising , Fuji TV
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Adventure , Comedy , Drama , Fantasy , Sci-Fi

Seven kids are transported to the Digital World, a strange place where digital creatures called "Digimon" reside. A group of Digimon soon befriend them and keep the kids out of harm's way. The children then discover they are the Chosen Children, which protect the Digital World from evil Digimon like Devimon and Vamdemon.

Tags: Isekai , Virtual World , Primarily Child Cast , Proxy Battle , Ensemble Cast , Artificial Intelligence , Coming of Age , Kaiju , Kids , Henshin , Wilderness , Animals , Anthropomorphism , Reverse Isekai , Dinosaurs , Creature Taming , Cosmic Horror , Angels , Primarily Animal Cast , Camping , Survival , Travel , Family Life , Time Skip , Dragons , Demons , Male Protagonist , Urban , Adoption , Desert , Tomboy , Vampire , Brainwashing

Yu☆Gi☆Oh! Duel Monsters

Also known as Yu-Gi-Oh!.

Studio: Studio Gallop , Funimation , Nihon Ad Systems , 4Kids Entertainment , TV Tokyo , Shueisha
Status: Finished
Genres: Adventure , Fantasy

Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters centers around the journey of the spirit of an ancient Egyptian pharaoh who is trying to re-discover who he was many years ago, since he has lost his memories. With the help of a boy, Yugi Mutou, the one who awakened the spirit, and his friends, he battles many villains and adversaries. Many of the villains have been linked to the Nameless Pharaoh's past, due to the Millennium Puzzle he holds and many try to take the puzzle and his power away from him.

The series focuses on the card game aspect of it and the main theme represented throughout the series is friendship.

Tags: Card Battle , Shounen , Proxy Battle , Reincarnation , Mythology , Urban Fantasy , Male Protagonist , Magic , Historical , Dissociative Identities , Dragons , Amnesia , Death Game

Pocket Monsters (2023)

Also known as Pokémon Horizons: The Series.

Studio: OLM , Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions , TV Tokyo
Status: Releasing
Genres: Action , Adventure , Fantasy

A new dream and adventure set throughout the entire Pokémon world unfolds in a brand new Pokémon-series following a girl named Liko and a boy named Roy.

Tags: Travel , Proxy Battle , Animals , Female Protagonist , Creature Taming , Found Family , Time Skip , Kids , Ensemble Cast , Male Protagonist , Dragons , Revenge , Aviation , Cult , Kaiju , Adoption , Fishing , School , Butler , Idol , Henshin , Superhero , Snowscape , Archery , Meta , Musical Theater , Swordplay

Youkai Watch

Also known as Yo-kai Watch.

Studio: OLM , TV Tokyo , Dentsu Entertainment USA , Dentsu
Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Supernatural

While going deeper into the woods one day, primary school student Keita Amano ('Nate' in the English localisation) notices a bizarre capsule toy machine who tells him to insert money which he obeyingly does. But after opening the capsule that came out, a ghostly creature named Whisper materialises. Whisper, who was sealed inside the capsule, rewards his liberator Keita by becoming his Yo-kai butler and gives him a Yo-kai Watch. Whoever wears the watch gains the ability to see supernatural creatures called Yo-kai, each type possessing different kinds of magical abilities, and which are normally invisible to humans. The Yo-kai Watch also allows the wearer to summon any Yo-kai they have befriended, enabling the wearer to make use of the Yo-kai's powers. Using it, Keita and Whisper encounter many mischievous Yo-kai around town, resolving the trouble they're causing and befriending many at the same time.

Tags: Youkai , Kids , Proxy Battle , Dancing , Surreal Comedy , Urban Fantasy

Kodai Ouja Kyouryuu King: D-Kids Adventure

Also known as Dinosaur King.

Studio: Sega Games , 4Kids Entertainment , Discotek , Sunrise
Status: Finished
Genres: Adventure

Dr. Taylor was on a paleontology mission with his son, Max in Africa. Rex, Max's best friend, joins along as well. When Max had stumbled across some magic stone slabs with images of dinosaurs, the boys and their friend Zoe were being called out by the dinosaurs for help. It seems that an evil organization called the "Alpha Gang", led by the nefarious Dr. Z, traveled back in time to hunt down the dinosaurs so that they could take over the world by using those dinosaurs. It is up to Max, Rex, and their friend Zoe to travel around the world, defeating Dr. Z and the Alpha Gang while hunting down the dinosaurs.



Tags: Animals , Dinosaurs , CGI , Travel , Proxy Battle , Male Protagonist , Kids , Henshin , Time Manipulation , Card Battle

Medarot

Also known as Medabots.

Studio: Bee Train , Production I.G , NAS , Discotek
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Adventure , Comedy , Sci-Fi

In the near future, humans and robots coexist. “Robattles,” a competition in which Medarot are pitted against each other, is popular among kids. A Medarot’s consciousness, effectively its brains, is located in a Medal that can be inserted into and ejected from the robot body. By chance, nine-year-old Ikki finds a Rare Medal, and soon after has his own Medarot named Metabee. This is the story of their friendship and growth as they use wisdom and courage to fight countless opponents in robot battles.

Tags: Robots , Kids , Primarily Child Cast , Lost Civilization , Episodic , Urban , Proxy Battle , Aliens , Memory Manipulation , Conspiracy , Delinquents , Shapeshifting , Super Power , Photography , School , Male Protagonist , Cosplay , Super Robot , Advertisement

Pocket Monsters: Coco

Also known as Pokémon the Movie: Secrets of the Jungle.

Studio: OLM , Toho , Takara Tomy
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Adventure , Fantasy

The story is set in Okoya Forest, a Pokémon paradise protected by strict rules that forbid outsiders from setting foot inside. The film centers on Coco, a boy who was raised by Pokémon and also considers himself as one, treating the Mythical Pokémon Zarude as his father. Ash and Pikachu encounter Coco during an adventure. The film focuses on the theme of a "human raised by Pokémon," instead of the previous films' focus of the "bond between a human trainer and their Pokémon."



Tags: Animals , Adoption , Environmental , Language Barrier , Proxy Battle , Wilderness , Kids , Tragedy , Agriculture , Male Protagonist , Parenthood

Monster Farm: Enbanseki no Himitsu

Also known as Monster Rancher.

Studio: TMS Entertainment , Discotek
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Adventure , Comedy , Fantasy

Genki is a boy who loves playing video games. One day he's zapped into the world of Monster Rancher and meets the girl Holly and the monsters Mochi, Suezo, Golem, Tiger and Hare. Together, they are searching for a way to revive the Phoenix, which is the only monster capable of stopping the evil Moo.



Tags: Kids , Proxy Battle , Isekai , Post-Apocalyptic , Tragedy , War

Bakugan Battle Brawlers

Also known as Bakugan Battle Brawlers.

Studio: TMS Entertainment , Warner Bros. Japan , Nelvana
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Fantasy

The Bakugan battle brawlers began when two young boys by the name of Dan and Shun made the rules to a mysterious game played with bakupearls, gate cards and ability cards. No one would ever have guessed what was going to happen next as Dan and his new internet friends battle their way to the bitter end.

Tags: Card Battle , Kaiju , Kids , Dragons , Primarily Child Cast , Proxy Battle , Dissociative Identities , Isekai , CGI