Top Tokusatsu Anime Recommendations

Shin Seiki Evangelion

Also known as Neon Genesis Evangelion.

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

Kill la Kill

Also known as Kill la Kill.

Studio: Trigger
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 , Tomboy , Super Power , Aliens , Coming of Age , Primarily Teen Cast , School , Incest , Military , Anti-Hero , Cult , Psychosexual , Villainess , Bullying , Ensemble Cast , School Club , Tokusatsu , Delinquents , CGI , Gore , Tragedy , LGBTQ+ Themes , Orphan , Exhibitionism , Tsundere , Meta , Cosplay , Yandere , Cheerleading

Jujutsu Kaisen 2nd Season

Also known as JUJUTSU KAISEN Season 2.

Studio: MAPPA
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Drama , Supernatural

The second season of Jujutsu Kaisen.

The past comes to light when second-year students Satoru Gojou and Suguru Getou are tasked with escorting young Riko Amanai to Master Tengen. But when a non-sorcerer user tries to kill them, their mission to protect the Star Plasma Vessel threatens to turn them into bitter enemies and cement their destinies—one as the world’s strongest sorcerer, and the other its most twisted curse user!



Tags: Tragedy , Super Power , Shounen , Male Protagonist , Urban Fantasy , Magic , Demons , Primarily Teen Cast , Gore , Youkai , Urban , Curses , Ensemble Cast , Martial Arts , Exorcism , Body Horror , Battle Royale , Henshin , Primarily Male Cast , Revenge , Tokusatsu , Rotoscoping , Dissociative Identities , Reincarnation , Swordplay , Surreal Comedy , Super Robot , Survival , Real Robot , Cannibalism , Time Manipulation , Guns , Female Protagonist , Idol

Dandadan

Also known as DAN DA DAN.

Studio: Science SARU
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Comedy , Drama , Romance , Sci-Fi , Supernatural

This is a story about Momo, a high school girl who comes from a family of spirit mediums, and her classmate Okarun, an occult fanatic. After Momo rescues Okarun from being bullied, they begin talking. However, an argument ensues between them since Momo believes in ghosts but denies aliens exist, and Okarun believes in aliens but denies ghosts exist.

To prove to each other what they believe in is real, Momo goes to an abandoned hospital where a UFO has been spotted and Okarun goes to a tunnel rumored to be haunted. To their surprise, they each encounter overwhelming paranormal activities that transcend comprehension. Amid these predicaments, Momo awakens her hidden power and Okarun gains the power of a curse to overcome these new dangers! Their fateful love begins as well!?

The story of the occult battle and adolescence starts!



Notes:
- Worldwide premiere of Episode 1 before the Japanese television premiere occurred at Anime Expo July 6, 2024.
- Episodes 1-3 titled as DAN DA DAN: FIRST ENCOUNTER was pre-screened in advance in theaters on August 31, 2024 in Asia, September 7, 2024 in Europe and September 13, 2024 in North America. The regular TV broadcast began October 4, 2024.

Tags: Urban Fantasy , Ghost , Youkai , Aliens , Super Power , Surreal Comedy , Primarily Teen Cast , Shounen , Henshin , Heterosexual , Exorcism , Female Protagonist , Male Protagonist , School , Cult , Gyaru , Demons , Love Triangle , CGI , Zombie , Tokusatsu , Achromatic , Male Harem

Kaijuu 8-gou

Also known as Kaiju No.8.

Studio: Production I.G
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Sci-Fi

With the highest kaiju-emergence rates in the world, Japan is no stranger to attack by deadly monsters. Enter the Japan Defense Force, a military organization tasked with the neutralization of kaiju. Kafka Hibino, a kaiju-corpse cleanup man, has always dreamed of joining the force. But when he gets another shot at achieving his childhood dream, he undergoes an unexpected transformation. How can he fight kaiju now that he’s become one himself?!



Tags: Kaiju , Monster Boy , Shapeshifting , Male Protagonist , Urban Fantasy , Super Power , Henshin , Shounen , Military , Work , Guns , Primarily Adult Cast , Gore , Kuudere , Slapstick , Tsundere , Ojou-sama , Heterosexual , Tokusatsu , Swordplay

Accel World

Also known as Accel World.

Studio: Sunrise
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Romance , Sci-Fi

The year is 2046. Haruyuki Arita is a young boy who finds himself on the lowest social rungs of his school. Ashamed of his miserable life, Haruyuki can only cope by indulging in virtual games. But that all changes when Kuroyukihime, the most popular girl in school, introduces him to a mysterious program called Brain Burst and a virtual reality called the Accel World.



Tags: Virtual World , Video Games , Henshin , Netorare , Female Protagonist , Male Protagonist , Time Manipulation , Augmented Reality , School , Philosophy , Primarily Teen Cast , Tokusatsu , Heterosexual , Love Triangle , Isekai , Kuudere , Bullying , Motorcycles

Sentouin, Hakenshimasu!

Also known as Combatants Will Be Dispatched!.

Studio: J.C. Staff
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Adventure , Comedy , Ecchi , Fantasy , Sci-Fi

Turns out, evil takes initiative! With world domination close at hand, the Kisaragi Corporation turns its sights on interstellar conquest, and who better to take over a magical world than two randomly assigned minions—Combatant Agent Six and his android partner Alice? But Six’s path up the evil corporate ladder won’t be easy—a Demon Lord’s army is hatching its own nefarious plan!



Tags: Parody , Alternate Universe , Anti-Hero , Male Protagonist , Primarily Female Cast , Isekai , War , Kuudere , Female Harem , Magic , Guns , Tsundere , Demons , Chimera , Monster Girl , Female Protagonist , Robots , Tokusatsu , Cyborg , Disability , Yandere , Cannibalism , Cute Girls Doing Cute Things

SSSS.GRIDMAN

Also known as SSSS.GRIDMAN.

Studio: Trigger
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

Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon

Also known as Sailor Moon.

Studio: Toei Animation
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Adventure , Fantasy , Mahou Shoujo , Romance

Usagi Tsukino is an average student and crybaby klutz who constantly scores low on her tests. Unexpectedly, her humdrum life is turned upside down when she saves a cat with a crescent moon on its head from danger. The cat, named Luna, later reveals that their meeting was not an accident: Usagi is destined to become Sailor Moon, a planetary guardian with the power to protect the Earth. Given a special brooch that allows her to transform, she must use her new powers to save the city from evil energy-stealing monsters sent by the malevolent Queen Beryl of the Dark Kingdom.

But getting accustomed to her powers and fighting villains are not the only things she has to worry about. She must find the lost princess of the Moon Kingdom, the other Sailor Guardians, and the Legendary Silver Crystal in order to save the planet from destruction.



Tags: Magic , Shoujo , Female Protagonist , Henshin , Primarily Female Cast , Urban Fantasy , Superhero , Slapstick , Super Power , Demons , Found Family , Heterosexual , Ensemble Cast , Reincarnation , Coming of Age , Amnesia , Animals , Fairy Tale , School , Space , Primarily Teen Cast , Tragedy , Episodic , War , Dissociative Identities , Urban , Revenge , Aliens , Tokusatsu , Age Gap , LGBTQ+ Themes , Mythology , Shrine Maiden , Unrequited Love , Time Manipulation , Body Horror , Boys' Love , Suicide , Makeup

Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt

Also known as Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt.

Studio: Gainax
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Comedy , Ecchi , Supernatural

Panty and Stocking – the Anarchy Sisters – are two nasty-ass angels who got booted from the pearly gates for being foul-mouthed bitches! Now they spend their nights blowing up ghosts in the seedy abyss between Heaven and Earth. Panty likes sex, Stocking likes sweets, their afro-sporting main man Garter Belt has a fetish we can't mention. Together, they're turning the mean streets of Daten City into a buffet of bodily fluids. Ghosts don't stand a chance against their lingerie of mass destruction, and if this debaucherous duo can collect enough Heaven Coins, they just might get their halos back. It's a slim chance in hell, but anything can happen when you're rolling commando, especially with Panty and Stocking!



Tags: Parody , Female Protagonist , Episodic , Satire , Anti-Hero , Angels , Swordplay , Guns , Henshin , Nudity , Ghost , Surreal Comedy , Demons , Monster Girl , Psychosexual , Chibi , Unrequited Love , Tanned Skin , Heterosexual , Tokusatsu , CGI , Zombie , School , Aromantic , Gods

Haiyore! Nyaruko-san

Also known as Nyaruko: Crawling with Love!.

Studio: Xebec
Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Romance , Sci-Fi

"I'm Nyarlathotep, the creeping chaos always smiling beside you." But you can call her Nyaruko for short. One by one, the Great Ones from the Cthulhu mythos are coming to earth to target Nyaruko and her human friend Mahiro. He's utterly clueless about the true nature of his cosmic conflict and just wants to live in peace.



Tags: Parody , Surreal Comedy , Meta , Tsundere , Aliens , Love Triangle , Mythology , Monster Girl , Male Protagonist , Female Harem , Henshin , School , Primarily Female Cast , Family Life , Body Swapping , Nudity , Gender Bending , Alternate Universe , Heterosexual , LGBTQ+ Themes , Tokusatsu , Cosmic Horror

Koi wa Sekai Seifuku no Ato de

Also known as Love After World Domination.

Studio: project No.9
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Comedy , Romance , Supernatural

It’s love at first sight for Fudo and Desumi, except it was during a battle of life and death. Fudo, leader of the hero squad Gelato 5, and Desumi, the Death Queen of the evil society Gekko, have found themselves caught in a forbidden love—and it’s their first relationship! Moving in secrecy, they live holding hands with one weapon in the other, finding out what’s truly fair in love and war.



Tags: Tokusatsu , Heterosexual , Parody , Female Protagonist , Superhero , Villainess , Male Protagonist , Henshin , Urban Fantasy , Primarily Teen Cast , Gyaru , Shounen , Love Triangle , School , Anthropomorphism , Animals

Ninja Kamui

Also known as Ninja Kamui.

Studio: E&H Production
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Adventure , Drama , Sci-Fi

Higan is a Nukenin - a former ninja who escaped his clan and is hiding from his violent past in rural America with his family. One night, he is ambushed by a team of assassins from his former organization who exact a bloody retribution on Joe and his family for betraying their ancient code. Rising from his seeming “death,” Joe will re-emerge as his former self - Ninja Kamui - to avenge his family and friends. Kamui is a 21st century ninja, a shadowy anachronism who pits his ancient skills against high-tech weaponry with brutal finesse. He must face off against trained assassins, combat cyborgs, and rival ninjas to bring down the very clan that made him.



Tags: Ninja , Revenge , Assassins , Male Protagonist , Gore , Primarily Adult Cast , Tragedy , Urban , Foreign , Anti-Hero , CGI , Cyborg , Crime , Tokusatsu , Swordplay , Henshin , Detective , Cyberpunk , Super Robot , Police , POV

Sentai Daishikkaku

Also known as GO! GO! Loser Ranger!.

Studio: Yostar Pictures
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Comedy , Drama , Sci-Fi

When the Monster Army invaded Earth thirteen years ago, the Divine Dragon Rangers rose up to stop them! With the war raging on, these great heroes are mankind’s last hope!

...or are they?

In truth, the invaders were subjugated within a year, forced to continue to crank out a monster a week for the Rangers to crush in front of their adoring fans! But one monster has had enough. Something has to change! He’ll rebel against the might of the Dragon Rangers and destroy them all...from the inside!



Tags: Monster Boy , Urban Fantasy , Tokusatsu , Anti-Hero , Revenge , Shapeshifting , Espionage , Henshin , Aliens , Survival , Urban , Conspiracy , Fugitive , Male Protagonist , Shounen , Dystopian , Disability , Ensemble Cast , Superhero , Gore , CGI , Battle Royale , Gender Bending , Meta , Acrobatics , Primarily Adult Cast

Pocket Monsters: THE ORIGIN

Also known as Pokémon Origins.

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

One day, Red, a boy filled with dreams of going on a Pokémon journey, is called to Professor Okido's lab. There, he and his rival Green are given a Pokédex in order to collect data on all of the Pokémon in the region. As Red works his way to become champion with his Charmander, he meets many people on his journey, including Old Man Fuji, a man who runs the home for abandoned Pokémon, and Reina, a girl who works there. As danger in Red's journey begins to peak, he and his partner Pokémon experience a transformation like never before...



Tags: Kids , Animals , Travel , Proxy Battle , Male Protagonist , Primarily Male Cast , Henshin , Dragons , Tokusatsu , Surfing , Fishing

Uchuu Patrol Luluco

Also known as Space Patrol Luluco.

Studio: Trigger
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Adventure , Comedy , Romance , Sci-Fi

The show takes place in Ogikubo, which is the name of the specially designated area in space in the Milky Way where Earthlings and aliens can live together. Luluco is a female middle school student who lives with her father, and no matter where she is, Luluco is a common, "super normal" girl. As she is living her normal life, one day the mysterious transfer student ΑΩ Nova abruptly appears before her. That meeting will change Luluco's fate.



Tags: Space , Parody , Coming of Age , Female Protagonist , Surreal Comedy , Crossover , Primarily Teen Cast , Henshin , Aliens , Meta , Police , Super Power , Autobiographical , Tokusatsu , Guns , Heterosexual , Kuudere , Work , Pirates , Monster Girl , Estranged Family , School , Philosophy

SSSS.DYNAZENON

Also known as SSSS.DYNAZENON.

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

One day, Yomogi Asanaka, a first-year student at Fujiyokidai High School, runs into a mysterious man named Gauma who claims to be a “kaiju user.”

The sudden appearance of a kaiju is followed by the entry of the gigantic robot, Dynazenon. In the wrong place at the wrong time are Yume Minami, Koyomi Yamanaka, and Chise Asukagawa, who are dragged into the fight against the kaiju.



Tags: Kaiju , Super Robot , Tokusatsu , Denpa , Ensemble Cast , Superhero , Super Power , Coming of Age , Heterosexual , Henshin , Alternate Universe , Tragedy , Rehabilitation , Male Protagonist , Bullying , Hikikomori , CGI , Suicide , Reincarnation , Female Protagonist

TIGER & BUNNY

Also known as Tiger & Bunny.

Studio: Sunrise
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Comedy , Mecha , Mystery

Sternbild City is home to people called "Next," who use their special abilities to protect the people as superheroes. These heroes solve cases and save lives so they can wear sponsor logos or acquire "hero points." Their activities are documented on the popular program "Hero TV," which picks the "King of Heroes" in a yearly ranking. The veteran hero Wild Tiger has always preferred to work alone, but now he's been assigned the rookie Barnaby Brooks Jr., who has a different perspective on being a superhero.



Tags: Superhero , Super Power , Henshin , Tokusatsu , Revenge , Ensemble Cast , Work , Memory Manipulation , Acting , CGI , Conspiracy , Robots , Super Robot , Family Life , Motorcycles

Gatchaman Crowds

Studio: Tatsunoko Production
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Adventure , Sci-Fi

The story is set in Japan in the early summer of 2015. 180,000 people live in Tachikawa City, the "second metropolis" of the Tokyo area. Among them are "Gatchaman"—warriors who fight in special reinforced suits powered by "NOTE," the manifestation of special spiritual powers in living beings. A council has scouted a group of individuals with latent powers to protect Earth from alien criminals. In recent years, the council has assigned Gatchaman warriors to deal with the mysterious entity known as "MESS."



Tags: Aliens , Henshin , Female Protagonist , Superhero , Super Power , Politics , Femboy , Tokusatsu , Crossdressing , Primarily Adult Cast , Heterosexual , CGI , LGBTQ+ Themes , Terrorism , Artificial Intelligence , Crime , Kuudere , Ensemble Cast , Primarily Teen Cast

Dokyuu Hentai HxEros

Also known as SUPER HXEROS.

Studio: project No.9
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Comedy , Ecchi , Romance , Supernatural

Earth faces an unprecedented threat from an invasion by the mysterious Kiseichuu. The Kiseichuu feed on human sexual energy, also known as “H-energy”, and weaken the human population.

High school student Retto Enjou is a member of the hero group HXEROS, who fight together to save the earth from the Kiseichuu.



Tags: Nudity , Aliens , Superhero , Super Power , Female Harem , Henshin , Urban Fantasy , Male Protagonist , Shounen , Female Protagonist , School , Monster Girl , Tokusatsu , Heterosexual , Primarily Female Cast , Gender Bending