Top Yakuza Anime Recommendations

Boku no Hero Academia 4

Also known as My Hero Academia Season 4.

Studio: bones
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Adventure , Comedy , Drama , Sci-Fi

The villain world teeters on the brink of war now that All For One is out of the picture. Shigaraki of the League of Villains squares off with Overhaul of the yakuza, vying for total control of the shadows. Meanwhile, Deku gets tangled in another dangerous internship as he struggles to keep pace with his upperclassman—Mirio.



Tags: Superhero , Super Power , Shounen , Male Protagonist , School , Ensemble Cast , Crime , Primarily Teen Cast , Boarding School , Gangs , Urban Fantasy , Yakuza , Terrorism , Tragedy , Cultivation , Drugs , Police , Espionage , Delinquents , Primarily Male Cast , Band , Heterosexual , Female Protagonist , Nudity , Tomboy , Transgender , Philosophy , Bisexual

Cowboy Bebop

Also known as Cowboy Bebop.

Studio: Sunrise
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 , Guns , Male Protagonist , Cyberpunk , Found Family , Philosophy , Terrorism , Tomboy , Martial Arts , Cyborg , Cowboys , Amnesia , Anti-Hero , Gambling , Yakuza , Heterosexual , Drugs , Police , Female Protagonist , Cult , Tanned Skin , Nudity , Circus , Seinen

Bungou Stray Dogs

Also known as Bungo Stray Dogs.

Studio: bones
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 , Urban Fantasy , Male Protagonist , Classic Literature , Yakuza , Urban , Primarily Male Cast , Ensemble Cast , Primarily Adult Cast , Work , Orphan , Gangs , Seinen , Suicide , Slapstick , Gore , Kuudere , Guns , Terrorism , Shapeshifting , Anti-Hero , Assassins , LGBTQ+ Themes , Incest , Episodic , Tragedy , Bar , Homeless

Gintama

Also known as Gintama.

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

Life isn't easy in feudal Japan... especially since the aliens landed and conquered everything! Oh sure, the new health care is great, but the public ban on the use of swords has left a lot of defeated samurai with a difficult decision to make concerning their future career paths! This is especially true if, as in the case of Gintoki Sakata, they're not particularly inclined towards holding a day job, which is why Gintoki's opted for the freelance route, taking any job that's offered to him as long as the financial remuneration sounds right. Unfortunately, in a brave new world filled with stray bug-eyed monsters, upwardly mobile Yakuza and overly ambitious E.T. entrepreneurs, those jobs usually don't pay as well as they should for the pain, suffering and indignities endured!



Tags: Parody , Samurai , Ensemble Cast , Meta , Slapstick , Male Protagonist , Surreal Comedy , Anachronism , Found Family , Aliens , Episodic , Swordplay , Shounen , Police , Terrorism , Philosophy , Satire , Historical , Tragedy , Primarily Adult Cast , Space , Mopeds , Ninja , Sadism , Crime , Masochism , Oiran , Robots , LGBTQ+ Themes , Homeless , Crossdressing , Mafia , Ghost , Nekomimi , Boxing , Pirates , Educational , Fishing , Yakuza , CGI , Dissociative Identities , Kuudere , Body Swapping , Anthropomorphism , Female Harem

Nisekoi

Also known as Nisekoi.

Studio: Shaft
Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Romance , Slice of Life

As a child, Raku Ichijo made a secret promise with his childhood sweetheart, keeping a pendant as a memento while his love took the key. He dreams of one day meeting his past love, but years later, reality smashes his hopes when Chitoge Kirisaki accidentally knees him in the face...

Though Raku's a normal high schooler, his family heads the notorious yakuza gang the Shuei-Gumi faction! And he's dragged into family affairs when he's forced into a relationship with Chitoge, the daughter of a rival gang's boss!

Despite their constant spats, the two somehow fool everyone with their false relationship. Raku then discovers that Chitoge has a mysterious key from her past, which she can't remember... Plus, two other girls appear with keys as well—Kosaki Onodera and Marika Tachibana!

Caught in the midst of this love maelstrom, even more complications arise for Raku when his class decides on Romeo and Juliet as the class's play for the school festival. Can the two false lovebirds pull off the impossible and make the play a success?



Tags: Love Triangle , Female Harem , Primarily Female Cast , Male Protagonist , Tsundere , School , Slapstick , Heterosexual , Female Protagonist , Yakuza , Mafia , Kuudere , Coming of Age , Fake Relationship , Shounen , Arranged Marriage , Tomboy , Gangs , Crossdressing

Samurai Champloo

Also known as Samurai Champloo.

Studio: Manglobe
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Adventure , Comedy

Let's break it down. Mugen's a reckless sword-slinger with a style that's more b-boy than Shaolin. He's got a nasty streak that makes people want to stick a knife in his throat. Then there's Jin, a deadbeat ronin who speaks softly but carries a big blade. He runs game old-school style, but he can make your blood spray with the quickness. When these roughnecks bring the ruckus, it ain't good for anybody, especially them. Enter Fuu, the ditzy waitress who springs her new friends from a deadly jam. All she wants in return is help solving a riddle from her past. She and the boys are tracking the scent, but there's 99 ways to die between them and the sunflower samurai.



Tags: Travel , Swordplay , Samurai , Rural , Historical , Orphan , Martial Arts , Anachronism , Episodic , Assassins , Primarily Adult Cast , Male Protagonist , Female Protagonist , Anti-Hero , Prostitution , Kuudere , Tanned Skin , Politics , Drugs , Yakuza , Ninja , Religion , Heterosexual , Crossdressing , Nudity , Language Barrier , Zombie , Noir , Baseball , LGBTQ+ Themes

Ouran Koukou Host Club

Also known as Ouran High School Host Club.

Studio: bones
Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Drama , Romance , Slice of Life

Fujioka Haruhi wins a scholarship to attend Ouran Academy, a school reserved for only the most rich and prestigious. Despite what other students may think of her, she cares little for physical appearances or the fact that she is a commoner.

Unfortunately for Haruhi, her high school days take a sudden turn when she stumbles upon the Host Club, an elite club filled with super rich and beautiful boys who use their specific traits and charms to entertain young ladies. Even worse, Haruhi accidentally breaks an 8-million yen vase in the club. Since she is unable to repay her debt with money, Haruhi finds herself with no choice but to work for the Host Club, becoming a male host herself.

Tags: School Club , Shoujo , Parody , Crossdressing , School , Female Protagonist , Primarily Teen Cast , Male Harem , Primarily Male Cast , Ensemble Cast , Tomboy , Cute Boys Doing Cute Things , Surreal Comedy , Femboy , Meta , Episodic , Twins , LGBTQ+ Themes , Mixed Gender Harem , Heterosexual , Found Family , Love Triangle , Unrequited Love , Chibi , Ojou-sama , Food , Martial Arts , Delinquents , Gangs , Yakuza

Inuyashiki

Also known as INUYASHIKI LAST HERO.

Studio: MAPPA
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Drama , Psychological , Sci-Fi

Ichiro Inuyashiki is down on his luck. While only 58 years old, his geriatric looks often have him written off as a pathetic old man by the world around him and he's constantly ignored and disrespected by his family despite all that he's done to support them. On top of everything else, his doctor has revealed that he has cancer and it appears that he has little time left in this world. But just when it seems things couldn't get any worse, a blinding light in the night sky strikes the earth where Ichiro stands. He later wakes up to find himself unscathed, but he soon starts to notice that there's something…different about himself.



Tags: Tragedy , Super Power , Seinen , Cyborg , Elderly Protagonist , Male Protagonist , CGI , Robots , Anti-Hero , Urban , Crime , Gore , Terrorism , Body Horror , Philosophy , Superhero , Police , Heterosexual , Otaku Culture , Aliens , Yakuza , Surreal Comedy , Irrumatio

DARKER THAN BLACK: Kuro no Keiyakusha

Also known as Darker than Black.

Studio: bones
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Mystery , Sci-Fi

In Tokyo, an impenetrable field known as "Hell's Gate" appeared ten years ago. At the same time, psychics who wield paranormal powers at the cost of their conscience also emerged. Hei is one of the most powerful of these psychic agents, and along with his blind associate, Yin, works for one of the many rival agencies vying to unlock the mysteries of Hell's Gate.



Tags: Super Power , Anti-Hero , Crime , Noir , Urban , Assassins , Conspiracy , Tragedy , Urban Fantasy , Police , Episodic , Espionage , Triads , Kuudere , Gore , Terrorism , Time Manipulation , Detective , Yakuza , Memory Manipulation , Mafia , Male Protagonist

Nisekoi:

Also known as Nisekoi:.

Studio: Shaft
Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Romance , Slice of Life

The relationship antics continue as Chitoge starts to realize that she is actually in love with Raku. Kosaki's younger sister Haru, who wants to protect her sister from the supposedly-depraved Raku, gets added to the mix. Other highlights include the introductions of Hana (Chitoge's mother) and Paula McCoy (Seishiro's assassin rival) and Kosaki's brief stint as a magical girl.



Tags: School , Female Harem , Love Triangle , Primarily Female Cast , Heterosexual , Female Protagonist , Male Protagonist , Shounen , Tsundere , Yakuza , Mafia , Primarily Teen Cast , Arranged Marriage , Kuudere , Episodic , Slapstick , Fake Relationship

Gokushufudou

Also known as The Way of the Househusband.

Studio: J.C. Staff
Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Slice of Life

He was the fiercest member of the yakuza, a man who left countless underworld legends in his wake. They called him “the Immortal Dragon.” But one day he walked away from it all to travel another path—the path of the househusband! The curtain rises on this cozy yakuza comedy!



Tags: Male Protagonist , Episodic , Yakuza , Slapstick , Family Life , Primarily Adult Cast , Parody , Gangs , Seinen , Urban , Flash , Food , Heterosexual , Mafia , Crime , Guns , Educational

Hinamatsuri

Also known as HINAMATSURI.

Studio: feel.
Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Sci-Fi , Slice of Life , Supernatural

The comedy manga centers around a super-powered girl named Hina and Nitta, a young member of the yakuza. Hina suddenly appears in Nitta's room and threatens him with her extraordinary powers. However, they end up living together.



Tags: Found Family , Family Life , Adoption , Ensemble Cast , Parenthood , Satire , Surreal Comedy , Seinen , Slapstick , Super Power , Kuudere , Cute Girls Doing Cute Things , Yakuza , Urban , Female Protagonist , Homeless , Primarily Female Cast , Coming of Age , Bar , Episodic , School , Isekai

Megalo Box

Also known as Megalobox.

Studio: TMS Entertainment
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Drama , Sci-Fi , Sports

"To be quiet and do as you're told, that's the cowardly choice." These are the words of Junk Dog, an underground fighter of Megalo Box, an evolution of boxing that utilizes mechanical limbs known as Gear to enhance the speed and power of its users. Despite the young man's brimming potential as a boxer, the illegal nature of his participation forces him to make a living off of throwing matches as dictated by his boss Gansaku Nanbu. However, this all changes when the Megalo Box champion Yuuri enters his shabby ring under the guise of just another challenger. Taken out in a single round, Junk Dog is left with a challenge: "If you're serious about fighting me again, then fight your way up to me and my ring."

Filled with overwhelming excitement and backed by the criminal syndicate responsible for his thrown matches, Junk Dog enters Megalonia: a world-spanning tournament that will decide the strongest Megalo Boxer of them all. Having no name of his own, he takes on the moniker of "Joe" as he begins his climb from the very bottom of the ranked list of fighters. With only three months left to qualify, Joe must face off against opponents the likes of which he has never fought in order to meet the challenge of his rival.



Tags: Boxing , Martial Arts , Male Protagonist , Athletics , Primarily Male Cast , Revenge , Primarily Adult Cast , Cyberpunk , Disability , Dystopian , Yakuza , Artificial Intelligence , Tanned Skin , Delinquents , Time Skip , Motorcycles , Drugs

Odd Taxi

Also known as ODDTAXI.

Studio: OLM , P.I.C.S.
Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Mystery , Psychological , Thriller

The taxi driver Odokawa lives a very mundane life. He has no family, doesn't really hang out with others, and he's an oddball who is narrow-minded and doesn't talk much. The only people he can call his friends are his doctor, Gouriki and his classmate from high school, Kakihana.

All of his patrons seem to be slightly odd themselves. The college student who wants the world to notice him online, Kabasawa. A nurse with secrets named Shirakawa. A comedy duo that just can't catch a break named the Homosapiens. A local hoodlum named Dobu. An idol group that's just starting out named Mystery Kiss... All these mundane conversations somehow eventually lead to a girl who's gone missing.



Tags: Anthropomorphism , Crime , Urban , Animals , Ensemble Cast , Primarily Adult Cast , Male Protagonist , Work , Revenge , Noir , Satire , Gangs , Yakuza , Mafia , Fugitive , Amnesia , Cars , Police , Idol , Tragedy , Philosophy , Bullying , Adoption , Primarily Animal Cast , Twins , Anti-Hero , Suicide , Video Games , Martial Arts , Age Gap , Heterosexual , Bar , Hip-hop Music , Seinen

Durarara!!x2 Shou

Also known as Durarara!! X2.

Studio: Shuka
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Mystery , Supernatural

“6 Months Later…We haven’t changed at all… or it seems….” Half a year after the turmoil that rocked the entire city of Ikebukuro— Peace has once again returned to the city and people are living each day normally. The high school students enjoy their days of youth as the strongest and most dangerous man of Ikebukuro works diligently. The informant plots a new scheme and the headless rider is pursued by the cops as she rides through the night…But soon this normal will be cut short by the abnormal. Slowly but surely, the unknown will seize the city and face an all new storm.



Tags: Achronological Order , Urban Fantasy , Ensemble Cast , Gangs , Yakuza , Urban , Motorcycles , Dullahan , Anti-Hero , Delinquents , Mythology , Crime , Twins , LGBTQ+ Themes

Gintama'

Also known as Gintama Season 2.

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

After a one-year hiatus, Shinpachi Shimura returns to Edo, only to stumble upon a shocking surprise: Gintoki and Kagura, his fellow Yorozuya members, have become completely different characters! Fleeing from the Yorozuya headquarters in confusion, Shinpachi finds that all the denizens of Edo have undergone impossibly extreme changes, in both appearance and personality. Most unbelievably, his sister Otae has married the Shinsengumi chief and shameless stalker Isao Kondou and is pregnant with their first child.

Bewildered, Shinpachi agrees to join the Shinsengumi at Otae and Kondou's request and finds even more startling transformations afoot both in and out of the ranks of the the organization. However, discovering that Vice Chief Toushirou Hijikata has remained unchanged, Shinpachi and his unlikely Shinsengumi ally set out to return the city of Edo to how they remember it.

With even more dirty jokes, tongue-in-cheek parodies, and shameless references, Gintama' follows the Yorozuya team through more of their misadventures in the vibrant, alien-filled world of Edo.



Tags: Parody , Swordplay , Slapstick , Samurai , Ensemble Cast , Found Family , Meta , Male Protagonist , Episodic , Aliens , Gore , Philosophy , Anachronism , Shounen , Ninja , Historical , Primarily Adult Cast , Female Harem , Rakugo , Yakuza , Oiran , Tragedy , Space , Time Skip , LGBTQ+ Themes , Boys' Love , Cosplay , Skeleton , Robots , Kuudere , Yuri

BLACK LAGOON: The Second Barrage

Also known as Black Lagoon: The Second Barrage.

Studio: MADHOUSE
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Adventure , Drama , Thriller

Okajima Rokuro - now known almost exclusively as 'Rock' - was once a typical, put-upon Japanese businessman. Then, on a routine business trip, he was kidnapped and ransomed by the Lagoon Company: a band of mercenary pirates operating out of the crime-riddled city of Roanapur. Abandoned by his bosses, he joined the Lagoon Company. Now he must try and stay afloat amongst the ever-shifting politics of the criminal underworld, while simultaneously avoiding death at the hands of his quick-tempered, gun-toting co-worker, 'Two Hand' Revy.



Tags: Crime , Guns , Anti-Hero , Gangs , Tomboy , Mafia , Pirates , Primarily Adult Cast , Assassins , Seinen , Female Protagonist , Foreign , Yakuza , Triads , Ships , Male Protagonist , Noir , Travel , Ensemble Cast , Suicide , Delinquents , Language Barrier , Twins , Nudity , Gore

GOLDEN BOY: Sasurai no Obenkyou Yarou

Also known as GOLDEN BOY.

Studio: APPP
Status: Finished
Genres: Adventure , Comedy , Ecchi

Kintarou Oe doesn't look like it, but he is a genius who completed all his university courses and then quit before graduating. He becomes a wandering student, going from place to place on his bicycle, seeking to learn what he can about life, the world, and women. He is willing and able to do any job he has to prove himself. His travels take him to a variety of locations and a variety of women, each who learns to love the hardworking guy, but not before he can run off.



Tags: Episodic , Work , Seinen , Satire , Male Protagonist , Travel , Female Harem , Cycling , Heterosexual , Nudity , Meta , Motorcycles , Software Development , Office Lady , Tanned Skin , Swimming , Yakuza , Primarily Adult Cast

Gyakkyou Burai Kaiji: Ultimate Survivor

Also known as Kaiji - Ultimate Survivor.

Studio: MADHOUSE
Status: Finished
Genres: Psychological , Thriller

Itou Kaiji is a bum who steals car emblems and slashes tires on what seems to be a regular basis. This routine changes one day when he is paid a visit by a man in a trench-coat. Once the two get talking, it seems that the visitor (Calling himself Endou) is a debt collector. The reason for his visit is an unpaid loan which Kaiji had previously co-signed for a work-mate (Furuhata Takeshi). The original loan was 300,000 yen and once Takeshi had disappeared, the loan then fell on Kaiji.

Kaiji is then told of a way to clear the interest compounded debt (which stood at 3,850,000 yen), which involved getting on a boat with others in his position. Once on the boat the debtors would then have to gamble with loaned money, which would end with a few winning, and others getting into deeper debt and having to work to pay off their debts. After some coercion Kaiji accepts a position on the boat, in order to clear his debt and make a bit of money as well...

Tags: Gambling , Survival , Primarily Adult Cast , Seinen , Primarily Male Cast , Male Protagonist , Death Game , Philosophy , Class Struggle , Tragedy , Crime , Card Battle , Revenge , Yakuza , Ships , Torture , Poker , Body Horror , Athletics , Anti-Hero , Nudity , Urban , Work , Prison

One Punch Man: Road to Hero

Also known as One-Punch Man: Road to Hero.

Studio: MADHOUSE
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Comedy , Sci-Fi , Supernatural

OVA bundled with the 10th volume of the One Punch Man manga. It features an original story by the series' mangaka, ONE, about the secret story of the birth of Saitama's hero suit.

Tags: Super Power , Primarily Male Cast , Seinen , Primarily Adult Cast , Work , Male Protagonist , Yakuza , Superhero , Surreal Comedy