In order to protect Tsutsushima Island at the end of the Earth, these men’s battle begins! At last, the great feared emperor has risen from the sea! Genkou (The Mongol Invasion of Japan), the major event that shook all of Middle Age Japan, is now told from a new perspective! After being sent to exile on Tsutsushima Island, Kamakura samurai Jizaburou Kuchii must now cross swords with the Mongolian Army!

This is the 3rd Season of Attack on Titan. The world is ruled by Titans. Humanity, the prey of the Titans, have built a giant wall that is 50 meters high. In exchange for freedom to explore the outside world, they are protected from invasion by it. A certain ten-year-old boy has never seen the outside world. His name is Eren Yeager. Eren feels uncomfortable surrounded by people who have given up going outside of the walls for the transient peace that they are currently enjoying. Eren refers to them as livestock while they refer to him as an outsider. However, one day that all changes when a Giant Titan appears suddenly smashing to pieces both Eren’s ‘dream’ and society’s ‘peace...’

New York. Ash. He has extraordinarily good looks and excellent combat abilities. He manages a street gang and once poorly killed a man. When that man was dying, he uttered the mysterious phrase ‘Banana Fish’. At the same time, a Japanese boy who has come to New York to collect data as a cameraman’s assistant. His name is Eiji Okumura and he meets Ash. They then chase after the mystery of ‘Banana Fish’ together.

There is a world where magic is everything. Asta and Yuno were raised by the church, and once they turned 15, they participated in a coming of age ceremony where they were awarded grimores that will raise their innate magic power. There, it is not powerless Asta who is bequeathed a grimore, but rather Yuno, who is given the Four-leaf Clover grimore. However, Asta, in order to prove his own power, and honor the oath that he made with his childhood friend Yuno, sets out with him in order for them to become the Magic Emperor!

(The 3rd season of Boku no Hero Academia.) It all started with the news of the birth of a 'luminescent baby' in Keikei City, China. Since then, 'Paranormalities' have been discovered all over the world, but their cause still remains unclear. Now, we have entered the superhuman age, where eighty percent of the world’s total population are born with some kind of idiosyncrasy, known as a Quirk. While criminals and villains who use their supernatural powers for evil are steadily on the rise, there is also a society of heroes who use the very same Quirks to stand against and save people from villains and disasters. The fictional heroes that everyone idolised have become a reality. It’s in this kind of world that Izuku Midoriya (known as Deku by his friends) hopes to become a hero and sets out to enroll in Yuuei, a Hero Academy known for producing countless famous heroes. However, it just so happens that Deku is one of the twenty percent of the population that is born without any powers - a 'Quirkless' loser. One day, Deku meets his very own hero rolemodel, and the fate of his future changes dramatically. Friends, teachers, rivals, and enemies - whilst facing many different characters and challenges, Deku starts his journey to become the best hero he can be. A new story is about to begin with this new generation of hot-blooded heroes!

Two years after the events of the previous season were set in Italy. Lupin and his allies have returned! Arsene Lupin and Daisuke Jigen went to France. In a certain countryside village, the drama unfolds from a single room in an apartment. Marco Polo is a dark site where you can buy any and all illegal things from narcotics to guns. Lupin and company decide to break into a massive server facility that is guarded heavily in order to steal digital currency. There though, they meet the mysterious genius hacker girl, Ami. Lupin and Ami worth together to oppose the traps of Marco Polo, but their foes have constructed a “Lupin Game” where the whole world can watch what they do. Gradually, the mystery surrounding Ami begins to fade, and a man from Lupin’s past makes an appearance! Lupin is now facing down his greatest predicament ever!

‘I’m no invader! I’m an avenger!’

Souten no Ken is the story of Kenshirou Kasumi. He is the 62nd Grand Master of Hokuto Shinken “God Fist of the North Star.” Of the 1800 years of history belonging to Hokutou, he is the most powerful and fiercely relentless master of all Hokutou Masters.

(This is the second season of Sword Gai The Animation) At times, a weapon that soaked in the blood of thousands of humans becomes a legend and comes to life. This story focuses on “Shoshidai,” an organization that has been facing “Busoma” for a long period and “Gai,” a young man who is fated to live as a weapon. When a man who possesses such a weapon within himself is swallowed by hatred and fosters murderous intent turns into a Busoma, he becomes a creature that only seeks to slaughter…

This is the 3rd Season of Zoids titled Zoids Wild. Zoids! Zoids are the strongest living beings made up of metal bodies and animal instincts while having fighting spirits and standing at the top of the food pyramid! When humans and zoids form the ultimate bond, a hidden power is awakened! That power is called ‘Wild Burst’!

Olivia is a blonde-haired, blue-eyed, born and raised Japanese, young girl who cannot speak English at all and gives off an intellectual vibe. Kasumi cannot speak English at all, wears glasses, and has a short haircut. Hanako is cheerful with pigtails but cannot seem to find satisfaction in her everyday life. These three middle school girls have formed a ‘Freeloader Research Club’!? This middle school girl comedy which is the cutest and most fun will make you split your sides with laughter as it starts now!

Men who are part of the Yazuka are now going to make their debut as idols!? And thanks to the back streets, their popularity has exploded as idols!! However, these men have to deal with increasingly absurd circumstances. They just want to live a regular life, but…!? This is a comedy about idols who have changed genders to become lovely, bouncy crossdressing girls engaged in immoral business practices!

Arriving safe and sound at school is now nothing short of a miracle! Below-average female high school student Chio Miyamo is assaulted by troubles both large and small! This includes troubles from road construction and confronting a biker gang, all the way to the sudden urge to use the bathroom. This extremely dramatic comedy about attending school starts now!

This is part of the 4th season of Gintama which comes after Gintama: Porori-Hen. This time, it will adapt the Shirogane no Tamashii-Hen. Gintoki, Shinpachi, Kagura, and more will be back as the members of Yorozuya come together to engage in even more shenanigans!

This is your story. This is a story from inside your body. On average, humans have approximately 37,000,000,000,000 (37 trillion) cells in their body according to recent theories. In the world known as a human body, today too, these cells continue to work without rest. Red blood cells carry oxygen, white blood cells fight against bacteria… There, they have their own drama that we do not know about.

The high score girl is my journey to meet a girl better than myself at games. ‘What’s a polygon? Can you eat it?’ The arrival of the heyday of good old-fashioned 2D games was 1991. In a corner of a game center rampant with salarymen, delinquents, and otaku, she sat there quietly and coolly. This 90’s arcade romcom is told through the eyes of the main character, Haruo!

A devil from Hell, simply known as Jashin-chan, is one day suddenly summoned to the human world. The place she is summoned is a rather run-down apartment in Jimbouchou. The person who has summoned her is Yurine Hanazono, a female university student who has a slightly dark heart. Although she summoned her (?), Yurine has no idea how to send Jashin-chan back to Hell. Since nothing can be done, Jashin-chan starts living together with Yurine, but Jashin-chan claims “I’ll be able to get back to hell if I kill the person who summoned me!” Then, the course of action Jashin-chan chooses is……!?

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The story is about Aki Shiina who wants to be manlier. When he enters middle school, he uses it as an opportunity to move to Tokyo and move into Sunohara Manor, a dormitory for students. What is waiting for him is a manager who is rather big in many ways, Akaya Sunohara, and three girls who will become his seniors.

Haruka Oozora has moved from Tokyo to Okinawa. She may be cheerful and positive all of the time, but she actually has a certain complex - her tall height. Then there’s Kanata Higa, Haruka’s cousin of the same age, who came to meet her at the airport. She’s worried about the fact that she had to quit her beloved beach volleyball due to her short height. This mismatched pair end up forming a beach volleyball team… On the wide, sandy court, you have only one ally. What kind of play will these two show us in beach volleyball, where your partner is more important than anything?

Urashima, an island floating on the ocean far away from the mainland. Urashima is often mistakenly viewed as a paradise, overflowing with nature. However, a difficult past and long-established customs keep the people of this living island prisoners. The residents of this living island have accepted that they have been abandoned by the mainland and are gradually being forgotten about. Then, one day, a boy drifts to the island, and he refers to himself as a “time traveler” named Setsuna. Setsuna has not a single memory left other than that he has a “certain mission” that he must do. He then meets three girls named Rinne, Karen, and Sara. Eventually, he begins efforts to change the future of the island. The story of this boy and these girls will untie the cord around the exclusive customs and various mysteries that surround Urashima.

Kogarashi Fuyuzora has psychic abilities. Often haunted by evil spirits and left with a huge debt, he searches for a room with cheap rent. That’s how he ends up at Yuragi Sou - a manor house full of unimaginably beautiful girls, including the high school girl ghost Yuuna Yunohana, who can’t move on to the afterlife. Despite the owner of Yuragi Sou being against him moving in, Kogarashi somehow ends up living there…

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Welcome to the current era, somewhere around the 20th year of the 21st century, where humanity has completely forgotten about the existence of youkai (demons). There are phenomenon frequently occurring that science cannot explain, and adults are going every which way as rumors fly wild. A 13-year-old girl named Mana has decided to do something about it and writes a letter and puts it in the youkai mailbox. What appears in front of Mana with the clip clop sounds echoing of his geta (Japanese wooden clogs) is none other than Kitarou of GeGeGe.

In the realm of the dead where Ayakashi (ghosts) reside, there is a long-standing inn known as Tenjinya. Aoi is a female university student who, thanks to her recently deceased grandfather, inherited his ability to see Ayakashi. Excellent at cooking, just when Aoi is feeding some rural Ayakashi one day, she is suddenly swept up by a fierce god who is the master of Tenjinya. The master declares that the collateral for the debt her grandfather left behind is that she must become his bride. As a plan to recover from this hopeless situation, she agrees to work at Tenjinya to repay the debt but…

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An illusionary tale of a girl who fights against fate and the guard of the shadows interwoven. The stage of this story is modern day London. A world where a person’s fear and anxiety can give life to ‘shadows’; things which become human... Right after arriving to Great Britain to study abroad, a young girl is dragged into a bizarre incident. She knows no one in this town, so while searching for help, she loses her way. She ends arriving at an inconspicuous café that is only open at night. That café is called ‘Café Forbidden’. A place where guardians who protect the boundary between humans and shadows gather.

Old Fashioned Guns vs Modern Guns, the battle of despair. The world has been laid to waste by nuclear war. This is set in the following era… Under the guise of absolute control over the world, the World Empire government regulates everything that people do and they live in a world where their freedom has been stolen. However, in the middle of any and all weapons being prohibited, there is a secret resistance that has continued the rebellion in hopes of one day defeating the dictatorship of the World Empire. They take up old fashioned guns that have been left behind as works of art and take up the fight. Then, as if in accord with their spirits, the great musketeers appear in the form of the incarnations of old fashioned guns. With their ‘absolute nobility’, they fight nobly and magnificently to bring the single word ‘hope’ to the world. The days of these noble musketeers is one of shining and vivid youth now that they have been given life. This is the tale of these beautiful youngsters who laugh, cry, rejoice, hesitate, and sometimes are wounded while fighting to pursue ‘absolute nobility’. What reason are we fighting for, and what should we be protecting…? Be Noble!

There was a legendary party made up of elementary school students known as ‘Subaru’ in the former MMORPG that enjoyed worldwide popularity, Union. However, one day when a player named Asahi got a game over, she also died in the real world at the same time. Union was shut down immediately and the members of ‘Subaru’ were scattered without a means to communicate. Six years later. Haruto is now a high school student and logs into the new version called ‘Re’Union’. There, he meets his childhood friend who is supposed to be dead, Asahi. Is she just being represented here online, or is she really…? This is the story of an online team bound together by a promise made when they were children.

A brother sister pair named Okou and Seiji manage a rental shop known as Izumoya in Nakamachi, Fukugawa Ward, Edo. A rental shop in that era is something that deals with renting anything and everything from daily necessities to antiques and even works of art to customers. However, something is just slightly different when it comes to the merchandise peddled by Izumoya compared to other stores. The difference is that they times that they lend out are known as ‘Tsukumogami.’ These are items that were made more than 100 years ago and have had a type of spirit come to reside in them making them sentient. The tsukumogami that are rented out to customers listen to various conversations and then spread it around as gossip. Goodhearted Okou and Seiji borrow the powers of the tsukumogami in order to resolve all sorts of quarrels, both big and small, within their town. This bittersweet real-life story of blossoming tsukumogami is interwoven with the humans of the town in Edo. Enjoy this story as it carefully reaches all the way to your core.

Work, friends, everyday mundane things; these are the motions that the main character goes through until one day when she is suddenly invited into another world. There, in "The Land of Dreams" the people have a living power through their dreams. It is then said that the main character is a princess of this land. However, in this world are dreameaters called "Yumekui" who terrorize the land by eating the dreams of the people. With their dreams stolen, the people of this world wander aimlessly in a sleeplike state. Not only do the people of this world, sleep robbed of their dreams, but also many princes as well sleep in this world on the path to ruin. Disheartened by what has happened and feeling lost at sea, the main character must now wake up the princes of this word and band together with them to take back the dreams! Forgotten dreams... Lost Dreams... Dreams hidden in one's heart... These must belong to someone and become their power. This is your story!

Kaneki Ken was a young college student with a love of books and who had recently mustered up the courage to ask a girl—who also loves books—out on a date. Kaneki’s life couldn’t have been going better, right? Unfortunately for Kaneki, fate had a dark twist waiting for him during his date. The woman he fell for was actually a ghoul, a powerful being who feeds off humans and saw Kaneki as a meal. Kaneki should have died that night after meeting this ghoul, but when he reawakens, he learns that he is far from dead and is now a ghoul just like her. Kaneki is about to enter a land unseen by many and will slowly have to come to grips that the human life he once had is far off memory… Tokyo Ghoul by mangaka Ishida Sui explore ghouls which are like vampires but with a love for more than just blood. While Tokyo Ghoul might be dark and truly horrific at times, it can be 100% compared to Devils Line as it shows what humanity means to even those who aren’t human. Tokyo Ghoul is an amazing manga that has garnered quite a bit of praise and accolades in the manga world for being so beautiful drawn and wonderfully written. If you need a manga similar to Devils Line you won’t go wrong with Tokyo Ghoul. It’s also important to mention that while Tokyo Ghoul is over—clocking in at 14 volumes—there is a sequel to enjoy called Tokyo Ghoul:re so you won’t be running out of manga to read with this series.

Thousands of years ago, humanity faced a threat that now seems like a distant fable. Once, a powerful vampire queen plagued the land causing mayhem and destruction wherever she went. Humans fought their hardest to stop the queen but failed continuously as even their strongest warriors couldn’t match the vampire queen’s strength. In a last attempt to stop her powers, humans used a seal to at least bide themselves time to find a power that could best the queen. However, the queen’s lover—the vampire king himself—didn’t take this action lightly and began his own mission to find the seal and regain his queen. Now humanity must align with half-vampire beings called dhampirs to stop the king from undoing the seal and plaguing the land with eternal darkness. The quest for survival begins in Vampire Juujikai. Vampire Juujikai by mangaka Shirodaira Kyou might not take place in modern time as Devils Line does, but it shows humanity coexisting with vampire-like beings—known as dhampirs—for a greater purpose. Filled with intense action and adventure narrative, Vampire Juujikai is an exciting vampire themed story with gorgeous art from volume 1 to volume 9. That’s why we think you readers might want to read Vampire Juujikai if you happen to love Devils Line. Now let’s hope Vampire Juujikai gets an anime like Devils Line did. We’d love to see this incredible work be animated just like Devils Line. However, even if it isn’t that’s okay as we love re-reading Vampire Juujikai occasionally as its just that good of a story.

Kurose Kuroe was once a hunter of vampires but has long since left that life to become a supernatural investigator who writes about the experiences he has. Alongside Kuroe is a young woman named Masaki who was once human but is now a vampire herself. Masaki doesn’t wish to harm Kuroe and only loves him even though she is now something he once hunted. However, with Kuroe in constant danger thanks to the profession he now leads, Masaki is forced to protect him in whatever way she can. Can these two make a relationship work facing the situations they are currently in? Similar to Devils Line, Blood Alone by mangaka Takano Masayuki explores romance and drama in a quite interesting manga. Blood Alone mixes mystery, romance and vampire drama incredibly well as the narrative explores a relationship that by all definition, shouldn’t work. Every page you flip through of Blood Alone will have you unable to stop reading thanks to the lovely art and truly unique narrative. Blood Alone might not be as intense with its action as Devils Line but that will also be good for those who need a more relaxed story. Now, go and check out Blood Alone and tell us what you think using the comments below!

Junketsu + Kareshi follows Kana Takachiho who has undergone some drama as of late. Originally, Kana was pretty loved at school. Known for her kind demeanor and her excellence at sports, Kana was respected by her peers at school. Then that all changed when Kana was hurt one day losing her athletic ability, the scholarships it brought to her, and even causing her once friendly peers, to change their look towards her. While her world seemed to be caving in, Kana still had her childhood friend—Aki Kirito—to love and was happy they were finally going to have their first date. However, Kana is soon going to learn that her bad luck isn’t over yet as Aki proceeds to suck her blood and show that he is actually a vampire. Junketsu + Karaeshi is a fun vampire manga created by mangaka Shouoto Aya that delivers a more shoujo experience than what could be found in Devils Line. While Devils Line might not be a shoujo, for those who have read it, some could argue it contains the elements seen in the genre. You have a cute girl who has met a handsome but strangely different boy and there’s drama sprinkled in to keep the story from ever being too simple or slow. Junketsu + Karaeshi easily lacks the more gore filled elements of Devils Line but it contains the romance, vampire and supernatural aspects that make Devils Line appealing to its readers. We know you must be curious as to what fate has in store for Kana in Junketsu + Karaeshi. Well, the only way to find out is by going right now and reading Junketsu + Karaeshi and witnessing her tale for yourself.

It’s hard being like Makoto Okazaki. Normal in every sense of the word, Makoto has found himself constantly teased and mistreated at school because he just screams a target to cruel people. Makoto’s normality is about to change though when one night he goes to return a DVD he borrowed from a friend. Makoto notices a girl on a rooftop who then leaps down and attacks him. As she drinks his blood, the strange girl asks Makoto if he would like to die or become just like her? Makoto’s answer will forever change who he is as he answers by saying he would like to live… Happiness by Oshimi Shuuzou is one of those manga that we don’t hear mentioned a lot here at Honey’s Anime. Focusing on a young man who is about to enter a dark world, Happiness hits a lot of genres such as horror, drama and shounen for good measure. With impressive art and a solid story, Happiness is still ongoing like Devils Line but can be a good alternative read while you wait for more Devils Line. Just be warned that if you catch up to Happiness, you’ll essentially be waiting for two great manga to release new chapters instead of just one. As much as of a dilemma that poses, we still recommend Happiness for those who enjoy Devils Line.

Chiyuki Matsuoka has always had a weak heart since birth and was prepared to die by the age of 15. Hospitalized due to her heart, it seems Chiyuki’s days are finally coming to an end. Then one day, Chiyuki meets Touya Kanou who just so happens to be a vampire with a long life ahead of him. One is near death, the other is destined for a life that could last 1000 years. What awaits their meeting in Sennen no Yuki?! For our last entry on our list of 6 Manga Like Devils Line, we figured we’d examine Sennen no Yuki by mangaka Hatori Bisco. While Sennen no Yuki is easily the most mellow and calm story on this list, we included it for the similar themes found in Devils Line. Both manga show the bonds between vampire and humans and equally explore the pains vampire have to deal with in their lives. Sennen no Yuki also mirrors Devils Line with some beautiful artwork that just wows you from page one, especially if you love shoujo works. The major differences between both Devils Line and Sennen no Yuki has to be the comedic themes found in the latter manga, but Devils Line, at times, can be funny, especially the dialogue between Yuuki and Tsukasa. While Sennen no Yuki might be cuter than the darker themed Devils Line, we think vampire enthusiasts will still appreciate checking it out. We loved Sennen no Yuki and we think you’ll see why once you begin to read it.

Post-Apocalyptic anime actually come in two different formats. One shows or tells you that the world or humanity has been destroyed and we as a race have moved on while others just show you a world, let you get used to it, and then some character goes on to have a monologue about how humanity was destroyed in some form or another. Ironically, humanity almost always ends up in some form of a bizarre dystopia where people do not realize how much they are being lied to or some sort of fear is set in place so that humans do not dare to step outside of the society or town that they live in. Questioning authority will almost always get you killed and if you are lucky, everyone’s memories are erased. If not, then everyone goes around pretending as if nothing has ever happened and that person gets to deal with their trauma silently. So how did we do it? How did we destroy ourselves? A government so out of touch with the people was elected and thus forms a kakocracy? Or was it a nuclear war that wiped up upwards of 99% of all humanity? Maybe a monster drove us to space? Either way, while the stories vary, it all ends with humanity with a ruined planet, and living somewhere out of desperation where the past is forgotten. An absolute government is necessary and rules the people through deception or fear. Meanwhile, the main character is there to shake things up and return the truth to the spotlight. However, they never realize how close they are to risking everything by doing so.

Romdo is a city. It’s the only one of it’s kind, or so the citizens think. They live out their day to day lives being encouraged to “make waste” because that is what a good citizen does. Assisted by AutoReivs, their companion humanoid robots, the citizens live their lives in bliss. That is, until a strange virus known as the Cogito Virus infects them and makes the robots act as if they are human with a soul. Re-l Mayer, an investigator for the police and daughter of the ruler of Romdo, sets out to crack this mysterious virus and the incidents around them. However, this puts her in the path of Vincent Law, an immigrant, and eventually in the path of a dangerous, violent monster known as the Proxy. As Re-l gets closer to the truth, she will have to turn her back on everything to survive. Ergo Proxy is a classic, quintessential post-apocalyptic anime. She lives in an incredibly dystopian society where she is told and taught to fear everything outside of the dome. In fact, even outside, she only wants to go back. It is only through exploring the world that she realizes that other domes and societies do and did exist in differing capacities. However, when the proxy gets loose, the people disappeared. Now, the actual story behind everything is that an ecological catastrophe destroyed the surface forcing everyone into the domes, but it’s clear that life can be lived outside of Romdo; it just is a difficult one especially at the beginning of being outside. One other great thing shown is how poorly equipped post-apocalyptic governments are at controlling their own people as well as what happens when you try to enforce absolutes.

You bet your sweet bippy there are. A ruined world is a very broad idea and doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s completely inhospitable. You just might have to watch out for the watching eye of a government, or killer plants, or weird beings that walk the earth, but always watch out for the threat of death. The other fun thing about post-apocalyptic worlds is that unlike with Ergo Proxy where Re-l is never in too much danger since the proxies seem to be around her all the time but never kill her, is that the worlds that our characters step out into can be a threat adding a new level of danger and depth to the story. We see this in shows like Shingeki no Kyojin (Attack on Titan) and Koutetsujou no Kabaneri (Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress) where not only is home under attack, but stepping outside of it is even more dangerous. There’s another great post-apocalyptic anime that suits this idea well.

The future that conservatives deny has come true: we are now in a world where savage earthquakes as well as global warming have destroyed the planet and Japan in particular. What has resulted is that nature has reclaimed what we once dominated. Civilization is on its last breath unless we do something. There is the sealed city of Atlas, but getting in is next to impossible as only the wealthy can. There’s a whole group of hackers as well who want to hack into countries around the world and claim wealth for Japan and themselves. And the poor? Well, day to day life for them is an extreme struggle. Classism is real y’all. One girl threatens the balance for that in that she will lead the people into Atlas where they will all live in harmony. This is the story of Kuniko. If you are a conspiracy theorist or just love a good takedown of the elite, then this anime is for you. While yes, it certainly is set in a financially crippled Japan that has been ruined beyond all measure, there are lots of deadly creatures lurking about in the forms of plants. Forget the government in Atlas being dangerous, the real danger can be getting far enough that the plants get to you! This anime runs two cours and manages to have so many smaller stories going at once that you cannot help but get hooked.

Set in the town of Kamisu 66, Saki Watanabe, and her classmates Satoru, Mamoru, Maria, and Shun are all students at Sage Academy, a school for psychics. Everyone in this city has psychic powers. It is how many day-to-day things are handled. As their powers awaken too, they get to work more with them. However, when an excursion leads to them heading to a place that they are not supposed to go, they encounter a strangle, translucent, rainbow-colored creature that works for them. Confused, they press it for answers and what they uncover is a past where psychics murdered countless non-psychics before eventually isolating themselves in order to keep peace. When Saki starts to question why Shun, a boy she liked, left things take a turn for the worst and these teenagers, who have the emotional and mental capacity of children, have to learn what the real world is like outside their little paradise. Shinsekai Yori appears on our thriller anime list as well for an introduction into the thriller genre, but it is also an excellent example of a world ravaged by humanity. When psychics wiped out humans, it also destroyed a large chunk of the population. Though some were spared, we cannot go into too much detail without spoiling you. If there was something to be said for this fantastic anime, it would be that absolutely nothing is as it seems. The world in Shinsekai Yori seems to have taken a massive step backwards in time with not even a hint of technology. People use their powers to travel around on boats and do small things in their everyday lives all the way to using them to fight threats. Stepping outside of their towns, a forbidden action by their totalitarian government, will only enlighten them even further to a harsh reality.

Middle schooler Haruyuki Arita has found his life to be a constant challenge thanks to the never-ending bullies who make fun of him constantly for his looks. The only joy Arita has truly comes from playing games and even in school, Arita tries to find time to play games to hide from the constant torment he faces. At school, Arita plays Squash online and has a high score no one can outmatch…at least he thought no one could. One day—to his horror—Arita is stunned to see his score beaten and he soon learns it was by the beautiful and popular Shiroyukihime. Then out of nowhere, Shiroyukihime approaches Arita telling him about a game that would change his life forever. Known as Accel World. this augmented reality game will cause Arita to gain abilities to slow down time in the real world if he continues to succeed in fights within the game. Can Arita change his life as he enters Accel World and becomes the Silver Crow?! Accel World might seem similar to Reki Kawahara’s Sword Art Online series but we here at Honey’s Anime think it actually can appeal to those who like Zettai naru Isolator. Rather than be caught in a game, Arita is only playing it but can also use powers due to the effects of becoming a so-called Burst Linker. Just like Utsugi, Arita endures a world he feels is cruel and inescapable. However, both characters from their respected series, somehow find it possible to gain strength after some interesting turn of events. Accel World is 22 volumes strong in Japan right now, with a dozen or so released here in the states already. If you want some cool action and sci-fi similar to Zettai naru Isolator, then check out Kawahara’s other popular work Accel World.

Toaru Majutsu no Index follows a young man named Kamijyo Touma who leads a rather peculiar life. In Touma’s world, magic and science are the boon of the world giving people advanced technology and superhuman-like abilities. Touma also has a power that allows him to negate magical attacks or even psychic powers but it also negates Touma’s luck. Proof of his bad luck appears when Touma runs into a young nun-like girl who is on the run from the Church of England. Containing a powerful set of texts within her mind, Touma ends up keeping the girl safe by hiding her away. Unfortunately, the forces from the church aren’t too slow on the uptake and begin making their moves. Can this low ranked student save this young girl who might have powers that could change the world?! For our list of the 6 Light Novels Like Zettai naru Isolator, we next look at Toaru Majutsu no Index. Filled with action, comedy and a touch of fantasy, Toaru Majutsu no Index is a fun and exciting light novel that truly keeps us constantly entertained. We know we weren’t the only ones here at Honey’s Anime to like Toaru Majutsu no Index as it even gained an anime back in 2009, several years after it began being published. We really enjoy the masterful narrative thanks to author Kamachi Kazuma and the images within each volume from artist Haimura Kiyotaka and we think fans of Zettai naru Isolator will too! While Toaru no Majutsu isn’t fully completed yet in America, the series is done in Japan meaning we will eventually have the whole series out here as well.

One event can change your life dramatically. Sometimes meeting someone can lead to romance or sometimes taking a detour could lead to finding a new restaurant to dine at. For high school student Koyomi Araragi, one event in his life changed him into a vampire, at least for a little while. Having been cured, Araragi still contains some vampire powers but has since forth tried to lead a normal life at school, as boring as that may sound. However, Araragi once more finds his life changing when he catches a girl falling from a set of stairs at his school. While this girl should have weight to her given the height she fell at, Araragi is shocked to discover she is light as a feather… Author Nisioisin—known for many series like the Kubikiri Cycle—is easily one of the well-known light novel authors for his series called Bakemonogatari. As we stated above in the title, Bakemonogatari is the first “season” of light novels for the long running Monogatari series. In this first 6 volume series known simple as Bakemonogatari, we are introduced to the world Araragi lives in and how his normal life ends pretty randomly thanks to an encounter with a powerful vampire. Araragi might be more open to change than Utsugi is from Zettai naru Isolator but their adventures are both outlandish and all too interesting. While the anime for Bakemonogatari is talked about in spades, we definitely recommend checking out the light novel series as we think it’s pretty darn good. Plus, we dare you not to laugh as some of the hijinks that happen in Bakemonogatari.

What if magic wasn’t fake or made for showmanship? What if somehow humanity has somehow obtained magical powers and has incorporated it into technology to help humanity grow stronger and more advanced? Well, that isn’t a what-if in Tatsuya’s world. Tatsuya, along with many others, can harness magical elements and powers which are infused into not only tools but even weapons. However, just like any power, when it falls into the wrong hands terrible things tend to ensue. Tatsuya, however, has to more so worry about an overly clingy sister and proving that despite lack of magical abilities, he can still be a powerful student thanks to technology and his strength with it. Find out what awaits our strange hero in Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei! While Zettai naru Isolator might not be about magic and technology, it does have a lot of action and drama similar to Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei from author Satou Tsutomu and artist Ishida Kana. At 24 volumes—at least in Japan—and an anime adaptation, Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei gives a lot of well written story that we continuously enjoy after each release. Tatsuya’s journey as he endures school, tournaments and evil forces, might seem cliché but ironically it feels far from it. In many ways Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei keeps things fresh constantly by never sticking to one genre for too long and we feel the same can be said of Zettai naru Isolator as it tries to be more than just a sci-fi super power series. Need a long series to keep you busy? Well then go and pick up Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei either online or from your local bookstore!

Keiji Kiriya has joined the United Defense Force as a new soldier trying to save Earth from a new alien threat. Known as Mimics, these otherworldly invaders have begun to attack Earth and are quickly decimating the planet. Keiji goes out on his first battle against the Mimics but dies almost immediately when he is overrun by the aliens. However, instead of staying dead, Keiji has found himself once more alive at the beginning of his sortie and this continues upon every death! Can Keiji harness this cursed gift to somehow find a way to end the Mimics and prevent humanity’s extinction? With no fear of death, Keiji will continue this loop until he finds a way to accomplish this task and rid the Earth of its alien threat. We’ve so far been looking at a lot of series that have had little to do with aliens but still are very similar to Zettai naru Isolator in some shape or form. However, All You Need Is Kill by author Sakurazaka Hiroshi and artist Abe Yoshitoshi is filled with aliens and is a bit more intense and dark like Zettai naru Isolator sometimes can be. Watching Keiji fight what seems like a constant losing battle kept us wondering if he would eventually find a solution despite his failures. What’s also great about All You Need Is Kill is that it’s a short 1 volume light novel meaning you can finish it quite fast and not worry about waiting for constant releases. Thus, if you’re looking for a more dramatic sci-fi story, we recommend reading All You Need Is Kill. When you’re done with the light novel you can also check out the manga for All You Need Is Kill as its pretty cool too!

Kyon is just an atypical high school student who goes to class, leaves to go home and hangs out at home till he passes out and repeats the process the next day. One day though, Kyon takes a notice of Haruhi Suzumiya a girl who is infamous for being quite…peculiar to say the least. When Kyon decides to talk to Haruhi he learns of her mission to find aliens, espers and time travelers. Soon after Kyon gets dragged to join Haurhi’s club to aid in her search along with several other students, who unknown to Haruhi are actually exactly what she’s looking for! Kyon then learns that Haruhi is actually God herself and in order to keep her from destroying the world out of sheer boredom, Kyon must keep her constantly engaged and happy. Can this boring and ho hum student—something he probably wouldn’t agree with or might—keep an energetic girl happy to avoid the world’s destruction?! Let us end our list of 6 Light Novels Like Zettai naru Isolator with a personal favorite series, Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuutsu. Not only do you get aliens in Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuutsu—like Zettai naru Isolator—but you also get other strange people who are expertly written by author Tanigawa Nagaru and illustrator Itou Noizi. While there is little action in Haruhi’s story—though it does have a few intense moments that are close to action—it does have an interesting sci-fi story with comedy intertwined to make it a bit less serious than Zettai naru Isolator. Ultimately though, the Haruhi Suzumiya series will keep you hooked from volume one all the way to the last story. If you like Zettai naru Isolator then we recommend beginning Haruhi’s tale with the first novel The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya.

So Boku no Hero Academia started off with a bit of a boring recap episode. It started moving forward last episode and this week, we finally get what we want, PLOT. It’s so nice to be able to see all of the characters not only getting screen time as well as the time to use their abilities. This training camp arc seems like it’s going to be fun. I am about 99.99999999999% over Kota as his bad attitude is annoying as all get out. I would have been backhanded for speaking like that to not only strangers, but to my guardians as well. I get that he has trauma, but leaving the child alone to suffer and figure things out on their own is not the best solution. Moving on. So, they are doing some sort of test of courage and that’s when the real good part of this episode kicks off. We see that the villains have been plotting to attack the heroes while they are at the training camp. Now that they are here, it’s clear that things are about to pop off and make a good story. I surmise this should last at least a few episodes and end up with someone getting captured. Be it villain or hero, I cannot say, but I do wonder what is going to happen to Kota. Maybe he becomes a major character this arc and gets a new personality. Thankfully though, this episode reminded us of why we love this series, with a variety of characters, this is clear to become a beloved series akin to Assassination Classroom.

Man, part of me wants to write about Steins;Gate but since I’m lagging on it, I chose 3D Kanojo Real Girl for my hot moment this week. I’m not sure how I’m feeling about the anime so far. It seems to make a mockery of otaku and make them more self deprecating than necessary, but maybe the fact of the matter is that for the most part, there is truth in all the things brought up in 3D Kanojo Real Girl. Like when Yuuto makes comments about how guys like him are meant to be alone and not for relationships, there’s some realism in there, even if I don’t like it. In this week’s episode, there was a lot of talk about relationships and not just the romantic type. First off, Iroha and Hikari had their little difficulties with how Hikari views himself next to Iroha, but that only caused insecurities in Iroha who appears to really like Hikari. You can almost feel for them, can’t you? Then there’s Arisa and her false relationship with the boy she liked who merely used her for money and convenience. Arisa was always quick to mock Hikari (and I felt like there was a romance bubbling beneath the surface--boy was I wrong), but in the end, Hikari and Iroha stood up for their friend, even when Arisa was so quick to turn down their friendship. This is just proving that like many otaku oriented anime before it, 3D Kanojo Real Girl is going to be about a ragtag group of friends who may not all share the same interests but still find happiness in each other’s friendships.

I really like the WIXOSS saga, mostly because I like “competitive anime” when it’s based on video games, card games or just magical girls. To put it simply, for me WIXOSS anime saga is like a love child between YU-Gi-Oh! and Madoka Magika… and yes, I know this might be too much on my part, but I really dig it’s cast of girls and the meta-story behind them. Lostorage Conflated, the third installment, looks more like a tie-in between the others rather than a sequel, and the best part is that it keeps one of the things I like: you can’t keep up with the rules! The main character is Kiyoi Mizushima, better known as the LRIG Piruluk, and this time we get to see one of the duels where she helped her friend and Selector Amika Hashimoto. For me, the battle is one that Yugi Muto himself would be proud of, because of the insane amount of rule-breaking things happening at the same time. If you’re not familiar with the WIXOSS game you’re probably lost with the “level 5” change, but you can’t say Piruluk changing her Selector’s mind to reverse the wish is not a bold, genius and crazy move. Is like saying your life goal is to become the best at something, so you achieve it by “wishing to be the worst at it and purposefully losing 3 duels in a row, thus being punished with the complete opposite”. It’s so stupid you wouldn’t think of it! The best part of it is that it wasn’t Amika’s idea but Piruluk’s, her LRIG! You know, LRIGs usually enjoy when they become human again, using their defeated Selector’s life and body. So here it is, one of the best anime moments this week! You can ship Yugi and Amika now or even Yami Yugi (Atem) and Piruluk. Thank me later...

So in episode 2 of P5, after Ren has released his Persona, Arsene and him and his new friend Ryuuji trap the otherworld version of teacher-bully Kamoshida before making it out of there and being late to school, Kamoshida is proven to be a complete and total jerk, as he constantly bullies many of the boys, especially Ryuuji. He also harasses Ann and immediately targets Ren on his first day at school, hitting him in the face with a ball and making sure everyone finds out why he’s on probation, much to his guardian’s dismay. We also learn that Kamoshida broke Ryuuji’s leg, which is why he can no longer run in the now disbanded track team. Finally tired of doing nothing and allowing Kamoshida to do as he pleases, Ryuuji says he wants to go to the other world and defeat the shadow Kamoshida. Once in the alternate world, the boys come up to a cell, where a cute cat-like creature is being kept. Ryuuji freaks out because there’s a “monster cat”, to which P5’s adorable mascot character replies “I’m not a cat. I’m Morgana! Let’s make a deal…”. *Kawaii!!* With a chibi voice perfect for the mascot, Morgana offers information about the place they’re in if they let it out of its cell. Of course, Ren agrees and lets Morgana out. Immediately, the stoic Ren starts petting Morgana’s -disproportionately large- head and making note of how soft and alive Morgana is! *double kawaii!*. And if that wasn’t enough cuteness, then the spunky Ryuuji says “Let me touch the monster cat too!” Here we have 2 high school boys wanting to pet a cute, soft cat, while the feline in question melts away with joy, what more can a girl ask for!? The moment doesn’t last long, as they are found by Kamoshida’s guards, but Morgana leads the boys and proceeds to explain to them how everything works. Not only is Morgana cute, it’s knowledgeable, tough, and funny! Having never played the game, it was great to finally get to see the cute kitty... er… Morgana in action!!

Yuuto Suou is a boy from our everyday reality who has wandered into another world at the dawn of war called Yggdrasil. Here in this world, countless nobles are fighting for dominance and it's survival of the fittest. For sixteen-year-old Hayato though, all he had to do was call on his knowledge from our world as his weapon. This leads to him rising to command a few thousand troops as their suzerain (patriarch). The story now follows this boy who became King in another world is surrounded by beautiful Einherjar who swear their allegiance to him.

In the MMORPG Cross Reverie, Takuma Sakamoto boasted of such an overwhelming amount of power that other players referred to him as the Demon King. Then one day, he is summoned to another world in the form of his character from Cross Reverie. There, two girls insist “I am the one who summoned you.” The two girls attempt to cast enslavement magic upon him in order to make him into a slave. But! Takuma’s passive ability (Reflect Magic) activates! Now the girls are the ones who are enslaved to Takuma…!? The curtain rises now on the story of a (pretend) Demon King who plunges forward on an adventure in another world with his absolute power!

The 3rd Season of Overlord. The year is 2138. The online game Yggdrasil, which was once popular, is about to be cancelled. Player Momonga, his comrades, and their prosperous guild have silently been waiting for this moment. However, even once the servers have shut down, the game doesn’t log them out, and the NPCs seem to have suddenly developed wills of their own. Outside of the guild, a whole new world is developing.

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This is the 3rd Season of iDOLM@STER Cinderella Girls Gekijou. “Sorry to keep you waiting, Producer-san ♪” This anime will cover the “Cinderella Girls Gekijou” from the popular game iDOLM@STER Cinderella Girls. The idols we all know and love are once again causing a commotion?! So begins this hyper, short anime where you can see the other side of idol life - how they spend their days off, comical shows between idols, and much, much more!

11 girls are members of the idol unit Ogaku Shoujo from PINE RECORDS. They are Haru Chitose, Eri Kumagai, Sarasa Ryuuou, Kiri Mukae, Uori Mukae, Sasame Mitsukuri, Miku Nishio, Hiyo Yukino, Shupe Gushiken, Kotoko Kintoki, and Roro Morooka. However, Ongaku Shoujo is a C-tier idol group that aren’t selling at all. Lying low and doing nothing but creating a deficit, the members of Ongaku Shoujo work desperately with their producer Ikehashi. Ikehashi feels that Ongaku Shoujo needs new members. In order to become a success, they need a push! Which is why they are holding auditions nonstop. Then one day, Ongaku Shoujo meets the main character of this story, Hanako…

“Starlight” is a revue of song and dance loved worldwide. Karen and Hikari had their hearts stolen by this stage and when they were young, they made a promise to each other. “Someday, the two of us will absolutely stand on that stage together!” Time marches on, and Karen Aijou is 16 years old and zealously attends lessons while keeping the promise she made in mind. Karen Aijou was separated from Hikari Kagura when they were young, and one day, Hikari transfers into her school. This reunion begins to move the cogs of fate. The curtain then rises on a mysterious audition. “Do you want to be the top star?” Those who pass are given control to shine as the role of the top star. However, only one person can get this role and control the battle royale of a stage performance known as “Revue”. Karen and Hikari, along with the other chosen “stage girls” will participate in this mysterious Revue while chasing after their own dreams. Dreams that surge forward. Burning passions. Dreams that cannot be given up on. “E-even if it comes down to me having to go against her!” The curtain rises here and now on this mixture of comedy and tragedy known as “Revue Starlight”.

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Late night at Kikka University when all the students have gone home for summer break. However, five girls who are members of the Occult Research Club have not gone home. Calling it ‘the first cool of the evening quest’, the girls have decided to investigate a rumor about the Tokugawa buried treasure and sneak into the university’s data warehouse. What they find is not the rumored treasure, but rather, two extremely well-preserved mummies of two young girls. Sayaka Kamoshida, who is the one to originally get her friends to sneak with her into the warehouse, secretly steals the mysterious ‘stone of life’ that was placed inside both of these mummies. Disappointed in the outcome of not being able to find the hidden treasure, they leave the data warehouse. The theft of the ‘stones of life’ is actually the trigger to resurrect these two mummies. One of the resurrected girls was the daughter of a former Baron, who, due to an unexpected incident, became an undead being via magic. Her name is Euphorsyne Studion. The other is Euphorsyne’s maid Alma V, who was created from a homunculus. Now, the two girls attack the members of the Occult Research Club in order to get the stolen stones back. Can the members of the Occult Research Club survive this development? Also, why were the stones of life stolen? A bloody tragedy of the late-night student dormitory attacks…

Satou Matsusaka has someone that she likes. Whenever she comes into contact with then, she is set into titillation. Surely, this has to be ‘Love’. That is what Satou thought. She will forgive anything if it is for the sake of protecting this feeling. Satou thinks it’s okay to deceive, commit crimes, rob, and even kill, to protect this feeling.

Standing alone in the Teramachi Sanjou shopping district in Kyoto, there is an antique store called ‘Kura.’ By coincidence, high school female student Aoi Mashiro gets to know the son of the owner of Kura, Kiyotaka, and ends up working there part-time. Kiyotaka has a soft demeanor with a frightfully sharp intuition. In fact, people refer to him as ‘Holmes’. Together, they undertake various requests concerning antiques that customers bring to them.

The Layton Detective Agency motto is “No matter what the mystery is, we solve all.” The daughter of Professor Layton, Katrielle Layton, along with her talking dog Sheri, and her assistant Ernest Greeves, run the Layton Detective Agency. Daily, they solve strange happenings that occur in London. Originally, she began working at the Agency as a means to help her find her father, Hershel Layton, who up and disappeared one day. Due to her incredible way of thinking, her skill for solving mysteries has gradually become a hot topic, and eventually, more and more requests come fluttering in.

Rachel opens her eyes and finds herself in the lowest underground level of a building. She has no memories and no idea why she is here. She tries to get above ground, but the cutthroat Zack, who wanders throughout the building with a head covered in bandages and carries a sickle that looks like it belongs to a Shinigami (Death God), appears before her. 'I have a request… Please, kill me.' 'Help me get out of here and I will kill you.' The strange bond that these two have, their 'oath', becomes stronger. What is waiting for them at the end? Why were they both locked up in here exactly? What is the fate that these two bear? While being fully prepared to die, both of them set out to escape this locked building.

The Imperial Capital, 1930. A strange group of people carrying musical instrument cases landed on Tokyo Station. They are called the ‘Jaegers’, and they are people who have come to hunt vampires. Amongst them, there stands a young man with striking serenity and an unusual aura. His name is Yuliy, and he is a werewolf whose home villages was destroyed by vampires. Yuliy and the Jaegers engage in a deadly battle over a mysterious holy arc only known as ‘The Arc of Sirius’. What truth awaits them at the end. With eternal affinity and the spirals of conspiracy entwined, this highly anticipated action-thriller anime begins!

An alternate ending to Steins;Gate, set in the visual novel’s Beta World Timeline. Okabe has given up on saving Kurisu and returned to his everyday life, but is suffering from flashbacks of the events that happened in the world lines he crossed, and of Kurisu’s death. He has sunk into despair, and starting with Mayuri, who encourages him to visit a mental health clinic, the labmen are worried for him. Before long, even ‘Kyouma Hououin’ has been sealed away… That’s when Okabe meets Kurisu’s former acquaintances and volunteers to become a test subject for Amadeus, a computer system in which Kurisu’s memories have been saved. Using an exclusive application, he can communicate with ‘Kurisu.’ Then one day, a girl comes to the lab for advice - a girl with a striking resemblance to Kurisu.

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Teruya Sakaki has awoken in a strange place with no memories of his past. As he explores this strange home, Teruya quickly realizes a horrible realization about himself. Teruya is no longer alive and is instead, a ghost. With no memories and no clues of how to escape this world and move on to the next, Teruya begins to wonder if he will be trapped to this world forever. However, a strange ally appears before Teruya in the form of Mei Misaki who just so happens to know who he is and might be able to help him move on… As popular as Another is, many don’t know it did receive a prequel of sorts in the form of Another Episode S/0. Rather than focus on the cursed class and the mysteries behind that, Another Episode S/0 focuses on a story prior to the events of Another experienced from two perspectives Mei and Teruya. While it might not have random deaths by umbrellas and elevator crashes like Another, Another Episode S/0 does have some dark themes to it that will truly please fans of the series. We recommend picking up Another Episode S/0 if you want to truly squeeze out every piece of the story you can from Mei Misaki’s world.

Kieli tells the story of a young woman named Kieli who is able to see the spirits of the dead. Due to her powers, Kieli has always felt out of place with others and her only friend just so happens to be a ghost of a girl who died in Kieli’s dorm. One day though, Kieli’s life changes when she meets Harvey who happens to be a being called an Undying. Made from used corpses and trained to be unstoppable soldiers, Harvey begs Kieli to use her powers to put to rest a spirit possessing an old radio. Harvey and Kieli’s adventure begin and in turn might give both of these troubled people a new outlook on life. Kieli is one of those adventures that loves to keep readers guessing what mystery or supernatural event will appear next. This only works so well in Kieli’s story thanks to the expert storytelling done by author Kabei Yukako. At 9 volumes long, Kieli might seem like a story that could run out of steam or grow boring but it never seems to. Readers will witness Kieli grow as a character who started of down and lonely to someone who believes in herself and begins to realize her purpose. Do you like ghost stories with more of an emphasis on character development and emotion? Then you’re going to like Kieli and just like Another, expect to find this story filled with mysteries that will hook you and never let go.

Kimi ni Shika Kikoenai: Calling you consists of three short stories compiled into a one volume light novel. One story focuses on a young girl who is lacking friends makes a fake phone in her mind but is amazed to hear it ring. On the other end is a young boy who has also made a fake phone and the two instantly find their lives intertwined. Another short tells the tale of a bond forged between to kids when one of them is able to use a healing power. The last story talks about a strange planet found in a hospital with a human face that sings a beautiful tune. Now enter the world of strange but intriguing stories when you begin to read Kimi ni Shika Kikoenai: Calling You. While Kimi ni Shika Kikoenai: Calling You might not hit the horror notes of Another, the strange individual tales within should still be quite appealing to fans regardless. We personally loved how author Otsuchi alongside artist Hasumi Miyako, truly capture the reader’s imagination with these quite outlandish tales of bizarre lives. However, don’t ask us which story of Kimi ni Shika Kikoenai: Calling You was our favorite. Honestly, we think they were all amazing narratives and thus recommend just picking up this short read and finishing all three stories at your own leisurely pace.

There’s a rumor that children tell each other to scare one another. Apparently, a shinigami exists that will remove the pain of a suffering individual. Death awaits those who run into this shinigami but equally so does sweet relief. However, this rumor about the so called Boogiepop—the shinigami’s name—is fake and just a rumor, right? Well, you’d be wrong seeing as Boogiepop is very real indeed… When we were kids, we always remember the stories we’d share with one another, especially the scary ones. The Boogiepop Series by author Kadono Kouhei, however, likes to fool the audience with a summary that seems almost childlike in nature but is far from anything a kid should read. Instead of just one normal narrative, Boogiepop Series gives stories that explore different characters and in turn, allude to a greater mystery to solve. Who is Boogiepop and what is their purpose? We dare not spoil it as we hope you guys and girls who love Another’s mystery and dark psychological elements will in turn pick up the Boogiepop series and see if you can piece together the story for yourself.

Ryougi Shiki comes from a long bloodline of supernaturally gifted people. Born with the strange Mystic Eyes of Death Perception, Shiki has the unusual ability to see death and kill objects and things by literally removing its origin. Shiki also has two personalities one that is a male persona while the other is female. Shiki’s life changes though when she is involved in a car accident and loses two years to a coma she ends up in. Not only did one of Shiki’s personalities disappear—the male one specifically—but she is having problems with connecting to memories of her past. In hopes that she can regain what she lost, Shiki assumes a fake persona and tries her best to once more live in the world as she once did… Author Type-Moon is pretty famous for their Fate/stay night series but few know of their novel series—that does have an anime adaptation—in the form of Kara no Kyoukai: The Garden of Sinners. Just like Another, Kara no Kyoukai: The Garden of Sinners truly keeps readers engaged with a story that screams mystery and horror with an amazing narrative thanks to an impressively written set of characters and a truly unique setting. Kara no Kyoukai: The Garden of Sinners is only 2 volumes long, but it tells a story that gives you exactly what you want regardless of which genre appeals to you most. While Kara no Kyoukai: The Garden of Sinners might have come out now 20 years ago, we’re telling you folks it’s still an amazing read even in 2018. Fans of Another are missing out if they don’t pick up and read Kara no Kyoukai: The Garden of Sinners as soon as possible.

In his literature club, Kyouichi Utsume is regarded as the centerpiece of the club. Dubbed the Lord of Darkness, Utsume is always known for talking about a so-called “Other Side” leaving his friends curious but often laughing it off as a weird obsession. However, Utsume’s friends find themselves losing their laughter when he vanishes right before them. Now on a search for where he went, students Toshiya Murakami and Aki Kidono—from the literature club—begin a search to find their supernaturally invested friend. The only clue they have to off of though is a girlfriend Utsume introduced prior to his sudden disappearance. Can these friends learn what happened to Utsume and bring him back? Imagine for a minute talking to someone and then they just disappear into thin air? That would be terrifying but also quite intriguing. Why did they vanish, where did they go and can they be saved? These would be some of the hundreds of questions running through your mind and we wouldn’t blame you. That’s why Missing: Kamikakushi no Monogatari is such an interesting read as it literally is about finding a missing person that wasn’t kidnapped but has disappeared due to unforeseen paranormal events. Missing: Kamikakushi no Monogatari is a series you won’t want to miss if you love piecing together clues just like what Another did so well in its narrative. We fully recommend checking out Missing: Kamikakushi no Monogatari and know fans of Another won’t want to miss this light novel series!

It should be noted, before we start, that thriller is slightly different to everyone, so please bear in mind that you may not like everything here, but these are indeed thriller anime. Now that is out of the way, what are thriller anime? Well, there are great stories where people start dying and the threat of death lingers as we do not know who the killer is. These are known as good death game anime. There are also stories involving time and trying to get something or get past a point. Finally, you have mysteries that need to be unwound and pique our interests. In fact, this is what is so crucial to a thriller anime. While yes, you don’t need a total mystery and could simply go at full speed throwing things out at the audience, usually a good thriller anime has enough sense not to tell you the whole story until very late in the game so that you are hooked and cannot stop. A great concept of thriller anime, and this really needs to be driven home, is death, or the threat of it. The threat of death, be it in real life or in anime, is something that grabs us. Human instinct is to avoid it, and anime characters obviously do not want to die and spill 10 gallons of blood everywhere. Storytelling is also extremely important here. Telling characters to run or investigate something is not interesting if that is all you tell them. There has to be some compelling reason as to why you want to keep watching and that is what is so important. While thriller anime can be about the chase, others can be very laid back while being very intense. One thing is for sure, you do not always realize what is going on at first. Please note that some spoilers will inevitably happen.

Keiichi Maibara has just moved to Hinamizawa (Shirakawa-gou in real life), a sleepy, small countryside town in June of 1983. He makes new friends in his school almost immediately and before he knows it, his happy life is full of nonstop fun with Rena, Satoko, Mion, and Rika. The village is even getting close to an annual festival, so Keiichi is looking forward to it. That is, until he learns that a string of unsolved murders also plague the town. When he starts asking questions, people, including his friends, shut down and some even get downright scary. Then, things get worse and before he realizes it, paranoia is getting the best of him, but is it because a friend is coming to kill him or something else? He snaps and kills someone. Keiichi blacks out, and the next episode opens like nothing ever happened. In fact, he’s now back in time with no memories. This time though, things are different? What is going on? Higurashi, while old for sure, is a classic example of a good, gritty thriller anime. We are told so very little that it makes total sense as to why you want to rush to watch season two—yes there is more—after season one. The threat of death is ever present, but it seems that the characters, or sometimes, not even at all, do not realize the danger that they are facing until it is too late. Something very hard to absorb in the first storyline, is how quickly things change in the next one. By the time you are trying to piece together what possibly could have been the cause of death or why characters acted the way they did, you are on to the next complicated, twisted, and new story.

There are some things that don’t make sense and shouldn’t be put together. Horror & Fantasy with a cute, tender romance, emotionally traumatized characters with comedy, pineapple on pizza, etc. But thankfully, the thriller genre does play well with just about everything else it appears with. Mystery has to be one of the biggest along with death games, but tragedies, time slips, adventure, and even mahou shoujo all play well with the thriller genre. What are some other shows that we can comfortably explore while getting our heart rates up and interests piqued?

Ryuk is a shinigami, or god of death, who has a special book where as long as he sees someone’s face, he can write their name in it and that person will die. Ryuk is bored with watching people die though and decides to have some fun by dropping his book into the real world. When Light Yagami stumbles cross it, he at first doesn’t believe it, but decides to test it out anyway on a criminal. When that person dies instantly, he’s shocked. Light suddenly realizes his goal in life is to become the savior of the world. He starts killing criminals in all sorts of creative ways which naturally gets the police involved. Murder is still a crime after all, even if the victims are criminals. As the police aren’t getting in anywhere, they bring in a young, genius detective named L. Surely, he will be able to crack the case. Thus an inevitable race against time begins. Regardless of whether you are a seasoned anime pro or not, the first—and sometimes only—time you watch Death Note leaves you pounding the next button to see what happens as the plot feeds into ridiculous drama. Looking back, it might not have been as intense as we felt, but thank goodness for that one limitation of the Death Note author needing to see the face of the human they want to kill, or this would have been a short-lived anime! Episode after episode, as the story gets darker and we sink a little bit deeper to learn more, Death Note keeps your blood pressure high as you crave to see if Light is really going to pull it off. Death Note is an excellent foray into the mystery genre. However, this thriller does, more or less, lay the story out for you.

Set in the town of Kamisu 66, Saki Watanabe, and her classmates Satoru, Mamoru, Maria, and Shun are all students at Sage Academy, a school for psychics. Everyone in this city has psychic powers. It is how many day-to-day things are handled. As their powers awaken too, they get to work more with them. However, when an excursion leads to them heading to a place that they are not supposed to go, they encounter a strangle, translucent, rainbow-colored creature that works for them. Confused, they press it for answers and what they uncover is a past where psychics murdered countless non-psychics before eventually isolating themselves in order to keep peace. When Saki starts to question why Shun—a boy she liked—left, things take a turn for the worst and these teenagers—who have the emotional and mental capacity of children—have to learn what the real world is like outside their little paradise. Shinsekai Yori shows just how truly dark and twisted the thriller genre can go. There are so many twists, turns, and close calls where they pull through by the skin of their teeth, that you cannot help but binge as much of the show as possible. What makes Shinsekai Yori so well done is the fact that this does not spoon feed you the story—a crime committed by many anime—but rather, drops a few breadcrumbs for you here and there to see how well you are paying attention before telling you a story–not the full one until the very end–through the eyes of a character. What’s more, the story is so well-done that you feel for the emotional and mental struggles that the children face as they are basically shown that everything they have been taught is lies. Whole humans are just erased from their memories. Our advice would be to make sure you have a lot of free time before diving into this one. Stopping to do anything is very painful.