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Karyl Trejo

Karyl’s first introduction to anime was none other than Sailor Moon, and when she had finished watching the complete series, she realized she was completely hooked. She soon graduated to Trigun, Hellsing, and Cowboy Bebop — and thus, her lifelong love of anime was born. These days, she remains a voracious watcher of anime and fills in the gaps of her downtime with whatever manga she can get her hands on. When she’s not arguing about the differences between sub and dub to the unwary (team sub all the way!), she’s memorizing the lyrics to her favorite J-pop songs so she can sing them to her cats.

Latest posts by Karyl Trejo (see all)

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• Best Psychological Anime of All Time - May 30, 2022

As far back as humanity itself, the great common denominator of our species has been communication. The way we convey our stories — and the very fact that we tell them — shapes how we live life, understand it, and tell stories of our own. Since the dawn of civilization itself, a few decades times a few thousand years ago, we have used myth and fiction to shape and explain our very lucid realities. Gilgamesh is so far ago, and yet we have tales not so distant even today. 

Art shapes the mind and meanders in a tango with story-telling. Most humans have visual connectivity to their conceptualization, and the fantastic is imaginable through a link between our capacities to understand what’s before us, and what we can consciously conjure. And in the great evolution of storytelling, arrived animation. Here, the limits for potential are expanded to the greatest horizons. 

Animation and anime, for as recent as it is, is only minutely different from those ancient stories that once reflected the experience and potentials of humanity. To that point, then, there exists little surprise as to why the world of anime draws us in so profusely.

The ultimate purpose and goal for anime will always be to teach us some understanding of the human condition. To explore “What does it mean to be in such a way?” is the crux underneath each bizarre visual, quirky joke, or epic battle anime can offer.

Reasons why one would like Akame ga Kill are bound by the very friction of the vacuum of space, and as vast as the stars themselves. As with any anime or work, there is a great synchronous drag that overcomes one. On one end of the harmony, there’s a subtle woe and quaint feeling at the realization that a truly beloved story has concluded or goes unfinished.

Conversely, there is also the excitement brought-out by the refreshing nature of the anime, and a desire to pursue and rediscover that excitement and the thrill of knowing there are endless stories talented imaginers conjured up for watching. 

Thankfully for everyone, there are more anime like Akame ga Kill to keep the mind young, and there is far more to explore in the world of anime.

The following recommendations will orbit themes and general similarities to Akame ga Kill, where some will be only tangential at closest. The following recommendations will maintain the full honor of not spoiling anything for you, the viewer, of course.

This list is meant to introduce a new exploration into the world of anime, whether you have seen many, or have only seen Akame ga Kill. It is also important to highlight that there is no particular order or ranking for the anime, as they are all independent suggestions.

By providing information about the show, the reader can determine their interest. If metrics are your thing, the end does contain a subjective best recommendation tiering.

The list is as follows:

• Tokyo Ghoul
• Kill la Kill
• Seven Deadly Sins
• Black Lagoon
• Future Diary
• Soul Eater
• Fullmetal Alchemist

Choosing an Anime after Akame ga Kill

To understand what makes a good follow-up to Akame ga Kill, one must first understand why Akame ga Kill itself is memorable. Fantasy is the tip of the pyramid of boxes and labels Akame ga Kill rests upon.

At the root, Akame ga Kill is a venture into the realms of strife with governing powers and corruption, and one approach to the dark realities that parallel our own governing bodies and grim circumstances. The show itself is very dark, laden with death and violence, and riddled with corruption and vengeance. 

Still, there is humor caddied throughout and lighter moments of interpersonal relational development that makes Akame ga Kill so enjoyable and relatable. We all have dark realities to face as humans, and we all have sentiments toward those in a higher power who seem to have control over those without choice.

Tatsumi and Akame are the two most notable characters in the show, and the two most closely followed. Their goal: their summation of grief and anguish is the notion of the injustice and unbalanced rule and power of those who abuse their fortune over others. The show is dark not just in content and in theme, but in practice as well.

The show is ruthless, as it develops memorable characters who the audience has time to learn about and cherish… only to kill them off in brutal ways. 

Akame ga Kill also makes light of deaths each episode with light-hearted farce or slapstick humor, but it reminds the audience how glimmers of comedy are how these characters cope with their devastating losses.

As far as action goes, Akame ga Kill is loved for its art style shifts at different points, and the unique battles and dramatic fights that get the crew one step closer to the authoritarian boss.

Tokyo Ghoul

Tokyo Ghoul takes place in Japan in an alternate reality where superhuman-like cannibals (called ghouls) co-inhabit society and order with regular humans. The story revolves around one Ken Kaneki, who finds himself in a unique blend of humanity and ghoul simultaneously.

The show is very dark in nature and in the palette and deals with many complex commentaries on the relationships between the humans and the ghouls. For instance, ghouls survive by eating regular humans as their primary and sole form of sustenance. Ken serves as the major link to understanding either side.

Tokyo Ghoul is worth the watch primarily for its complex storyline. Many shows have visuals or dialogue and side characters that bring attention, but here, the overall world is what reels in its audience. The dialogue has been said to be less meaningful than the manga, but the dialogue in the show holds its own, making for memorable moments.

The portrayal of ghouls as antagonists, but also individual beings worth belonging, juxtaposes the typical conventions of evil and good by creating a blurry nuance between humans and ghouls. This anime explores class struggle and explores, much like Akame ga Kill, what makes up the arbitrations and norms of the societies we are a part of.

By having a link between the human and the ghoul, as well as an organization that hunts down ghouls in the show, Tokyo Ghoul takes the audience into a long-term “walk a mile in my shoes” approach. By learning to empathize with the complexity of the ghouls’ hierarchies and their own internal class struggles, it forces the audience to reexamine what vilifying means for people living together, and the inherent roots of evil itself.

Tokyo Ghoul is a fine show to segue from Akame ga Kill if the meta-commentary and brutal realities of themes are something you enjoyed and appreciated. That is not to say that the show doesn’t have captivating fights and sentimental moments, of course; it also has lots to share with Akame ga Kill in terms of gruesome fights and intense combat moments.

Kill la Kill

The world of Kill la Kill takes place in the fictional Japanese island that is Honnō City. In a land where rank and role in society follow a caste system based on the uniforms the inhabitants wear, the show explores one teenage girl’s quest for revenge. The show revolves around the life of Ryuko Matoi, the aforementioned teenage girl looking for vengeance.

Being a low caste member, Kill la Kill follows Ryuko’s journey into how she handles the system she is a part of, and what it means to be born into social and economic poverty.

There are many qualities to enjoy from Kill la Kill, but there must come a foreword about the nature of the show. Because there are such heavy themes circulating around clothing, the show does not shy remotely from addressing the lack of clothing in the show. Kill la Kill can be downright unsettling in its portrayal of Ryuko, who is often seen scantily clad, and there are lots of moments where nudity is borderline, and the show casually writes off an explanation for it.

Those warnings aside, of the many reasons to enjoy Kill la Kill, the theme — much like with Tokyo Ghoul — takes the cake. The show is much more lighthearted in its portrayal of the protagonists’ struggles, while not downplaying the emotions that Ryuko encounters. Kill la Kill is more whimsical in many senses, and tends to follow colorful visual fights, and has just as colorful scores.

Though being a more lighthearted viewing, the themes follow hard realities of being born into a system with little upwards mobility, and an unfair prejudice enforced on those of lower class. Much like in Akame ga Kill, Kill la Kill revolves around a goal to destroy the heads of a corrupt system that oppresses those beneath them.

Kill la Kill is a good transition from Akame ga Kill for the reasons that the themes of the shows are incredibly similar. While Akame ga Kill revolves around a corrupt emperor, Kill la Kill focuses on one “empress” who employs an unjust system riddled with unjust bureaucrats.

Seven Deadly Sins

Set in the fantastical fictional major landmass known as Britannia, Seven Deadly Sins is a fantasy anime in every sense of what the fantasy genre can include. Britannia is home to various mythical creatures such as giants, gods, fairies, humans, and demons. These various races and creatures have all been at war at different times and some throughout, and there are the conventional and familiar evil guys, and the good guys.

Seven Deadly Sins, however, turns this on its head by making the Seven Deadly Sins the protagonists and those who stand for good, while crusaders and commandments — a group rivaling the Seven Deadly Sins — all do evil things and stand for all vices. The seven deadly sins themselves are all individual characters, but the protagonist is a small guy and leader of the group called Meliodas. 

There are many exciting fights and interesting powers showcased throughout all of Seven Deadly Sins, and by far this notion alone is why one would want to watch it. Much like Akame ga Kill, there are lots of creative fights with gratuitous blood squibs and intensities, but this show takes it up one notch with color. Because of the immense fantasy characters, the fights can become a lot more exaggerated and bizarre, only gaining more attention and being even more extravagant.

Another key detail is the development of characters. Having seven characters as the main cast second to the protagonist is no easy feat, but the show does a good job at exploring each character and their side pursuits, as well. The characters are not necessarily going to rock one to their core and break down crazy complex constructs, but the characters are enjoyable, and difficult to pick a favorite from.

Akame ga Kill has a wide array of characters the audience grows to like but tends to have them be obliterated or brutally murdered not long after. Seven Deadly Sins also does a great job at creating memorable characters that any viewer is sure to enjoy. Much like Akame ga Kill, the show also features wild fight scenes, but with more color and flamboyant flare throughout.

While the show explores societal commentary, it is not in the same direct way as Akame ga Kill. Rather, Seven Deadly Sins faces the traditional evil versus good, but the meta understanding of their titles and what those titles mean in real life force the audience to reexamine if what we know as “good” really stands for good at all.

Black Lagoon

Black Lagoon is a different style of anime in comparison to the many others in this list. While most of the anime in this list are fantasy centered, Black Lagoon has more the equivalent to a thoughtful Hollywood action movie turned into a series than a fantasy anime. Bear with us, though, as there are several good reasons to watch Black Lagoon.

Black Lagoon takes place in the fictional city of Roanapur, in the very real country of Thailand. The show’s protagonist is a seemingly normal former businessman turned outlaw crewmate. His name is, Rokuro Okajima, or “Rock.”

The show is a gun-toting, blasting, crime-filled action drama exploring the daily interactions of the Lagoon Company onboard a torpedo ship. They are frequently faced with pirates, smugglers, traffickers, and the show really explores what these vices mean to those detached from it, and those new to the realities of it.

Black Lagoon as a show doesn’t have a lot of sword fights or magic, but the action and fights are epic gun fights akin to anything like The Matrix to any Quentin Tarantino film. The animation is a bit more realistic save for some ships, but the landscapes and coloring of the show are very memorable and beautiful.

The characters are also incredibly well developed, and even though subtle conversations, there are great amounts of commentary regarding the nature of work they are in, as well as its significance and implication to the human experience.

This show has a lot of potential to be a refreshing new direction for an Akame ga Kill fan. The reason to watch Black Lagoon following Akame ga Kill is for the action, and for the meaningful character explorations in the show. Through simple conversations and visual cues, the audience sees the characters of the show grow not at climactic moments, but gradually throughout the entirety of the show. From start to finish, the transformations of paradigms within the characters, be it through violent fights or more comfortable moments in the ship, are worth it — especially with some easy-on-the-eyes animation.

Future Diary

Could man be a successor to a god? That’s a pretty tough question to answer, unless one lives in the world of Future Diary, in which case? Yes, he absolutely can be replaced. The god in question here is Deus Ex Machina, a god who is dying and sets up a battle-royale to determine his new successor.

Yukiteru Amano is randomly selected by Deus to be one of his candidates, and the show is all about his process in taking part in the battle royale. Alongside him is Yuno Gasai, his murderous blood-thirsty sidekick and love interest.

This show is entertaining for the adventure and notions of the future and foresight. It has captivating visuals, and the characters are very thoroughly developed, even for characters who are only on screen for an episode or less.

Many of the villains and antagonists have a backstory that allows the audience to empathize with, and some of the content can be very rough in theme. The show has plenty of fights and outbursts of ultraviolence but pairs it off with more lighthearted moments.

Future Diary makes for a very fair venture following Akame ga Kill. There are commentaries on culture and the situations that lead to one becoming the way they are later in life, but this show is ultimately going to be rather different than Akame ga Kill.

Similarities include the rather normal male lead with a super powerful female sidekick and a fantastic development of side-characters. While some of the themes regarding corruption are different, both address how people cope with the suffering inflicted by someone or something higher than them.

Soul Eater

Soul Eater is about, well, soul-eating. Imbued with great power and purpose, the ten main characters are tasked with consuming the souls of 99 characters and a witch, plus one. Death is the overarching boss and is the head of the Death Meister Academy, set in the fictional Death City in Nevada, United States of America.

Each “meister” is granted a living weapon: a sidekick who transforms into their weapon used for harvesting souls. The ultimate goal is to become Death himself’s scythe. 

Soul Eater does a spectacular job of maintaining and developing a large slew of main characters, all without overcrowding. While there are many main characters, the pair with the highest focus would have to be Maka Albarn and Soul Eater Evans, or “Soul.” Maka makes for a strong female lead, albeit with faults at the expense of a broken upbringing.

The show, as mentioned before, does a really solid job at developing characters with interesting backstories that work together with their partners in a way that feels dynamic rather than forced-pairing. The same way a master swordsman or marksman has harmony with his weapon, so too must the user with his companion.

Learning to gradually change in ways that help both the living weapon and the meister to harvest souls of evil people, the two learn the simple universal theme of working together, amongst other themes laid throughout.

Visually, the show is very colorful and has a very gothic and emo tone all around. There are grotesque designs, not in an unappealing way, but in the literal sense of what the grotesque is. Warped images and dark gradients juxtaposed with vibrant colors make for very interesting and captivating settings.

The show also has substantial comedic relief, and its vibrant moments are animated just as brightly, and it makes for a thoroughly enjoyable viewing experience.

The similarities between Akame ga Kill and Soul Eater are fewer in comparison to the majority of the listed anime, but it is worth giving a watch to. The show very spectacularly develops its characters much like in Akame ga Kill, and it is less dark in gore and content, but no less fun.

Rather, in many ways, it proves that gore and dark broodiness can exist in a show, but that a metaphorical amount of color can bring out some of the most well-rounded entertainment in a dark fantasy anime.

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood

What do control and change mean to a human being? What are the weights of the knowledge humans carry, and if you had the chance to undo or reverse a fate, would you? Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is heavily touted as one of the best fantasy anime out there, and with substantially good reasoning.

Following the remarkably winsome Elric brothers (Edward and Alphonse) and their tragedies comes a tale of bending the cores of matter (atoms) into something else. Alchemy allows those who have mastered it to be able to conjure and transmogrify matter from other matter, often with severe consequences.

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is a profoundly symbolic and thematic show. It might not seem it at first glance, as it is indeed a fun show and can be entertaining even with passive watching. Still, the show is laden with meaning and constant questioning of what the small and mundane means for a greater whole.

What impact do electrons, protons, neutrons, and atoms, in general, have on the world around them? What impact do the mundane moments, the negligible day-to-days have on the meaning of life as a whole? What do atoms mean about us, and what do we mean in the greater scheme of it all?

While trying not to delve into existentialism, the show does address the more meaningful aspects of what the smallest aspects of human life imply for the human experience as a whole, as well as the consequences of many small notions and shifts in the much larger picture. The show’s music and characters are all incredibly laudable, and the visuals are nothing to die for, but have their own touch and are uniquely memorable.

Granted, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is a bit different than Akame ga Kill. It is not quite as gory or moody and dark. Still, it explores the greater themes of a severely questionable governing system, but it also addresses the deep conflicts and desires of humanity through two brothers and the people they encounter. The violence is less gruesome, but the action is not lackluster and is still incredibly enjoyable.

Ultimately, this is the anime to watch if the story and dialogue are what draw you the most. If you want to start exploring other genres and types of anime, this only slight foray away from Akame ga Kill is sure to lead you to the other wonderful explanations anime has regarding the human experience.

Can’t Decide What to Watch Next? Our Recommendation

The best overall recommendations are Black Lagoon and, following close behind it, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood. We have chosen both of these anime for different reasons, and with some minor stipulations to understand. However, that said, all of the anime on this list are worth watching.

Even still, there are more anime not on this list worth watching. The point is that the greater seas of anime are stupendously boundless, and in those seas, there are so many anime worth watching.

This list intends to cultivate a small handful of curated anime that have been enjoyed and praised while retaining a great number of resemblances to Akame ga Kill.

Black Lagoon is a commentary on the philosophy of man’s condition. Each act and scene contributes and plays out like an experience the audience is passively witnessing firsthand. You see and almost develop with the characters in their exploration of good and evil nuanced at its finest. This show is great for those feeling really adventurous and ready to explore the differences in anime that can be enjoyed.

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is the more familiar, but absolutely no less enjoyable route to start venturing out. Act for act and episode by episode, the audience also seems to grow with a pair of brothers that never existed, yet have existed anywhere a familial bond is felt. Its characters are well developed and the fights are as fantastical as its genre, and thus is better suited for those wanting a closer link to Akame ga Kill while still venturing out.

In any case, the choice for any of the anime you watch is entirely yours. These recommendations are ultimately a recommendation but are sure to entertain regardless. Have confidence in the shows listed before you, and enjoy them for years to come.

Frequently Asked Questions about Akame ga Kill!

Our Final Thoughts on Akame ga Kill

Akame ga Kill has a lot to teach us about corruption, rage, passion, sacrifice, and growth. Though the characters are fictional, and even potential examples of how not to react, it is irrevocably easy to attribute great deals of sympathy and relatability to the characters in the show. We have all felt a lack of control over our situations, have experienced anger and rage at a higher position, and have sacrificed for those whom we love. We have all grown in one direction or the other, and understand that consequence is a guarantee.

How we understand it may be different, but seeing Akame ga Kill reminds us what it’s like to directly address those feelings. There is a lot to learn about humanity, and many emotional and entertaining ways to continue our age-old pastime of tale-telling — may story guide you in the best of your adventures.