Gleipnir, an ongoing anime series from Spring 2020, delivers a blend of action, dark fantasy, and occasional ecchi scenes, all wrapped in the enchanting love story of its main protagonists.
Based on Sun Takeda’s manga, Gleipnir centers around Shuichi Kagaya, an ordinary high school student in a mundane small town. However, his life takes a dramatic turn when he undergoes a surprising transformation, morphing into a monster resembling a mascot doll.
Shuichi’s world is forever changed when he encounters a beautiful girl in need during a fire. Determined to save her, he unveils his hidden abilities, donning the persona of a furry mascot doll with a dog-like head, armed with a large revolver and a zipper on his back.
As the girl, Claire Aoki, discovers Shuichi’s dark secret and their paths intertwine, they embark on a journey together, forming a couple that complements each other despite their contrasting personalities. Together, they investigate the bizarre phenomena around them and find themselves entangled in a dangerous hunt alongside other monsters.
If you find yourself captivated by the deadly and intriguing duo of Shuichi and Claire and crave similar shows, here are some anime recommendations that are like Gleipnir:
Anime Like Gleipnir
1. Tokyo Ghoul
- Episode: 12
- Genres: Action, Drama, Psychological, Supernatural
The biggest similarities can be found in the main protagonist: a boy whose life suddenly changes forever, turning into a monster. They must adapt to these changes and live their new reality.
As the title suggests, this story is set in Tokyo in an alternate reality, when humans live side by side with ghouls, flesh-eating creatures that look the same as normal humans.
The main protagonist, Tokyo Ghoul, Ken Kaneki, is a college student who dies after being attacked by his crush, who asks him out and turns out to be a ghoul. Kaneki was rushed to the hospital and underwent surgery without regaining consciousness, only to discover he became a half-ghoul human due to an organ transplant from his ghoul crush.
Kaneki must face and adapt to a harsh new reality. To survive, he must deal with humans and ghouls and, most importantly, his inner conflict. You can check anime like Tokyo Ghoul and Tokyo Ghoul watching order.
2. Killing Bites
- Episode: 12
- Genres: Action, Ecchi, Sci-fi, Seinen
Both are ecchi and seinen categories with characters who can turn into monsters and are forced to fight to the death.
Hitomi, the main character of Killing Bites, is kidnapped by students with evil intentions. Little do they know that Hitomi is a human-animal hybrid with extraordinary combat abilities. She kills them all except for Yuya, who sees the transformation and battles with the lion hybrid in an abandoned waste treatment facility.
Creatures like Hitomi have existed since ancient times, and to this day, this hybrid participates in the “Killing Bites” battles that were a turning point in the Japanese economy. Yuya’s life is turned upside down, and his entire existence will be linked to Hitomi’s ability to participate in savage matches.
3. Cencoroll
- Episode: 1 Movie
- Genres: Action, Sci-fi
Between Gleipnir and Cencoroll, there are action scenes and the presence of strange creatures.
In Cencoroll, when an unknown gigantic monster suddenly towered over the skyline of a Japanese city, the expected thing happened: the Japanese Defense Forces prepared tanks while the public panicked.
No one knows what it is or where it came from, but Yuki, a bold and inquisitive teenage girl, has a secret.
His friend Tetsu secretly cares for a strange creature named Cenco, who will soon prove to have some extraordinary, if not impossible, characteristics.
Another teenage boy, a stranger with a mysterious connection to the monsters attacking the city, appears, sparking the battle that will ensue.
4. Guilty Crowns
- Episode: 22
- Genres: Action, Mecha, Romance, Sci-fi
Guilty Crown And Gleipnir had a boy-girl duo with a male protagonist who was previously a normal guy before his life completely changed, and he was forced to take sides and fight.
In 2039, ten years after the outbreak of the Apocalypse Virus, the nation of Japan fell under the control of CGQ, a military force that is supposed to restore order in its way. An organization called the Funeral Parlor is the only one to put up a fight.
The main character, Shu, is a high school student living a normal life until he meets a mysterious girl named Inori, who is also a member of the rebel organization Funeral Parlor and seems to be a key member.
Suddenly, Shu discovers that he can wield a weapon called a void, which can be drawn out of a person as a manifestation of their personality. Shu was forced to decide whether to leave his comfort zone and fight or just run and watch from a distance.
5. Darwin’s Game
- Episode: 11
- Genres: Action, Mystery, Shounen
The plots in both anime are centered around an ordinary man whose life changes completely, who becomes involved in a fight for his life. They both have a mischievous female protagonist with a sadistic side.
The story revolves around Suou Kaname, who is invited to try out a mobile app game called Darwin Game. Little did he know that the game involved two players fighting, and there was the possibility of dying, both in the game and in the real world.
Kaname realized there was no way to quit the game, so he decided to finish it, find its creator, and avenge him.
6. Mirai Nikki
- Episode: 26
- Genres: Supernatural, Thriller, Romantic
The male protagonist is indecisive with a softer side, while the female protagonist is a strong and domineering girl with a dark past. Without the help of the women, the two men would be destroyed. Also, between Gleipnir And Mirai, Nikki has a lot of action scenes and bloodshed.
Amano Yukiteru is a loner who enters high school and observes everything from his safety zone while he keeps a diary on his cell phone, recording all observations. Yuki seems to have no friends but often talks to his imaginary friends: Deus and his servant, the god of time and space.
Yuki experiences shock when he discovers Deus is a real god. Proving it by giving him a diary that can predict future events around Yuki. It seems like a blessing, but only until he discovers that Deus also gave away the diary to 11 other people. Seemingly harmless, but unfortunately for Yuki, a kill-or-be-killed parade begins due to Deus’ game rules.
Soon after, Yuki’s strongest ally joins the game, a pink-haired girl named Yuno Gasai, who is obsessed with Yuki and claims to love and protect him at any cost.
7. Parasyte
- Episode: 24
- Genres: Action, Sci-Fi, Horror, Psychological, Drama, Seinen
Temporary Parasyte focused on his aliens. Shinichi, like Shuichi, struggles with the actions he must take that make him even more of a monster. The difference is that Shinichi remains quite strong, even in the face of devastating events.
One night, sixteen-year-old Shinichi Izumi is in a deep sleep when an alien race of parasites descends upon Earth. One parasite infects Shinichi, trying to get his brain to take over his body, but gets stuck in his right hand.
Unable to transfer to the brain, the alien, Migi, now has no choice but to learn to coexist with Shinichi in his body to stay alive. Unfortunately, other parasitic aliens are not so friendly towards humans or parasites who fail to complete their missions.
8. Kekkai Sensen (Blood Blockade Battlefront)
- Episode: 12
- Genres: Action, Comedy, Supernatural, Fantasy
Like Gleipnir, Kekkai Sensen has many strange monsters in the city. This series focuses on the main character, who experiences various strange events that keep occurring.
Supersonic monkeys, vampires, and supernatural monsters live with humans. It has been a part of everyday life in Hellsalem’s Lot, formerly known as New York. When the gate between Earth and the Underworld opens, New Yorkers and beings from other dimensions are forced to live together.
There’s Libra, a secret organization of eccentrics and superhumans whose job is to keep order in the city and ensure that chaos doesn’t spread worldwide.
Kekkai Sensen follows the Leonardo Watch in the organization’s strangest place on Earth with his equally odd partners. Leo was originally just an ordinary guy who unknowingly watched his life go crazy and extraordinary simultaneously.
9. Dorohedoro
- Episode: 12
- Genres: Action, Comedy, Supernatural, Fantasy, Seinen
Both of these anime series feature the main character turning into a monster. However, they live their new life differently. Kaiman seeks revenge, and Shuichi becomes depressed.
The hole was a slum district where death and mutilation were common. The inhabitants of Hole are the dregs of society and the test subjects of magic users who live apart from it. Residents are constantly being tested or killed by these wizards.
In the Hole is Kaiman, a man with a head cursed to be like a lizard but with immunity to magic. He spends his time hunting down these magic users, especially witches who have changed their heads, and regaining their memories.
10. Devilman Crybaby
- Episode: 10
- Genres: Action, Horror, Supernatural
Both of these anime series feature the main character turning into a monster. They must adapt to their new life, from being a peace-loving man to being close to various kinds of violence.
Weak and indecisive, Akira Fudou has always had a fragile heart. So when his childhood friend Ryou Asuka asks him for help exposing demons, Akira accepts without hesitation. However, to Akira’s surprise, the place they are headed to is Sabbath: an immoral orgy. Then, chaos ensued.
Amidst bloodshed and death, a demon possessed the people there, transformed their bodies into strange monsters, and began to wreak havoc. To save his best friend, Akira unknowingly unites with the demon Amon and transforms into a devil, gaining the power to defeat other demons.
Despite giving him great power, this union awakens a dark side of Akira. Possessing the body of a demon but a still fragile heart, Akira works alongside Ryou, destroying those who harm humanity and those he loves. To finally get something terrible and unexpected.
