Dark fantasy has been all the rage in recent years, and its influence has caused more Seinen andadult animeto be released. The much-anticipated anime adaptation of the popular manga Ragna Crimson by Daiki Kobayashi has finally aired, bringing a brilliant, compelling revenge story to a wider audience.
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In this story, humans must fight against dragons for survival, the stakes are high, but the body count is higher. Many sacrifices must be made to stop the dragons. If you’re eager to find more anime series like Ragna Crimson, here are ten recommendations.
10Akame Ga Kill
If you’re after an easy entry into the world of anime that’s a little darker than usual, Akame ga Kill is a great place to start. The story follows Tatsumi as he looks for a way to earn money for his poor village. However, after experiencing the corruption of those in power, he joins Night Raid, a band of assassins bent on overturning the current monarchy.
It presents itself as a normal Shonen with a typical protagonist and comedic flavor, but this anime isn’t shy with character deaths and only gets more brutal as the show goes on.
9Demon Slayer
You’ve probably heard ofDemon Slayeralready, and you might be wondering why it’s on this list. It’s definitely not the darkest anime, and it has plenty of lighthearted moments in between fight sequences. However, it perfectly fits the theme of fighting for humanity that is present in Ragna Crimson.
Rather than dragons, demons are terrorizing the citizens of Japan, and since humans are their source of food and power, there are plenty of unsavory moments. However, it’s tame enough that Demon Slayer maintains its Shonen genre.
8Jujutsu Kaisen
Jujutsu Kaisenhas made a name for itself with its concept and likable characters, and with its second season currently airing, you’ll be in for a surprise. Jujutsu Kaisen was already on the darker side of Shonen, but in the next story arc, everything gets turned up to eleven. Bigger fight scenes, bigger risks, and much bigger damage.
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This anime is perfect for getting into the grittier stuff since season one is a bit more traditional but still has some brutality in it. That progression does a great job of reflecting the growth of Yuji and the rest of the cast.
7Chainsaw Man
With the nameChainsaw Man, you can’t expect a clean, innocent anime. You should expect more than a few people to die. However, you might not expectDenji himselfto be such a simple person. All he wants is to live a normal life and get a date with a girl. Of course, protagonists are never that lucky.
By virtue of being contracted with the chainsaw devil Pochita, he has a got a target on his back, so he’s got to fight to survive. The bloodshed is prominent in this anime, leaving few to survive by the end, but you’ll have to watch it to find out exactly who.
If you want a strong, female lead, Claymore has got you covered. In this anime, demonic Yoma disguise themselves as humans and secretly devour innocent people, and only the warrior women known as Claymores can find and kill them. This story follows the weakest Claymore Clare on her quest for revenge.
This anime has fantastic storytelling and fight sequences, and it doesn’t waste time with extra exposition. Claymore is a great example of showing what’s going on and not telling it, while also avoiding many problematic tropes often seen in anime women.
5Tokyo Ghoul
When it comes to man-eating monsters, ghouls aren’t lacking as a threat to humanity, but it’s not like all of them are bad. Unfortunately, the threat of ghouls is too large to leave alone, and the Japanese government is dedicated to exterminating all of them.
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This anime has great animation and fight sequences, and because each ghoul is unique, it’s always fun to watch even if all the fights end with someone dying. This series gets more complex as it goes on, so things get more interesting as you keep watching.
4Hell’s Paradise
The goals of a protagonist are never too complex.Gabimarujust wants to see his wife again. If he needs to go to a mysterious island and investigate the strange phenomenon there, then he’ll do it. It doesn’t matter how deadly it is or that he has an executioner following his every move.
You follow Gabimaru in his exploration of the mysterious island, his encounters with other convicts, and fighting strange creatures that inhabit the land. You’d never think someone who wanted to die would have such a thrilling adventure.
3Parasyte -The Maxim-
If you have a fear of bugs crawling in your ears at night, don’t watch this anime because that’s how it all starts. Parasites fall from space and take over people’s bodies and turn them into living weapons. Shinichi Izumi is lucky enough to have headphones, so his brain wasn’t taken over. It’s just his right hand.
With tons of hostile parasites around, people dying becomes commonplace. In the first episode, a whole montage is dedicated to seeing it happen. If you can get past the gore, it’s actually a thrilling story with clever, high-paced fight sequences.
As far as anime goes, Berserk is one of the more notorious. The main character Guts is easily identifiable by his large stature and humongous sword. However, this anime is not for the faint of heart. There is carnage, bloodshed, and many mature themes that are definitely not suited for all audiences, so watch at your own risk.
However, if that doesn’t deter you, you’ll be able to enjoy what is largely known as one of the best fantasy stories out there.
1Attack On Titan
In terms of similarity and content, Attack on Titan resembles Ragna Crimson the most. Both feature deadly monsters that defy logic and massacre humans indiscriminately, and they both have main characters that wield unknown power and the capability to end the struggle of humanity.
Attack on Titan’s legacy speaks for itself. For several reasons, this series has held the attention of anime watchers everywhere since its debut in 2013, and with itsending coming soon, now is a perfect time to watch it.
