One morning, Shuichi Kagaya woke up as a monster. Complete with brute strength, a strong sense of smell, and big fluffy paws, he struggles to hold onto his humanity. Soon he meets a sadistic girl named Claire Aoki by saving her life. She holds his secret over her head and forces him to help her look for her sister that has also turned into a monster.
While it likes its ecchi and has a few unique little problems that hold it back, Gleipnir speaks to a pretty specific audience of anime watchers. If you are looking for anime recommendations similar to Gleipnir, head on down below.
Anime Like Gleipnir
For Fans Of Monster Main Characters
Dorohedoro
Hole is a disorderly district where death and mutilation are common. The residents of Hole are the dregs of society and the test subjects of the magic users that live separate from it. Residents are constantly tested on or just murdered by these mages. In Hole is Kaiman, a man with a head cursed to be that of a lizard, but with an immunity to magic. He spends his time set on hunting down these magic users in one small bit of justice for the people that live in Hole.
Both anime series feature a main character that was turned into a monster. However, they go about their new life in different ways. Kaiman seeks vengeance, Shuichi develops depression. Despite that difference, they both have a fair share of ecchi, so there’s that.
Tokyo Ghoul
The citizens of Tokyo now live in fear of vicious creatures called ghouls that blend in alongside humans and feast on their flesh. One day, Ken Kaneki, a shy college student, meets a girl called Rize who is also an avid reader like him. Unfortunately, as he finds out on his first date, Rize turns out to be a ghoul. Just when she is about to eat him, Kaneki is saved, barely clinging to life. In the process of surviving this attack, Kaneki finds out that he has now become a ghoul.
While Tokyo Ghoul doesn’t have quite the same dramatic physical transformation, but the series is about a boy who is essentially turned into a flesh-eating monster. Both series focus on these somewhat passive men as they try and often fail to keep grasp of their humanity.
Parasyte
One night, sixteen-year-old Shinichi Izumi was peacefully sleeping when a race of parasitic aliens descended on Earth. One parasite infects Shinichi, trying to get to his brain to take over his body, but ends up getting stuck in his right hand. Unable to relocate to the brain, the alien, named Migi, now has no choice but to learn to coexist with Shinichi in his body in order to stay alive. Unfortunately, the other parasitic aliens are not so friendly with humans or to parasites that failed to complete their mission.
While Parasyte focuses on aliens, Shinichi, like Shuichi, struggles with the actions he has to take that make him more into a monster. The difference is that Shinichi remains pretty strong, even in the face of devastating events. However, as he shares his body, he is not fully a monster.
For Fans of Sadistic Females
Future Diary
Yukiteru Amano likes to imagine himself as an observer. He spends his days keeping a diary on his cell phone, but not about himself, about everything that goes on around him. At home, he spends his time conversing with his two imaginary friends, Deus Ex Machina, the God of space and time, and Murmur, his assistant. However, one day he discovers his friends are not so imaginary when they imbue him with the power of a diary that tells the future and forces him into a bloody survival game with godhood on the line.
While Gleipnir is not a killing game, these two series are remarkably similar. Both series follow a rather spineless main character that is constantly controlled and manipulated by a sort of sadistic girl. However, in Future Diary, he is more defended than controlled by Yuno.
Darwin’s Game
After receiving an invitation, Kaname starts playing a mysterious new mobile game called Darwin’s Game. Unfortunately, when his opponent attacks him in real life, he must fight to survive. After narrowly winning his first fight, he discovers a hidden world of players that kill in order to win points.
A normal guy gets involved in something horrible in both series. They are accompanied by a sadistic girl that seems to have feelings for them while they struggle to retain their humanity in horrible circumstances.
Darling in the Franxx
In the distant future, the land is ruined and humanity now lives in the mobile city, Plantation. Inside, they are defended from massive life forms by children raised from birth to pilot robots called Franxx in boy-girl pairs. This story follows Hiro, once a prodigy, and now a failure. However, just as he was about to be cast aside, he meets a mysterious girl with horns that is a Franxx pilot dubbed The Partner Killer.
While the sci-fi setting of Darling in the Franxx is a big departure from the dark fantasy that is Gleipnir, it remains the same sort of deal. Passive and depressed main character meets quirky and sly main female that drags him into a whole lot of adventure. Feelings develop, secrets are uncovered, and brutality occurs.
For Fans of Dark Fantasy
Dororo
In order to become indomitable on the battlefield, a samurai lord barters his son’s organs away to 48 demons and then abandons him. However, his son doesn’t die. Instead, a medicine man saves him with primitive, but lethal prosthetics that allow him to hunt down the demons and regain his organs for an eventual battle with his father.
Both series are dark fantasies that are most notable for their horrific visual effects. While Shuichi looks fairly cute as a monster, Dororo makes no attempts towards making a cute main character who had terrible things done to his body.
Blood Blockade Battlefront
Vampires, fishmen, supersonic monkeys – They are all normal residents living alongside humans in Hellsalem’s Lot, formerly known as New York City. When a gate between Earth and the Beyond popped up there three years ago, old NYC became dominated by monsters, and now Libra, a secret organization, is tasked with keeping it in order. After hobbyist photographer Leonardo Watch obtains the All-Seeing Eyes of the Gods, he finds himself recruited into Libra.
While more of an urban fantasy, Blood Blockade Battlefront has tons of monsters inside its city. The series focuses on the main character that keep weird events in check. If you are looking for a dark fantasy series with levity in the same way Gleipnir has ecchi, then this is it. BBB isn’t ecchi, though, but it has some nice comedy.
Claymore
In Claymore, the world is overcome with demons called Yoma that constantly plague humanity. After Raki’s parents were killed by Yoma, he teams up with Claire, a Claymore, an order of powerful half-human, half-Yoma women that are shunned by society but fight to rid the world of Yoma. Together, each learns more about the each other and work towards their own goals.
Like your dark fantasy full of women and suffering? Well then, Claymore is for you! While Gleipnir has some funny moments, Claymore is all serious suffering, all the time as it follows women infused with the monsters they are charged with hunting.
Do you have anymore anime series like Gleipnir? Let fans know in the comments section below.
