One day, Yuuhi Amamiya finds himself ceaselessly followed by a talking lizard. This lizard claims to be Sir Noi Crezant who has chosen Yuuhi to be the Lizard Beast Knight, one of several guardians of a princess who is destined to beat a mage that threatens to destroy the world. After being attacked by a representative of the mage and saved by his neighbor, Asahina Samidare, he discovers that she is the princess in question and is suddenly able to see a giant hammer in the sky threatening Earth. While swearing loyalty to her, he discovers that while Samidare wants to defeat the mage, that is only because she wants to destroy the world herself afterwards.
This is a series that has an absolutely nonsensical plot up until you actually watch the series and understand perfectly. It has been a long time since we’ve had a shounen anime like that, but I welcome it! If you are looking for more anime recommendations like Lucifer and the Biscuit Hammer, head on down below.
Anime Like Lucifer and the Biscuit Hammer
For Fans of Psychological Fights to Save Earth
Bokurano
During their summer vacation, 15 children are enjoying summer camp together. One day, they decide to go explore a cave by the sea, inside they meet a mysterious man named Kokopelli who is surrounded by high-tech equipment. Kokopelli claims to be a game developer and asks if the children would help him test it. Each child signs a contract, but instead of playing a game, they are actually piloting a giant mech to defend the earth from 15 different alien invasions.
Both series feature several rounds of battles where the fate of the Earth hangs in the balance. Like how each golem from the Mage gets tougher, so too do the opponents in Bokurano. However, while the stakes get higher in Lucifer, Bokurano starts off with high stakes from the first episode. Both series also feature a main character that is rather disillusioned with the world and may not mind it being destroyed – at first – but over the course of the series they grow into a more heroic role.
Assassination Classroom
After the moon is mysteriously turned into a permanent crescent by an unknown calamity, the students of class 3-E at Kunogigaoka Middle School are presented with a daunting task – Assassinate the creature that blew up half the moon before the year’s end or die when the world is destroyed. The creature in question, dubbed Koro-sensei by his class, is super fast, super strong, and by all respects, indestructible. However, while the students try and learn how to destroy him, they also learn that he is the best teacher that they have ever had.
Both series start off with a major looming threat in the sky and someone saying that they want to destroy the world. However, as things go on, you discover that the real threat to the world is not as it seems, and the constant battles the characters are put in help shape them as they have a number of coming-of-age moments.
Madoka Magica
Madoka Kaname and Sayaka Miki are your typical middle school girls, but one day they encounter a cute creature named Kyuubey that offers to grant them one wish. In exchange for their wish, they must become magical girls and protect humanity from witches. While Sayaka accepts right away, Madoka is more hesitant, not knowing what she would wish for. However, her decision is even further delayed when the mysterious Homura Akemi, a transfer student, begs her not to accept.
While Madoka Magica is about magical girls, both series are about people pulled into a fight for the sake of the very world. However, over the course of increasingly difficult battles, they begin to wrestle with their purpose and their mission. Essentially, both series have main characters struggling to embrace their destiny.
For Fans of The Girl I Like May In Fact Be Evil
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.
Both series are about loner boys who form a partnership with a girl to join them in battle. However, while Samidare is inspiring and honest in her intentions, Yuno is a murderous yandere who can occasionally be as dangerous to the min character as she is to his enemies. Samidare is a leader, and Yuno is a hardcore follower.
Gleipnir
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.
Both Lucifer and the Biscuit Hammer and Gleipnir follow men who wake up suddenly with powers and are only inspired to use those powers when they meet a mysterious and inspiring woman. However, Claire in Gleipnir is mysterious, but not quite evil. Her motives often remain unclear.
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.
Both shows have rather disillusioned young men being inspired and endeared to mysterious strong women that appear in their life suddenly. While Samidare is straightforward with her desires, Zero Two is meant to seem more mysterious and is often menacing in reputation only.
For Fans of B-Tier Shounen Anime
Planet With
Despite not having memories of his past, Souya lives a peaceful high school life. However, one day his town is threatened by huge objects floating in the sky. Conventional weapons are useless against them, but the 7 heroes charged with defending the city emerge in their mechs and head into battle. Souya, too, finds himself drawn to battle, but not against the objects, he is drawn to fight the heroes.
Both series actually share a creator, and while Planet With is more mecha, they actually share a lot of the same themes. The biggest thing Planet With and Lucifer and the Biscuit Hammer shares is the main characters seem to be sided not on the side of evil, but not on a heroic side either. A big theme in both is the main characters having to grow up and decide where they land on the moral spectrum.
Katekyo Hitman Reborn
Clumsy and talentless, Tsunayoshi Sawada, dubbed “Loser Tsuna” by his class, is the personification of failure. However, this loser’s boring life takes a new turn when he encounters Reborn, a baby and a hitman from the strongest Mafia family in Italy. Reborn has been sent to whip this middle school loser into shape because he is the heir to the Vongola Mafia Family. However, as heir, he now faces a constant onslaught of rivals that Reborn needs to help him learn to take down.
While Katekyo has a whole hitman theme, both series are considered B-tier shounen shows where there is big action, but not really the same memorable characters as other shounen series. Regardless, they gain power, companions, and the aid of a cute mascot while also being vaguely coming-of-age stories.
Rave Master
With the advent of the Dark Brings, a portion of the world was destroyed by an event brought on by their power. Now, an organization called Demon Card seeks their power for nefarious means. Haru Glory, a teenage swordsman, has recently inherited the title of Rave Master, a person who can wield Rave Stones capable of destroying the Dark Brings. Together he gathers friends and allies as he travels the world to find these Rave Stones.
Both series are old shounen style shows. A boy is chosen to gain a special power, has an animal companion, and goes on an adventure with some companions. While Rave Master plays things straight and Lucifer and the Biscuit Hammer has the twist of the main heroine wanting to destroy the world, they are both high action stories in uniquely crafted worlds.
Do you have more anime recommendations like Lucifer and the Biscuit Hammer? Let fans know in the comments section below.
