Tatsumi Saiga was once a war photographer, but now does investigative photography. When investigating a club for exploiting a young girl, he discovers this girl named Kagura and her saliva grant powers. After he is caught and about to be killed, Kagura kisses him. This gives him the power to destroy anything he photographs and begins a game of cat and mouse between him and the organization trying to capture them both.
Well aged and underrated even in its time, Speed Grapher tackles a wide variety of shitty adult world subjects in an enthralling way. If you are looking for more anime recommendations like Speed Grapher, then head on down below.
Anime Like Speed Grapher
For Fans of Dark Action Anime
Black Lagoon
Average business man Rokurou Okajima found his life turned upside down when he was captured and held hostage by a mercenary group in Thailand called Black Lagoon. After learning how disposable his life was to his company, he decides to quit the salaryman life and join the very group of mercenaries that held him hostage. While he finds himself unexpectedly good at their various work, his ideals about the world vastly clash with those of his companions.
Both anime series take place in a seedy and lawless area and follow individuals that are not always morally upstanding either. Both do take their action and plot very seriously, but they aren’t afraid to pepper in playful moments either.
Darker Than Black
After the appearance of the Heaven and Hell Gates, then rose the Contractors, individuals that gave up their humanity for supernatural powers. In Section 4 of Japan around the Hell Gate, Chief Misaki finds herself constantly at odds with a Contractor named Hei, a man who takes missions from the ruthless underground Syndicate that slowly peel away the layers covering a threat to all Contractors.
Both series blend dark action, a dark setting, and supernatural powers. While there is just a hint of supernatural in Speed Grapher, Darker Than Black takes full advantage of the card and integrates the supernatural into everything.
Psycho-Pass
In the 22nd century, the justice system has changed. The Sibyl System now determines the threat level of each citizen by examining their mental state for criminal intent. This has become known as their Psycho-Pass. Once criminal intent has been identified, Inspectors like Akane Tsunemori are in charge of subjugating them. However, this tough job is not without dangers. This is why Inspectors are paired with Enforcers, like Shinya Kougami, latent criminals with just the right amount of psychopathy to keep other criminals in their place.
Both series take place in a morally and physically dark world in which the main character finds themselves embroiled in a deeper mystery. While Speed Grapher is more criminal and has elements of the supernatural, Psycho-Pass is about criminals under the guise of the law with major elements of sci-fi.
For Fans of Grotesque and Vaguely Sexual
Basilisk
When two warring ninja clans each find themselves supporting a different son of Hidetada Tokugawa as the next shogun, they each send 10 representatives to fight to the death. The winner of this fight not only gets Tokugawa support, but they earn the right to wipe out the other clan.
While ninjas and a war photographer have very little in common in plot, both series share a similar sort of flare for the visuals. They are gory, but also occasionally sexual in nature. There is also some quality supernatural violence as well, despite the ninjas.
Rin: Daughters of Mnemosyne
For Rin Asogi, things like getting stabbed are just an inconvenience, not a death sentence. Rin has eaten the time fruit from the world tree, rendering her immortal. While she has lived long, she suddenly learns of someone that is hunting down other immortals like herself.
Rin and Speed Grapher share a penchant for violence with supernatural elements. While Rin is more of a slow burn rather than the quick action of Speed Grapher, both have noir elements and enjoy mixing violence with the erotic.
Gantz
Kei Kurono is an apathetic young man that, while waiting for his train, runs into a childhood friend. When a homeless man falls onto a track, his friend coaxes him into helping save his life. Unfortunately, the train comes in and they both die. However, they both wake up in a strange room with other recently deceased people and a big black ball that tells them to kill aliens in order to gain their freedom.
Sex and blood. Speed Grapher is more nuanced with the use while Gantz just kind of likes to slap you in the face with both. While not a killing game, Speed Grapher has its fair share of gore, but with a more intriguing plot line.
For Fans of Guy and Girl Partnerships
Dimension W
In the future, humans have discovered the fourth dimension, or Dimension W, which is supposedly a source of infinite energy. Harnessing this energy in coils, the New Telsa Energy corporation has now set up a monopoly on its sale. Ex-soldier Kyouma Mabuchi is skeptical of this energy and still drives a gas-powered car for his job to hunt down illegal coils.
Both series are about a guy and a girl that end up teaming up in order to defy are greater power. No, not god. Either the government or a mafia-like organization. Both of the male main characters had difficult pasts and their new wards seem to have a positive effect on them despite leading them into more trouble.
Witch Hunter Robin
The world is filled with witches living low key among the population. With powers like ESP, mind control, and telekinesis, they are fiercely powerful. While many go undetected, the STN-J is responsible for capturing witches alive and turning them in for study in order to learn why they become witches in the first place. In order to aid in their investigation and replace the member they just lost, a witch named Robin from Italy is sent to aid them, much to the chagrin on the normal humans on the squad.
Witch Hunter Robin is more traditional with its supernatural elements. However, they are both dark action series that feature a younger girl that teams up with a gruff older man. The difference is that the sexual element isn’t there in Witch Hunter Robin, but a romantic one is alluded to.
Gungrave
Brandon Heat and Harry MacDowel grew up on the streets together and both turned to crime in order to get by. However, when their activities are noticed by the eyes of the expansive Millennion mafia syndicate, the pair find themselves brought under their wings and rising through the ranks. Things go well until one fateful day that changes it all. Years later, Brandon Heat is brought back from the dead to fight Millennion and its new leader, Harry MacDowel.
As much of Gungrave is a flashback, you don’t see the team up until the later bits of the series. However, they also have the same sort of element to them. The girl wants vengeance, protection, and the man is a tool for her to get that done.
Do you have more anime recommendations like Speed Grapher? Let fans know in the comments section below.
