On an artificial island in Tokyo Bay labeled as the Tokyo 24th Ward, a fire at a middle school changed the lives many, including three childhood friends, Ran, Kouki, and Shuuta. Having drifted apart after the incident, they are brought together on the first anniversary of the fire when their phones ring simultaneously and they receive a call from Asumi, a girl that died in that fire, showing them a tragedy that will come to pass and asking them to choose the future.
Interesting premise, at first, and carried by its animation over several hurdles, this series wavers heavily between really quite good and glaring in some plot points. If you are looking for more anime recommendations like Tokyo 24th Ward, then head on down below.
Anime Like Tokyo 24th Ward
For Fans of Choosing Your Future
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.
The Hazard Cast in Tokyo 24th Ward bears striking resemblance to the focus of Psycho-Pass. While Tokyo 24th Ward is bright and more super-heroic, Psycho-Pas is dystopian dark and more akin to police-type action.
Vivy – Flourite Eye’s Song
In a theme park ran by AI, there is a lonely stage where the first-ever autonomous humanoid sings in order to fulfill her mission of making everyone happy with her songs. This AI, named Diva but given the nickname of Vivy by a young fan, has an encounter with an AI named Matsumoto who explains he traveled from 100 years in the future where AI have advanced so far that they rebelled and started exterminating humanity. Together, he guides her to singularity points on a hundred-year journey in order to change the course of history.
Tokyo 24th Ward dips its toes into sci-fi with its technology, but Vivy dives in head first into the technology of science fiction. Regardless, both shows feature characters that are given the knowledge of a grim tragedy, then they go through various incidents in order to change the outcome.
Tokyo Revengers
For Takemichi Hanagaki, his second year of middle school was when he peaked. He had a small amount of respect as a thug, a loyal group of friends, and even a girlfriend. Fast forward twelve years later, and he is a single adult that can’t hold down a job. He has even found out that his middle school girlfriend was murdered by the vicious Tokyo Manji Gang. After an accident, he finds himself back in middle school and discovers that he can travel back and forth in time in order to help change his past and his future.
While Tokyo Revengers does have the element of time travel, it has a similar plot to Tokyo 24th Ward. The main characters are given knowledge of something terrible, then they put all their skills to work in order to stop it. Tokyo Revengers is more fist fights and gang politics than the grand action of Tokyo 24th Ward, but you do also get that same feel of brotherhood in both shows.
Id – Invaded
In this world, crimes are able to be solved by piecing together a criminal’s unconscious mind in ID-wells. However, in order to enter these ID-wells, you must be a killer yourself. Enter brilliant detective Akihito Narihisago. After his daughter was murdered, he sought vengeance on the killer and is currently serving his sentence. However, under the name Sakaido, he enters the ID-wells in order to help his fellow detectives piece together crimes.
Like Psycho-Pass mentioned above, Id: Invaded has a more police drama feel to it. However, both Id and Tokyo 24th Ward are about the people working to protect their city using a mix of super powers and futuristic technology.
For Fans of Trauma in The Friend Group
Mekakucity Actors
After spilling soda on his keyboard and not being able to get a replacement online because of the Obon festival, Shintarou Kisaragi leaves his home for the first time in two years. However, he gets caught in a hostage situation where he is rescued by a group of teenagers with eye powers. Afterwards, he is forced to join up with them where he discovers that their abilities seem to be like pieces of a puzzle waiting to be put together.
While Mekakucity Actors can be a weird series to get into, made clearer when you uncover the greater multimedia project, it has quite the same feel as Tokyo 24th Ward. Several people get magnificent powers and they use them in order to protect their city. It’s both colorful and the plot feels grand despite taking place in a rather small area of a city.
Anohana
After the death of childhood friend Meiko “Menma” Honma, Jinta Yadomi and his group of friends grew apart, each trying to deal with grief and guilt in their own way. However, when Jinta starts seeing what he believes to be Menma’s ghost, the group of friends are drawn together to help grant her long-desired wish.
Anohana essentially takes the same plot of losing a friend tragically and it breaking up the friend group, but treats it as a drama. This means the series is an emotional one focusing on overcoming that grief. Tokyo 24th Ward takes things to a more action-oriented place, but you still see some of the same grief earmarks in it.
Kiznaiver
Katsuhira Agata is a quiet teen whose ability to feel pain has vanished. One day, he, his friend Chidori, and four other teenagers are abducted and bound together by the Kizuna System. While not physically connected, their pain is. Now if one party member is injured, they all feel it.
Both Tokyo 24th Ward and Kiznaiver feature colorfully diverse characters that are bound together and given a unique power. While Kiznaiver is more about initial bonding rather than reestablishing a childhood friendship, they both portray a situation with more to it than meets the eye.
For Fans of Saving Your City
Dramatical Murder
Among the back alleys of an aging residential district, people play two games. There is Rib, a game of turf wars played among the gangs, and Rhyme, a game in which you fight in virtual reality. For Aoba Seragaki, he has no interest in either, yet through mysterious meetings and a loss in his memory, he finds himself dragged into both.
Both series take place in small areas of a city that seem to have an inordinate amount of problems. They then have those problems addressed by a blue-haired hero-type character. While Dramatical Murder is based off a boy’s love game, the anime – with the exception of the OVA – essentially cuts most of the BL down to subtext.
K
In this world, there are those referred to as Kings. They were individuals bestowed with great supernatural power and they use it to recruit others to their clan. To protect those members is a King’s great duty. However, after a murder of a Red clan member, a student is accused of homicide. During the man hunt, the city devolves into full-on war among the Kings.
Both series rely strongly on the use of colors to define characters. While K is more gang-oriented overall, both series focus on an event unfolding in a certain city and the super powered characters that get wrapped up in the event.
Gatchaman Crowds
One day, Hajime Ichinose is given a small book called a NOTE. It turns out that this is a device that allows her to transform into a Gatchaman, one of the legendary protectors of her city. Meeting other Gatchamen, they stress upon her the importance of staying secret and invite her into their base of operations and task her with helping them keep the city safe.
Both shows are ultimately about a group of young people trying to protect their city. However, perhaps what they have more in common is that they flash with lovely animation, but don’t exactly sizzle when it comes to depth of plot.
Do you have more anime recommendations like Tokyo 24th Ward? Let fans know in the comments section below.
