Historical anime is difficult to quantify. Many anime series use inspirations from our own world history in their stories, but they are using them to build their own fantasy world. It doesn’t necessarily make it historical.
Is Demon Slayer historical? It technically showcases a Taisho-set Japan. Did demons run rampant in pre-World War era Japan and was a large organization of super sword-wielding people there to defeat them? No. However, its often historically accurate setting does technically make it a historical anime.
History, while interesting in its own ways, is often made more interesting in anime with a few creative liberties. However, these historical anime recommendations take that inspiration from our real world history and weave it into their fantastic stories of varying historical accuracy.
Best Historical Anime
Golden Kamuy
Golden Kamuy likes to play quite the underdog. It tells its treasure-hunting story in a time period (post Russo-Japanese war, in the early 1900s) that isn’t explored much, in a place that isn’t explored much (Hokkaido), with a companion from a culture that is widely ignored (Ainu).
And yet, that is a large part of its charm because it shows all those things off in a way that you would like to see more of them in anime. The other part of its charm is its creative and silly characters.
Vinland Saga
If there is one historical group as popular as the samurai, it would be the vikings. However, you don’t see a ton of of vikings in anime – historical, fantasy, or otherwise. Vinland Saga remains the sole and shining viking story in anime detailing a young boy bent of revenge during the viking invasion of England.
While it highlights viking ferocity and a sort of superhuman strength on the battlefield that made them a staple in history, this series actually shows off quite a few aspects of viking life outside the battlefield as well.
Dororo
Akin to Demon Slayer, it probably wasn’t demons responsible to the death and destruction in pre-Warring States era Japan like Dororo suggests. However, while this series requires some suspension of disbelief for the demons and being able to live with and reverse horrific dismemberment, it does display the effect on war on common folk.
Honor and glory wither when up against starvation and having your entire village burned, and Dororo really does well to showcase the time period when most people lived small. It also emphasizes that when warlords go to war, it is the common folk that suffer.
Kids on the Slope
There wasn’t much going on that attracts anime plots in 1960’s Japan. However, Shinichiro Watanabe showed it off in this Jazz-tinged drama. While about two boys overcoming differences and bonding through a mutual love for Jazz, this anime series also highlights the unique problems people faced in the setting.
Most notable is the discrimination that the one of the main characters, a biracial boy, faces for having a mother that fell in love with an American after the war. By the 1960’s the physical wounds on the nation had healed, but the mental ones remained.
Moriarty the Patriot
While this series is one of those series that steals history to add to its world, Moriarty the Patriot also picks from fiction. This series takes the characters from Sherlock Holmes and does a bit of a reverse. Moriarty is the main character and Holmes is the antagonist to him.
In this series, you watch Moriarty bring down corrupt and cruel nobility with intricate murder plots in late 19th century England. If you think Sherlock Holmes is dry and dull, this is going to change your opinion, if only because it is much different from the literature.
Gosick
Gosick takes place in a fictional country conveniently injected into post-War Europe. It then takes a Japanese main character and puts him in a school where, throughout the series, you see him face discrimination due to his ethnicity.
Alongside its setting, Gosick’s plot also has some historical relevance. It is a supernatural mystery solver, but the resolution of those mysteries is often steeped in reality, not the supernatural. This mirrors the rise of mysticism and occult interest that were prevalent in the time period.
Taisho Maiden Fairy Tale
Taisho-set anime is a surprisingly growing sub-genre of historical anime, and a romance series is a great addition to that. However, while it provides a unique look into a modernizing Japan still holding onto cultural traditions, there is one interesting historical tidbit in this little romance series that is often eschewed by anime as a whole – the Great Kanto Earthquake.
The Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923 is one of Japan’s most devastating and deadly natural disasters, and something they don’t really like to revisit in anime as it is a bit of a national wound. However, the fact that it is portrayed and plays a part in this series makes it wholly unique.
91 Days
Japan is more yakuza in its crime underworld, and as such, doesn’t have much contact with mafia culture. However, despite that, 91 Days paints an excellent mafia story, even if it is not a terribly original mafia plot.
Despite being in a fictional city, it mirrors the realities of Prohibition-set America wonderfully and ends up being able to stand beside all of the other great revenge tales in anime with its quality.
The Heike Story
Based on a historical novel with liberties taken for the anime, this series actually tells the tale of a historical event. Prior to the Warring States Era, it wasn’t the Oda or the Tokugawa clans with power, it was the Taira.
This series really stressed the message that all things that rise must also fall as it documents the clan’s bloody downfall from grace due to their own actions and excessive pride.
Schwarzesmarken
Schwarzesmarken takes place in an alternate version of 1980s East Germany. In this alternate timeline, technology has advanced well beyond our modern weapons in order to fight aliens that want to strip the Earth of resources.
Yet, even while fighting aliens, the Cold War rages on and you still get to see some of the holes in the Communist doctrine that began to break apart the USSR in the real 1980s.
Otogizoushi
In Kyoto during the year 972 A.D., corrupt samurai run the city with corrupt politics and the common folk are suffering from famine and diseases. To combat this, the Imperial Court sends their best samurai out on a quest to receive a gem that can save the world. Unfortunately, he falls ill, so his sister decides to go in his place.
While Otogizoushi has some embellishments, it does focus on an interesting era of Japanese history that isn’t the Warring States period. If nothing else, it is pretty fun Mulan-esque story, too.
Black Butler
While ultimately about a posh young lord and mystery solver who is assisted by his demon butler with dibs on his soul, Black Butler is set in Victorian Era England.
It discusses real things like Queen Victoria and her obsessive grieving process for her dead husband Albert and other politics, although they are all heavily overshadowed by the show’s plot and supernatural elements.
Night Raid 1931
In 1931 Shanghai, Night Raid tells the tales of an intelligence agency staffed entirely by supremely talented people. With powers ranging to the supernatural, they try to fight against the oncoming onslaught that is World War II.
Drifters
Do you get unhealthily attached to historical figures? Don’t worry, it’s not weird, but you will enjoy Drifters.
Essentially, it takes a number of badass historical characters like Oda Nobunaga, Grigori Rasputin, Jeanne D’Arc, ect and places them in a magical world after their deaths where they do whatever they want, but mostly end up fighting.
Historical settings are all well and good, but it is people that made history. As such, it is a treasure to see those people from throughout history acting like psychopaths.
Baccano
From 1930s Chicago to 1711, Baccano is a show that spawns multiple time periods with its different stories. While it has flourishes of magic and supernatural elements, it does a fine job of keeping characters in tune with their setting.
Joker Game
With Japan right on the cusp of entering World War II, intelligence on other countries has become a valuable asset. Joker Game follows the stories of spies from Japan all around the world as they manipulate others in order to learn crucial pieces of information.
Rurouni Kenshin
From its prequel Samurai X throughout Rurouni Kenshin, this series tells the tale of a turbulent time in Japan through one samurai, his friends, and his many enemies.
From the Tokugawa Rebellion to the Meiji Restoration, a number of real changes that happened to Japan are showcased in Rurouni Kenshin.
Hyouge Mono
Not every historical anime has to be about warfare or alternate timelines. Sometimes it can be about lesser known aspects of history, like Hyouge Mono.
This series highlights not the martial, but the cultural aspect of being a samurai. As well as being good fighters, samurai were also deeply interested in other art forms like poetry, art, and, in this case, tea ceremony.
Rainbow
No one, anime or otherwise, like to take about the post-War rebuilding period of Japan. Likely for good reason. Historically, it wasn’t a great time for the Japanese people.
Rainbow gives a glimpse of that as it follows a band of young criminals that bond in a cruel jail in 1955 post-War Japan.
While the jail is cruel and its contained setting doesn’t provide for a large glimpse at the outside world, Rainbow is an excellent series at highlighting how hard situations build strong bonds of brotherhood.
Aoi Bungaku
Aoi Bungaku doesn’t so much focus on one time period in Japan, but rather it is the anime adaption of several pieces of Japanese literature that range from the Feudal Era to the 20th century.
Le Chevalier D’Eon
In 18th century France, loyal servant of Louis XV, Lia de Beaumont is murdered and Le Chevalier D’Eon follows her brother trying to solve her murder.
Although it takes a bit of a gender-bending stint, it is a fun romp through pre-revolutionary France.
Beyond the Heavens
The Romance of the Three Kingdoms may have been done to death in video games, but it is still pretty untapped in anime.
Beyond the Heavens loosely retells the tales of the era, following Cao Cao of Wei. However, where it differentiates from many other Romance of the Three Kingdoms media is that it maintains a positive portrayal of Cao Cao, who is generally seen as a villain compared to Liu Bei.
Rose of Versailles
The Rose of Versailles tells the story of a young girl raised to be a boy by her father, the Commander of the Royal Guard. She is trained to become a royal guard and her story is shown in juxtaposition to Marie Antoinette’s marriage and life with the King of France.
While the animation style may turn people off, they are missing out on a whirlwind of a story showing the days leading up to the French Revolution.
Kingdom
The Kingdom anime focuses on a fictional era in China’s long Warring States period. It follows the story of Xin who shared a dream with his friend (and fellow slave) Piao that they would become Great General of the Heavens.
For a series based off a legendary manga, this series sure tries hard to make you not like it between the clunky CGI and the unenthusiastic dub. However, if you can endure the clunkiness, this is one of the finer anime inspired but not retelling China’s Warring States period. It loves its battles and its strategies, but most of all, it loves its tons of unique characters.
Sengoku Basara
Sengoku Basara tells the story of the Warring States period of Japan and while it takes some liberties and features a lot of embellishments particularly when it comes to the action, it does show the historical characters of the era come to life in the battles and political struggles that they fought in history.
Arte
This series is, at present, the sole anime series to explore Florence during the Renaissance. It follows a girl who wishes to be an artist. Of course, being an artist is a difficult life, and being a girl who wants to be an artist is even more so.
Altair: A Record of Battles
Altair can be a confusing series since it takes real places, like Türkiye, and melds their history into fiction, like making them a stratocracy. As Turkish history isn’t exactly one of the famed histories known throughout the world, it probably certainly confuses some who take its portrayal as fact.
Regardless, this lovely work of historical fiction shows off pre-World War middle Eastern culture and does well to be confusing. Making people think your historical fiction is “historical” and not “fiction” is a feat and a testament to quality storytelling.
Angolmois
This oft-forgotten series details the real historical attempted invasion of Japan on Tsushima Island by the Mongols. However, it does take its liberties with the history to keep the anime series interesting.
Despite that, it is, if nothing else, a good historical anime for those that enjoy action anime with a sound exploration of tactics since tactics are what won the day at Tsushima.
Requiem of the Rose King
This series documents England’s civil war, The War of the Roses, between House York and House Lancaster over succession to the throne. It follows the plotting of Richard III throughout his life as he endured and eventually manipulated the war.
However, this series is like a Shakespearean play that took a big huff of anime oddness from an nondescript brown bag. It is occasionally overly dramatic to the point of being hammy and has its fair injection of anime-brand weird to it.
Don’t let that put you off, though. All of that can actually be quite fun to watch, but do temper expectations.
Do you have more historical anime recommendations? Let fans know in the comments section below.
I think Yona of the Dawn is a good historical anime!!
Mo Dao Zhi,shi
Mo Dao Zu Shi
Dororo
Where is golden kamuy?
Vinland saga is number one on historical, because it is based on real events and not only that but it is a good anime.