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The anime adaptation of Tatsuki Fujimoto’s Chainsaw Man manga has been one of the most popular anime series of the Fall 2022 selection. Fans have been raving over its exceptional animation quality, engaging story, and incredibly unique lore and setting. With the first season not even over yet, it’s clear that the series is truly something special.
While Chainsaw Man is incredibly unique in many respects, it can generally be categorized as an ultra-violent dark fantasy manga, which often plays into its own insanity. Although unique in its execution, there are many other anime series available to watch that follow similar patterns and have similar approaches.
Elfen Lied and nine other anime series that fans of Chainsaw Man should try
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1) Hellsing Ultimate
Kicking off the list is Kouta Hirano’s Hellsing Ultimate, a redux of the original adaptation of his manga series of the same name. This version follows the canonical story of the manga much more closely and also leans into the ultra-violence that, like Chainsaw Man, the original series is known for.
The story follows the vampire Alucard, the original and most powerful vampire, who swore loyalty to the Hellsing family/organization after being bested by the original Van Helsing. Integra Fairbrook Wingates Hellsing, the group’s current leader, leads Alucard, the Hellsing family butler Walter C. Dornez, and others in a battle against a Nazi sect called Millennium, which is trying to begin a new Reich, which starts by killing Alucard.
2) Drifters
Drifters is also based on a manga series by Kouta Hirano, and is every bit as violent, chaotic, and engaging as Hellsing Ultimate, making it just as good a match for Chainsaw Man fans. The series follows Shimazu Toyohisa, who is mortally wounded during the Battle of Sekigahara, when he’s suddenly transported to a corridor of doors with a man named Murasaki at a desk.
Murasaki sends Toyohisa through a nearby door, causing him to wake up in another world. Here, he meets other great warriors who’ve been transported like him, where they’re known as “Drifters.” Toyohisa finds himself in a fantasy world filled with elves, dwarves, hobbits, and more, and before long he is asked to participate in a war against another group of great warriors known as the “Ends.”
3) Tokyo Ghoul
Sui Ishida’s Tokyo Ghoul is one of the most popular manga series of the decade, and while the anime adaptation can be lacking at times, it’s still worth a try for Chainsaw Man fans. The story follows Ken Kaneki, a boy whose date, Rize Kamishiro, turns out to be a ghoul and tries to eat him. However, she dies in the process, causing Kaneki to be taken to the hospital in critical condition.
He’s transformed into a half-ghoul here after reconstructive surgery on his body used Rize’s organs, causing him to need to consume human flesh to survive like full-on ghouls. He eventually meets a group of ghouls who run the coffee shop Anteiku, who take him in and teach him how to deal with his new life as a half-ghoul, as well as how to keep his identity hidden from human companions.
4) Berserk ‘97
While many anime adaptations of Berserk exist, Berserk ‘97 is often regarded as the best. It’s also the most likely to resonate with Chainsaw Man fans, considering how violent it can be. The Berserk series follows Guts, a wandering mercenary who eventually meets a group known as the Band of the Hawk, led by Griffith, who eventually forces Guts to join the group.
Eventually, the two become best friends, with Guts also being the best fighter in the group. However, throughout their adventures, it becomes apparent that something sinister involving both of them is lurking on the horizon. Eventually, fans learn what this looming doom is, watching as their friendship and lives are irreversibly changed forever.
5) Elfen Lied
Thematically speaking, Elfen Lied might be the closest match on this list to Fujimoto’s Chainsaw Man series. Elfen Lied revolves around a species known as the Diclonius, who strongly resemble humans but possess invisible, telekinetic arms called “Vectors.” The protagonist of the series is a Diclonius called Lucy, who escapes from an experimentation facility and is injured in the process.
This causes her to develop a second, childlike personality called Nyu. Lucy is found in this state by two locals, Kouta and his cousin Yuka. They take her in, unknowingly becoming involved with the brutal attempts to recapture her by a “Special Assault Team” and various other members of the Diclonius race.
6) Neon Genesis Evangelion
Neon Genesis Evangelion is one of the most famous anime series of all time, similarly insane to Fujimoto’s Chainsaw Man but in a more philosophical and introspective way. The series is set in 2015, 15 years after the global cataclysm known as the Second Impact. Protagonist Shinji Ikari is summoned by his estranged father Geno, who is the director of the special paramilitary force Nerv.
Shinji is forced to pilot Evangelion Unit-01 against a monstrous, giant being known as an Angel. However, Shinji is quickly overwhelmed in battle without training, causing the mecha to go berserk and gruesomely kill the Angel itself. This prompts Gendo to begin training Shinji, forcing him to move in with Nerv officer Misato Katsuragi and begin a new, dangerous life.
7) Devilman Crybaby
Devilman Crybaby is the latest incarnation of the Devilman series and is arguably the most brutal and violent, rivaling even Chainsaw Man in this regard. The series follows high school student Akira Fudo, who lives with his only friend and longtime crush Miki Makimura and her family. After trying to defend Miki from a gang of thugs, he’s rescued by his childhood friend, Ryo Asuka.
Ryo tells Akira about his Amazon rainforest expedition, where the existence of demons was revealed. He takes Akira to an underground nightclub, where he begins attacking patrons to prove the existence of demons, which do begin appearing. A demon known as Amon tries to take over Akira’s body, but he suppresses and controls it, retaining his humanity while gaining a demonic form.
8) Kengan Ashura
Kengan Ashura is incredibly different in subject matter, themes, and tone from Fujimoto’s Chainsaw Man, but the two are next-door neighbors when it comes to ultra-violent action. The series follows Kazuo Yamashita, a salaryman for the Nogi Group, and Tokita Ohma, who is the Nogi Group’s fighter for these bouts.
The two are seen progressing through the Kengan tournament, hoping to win Nogi Group the top prize. However, as the tournament progresses, Ohma’s monstrous strength becomes harder and harder to control, while his past continues to come back to haunt him. Kazuo, meanwhile, struggles as Ohma’s manager and is also trying to discover the true intentions of being invited to the tournament.
9) Kite
Although it is a film rather than a series, Kite is still worth watching for any fan of Fujimoto’s Chainsaw Man series. The film follows an orphaned schoolgirl named Sawa, who is revealed to be an assassin being raised by two corrupt detectives, Akai and Kanie. The two detectives order her to kill various targets, ranging from legitimate criminals to corrupt police officers and corporate fat cats.
The film follows her as she learns the truth behind her parents’ deaths, how to exist on her own without relying on others, and more. It’s an incredibly humanizing tale that watches its character grow scene by scene. Despite the poor rap it gets due to an inadequate live-action adaptation, the original anime film is still well worth a try.
10) Bleach
Tite Kubo’s Bleach is the most similar entry on this list to Fujimoto’s Chainsaw Man, with both featuring supernatural entities capable of interacting with humans in varying ways. Although it’s somewhat lacking in the violence department relative to Chainsaw Man, the classic shonen tropes still make this worth a try for any fan of Fujimoto.
Bleach follows protagonist Ichigo Kurosaki, a physically gifted high schooler who eventually becomes aware of the existence of Hollows and Soul Reapers. He becomes a substitute Soul Reaper after Rukia Kuchiki gives him her powers. However, she’s taken to the Soul Reapers’ world to be punished for this crime, spurring Ichigo onward to save his newfound friend.
