Best Anime Like Monogatari

Summary

Monogatari blends genres seamlessly, keeping viewers on their toes with its eccentric, mysterious narrative.
Durarara!! Offers a dark, violent mystery with supernatural elements that pull viewers into a compelling world.
Steins;Gate takes viewers on a wild ride of scientific discovery, time travel, and unexpected twists and turns.

The hectic, monster-filled adventures of Koyomi Araragi serve as the backbone of the well-regarded Monogatari series. The series begins with Araragi surviving a vampire attack, an event that changes his life.

Based on a well-regarded light novel series, Monogatari has garnered attention for its blending of various genres. From romance to vampire horror to supernatural mystery, the show comfortably hops from one genre to the next with ease, never losing sight of its core narrative. Needless to say, finding shows that manage to hit similar notes to this eclectic, eccentric series can be a tall order. Still, there are a select few that have provided similarly mysterious, genre-blending thrills over the years.

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5 Durarara!!

A Compelling Mystery Series

Initial release date: January 8, 2010
Genre: Mystery, Supernatural, Action
Studio: Brain's Base
MyAnimeList score: 8.10

There’s more than meets the eye in a dangerous area of downtown Tokyo in this violent mystery series. As this anime begins, viewers are introduced to Mikado Ryuugamine, whose life is completely changed soon after moving to Tokyo.

As if the strong criminal presence in the area wasn’t enough, the legendary Black Rider, a headless biker, seems to be on the prowl as well. In a twist of fate, Ryuugamine spots the headless menace himself, sending the protagonist down a dark, supernatural rabbit hole. With more and more sinister events taking place, viewers are pulled into a macabre, compelling piece of action. With strong, unpredictable storytelling and world-building, Durarara!! Is an intriguing, imaginative viewing experience.

4 Baccano!

A Multi-Generational Mind-Bender

Initial release date: July 27, 2007
Genre: Mystery, Supernatural, Action
Studio: Brain's Base
MyAnimeList score: 8.36

This ambitious tale initially takes viewers all the way back to 1930s Chicago. From there, viewers are also introduced to an alchemy plot set in the early 18th century. The series' narrative stretches far and wide, across two different time periods.

From a new train, to elixirs for immortality, to the aforementioned alchemists, this series at first seems like a showcase of a few unrelated plots. However, as the anime wears on, connections between these storylines — despite their notable separation in both location and time period — become increasingly apparent. With two robbers ultimately bringing the stories together, this unpredictable series is a thought-provoking, often challenging viewing experience.

3 March Comes In Like A Lion

A Challenging Take On Coming-Of-Age Storytelling

Initial release date: October 8, 2016
Genre: Drama
Studio: Shaft
MyAnimeList Score: 8.37

The intellectually challenging world of shogi is on full display in this moving high school drama. The series follows Rei Kiriyama, a prodigious youngster whose shogi mastery has made him a huge success with a difficult, isolated personal life.

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By Via Erhard

Kiriyama’s antisocial ways are challenged when he meets three sisters in Tokyo. The trio help their grandfather run a wagashi shop, and each of them prove to have a profound effect on Kiriyama as the series moves forward. The series looks at how the young protagonist finds his way in life whilst continuing to conquer and dominate in shogi makes. It's a nuanced character study that makes for compelling, often emotional viewing. With likable, sympathetic characters and well-developed, heartfelt storytelling, this series is a remarkably on-point coming-of-age viewing experience.

2 The Tatami Galaxy

A Thoughtful Look At Time-Travel And Second Chances

Akashi and the protagonist of The Tatami Galaxy standing beside each other

Initial release date: April 23, 2010
Genre: Suspense, Romance, Suspense, Comedy
Studio: Madhouse
MyAnimeList Score: 8.55

An unnamed protagonist is given the chance to re-do his disappointing college years in this thoughtful series. While in his third year at college, the protagonist encounters a matrimonial god, who prompts the lead character to re-examine the miserable, anti-social experience that he has allowed his time in college to become.

Things begin to change when he takes a crack at asking out a student named Akashi on a date. The subsequent failure inexplicably re-sets the protagonist’s timeline, as viewers follow him back to the start of his college journey for a second go of his life through that time period. Poignant, intriguing, and complex, this time-travel series encompasses a wide range of themes and ideas through its rich, time-altering narrative.

1 Steins;Gate

A Wild Look At Scientific Discovery

Initial release date: April 6, 2011
Genre: Sci-fi, Suspense, Drama
Studio: White Fox
MyAnimeList Score: 9.07

An obsession with knowledge and discovery is what drives struggling scientist Rintarou Okabe in this imaginative, off-beat series. In it, viewers are introduced to the Future Gadget Laboratory, which is really just Okabe and two pals attempting to get an inventive lab off the ground.

Despite the name, the group struggles to put together anything worthwhile. Instead, they repeatedly come up empty-handed in their pursuit of innovation. That all changes, however, with the invention of a microwave that can seemingly transform bananas into a bizarre, green substance. Needless to say, there’s more than meets the eye, with the device actually providing a connection to different time periods. Okabe and friends are soon meddling with time travel and on the run from an enigmatic collective known as SERN. All in all, it’s a fun, often downright odd series with plenty of twists and turns.