If Hakuoki appealed to you because of its blend of historical conflict, tragic loyalty, supernatural tension, and emotionally charged relationships, these 15 underrated anime are excellent follow-up picks. Each one shares some part of Hakuoki’s appeal, whether that is a turbulent historical setting, a strong ensemble cast, bittersweet character development, or a narrative style that balances action with melancholy.
These series also deserve more attention because many of them explore the same themes in fresh ways. Some lean into sword-era politics, some emphasize supernatural power systems, and others focus on underdog protagonists or stories that quietly subvert the expectations of romance-heavy or historical anime.
1. Peace Maker Kurogane (2003)
- Current streaming availability: Often found through retro anime catalogs, digital purchase platforms, or physical media rather than major front-page streamers.
- MAL rating: Around 7.3
- Episode count: 24
- Studio / Staff: Gonzo / Digimation; directed by Tomomi Mochizuki
- Plot summary: Tetsunosuke Ichimura joins the Shinsengumi after losing his parents and struggles to survive in a violent world that forces him to mature quickly.
- Similarities to Hakuoki: This is one of the closest matches because it centers on the Shinsengumi, explores loyalty and loss, and treats samurai history with a tragic emotional weight rather than simple heroism.
- Awards / Recognition: A cult historical favorite with a steady reputation among fans of character-driven samurai drama.
2. Hiiro no Kakera (2012)
- Current streaming availability: Usually rotates through anime-focused streaming libraries depending on region.
- MAL rating: Around 6.7
- Episode count: 13
- Studio / Staff: Studio Deen; directed by Bob Shirohata
- Plot summary: Tamaki discovers she is destined to seal away a dangerous sacred weapon and must rely on a group of guardians tied to ancient spiritual power.
- Similarities to Hakuoki: Like Hakuoki, it adapts an otome-style premise into a darker supernatural drama with a central heroine, a male ensemble, and strong themes of duty and sacrifice.
- Awards / Recognition: Better appreciated within otome-anime circles than in the broader anime mainstream.
3. Bakumatsu Kikansetsu Irohanihoheto (2006)
- Current streaming availability: Often difficult to find on mainstream services and more likely to appear via specialty catalogs or purchase options.
- MAL rating: Around 7.4
- Episode count: 26
- Studio / Staff: Sunrise; directed by Ryosuke Takahashi
- Plot summary: During the final years of the Tokugawa shogunate, a wandering swordsman hunts a supernatural object while the country descends into unrest.
- Similarities to Hakuoki: It shares the same Bakumatsu backdrop, mixes political upheaval with supernatural conflict, and carries the same feeling of watching an era die in slow motion.
- Awards / Recognition: Often praised by fans of serious historical fantasy, though still overlooked compared with bigger Sunrise titles.
4. Code:Realize – Guardian of Rebirth (2017)
- Current streaming availability: Often available on anime streaming services, though availability varies by country.
- MAL rating: Around 6.7
- Episode count: 12
- Studio / Staff: M.S.C; based on the otome game by Idea Factory / Design Factory
- Plot summary: Cardia, a girl with poisonous skin, travels with a group of famous literary-inspired outcasts while uncovering the truth behind her existence.
- Similarities to Hakuoki: It captures the same heroine-centered ensemble structure, tragic romance energy, and polished cast dynamics that made Hakuoki memorable.
- Awards / Recognition: More popular among otome game fans than anime-only viewers, which makes it feel more underrated than it should.
5. Le Chevalier D’Eon (2006)
- Current streaming availability: More often found through catalog rotation, rental, or digital purchase than major anime front pages.
- MAL rating: Around 7.2
- Episode count: 24
- Studio / Staff: Production I.G; directed by Kazuhiro Furuhashi; series composition by Tow Ubukata
- Plot summary: In pre-revolutionary France, D’Eon investigates his sister’s death and becomes trapped in a web of occult conspiracy, espionage, and court politics.
- Similarities to Hakuoki: It mirrors Hakuoki’s mix of historical turmoil, supernatural mystery, and sorrowful devotion, only in a European setting.
- Awards / Recognition: Well respected as one of Production I.G’s more overlooked historical fantasy series.
6. House of Five Leaves (2010)
- Current streaming availability: Usually available through niche anime libraries, rental services, or specialty catalogs.
- MAL rating: Around 7.8
- Episode count: 12
- Studio / Staff: Manglobe; based on the manga by Natsume Ono
- Plot summary: A timid ronin becomes bodyguard to a mysterious man and is gradually drawn into the morally murky world of a secretive gang.
- Similarities to Hakuoki: It is quieter and more grounded, but it shares a strong historical atmosphere, slow-burn character work, and an interest in loyalty shaped by fear and uncertainty.
- Awards / Recognition: Frequently admired for its unique art style and restrained storytelling.
7. Brave 10 (2012)
- Current streaming availability: Often available on anime-focused streaming services depending on territory.
- MAL rating: Around 6.8
- Episode count: 12
- Studio / Staff: Studio Sakimakura
- Plot summary: Isanami, a shrine maiden on the run, joins forces with Saizou Kirigakure and becomes connected to a team of powerful warriors serving Yukimura Sanada.
- Similarities to Hakuoki: It offers a similar mix of historical figures, attractive ensemble casting, supernatural embellishment, and heroine-led entry into a dangerous male-dominated world.
- Awards / Recognition: Never became a major breakout, but it remains a fun and stylish pick for fans of action-heavy period anime.
8. Meiji Gekken: 1874 (2024)
- Current streaming availability: Streamed on Crunchyroll at release in many regions.
- MAL rating: Around 5.8
- Episode count: 10
- Studio / Staff: Tsumugi Akita Animation Lab
- Plot summary: In the early Meiji era, former samurai Shizuma Orikasa becomes entangled with the new police system while searching for his missing fiancée.
- Similarities to Hakuoki: It carries the same emotional aftermath of the Bakumatsu period, focusing on displaced swordsmen, changing social orders, and love caught in historical upheaval.
- Awards / Recognition: Still under-discussed because of how recent it is, but it is one of the most direct modern recommendations for Hakuoki fans.
9. Night Raid 1931 (2010)
- Current streaming availability: Often harder to locate now and more likely to appear through older catalog rotations or purchase options.
- MAL rating: Around 6.9
- Episode count: 13
- Studio / Staff: A-1 Pictures; part of the Anime no Chikara project
- Plot summary: A secret military unit with psychic powers operates in 1931 Shanghai as imperial ambition, espionage, and ideology collide.
- Similarities to Hakuoki: While it swaps swords for spies, it shares the same appeal of supernatural power working inside a tense historical setting filled with morally gray factions.
- Awards / Recognition: Remembered as an ambitious original project that never quite found the audience it deserved.
10. Angolmois: Record of Mongol Invasion (2018)
- Current streaming availability: Often available on Crunchyroll and similar anime platforms.
- MAL rating: Around 6.8
- Episode count: 12
- Studio / Staff: NAZ; based on the manga by Nanahiko Takagi
- Plot summary: A group of exiles is forced to defend Tsushima Island against the Mongol invasion despite terrible odds and limited support.
- Similarities to Hakuoki: Like Hakuoki, it thrives on fatalism, sacrifice, and the pressure of historical events that leave very little room for happy endings.
- Awards / Recognition: Earned praise from viewers who enjoy harsher, more grounded historical war stories.
11. Hakkenden: Eight Dogs of the East (2013)
- Current streaming availability: Often appears on anime streaming services, depending on region.
- MAL rating: Around 7.4
- Episode count: 26 total across two seasons
- Studio / Staff: Studio Deen; directed by Osamu Yamasaki
- Plot summary: Shino and his allies become involved in a growing supernatural conflict connected to cursed beads, secrets from the past, and powerful factions.
- Similarities to Hakuoki: It shares the same attractive cast, melancholy tone, supernatural burden, and emotionally tangled relationships that made Hakuoki resonate.
- Awards / Recognition: A reliable hidden gem for viewers who enjoy fantasy drama with a strong shoujo or josei sensibility.
12. Samurai Deeper Kyo (2002)
- Current streaming availability: Sometimes available on retro or free ad-supported anime services, though not always consistently.
- MAL rating: Around 6.9
- Episode count: 26
- Studio / Staff: Studio Deen
- Plot summary: The wandering medicine seller Kyoshiro hides the soul of the infamous Demon Eyes Kyo, leading to a conflict involving rival clans, cursed power, and shifting identities.
- Similarities to Hakuoki: It is more action-oriented, but the mix of historical style, supernatural swordsmen, and questions about inner monstrosity makes it a solid companion watch.
- Awards / Recognition: A well-known retro title among older fans, but far less discussed today.
13. Revenger (2023)
- Current streaming availability: Commonly available on Crunchyroll.
- MAL rating: Around 6.7
- Episode count: 12
- Studio / Staff: Ajia-do; story concept by Gen Urobuchi
- Plot summary: A samurai betrayed by those around him joins a secret group that avenges the powerless through covert assassinations.
- Similarities to Hakuoki: It shares the same tragic masculinity, period intrigue, and focus on men trying to preserve their personal code in a world built on compromise.
- Awards / Recognition: Drew attention because of its staff pedigree, but still feels surprisingly underseen.
14. Laughing Under the Clouds (2014)
- Current streaming availability: Often available through anime subscription libraries or rotating digital catalogs.
- MAL rating: Around 7.3
- Episode count: 12
- Studio / Staff: Doga Kobo
- Plot summary: In the Meiji era, three brothers become caught up in a supernatural conflict linked to the Orochi legend while social change threatens the old sword-bearing world.
- Similarities to Hakuoki: It echoes Hakuoki through its transition-era melancholy, strong emotional bonds, and supernatural conflict woven into a fading samurai identity.
- Awards / Recognition: Built a loyal fan following but never reached the broader popularity of more mainstream historical fantasy titles.
15. Katsugeki/Touken Ranbu (2017)
- Current streaming availability: Often available on Crunchyroll and other anime platforms.
- MAL rating: Around 6.8
- Episode count: 13
- Studio / Staff: ufotable
- Plot summary: Legendary swords are given human form and sent through time to protect Japanese history from being altered.
- Similarities to Hakuoki: It has the same appeal of idealized swordsmen, emotional loyalty, stylized historical conflict, and beauty layered over sadness.
- Awards / Recognition: Best known for its visual polish and animation quality, even if its writing is discussed less often.
Why These Anime Work for Mentioned Anime Fans
What makes these anime strong recommendations is that they do not just repeat Hakuoki’s surface elements. They tap into the same emotional core: historical instability, men shaped by violence and duty, supernatural or heightened conflict, and relationships that feel fragile because history itself is moving against the characters.
The best picks depend on which part of Hakuoki you liked most. If you want the closest historical and Shinsengumi-adjacent mood, start with Peace Maker Kurogane and Bakumatsu Kikansetsu Irohanihoheto; if you want supernatural ensemble drama, go with Hakkenden or Hiiro no Kakera; if you want something more mature and subdued, House of Five Leaves and Le Chevalier D’Eon are especially rewarding.
