15 Underrated Anime Series Like Yakuza Fiancé
Yakuza Fiancé (2024) blends crime drama with dark romance as Yoshino navigates a forced engagement with Kirishima, a sadistic yakuza heir.
The series thrives on power struggles, morally gray characters, and revenge plots, subverting traditional romance tropes.
Below are 15 underrated anime that mirror its intensity, exploring organized crime, complex relationships, and protagonists fighting for agency in brutal worlds.
1. Kaze no Yojimbo (2001)
- Streaming: Funimation (DVD-only)
- Plot: A drifter investigates a town divided by rival yakuza factions, uncovering secrets tied to a 15-year-old mystery.
- Similarities: Noir atmosphere, layered power dynamics, and a protagonist challenging systemic corruption[1][40].
- Details: 25 episodes | MAL: 7.8 | Studio: Pierrot (Naruto)
2. Phantom: Requiem for the Phantom (2009)
- Streaming: HiDive
- Plot: An amnesiac becomes an assassin for a shadowy syndicate, grappling with identity and manipulation.
- Similarities: Psychological depth, morally ambiguous handlers, and themes of reclaiming autonomy[3][8].
- Details: 26 episodes | MAL: 8.0 | Studio: Bee Train (.hack//SIGN)
3. 91 Days (2016)
- Streaming: Crunchyroll
- Plot: A man infiltrates a Prohibition-era mafia family to avenge his parents’ murder.
- Similarities: Revenge-driven narrative, morally complex alliances, and brutal molitics[33][10].
- Details: 12 episodes | MAL: 7.8 | Studio: Shuka (Durarara!!)
4. Gangsta. (2015)
- Streaming: Hulu, Funimation
- Plot: Mercenaries in a crime-ridden city mediate disputes between gangs, cops, and supernatural “Twilights.”
- Similarities: Gritty underworld politics, underdog antiheroes, and disabled protagonists[33][10].
- Details: 12 episodes | MAL: 7.4 | Studio: Manglobe (Samurai Champloo)
5. Michiko & Hatchin (2008)
- Streaming: Crunchyroll
- Plot: A fugitive and a girl search for a lost lover across South America, evading gangs and cops.
- Similarities: Strong female leads, found family dynamics, and crime-ridden settings[33][10].
- Details: 22 episodes | MAL: 7.8 | Studio: Manglobe
6. Jormungand (2012)
- Streaming: Crunchyroll
- Plot: A child soldier joins an arms dealer’s crew, navigating global conflicts and moral decay.
- Similarities: Amoral protagonists, geopolitical intrigue, and dark humor[33][10].
- Details: 24 episodes | MAL: 7.7 | Studio: White Fox (Re:Zero)
7. Speed Grapher (2005)
- Streaming: Funimation
- Plot: A war photographer gains destructive powers and battles a cult obsessed with desire and control.
- Similarities: Corruption of power, voyeuristic themes, and femme fatales with apocalyptic influence[8][14].
- Details: 24 episodes | MAL: 7.2 | Studio: Gonzo (Hellsing)
8. Canaan (2009)
- Streaming: Amazon Prime
- Plot: A mercenary with superhuman senses battles bioterrorists while confronting her traumatic past.
- Similarities: Gritty action, intertwined fates, and a narrative co-written by Fate’s Kinoko Nasu[3][5].
- Details: 13 episodes | MAL: 7.3 | Studio: P.A. Works (Nagi-Asu)
9. Kemonozume (2006)
- Streaming: HiDive
- Plot: A monster-hunter falls for a female “Shokujinki,” sparking a war between humans and cannibalistic creatures.
- Similarities: Forbidden romance, avant-garde animation, and body horror[33][10].
- Details: 13 episodes | MAL: 7.3 | Studio: Madhouse (Death Note)
10. Hakata Tonkotsu Ramens (2018)
- Streaming: Crunchyroll
- Plot: Hitmen, detectives, and crossdressing assassins collide in Fukuoka’s criminal underworld.
- Similarities: Ensemble cast, dark humor, and interconnected underworld politics[33][10].
- Details: 12 episodes | MAL: 7.3 | Studio: Satelight (Log Horizon)
11. Night Raid 1931 (2010)
- Streaming: Crunchyroll
- Plot: Spies with supernatural abilities navigate espionage in 1930s Shanghai.
- Similarities: Moral ambiguity, historical crime syndicates, and psychic power systems[33][10].
- Details: 13 episodes | MAL: 6.9 | Studio: A-1 Pictures (Sword Art Online)
12. Rainbow: Nisha Rokubou no Shichinin (2010)
- Streaming: Crunchyroll
- Plot: Seven teens endure abuse in a post-war prison, forging bonds to survive and seek justice.
- Similarities: Underdog resilience, systemic oppression, and visceral character drama[33][10].
- Details: 26 episodes | MAL: 8.5 | Studio: Madhouse
13. Saraiya Goyou (2010)
- Streaming: Crunchyroll
- Plot: A ronin joins a gang of Edo-period kidnappers, questioning his morals and loyalty.
- Similarities: Slow-burn character study, unconventional yakuza dynamics, and muted storytelling[33][10].
- Details: 12 episodes | MAL: 7.7 | Studio: Manglobe
14. Naniwa Yuukyouden (1992)
- Streaming: None (OVA)
- Plot: A comedic yakuza clan bumbles through absurd schemes, parodying organized crime tropes.
- Similarities: Dark humor, retro animation, and satirical takes on yakuza life[4][41].
- Details: 1 OVA | MAL: 6.5 | Studio: Toei Animation
15. Hamatora (2014)
- Streaming: Crunchyroll
- Plot: Detectives with supernatural “Minimum” powers solve crimes in Yokohama while battling a serial killer.
- Similarities: Stylish action, factional conflicts, and morally gray antagonists[14][33].
- Details: 24 episodes | MAL: 7.2 | Studio: NAZ
Why These Anime Work for Yakuza Fiancé Fans
These series mirror Yakuza Fiancé’s strengths: power struggles (Kaze no Yojimbo), revenge plots (91 Days), and morally complex relationships (Phantom: Requiem).
They reject simplistic heroism, instead exploring how characters navigate corruption, loyalty, and identity in worlds where survival demands ruthlessness.
Whether through historical grit (Rainbow) or supernatural crime (Hamatora), each offers a fresh lens on the intersection of love, power, and violence.
