Akira (1988), directed by Katsuhiro Otomo, is a seminal cyberpunk anime film that follows a teenage biker who unlocks overwhelming psychic powers in a dystopian Neo-Tokyo, leading to chaos and existential questions. Its core themes revolve around intricate power systems like uncontrolled psychic abilities, underdog stories of marginalized characters rising to immense (and often destructive) power, and subversion of expectations through philosophical twists on technology, society, and human nature.
The 15 underrated series below deserve more attention for echoing these elements in fresh ways, often blending cyberpunk aesthetics, psychological depth, and innovative storytelling while flying under the radar compared to mainstream hits.
1. Elfen Lied (2004)
- Streaming Availability: Available on HIDIVE and Amazon Prime Video.
- Brief Plot Summary: A young girl with telekinetic powers escapes from a secretive lab, unleashing violent abilities born from human experimentation, while forming a fragile bond with two students who shelter her.
- Specific Similarities to Akira: Like Akira, it explores a power system centered on psychic abilities from cruel experiments, with an underdog protagonist subverting expectations by spiraling into destructive rage against societal oppression.
- MAL Rating: 7.47 | Episode Count: 13 | Notable Staff/Studio: Directed by Mamoru Kanbe, produced by Arms studio. | Awards/Recognition: Praised for its psychological horror but critiqued for graphic content; gained cult status in the West.
2. Dennō Coil (2007)
- Streaming Availability: Available on HIDIVE.
- Brief Plot Summary: In a near-future city where augmented reality glasses blend digital and physical worlds, a group of kids investigate mysterious cyber-phenomena that blur reality and lead to dangerous adventures.
- Specific Similarities to Akira: Shares Akira’s subversion of technology’s role in society through a power system involving digital “viruses” and hacks, with underdog children navigating dystopian urban decay and unexpected existential threats.
- MAL Rating: 8.05 | Episode Count: 26 | Notable Staff/Studio: Directed by Mitsuo Iso, produced by Madhouse. | Awards/Recognition: Won the Excellence Prize at the 2007 Japan Media Arts Festival for its innovative sci-fi concepts.
3. Darker than Black (2007)
- Streaming Availability: Available on Crunchyroll and Funimation.
- Brief Plot Summary: In a world altered by mysterious “Gates,” Contractors with supernatural abilities emerge, and a stoic assassin navigates espionage and moral dilemmas while hiding his emotions.
- Specific Similarities to Akira: Mirrors Akira’s power system of emotion-suppressed superhumans, with underdog anti-heroes subverting societal norms through rebellion against secretive organizations in a cyberpunk-inspired setting.
- MAL Rating: 8.05 | Episode Count: 25 (Season 1) | Notable Staff/Studio: Directed by Tensai Okamura, produced by Bones. | Awards/Recognition: Nominated for Best TV Anime at the 2008 Tokyo Anime Awards.
4. Ajin (2016)
- Streaming Availability: Available on Netflix.
- Brief Plot Summary: After discovering he’s an immortal “Ajin,” a high schooler becomes a fugitive hunted by the government for experiments, allying with others to fight back.
- Specific Similarities to Akira: Features a power system of regenerative immortality akin to Akira’s psychic evolution, with an underdog protagonist subverting expectations by embracing monstrous power against human cruelty.
- MAL Rating: 7.40 | Episode Count: 13 (Season 1) | Notable Staff/Studio: Directed by Hiroyuki Seshita, produced by Polygon Pictures (known for 3D animation). | Awards/Recognition: Noted for its motion-capture animation; adapted from a manga that won the 2013 Comic Natalie Grand Prize.
5. Deadman Wonderland (2011)
- Streaming Availability: Available on Funimation and Crunchyroll.
- Brief Plot Summary: Wrongly imprisoned in a deadly amusement park prison, a teen unlocks blood-manipulating powers and fights in gladiatorial games to uncover a conspiracy.
- Specific Similarities to Akira: Echoes Akira’s underdog story of a powerless teen gaining a violent power system through trauma, subverting prison tropes with themes of experimentation and societal collapse.
- MAL Rating: 7.14 | Episode Count: 12 | Notable Staff/Studio: Directed by Koichi Hatsumi, produced by Manglobe. | Awards/Recognition: Cult following for its gore and twists, though criticized for incomplete adaptation.
6. Bungou Stray Dogs (2016)
- Streaming Availability: Available on Crunchyroll.
- Brief Plot Summary: An orphaned teen with transformation abilities joins a detective agency of literary-inspired superhumans, battling mafia and uncovering his past.
- Specific Similarities to Akira: Incorporates a power system tied to personal trauma and literature, with underdog characters subverting expectations through clever, destructive uses of abilities in urban conflicts.
- MAL Rating: 7.81 | Episode Count: 12 (Season 1) | Notable Staff/Studio: Directed by Takuya Igarashi, produced by Bones. | Awards/Recognition: Won Best Character Design at the 2017 Newtype Anime Awards.
7. Blood Blockade Battlefront (Kekkai Sensen) (2015)
- Streaming Availability: Available on Crunchyroll and Funimation.
- Brief Plot Summary: In a chaotic New York fused with another dimension, a young photographer with special eyes joins a secret society fighting monstrous threats.
- Specific Similarities to Akira: Features a vibrant power system of supernatural abilities in a dystopian city, with an underdog hero subverting normalcy through high-stakes, reality-bending battles.
- MAL Rating: 7.62 | Episode Count: 12 (Season 1) | Notable Staff/Studio: Directed by Rie Matsumoto, produced by Bones. | Awards/Recognition: Praised for its jazz soundtrack and animation; won Best TV Anime at the 2015 Sugoi Japan Awards.
8. Katekyo Hitman Reborn! (2006)
- Streaming Availability: Available on Crunchyroll.
- Brief Plot Summary: A timid boy is chosen as the heir to a mafia family and trained by a baby hitman, unlocking flame-based powers through rigorous trials.
- Specific Similarities to Akira: Builds an underdog narrative from weakness to power via a unique flame attribute system, subverting comedy into serious action with themes of inherited destiny and rebellion.
- MAL Rating: 8.12 | Episode Count: 203 | Notable Staff/Studio: Directed by Kenichi Imaizumi, produced by Artland. | Awards/Recognition: Long-running series with a dedicated fanbase; influenced later shonen with its power progression.
9. D.Gray-man (2006)
- Streaming Availability: Available on Funimation and Crunchyroll.
- Brief Plot Summary: A boy with a cursed arm joins an organization fighting soul-trapping machines, using anti-Akuma weapons in a Victorian-era war.
- Specific Similarities to Akira: Shares a power system of cursed, evolving abilities from tragedy, with an underdog exorcist subverting religious and mechanical expectations in dark, apocalyptic battles.
- MAL Rating: 8.00 | Episode Count: 103 (original series) | Notable Staff/Studio: Directed by Osamu Nabeshima, produced by TMS Entertainment. | Awards/Recognition: Nominated for Best Continuing Series at the 2007 American Anime Awards.
10. Saint Seiya (1986)
- Streaming Availability: Available on Crunchyroll.
- Brief Plot Summary: Orphaned youths train as Saints with cosmic powers to protect the goddess Athena from divine threats in mythological battles.
- Specific Similarities to Akira: Features underdog warriors rising through a constellation-based power system, subverting heroic tropes with intense personal growth and destructive cosmic forces.
- MAL Rating: 7.75 | Episode Count: 114 | Notable Staff/Studio: Directed by Kozo Morishita, produced by Toei Animation. | Awards/Recognition: Iconic 80s series; won popularity polls in Japan and influenced global shonen.
11. Cyberpunk: Edgerunners (2022)
- Streaming Availability: Available on Netflix.
- Brief Plot Summary: In a high-tech dystopia, a street kid implants cybernetic enhancements to survive as a mercenary, spiraling into corporate conspiracies.
- Specific Similarities to Akira: Captures Akira’s cyberpunk essence with a body-modification power system, underdog ascent to power, and subversion through anti-corporate rebellion and bodily horror.
- MAL Rating: 8.60 | Episode Count: 10 | Notable Staff/Studio: Directed by Hiroyuki Imaishi, produced by Studio Trigger. | Awards/Recognition: Won Anime of the Year at the 2023 Crunchyroll Anime Awards.
12. Ranking of Kings (2021)
- Streaming Availability: Available on Crunchyroll and Funimation.
- Brief Plot Summary: A deaf and mute prince, deemed weak, embarks on a journey with a shadow companion to prove his worth and become king.
- Specific Similarities to Akira: Emphasizes an underdog’s subversion of physical limitations through inner strength and alliances, akin to Tetsuo’s power awakening, with themes of societal rejection.
- MAL Rating: 8.50 | Episode Count: 23 | Notable Staff/Studio: Directed by Yosuke Hatta, produced by Wit Studio. | Awards/Recognition: Won Best Fantasy at the 2022 Crunchyroll Anime Awards.
13. Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End (2023)
- Streaming Availability: Available on Crunchyroll.
- Brief Plot Summary: An immortal elf mage reflects on her past adventures after her hero party’s victory, training new companions while confronting time’s passage.
- Specific Similarities to Akira: Subverts fantasy expectations with a power system of ancient magic and emotional depth, featuring underdog apprentices rising amid philosophical themes of legacy and change.
- MAL Rating: 9.10 | Episode Count: 28 | Notable Staff/Studio: Directed by Keiichiro Saito, produced by Madhouse. | Awards/Recognition: Won multiple categories at the 2024 Crunchyroll Anime Awards, including Anime of the Year.
14. Megalo Box (2018)
- Streaming Availability: Available on Crunchyroll and Netflix.
- Brief Plot Summary: In a dystopian world, an underground boxer uses mechanical gear to compete in rigged tournaments, aiming to dethrone the champion.
- Specific Similarities to Akira: Mirrors underdog rebellion in a tech-infused society, with a gear-based power system subverting class divides through gritty, high-stakes fights.
- MAL Rating: 7.86 | Episode Count: 13 (Season 1) | Notable Staff/Studio: Directed by Yo Moriyama, produced by TMS Entertainment. | Awards/Recognition: Nominated for Best Score at the 2019 Crunchyroll Anime Awards.
15. Link Click (2021)
- Streaming Availability: Available on Crunchyroll and Bilibili.
- Brief Plot Summary: Two friends run a photo studio that allows time-travel via images, solving clients’ regrets while uncovering personal traumas.
- Specific Similarities to Akira: Features a time-manipulation power system with underdog protagonists subverting fate, echoing Akira’s themes of uncontrolled power leading to emotional and societal upheaval.
- MAL Rating: 8.79 | Episode Count: 11 (Season 1) | Notable Staff/Studio: Directed by Li Haoling, produced by LAN Studio (Chinese animation). | Awards/Recognition: Gained international acclaim for originality; won Best Original Anime at the 2022 Bilibili Awards.
Why These Anime Work for Akira Fans
These series resonate with Akira enthusiasts by delving into complex power systems that often stem from technology or trauma, underdog arcs that transform weakness into cataclysmic strength, and narrative subversions that challenge viewers’ expectations about humanity and society. While Akira set the bar for cyberpunk intensity, these underrated gems offer fresh perspectives—blending psychological depth, innovative animation, and thematic ambition—that make them essential watches for fans seeking more hidden treasures in the genre.
