Kekkai Sensen & Beyond, the 2017 sequel to Blood Blockade Battlefront, follows Leonardo Watch and the secret organization Libra as they battle supernatural threats in the chaotic, interdimensional city of Hellsalem’s Lot. The series excels in its blend of high-energy action, quirky character dynamics, and themes like intricate power systems, underdog protagonists rising against odds, and clever subversions of typical shonen tropes through jazzy humor and unpredictable storytelling.
These 15 underrated anime deserve more attention for their fresh takes on similar elements, offering hidden gems that mix urban fantasy, unique powers, and compelling growth arcs while avoiding mainstream overexposure.
1. Durarara!! (2010)
Current Streaming Availability: Crunchyroll, Hulu
Brief Plot Summary: In Tokyo’s Ikebukuro district, high schooler Mikado Ryuugamine navigates a web of urban legends, gang wars, and supernatural oddities involving a headless rider and mysterious figures with hidden agendas.
Specific Similarities to Kekkai Sensen & Beyond: Like Kekkai Sensen, it features an ensemble cast in a bustling urban setting where supernatural elements subvert everyday life, with underdog characters developing through chaotic alliances and power-driven conflicts.
MAL Rating: 8.10
Episode Count: 24
Notable Staff/Studio Involvement: Directed by Takahiro Omori, produced by Brain’s Base.
Awards/Recognition: Nominated for Best TV Anime at the 2010 Tokyo Anime Awards.
2. Baccano! (2007)
Current Streaming Availability: Crunchyroll
Brief Plot Summary: A non-linear tale of immortals, alchemists, and gangsters aboard a transcontinental train in 1930s America, where elixirs grant eternal life amid violent betrayals and heists.
Specific Similarities to Kekkai Sensen & Beyond: Shares a jazzy, episodic narrative style with subversion of expectations through immortal power systems and underdog survivors thriving in anarchic, urban-inspired chaos.
MAL Rating: 8.36
Episode Count: 13
Notable Staff/Studio Involvement: Directed by Takahiro Omori, produced by Brain’s Base.
Awards/Recognition: Won Best TV Series at the 2008 Tokyo Anime Awards.
3. Bungou Stray Dogs (2016)
Current Streaming Availability: Crunchyroll
Brief Plot Summary: Orphan Atsushi Nakajima joins the Armed Detective Agency, a group of literary-inspired ability users fighting crime and rival organizations in Yokohama.
Specific Similarities to Kekkai Sensen & Beyond: Mirrors the organization-based structure with unique power systems tied to characters’ backstories, emphasizing underdog growth and humorous subversions in an urban fantasy world.
MAL Rating: 7.81
Episode Count: 12 (Season 1)
Notable Staff/Studio Involvement: Directed by Takuya Igarashi, produced by Bones.
Awards/Recognition: Nominated for Best Opening Theme at the 2017 Crunchyroll Anime Awards.
4. Kyousougiga (2013)
Current Streaming Availability: Crunchyroll
Brief Plot Summary: A girl named Koto enters a mirror version of Kyoto inhabited by humans and yokai, searching for her family while unraveling the city’s magical secrets.
Specific Similarities to Kekkai Sensen & Beyond: Directed by the same Rie Matsumoto, it subverts family drama with vibrant, chaotic animation and underdog protagonists navigating power systems in a fantastical urban realm.
MAL Rating: 7.70
Episode Count: 10
Notable Staff/Studio Involvement: Directed by Rie Matsumoto, produced by Toei Animation.
Awards/Recognition: Praised for innovative animation at the 2014 Tokyo Anime Awards.
5. Noragami (2014)
Current Streaming Availability: Crunchyroll, Hulu
Brief Plot Summary: Minor god Yato, struggling for recognition, teams up with a human girl to battle evil spirits in modern Japan while building his divine reputation.
Specific Similarities to Kekkai Sensen & Beyond: Focuses on underdog divine powers and character development through episodic supernatural battles, subverting expectations with humor in an urban fantasy setting.
MAL Rating: 7.95
Episode Count: 12 (Season 1)
Notable Staff/Studio Involvement: Directed by Kotaro Tamura, produced by Bones.
Awards/Recognition: Won Best Male Character (Yato) at the 2015 Newtype Anime Awards.
6. Dorohedoro (2020)
Current Streaming Availability: Netflix
Brief Plot Summary: Amnesiac Caiman, with a reptile head, hunts sorcerers in the gritty Hole district to reverse a curse, uncovering a world of magic and experimentation.
Specific Similarities to Kekkai Sensen & Beyond: Echoes the gritty urban chaos with unique magic systems, underdog revenge arcs, and subversive dark humor amid body horror and alliances.
MAL Rating: 8.05
Episode Count: 12
Notable Staff/Studio Involvement: Directed by Yuichiro Hayashi, produced by MAPPA.
Awards/Recognition: Nominated for Best Animation at the 2021 Crunchyroll Anime Awards.
7. World Trigger (2014)
Current Streaming Availability: Crunchyroll
Brief Plot Summary: Teen Osamu Mikumo joins a defense agency to fight interdimensional invaders using advanced trigger weapons in a border city.
Specific Similarities to Kekkai Sensen & Beyond: Features strategic power systems and underdog team dynamics in an invasion-threatened urban area, subverting battles with clever tactics.
MAL Rating: 7.58
Episode Count: 73 (Season 1)
Notable Staff/Studio Involvement: Directed by Mitsuru Hongo, produced by Toei Animation.
Awards/Recognition: Recognized for innovative action at the 2015 Sugoi Japan Awards.
8. Darker than Black (2007)
Current Streaming Availability: Crunchyroll
Brief Plot Summary: In a post-apocalyptic Tokyo, contractors with supernatural abilities trade emotions for power while navigating espionage and moral dilemmas.
Specific Similarities to Kekkai Sensen & Beyond: Parallels emotion-based power systems and underdog assassins in a shadowy urban landscape, subverting heroism with noir twists.
MAL Rating: 8.05
Episode Count: 25
Notable Staff/Studio Involvement: Directed by Tensai Okamura, produced by Bones.
Awards/Recognition: Won Best Original Anime at the 2007 Tokyo Anime Awards.
9. Gangsta (2015)
Current Streaming Availability: Crunchyroll
Brief Plot Summary: Mercenaries Nicolas and Worick operate in the corrupt city of Ergastulum, dealing with superhuman “Twilights” and underground syndicates.
Specific Similarities to Kekkai Sensen & Beyond: Shares urban grit with ability-enhanced underdogs forming bonds, subverting action with themes of discrimination and loyalty.
MAL Rating: 7.40
Episode Count: 12
Notable Staff/Studio Involvement: Directed by Shukou Murase, produced by Manglobe.
Awards/Recognition: Noted for character design at the 2016 Newtype Anime Awards.
10. Sonny Boy (2021)
Current Streaming Availability: Crunchyroll
Brief Plot Summary: High school students are transported to alternate dimensions, developing unique powers while questioning reality and identity.
Specific Similarities to Kekkai Sensen & Beyond: Subverts expectations with philosophical power systems and underdog survival in surreal, urban-like voids, emphasizing growth.
MAL Rating: 7.76
Episode Count: 12
Notable Staff/Studio Involvement: Directed by Shingo Natsume, produced by Madhouse.
Awards/Recognition: Nominated for Best Sci-Fi at the 2022 Crunchyroll Anime Awards.
11. Ping Pong the Animation (2014)
Current Streaming Availability: Crunchyroll
Brief Plot Summary: Two childhood friends compete in table tennis, facing personal insecurities and rivals in a high-stakes school tournament.
Specific Similarities to Kekkai Sensen & Beyond: Highlights underdog character development through unique, raw animation styles, subverting sports tropes with emotional depth.
MAL Rating: 8.62
Episode Count: 11
Notable Staff/Studio Involvement: Directed by Masaaki Yuasa, produced by Tatsunoko Production.
Awards/Recognition: Won Best Animation at the 2015 Tokyo Anime Awards.
12. Deadman Wonderland (2011)
Current Streaming Availability: Crunchyroll
Brief Plot Summary: Framed teen Ganta Igarashi survives in a deadly prison where inmates with blood-manipulating powers compete in lethal games.
Specific Similarities to Kekkai Sensen & Beyond: Features brutal power systems and underdog rebellion in a confined, chaotic setting, subverting survival with dark twists.
MAL Rating: 7.14
Episode Count: 12
Notable Staff/Studio Involvement: Directed by Koichi Hatsumi, produced by Manglobe.
Awards/Recognition: Recognized for intense action at the 2012 Anime Grand Prix.
13. Trigun (1998)
Current Streaming Availability: Crunchyroll
Brief Plot Summary: Outlaw Vash the Stampede, with a massive bounty, wanders a desert planet evading hunters while hiding his pacifist nature.
Specific Similarities to Kekkai Sensen & Beyond: Created by the same Yasuhiro Nightow, it subverts gunslinger tropes with hidden powers and underdog morality in a wild, episodic narrative.
MAL Rating: 8.22
Episode Count: 26
Notable Staff/Studio Involvement: Directed by Satoshi Nishimura, produced by Madhouse.
Awards/Recognition: Won Best TV Anime at the 1999 Anime Kobe Awards.
14. Space Dandy (2014)
Current Streaming Availability: Crunchyroll
Brief Plot Summary: Alien hunter Dandy travels space with his quirky crew, registering new species amid absurd, reality-bending adventures.
Specific Similarities to Kekkai Sensen & Beyond: Jazzy, episodic style with subversive humor and unique alien powers, focusing on underdog misfits in cosmic chaos.
MAL Rating: 7.88
Episode Count: 13 (Season 1)
Notable Staff/Studio Involvement: Directed by Shinichiro Watanabe, produced by Bones.
Awards/Recognition: Nominated for Best Comedy at the 2015 Crunchyroll Anime Awards.
15. Cop Craft (2019)
Current Streaming Availability: Crunchyroll
Brief Plot Summary: Detective Kei Matoba partners with a knight from another world to solve crimes in a city connected by a portal to a fantasy realm.
Specific Similarities to Kekkai Sensen & Beyond: Blends urban policing with interdimensional powers, underdog partnerships, and subversions of buddy-cop tropes in a multicultural setting.
MAL Rating: 6.90
Episode Count: 12
Notable Staff/Studio Involvement: Directed by Shin Itagaki, produced by Millepensee.
Awards/Recognition: Noted for world-building in the 2020 Newtype Anime Awards.
Why These Anime Work for Kekkai Sensen & Beyond Fans
These series capture the essence of Kekkai Sensen & Beyond’s vibrant chaos, from intricate power systems and underdog triumphs to narrative twists that keep viewers on their toes. They offer fresh urban fantasy worlds with quirky ensembles and emotional depth, making them perfect for fans seeking more underrated adventures that blend action, humor, and subversion without mainstream hype.
