15 Animes Similar to Lookism

Lookism follows an endlessly bullied teen who wakes up with two bodies—one ordinary, one perfect—and weaponises that miracle to claw his way up a brutal social ladder. Its hook blends three irresistible ideas:

• Inventive power systems (body-swapping in place of classic superpowers)
• Underdog wish-fulfilment (a nobody who suddenly gets a real shot)
• Constant subversion of expectations (looks aren’t everything, and power has a price)

The series below capture at least two of those pillars while flying under most radars. They span different eras, genres and art styles, yet each delivers the same jolt of empowerment and social critique that makes Lookism so binge-worthy.

1. The Law of Ueki (2005)

• Streaming Crunchyroll / Funimation
• MAL score 7.54 · Episodes 51
• Studio / Staff Studio Deen · Dir. Hiroshi Watanabe
• Plot Ordinary student Ueki is drafted into a celestial tournament where every kid receives a bizarre, often self-destructive power.
• Why it clicks Like Daniel, Ueki starts at the bottom, masters an off-beat ability, and exposes society’s obsession with “usefulness” over character.

2. Bagel Girl (2021)

• Streaming Official YouTube (KR)
• MAL score 6.90 · Episodes 15 (shorts)
• Studio / Staff Studio Animal (KR)
• Plot A downtrodden gamer wakes up in a super-fit female body and has to survive modern Seoul while juggling two identities.
• Why it clicks K-webtoon roots, body-swap mechanics and biting commentary on look-based discrimination make it a spiritual cousin to Lookism.

3. I Got a Cheat Skill in Another World and Became Unrivaled in the Real World, Too (2023)

• Streaming Crunchyroll
• MAL score 7.03 · Episodes 13
• Studio / Staff Millepensee · Dir. Shin Itagaki
• Plot Bullied, overweight Yūya discovers a fantasy door; levelling up there remodels his real-world body into peak form.
• Why it clicks Shares the glow-up fantasy and dual-life tension highlighted in fan lists of Lookism-likes.

4. Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-kun (2019)

• Streaming Crunchyroll / HIDIVE
• MAL score 7.77 · Episodes 65 +
• Studio / Staff Bandai Namco Pictures
• Plot Soft-spoken Iruma is sold to a demon and must fake it through a cut-throat magic academy.
• Why it clicks A powerless kid navigates a hierarchy by out-thinking tougher rivals, mirroring Daniel’s daylight hustle.

5. Talentless Nana (2020)

• Streaming Funimation / Crunchyroll
• MAL score 7.37 · Episodes 13
• Studio / Staff Bridge
• Plot On an island school for gifted teens battling “enemies of humanity,” new arrival Nana hides a deadly secret.
• Why it clicks Turns the “special abilities school” trope on its head, echoing Lookism’s taste for twists.

6. Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple (2006)

• Streaming Crunchyroll / Hulu
• MAL score 8.04 · Episodes 50
• Studio / Staff TMS Entertainment
• Plot Chronic target Kenichi dives into insane martial-arts training to protect himself—and, eventually, everyone else.
• Why it clicks Bullying, gruelling self-improvement and street-level fights capture Lookism’s high-school combat vibe.

7. World Trigger (2014)

• Streaming Crunchyroll
• MAL score 7.58 · Episodes 99
• Studio / Staff Toei Animation
• Plot Earth fends off alien “Neighbors” using customizable Trion weapons; scrawny Osamu fights with brains over brawn.
• Why it clicks Inventive weapon system + strategic underdogs tackling a rigid meritocracy.

8. Kengan Ashura (2019)

• Streaming Netflix
• MAL score 7.43 · Episodes 24
• Studio / Staff Larx Entertainment
• Plot Corporations settle disputes via no-rules cage matches; unheralded fighter Tokita Ohma represents a tiny firm.
• Why it clicks Corporate classism, savage martial arts and a late-bloomer protagonist parallel Lookism’s darker street arcs.

9. Drifters (2016)

• Streaming Hulu / Crunchyroll
• MAL score 7.91 · Episodes 12
• Studio / Staff Hoods Drifters Studio · Dir. Kenichi Suzuki
• Plot History’s misfit warriors are isekai-ed to wage war in a dying realm.
• Why it clicks Shows how outcasts leverage peculiar skills against stacked odds, a theme central to Daniel’s rise.

10. The Unwanted Undead Adventurer (2024)

• Streaming Crunchyroll
• MAL score 6.98 · Episodes 12
• Studio / Staff CONNECT
• Plot A bottom-tier adventurer is eaten by a dragon, resurrects as a skeleton and rebuilds status from scratch.
• Why it clicks Physical transformation, social stigma and grind-heavy comeback echo Lookism’s core beats.

11. Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo (2004)

• Streaming Crunchyroll / RetroCrush
• MAL score 8.19 · Episodes 24
• Studio / Staff GONZO · Dir. Mahiro Maeda
• Plot A psychedelic sci-fi retelling where betrayal births a meticulously plotted revenge.
• Why it clicks Visually daring and built on shifting identities—exactly the sort of rule-breaking highlighted in unique-animation round-ups.

12. Ascendance of a Bookworm (2019)

• Streaming Crunchyroll
• MAL score 8.02 · Episodes 36
• Studio / Staff Ajia-do
• Plot Sickly bibliophile Myne reincarnates in a medieval world where books are luxury items and vows to print her own.
• Why it clicks Squashes power fantasies in favour of slow, ingenious hustle—Daniel’s night-body grind in fantasy garb.

13. C: The Money of Soul and Possibility Control (2011)

• Streaming Funimation / Crunchyroll
• MAL score 7.21 · Episodes 11
• Studio / Staff Tatsunoko Production · Dir. Kenji Nagasaki
• Plot College kid Kimimaro enters a surreal “Financial District” where futures are wagered like Pokémon battles.
• Why it clicks Abstract yet concrete power system plus moral jabs at socioeconomic inequality.

14. Kokkoku (2018)

• Streaming Amazon Prime Video
• MAL score 6.85 · Episodes 12
• Studio / Staff Geno Studio
• Plot A fractured family freezes time to rescue a kidnapped boy, only to find others moving in the same stasis-world.
• Why it clicks Tight family stakes, grim urban setting and one-of-a-kind ability rules mirror Lookism’s high-risk double life.

15. Hamatora The Animation (2014)

• Streaming Crunchyroll
• MAL score 7.11 · Episodes 12
• Studio / Staff NAZ × Studio Trigger (ep 1)
• Plot Private-eye duo use latent “Minimum” superpowers to solve crimes and confront systemic discrimination.
• Why it clicks Chic visuals, case-file pacing and powers linked to societal value judgments round out the Lookism vibe.

Why These Anime Work for Mentioned Anime Fans

Every series above spotlights characters written off as weak, ugly, poor or powerless who hack their world’s rule-set—whether through an inherited gift, relentless training or sheer intellect. They lean on distinctive power mechanics to explore prejudice, classism and self-worth, then flip expectations the moment you think you know the score. If Lookism made you cheer for a scrappy hero juggling two faces, these 15 under-sung gems will scratch that same itch while surprising you in brand-new ways.