The Promised Neverland is a gripping anime that follows orphaned children uncovering the horrifying truth of their idyllic home, leading to a desperate escape from a system designed to exploit them. At its core, it explores themes of oppressive power systems, underdog protagonists fighting against insurmountable odds, and narrative twists that subvert expectations, blending suspense with deep character growth.
These 15 selected underrated anime deserve more attention for their ability to deliver similar intellectual thrills, emotional depth, and hidden darkness, often overlooked in favor of mainstream hits, making them perfect discoveries for fans seeking fresh yet resonant stories.
1. Shinsekai Yori (From the New World) (2012)
Current Streaming Availability: Crunchyroll, HIDIVE.
Brief Plot Summary: In a seemingly utopian future where humans possess psychic powers, a group of children begins to uncover the dark secrets of their society and the true cost of maintaining peace. As they delve deeper, they confront moral dilemmas that challenge their understanding of humanity.
Specific Similarities to The Promised Neverland: Like The Promised Neverland, it features young protagonists unraveling a deceptive world built on power imbalances and hidden horrors, with underdog stories of rebellion and subversion of idyllic expectations through psychological twists.
MAL Rating: 8.26. Episode Count: 25. Notable Staff/Studio: Directed by Masashi Ishihama at A-1 Pictures, known for intricate world-building. Awards/Recognition: Nominated for the Japan Media Arts Festival Award.
2. Made in Abyss (2017)
Current Streaming Availability: HIDIVE, Amazon Prime Video.
Brief Plot Summary: A young orphan girl and her robot companion descend into a massive, mysterious abyss filled with wonders and deadly creatures, seeking her lost mother while facing escalating dangers. Their journey reveals the abyss’s curse that warps both body and mind.
Specific Similarities to The Promised Neverland: It mirrors the underdog exploration of a deceptive, perilous world with power systems that exploit the vulnerable, subverting innocent adventures into dark tales of survival and character growth.
MAL Rating: 8.65. Episode Count: 13 (plus movies). Notable Staff/Studio: Directed by Masayuki Kojima at Kinema Citrus, praised for atmospheric animation. Awards/Recognition: Won Crunchyroll Anime Award for Best Score.
3. Shadows House (2021)
Current Streaming Availability: Crunchyroll, Funimation.
Brief Plot Summary: In a shadowy mansion, living dolls serve enigmatic shadow masters, but one doll begins to question the rigid hierarchy and uncovers sinister family secrets. As alliances form, they plot to escape the oppressive structure.
Specific Similarities to The Promised Neverland: Both center on children in a controlled environment discovering dark truths about their existence, with themes of power dynamics, underdog resistance, and narrative subversion through clever plotting.
MAL Rating: 7.73. Episode Count: 25 (two seasons). Notable Staff/Studio: Directed by Kazuki Ohashi at CloverWorks, noted for gothic visuals. Awards/Recognition: Nominated for Anime Grand Prix.
4. Tengoku Daimakyou (Heavenly Delusion) (2023)
Current Streaming Availability: Disney+, Hulu.
Brief Plot Summary: In a post-apocalyptic world, two teenagers navigate ruins filled with monstrous beings, searching for “heaven” while piecing together their fragmented pasts. Their journey exposes a society built on lies and exploitation.
Specific Similarities to The Promised Neverland: It shares underdog survival against monstrous threats in a deceptive world, with power systems that subvert expectations and focus on character development through moral dilemmas.
MAL Rating: 8.18. Episode Count: 13. Notable Staff/Studio: Directed by Hirotaka Mori at Production I.G., acclaimed for dystopian themes. Awards/Recognition: Won Newtype Anime Award for Best TV Anime.
5. Erased (Boku dake ga Inai Machi) (2016)
Current Streaming Availability: Crunchyroll, Netflix.
Brief Plot Summary: A man with the ability to rewind time is sent back to his childhood to prevent a series of murders, forcing him to confront past traumas and outsmart a cunning killer. His efforts reveal deeper conspiracies tied to his youth.
Specific Similarities to The Promised Neverland: Like the series, it involves young protagonists using intellect to subvert tragic fates in a suspenseful narrative, emphasizing underdog resilience and character evolution amid dark revelations.
MAL Rating: 8.30. Episode Count: 12. Notable Staff/Studio: Directed by Tomohiko Itou at A-1 Pictures, known for time-manipulation twists. Awards/Recognition: Won Sugoi Japan Award.
6. School-Live! (2015)
Current Streaming Availability: HIDIVE, Crunchyroll.
Brief Plot Summary: A group of high school girls appears to live carefree lives in their school club, but they are actually survivors in a zombie apocalypse, maintaining a facade of normalcy while fighting for survival. Their bond is tested as reality intrudes.
Specific Similarities to The Promised Neverland: It subverts slice-of-life expectations into horror, with underdog children facing existential threats and developing through psychological strain, akin to the orphanage’s hidden dangers.
MAL Rating: 7.60. Episode Count: 12. Notable Staff/Studio: Directed by Masaomi Ando at Lerche, praised for tonal shifts. Awards/Recognition: Nominated for Tokyo Anime Award.
7. Seraph of the End (2015)
Current Streaming Availability: Funimation, Crunchyroll.
Brief Plot Summary: In a world overrun by vampires after a virus wipes out adults, orphaned children are farmed for blood until one escapes and joins a resistance army wielding demonic powers. He seeks revenge against the vampiric overlords.
Specific Similarities to The Promised Neverland: Both feature orphans rebelling against exploitative power systems with demonic elements, underdog narratives, and subversions of trust in authority figures.
MAL Rating: 7.48. Episode Count: 24. Notable Staff/Studio: Directed by Daisuke Tokudo at Wit Studio, noted for action sequences. Awards/Recognition: Nominated for Anime of the Year at Crunchyroll Awards.
8. Grimgar of Fantasy and Ash (2016)
Current Streaming Availability: Funimation, Crunchyroll.
Brief Plot Summary: A group of amnesiac youths is thrust into a harsh fantasy world where they must hunt monsters to survive, forming a party and grappling with loss and growth in an unforgiving environment. Their struggles highlight the brutality of their new reality.
Specific Similarities to The Promised Neverland: It echoes underdog survival in a deceptive game-like world with power hierarchies, focusing on character development through sacrifice and narrative twists on fantasy tropes.
MAL Rating: 7.64. Episode Count: 12. Notable Staff/Studio: Directed by Ryosuke Nakamura at A-1 Pictures, known for realistic fantasy. Awards/Recognition: Nominated for Best Fantasy at Newtype Anime Awards.
9. Death Parade (2015)
Current Streaming Availability: Funimation, Hulu.
Brief Plot Summary: Deceased souls arrive at a mysterious bar where they play games that reveal their true natures, judged by an arbiter deciding their afterlife fate. The games expose hidden traumas and moral complexities.
Specific Similarities to The Promised Neverland: Similar psychological depth in subverting seemingly fair systems, with underdog characters confronting power imbalances and developing through emotional revelations.
MAL Rating: 8.14. Episode Count: 12. Notable Staff/Studio: Directed by Yuzuru Tachikawa at Madhouse, acclaimed for mind games. Awards/Recognition: Won Anime of the Year at Tokyo Anime Award Festival.
10. Paranoia Agent (2004)
Current Streaming Availability: Funimation, HIDIVE.
Brief Plot Summary: A city is terrorized by a mysterious assailant known as Lil’ Slugger, leading detectives and victims to unravel a web of psychological horrors tied to societal pressures. The investigation blurs reality and delusion.
Specific Similarities to The Promised Neverland: It subverts everyday normalcy into paranoia-driven narratives, with underdog protagonists challenging hidden societal powers and evolving through suspenseful twists.
MAL Rating: 7.66. Episode Count: 13. Notable Staff/Studio: Directed by Satoshi Kon at Madhouse, renowned for surreal storytelling. Awards/Recognition: Won Excellence Prize at Japan Media Arts Festival.
11. Texhnolyze (2003)
Current Streaming Availability: Funimation, Crunchyroll.
Brief Plot Summary: In a decaying underground city, a boxer fitted with cybernetic limbs navigates gang wars and existential despair, uncovering the city’s dark underbelly and his own fractured identity. Alliances shift in a brutal power struggle.
Specific Similarities to The Promised Neverland: Shares themes of oppressive urban power systems and underdog survival, with narrative subversions that delve into human degradation and character introspection.
MAL Rating: 7.76. Episode Count: 22. Notable Staff/Studio: Directed by Hiroshi Hamasaki at Madhouse, noted for dystopian vibes. Awards/Recognition: Cult classic status in cyberpunk anime discussions.
12. Serial Experiments Lain (1998)
Current Streaming Availability: Funimation, HIDIVE.
Brief Plot Summary: A reclusive girl becomes entangled in a virtual network that blurs the line between reality and the digital world, questioning her existence as she uncovers conspiracies. Her journey leads to profound identity crises.
Specific Similarities to The Promised Neverland: Both explore deceptive realities and power structures through a young protagonist’s growth, subverting expectations with psychological depth and underdog defiance.
MAL Rating: 8.07. Episode Count: 13. Notable Staff/Studio: Directed by Ryutaro Nakamura at Triangle Staff, iconic for experimental style. Awards/Recognition: Influential in cyberpunk genre, praised at festivals.
13. Boogiepop Phantom (2000)
Current Streaming Availability: Crunchyroll, HIDIVE.
Brief Plot Summary: High school students experience bizarre phenomena linked to a supernatural entity called Boogiepop, revealing urban legends and personal traumas in a fragmented narrative. The mysteries interconnect through evolving perspectives.
Specific Similarities to The Promised Neverland: It features non-linear subversion of normalcy into horror, with underdog youths confronting hidden powers and developing amid suspenseful revelations.
MAL Rating: 7.14. Episode Count: 12. Notable Staff/Studio: Directed by Takashi Watanabe at Madhouse, known for abstract horror. Awards/Recognition: Noted for innovative narrative at anime conventions.
14. Mujin Wakusei Survive (Uninhabited Planet Survive) (2003)
Current Streaming Availability: Limited (YouTube, fan subs).
Brief Plot Summary: School children crash-land on an uninhabited planet and must survive harsh wilderness, forming societies while facing environmental and interpersonal challenges. Their ingenuity and bonds are key to endurance.
Specific Similarities to The Promised Neverland: Echoes underdog children building escape plans against natural and systemic threats, with themes of subversion and character growth in isolated settings.
MAL Rating: 7.80. Episode Count: 52. Notable Staff/Studio: Directed by Yuichiro Yano at Madhouse/Telecom Animation Film, aimed at educational adventure. Awards/Recognition: Praised for survival themes in children’s anime.
15. Kemonozume (2006)
Current Streaming Availability: Limited (fan platforms).
Brief Plot Summary: In a world where flesh-eating monsters disguise as humans, a monster hunter falls in love with one, leading to forbidden romance and chases that expose societal prejudices. Their relationship challenges entrenched power dynamics.
Specific Similarities to The Promised Neverland: It subverts romance into dark horror with underdog protagonists defying monstrous power systems, emphasizing emotional development and twists.
MAL Rating: 7.35. Episode Count: 13. Notable Staff/Studio: Directed by Masaaki Yuasa at Madhouse, celebrated for unique animation. Awards/Recognition: Cult following for bold storytelling.
Why These Anime Work for The Promised Neverland Fans
These series excel by mirroring The Promised Neverland’s blend of intellectual suspense, underdog empowerment, and expectation-defying narratives, often through young characters dismantling oppressive systems. They offer fresh takes on dark themes with strong character arcs, providing emotional depth and twists that reward attentive viewers, making them ideal for fans craving more underrated gems that challenge perceptions and inspire reflection.
