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Anime That Will Break Your Heart Like 'Attack on Titan'
Anime That Will Cheer You Up After 'Attack on Titan'
Editor's Note: The following contains spoilers for the Attack on Titan series finale.
Attack on Titan: The Final Season has one of the year's darkest endings in all of anime. Our hero-turned-villain, Eren, succeeds in causing the rumbling, wiping out 80% of humanity, and freeing the Eldians from the curse of the Titans. Attack on Titan (also known as Shingeki no Kyojin) is arguably one of the greatest anime ever made, and seeing it end after 10 years is tough.
To help with that titan-shaped hole in your heart, we've curated a list that will give you shows like Attack on Titan if you're searching for the next dark fantasy epic, but don't worry; we also have a second batch of shows for you. If you're looking for a series to cheer you up after the pain of the series finale, we have a few shows that will serve as a much-needed pick-me-up. These are the best shows to binge after Attack on Titan.
Attack On Titan
TV-MA
Adventure
Action
Anime
Fantasy
After his hometown is destroyed and his mother is killed, young Eren Jaeger vows to cleanse the earth of the giant humanoid Titans that have brought humanity to the brink of extinction.
- Release Date
- September 28, 2013
- Cast
- Marina Inoue , Hiro Shimono , Takehito Koyasu , Yûki Kaji , Josh Grelle , Bryce Papenbrook
- Main Genre
- Anime
- Seasons
- 4
- Website
- http://shingeki.tv/
Anime That Will Break Your Heart Like 'Attack on Titan'
These are the shows to watch if you're looking for a series that captures that same bleak tone as Attack on Titan. While the stories are epic, you've been warned that these will hurt your soul.
'Jujutsu Kaisen' - The Shibuya Incident Arc
Ever since the Shibuya arc started, nothing has been going right for our heroes, and with the latest episode, things have been getting worse. Like Attack on Titan, Jujutsu Kaisen has been a non-stop thrill ride since the "Hidden Inventory" arc, the first part of Season 2. But comparing the first arc to the second part of Season 2 is like day and night. While the Hidden Inventory arc is dark, it feels far more lighthearted and calming than the "Shibuya Incident" arc, which is a lot more horror-esque. What also makes Season 2 great is how it connects these two parts together. At first watch, you might question why the "Hidden Inventory" arc (a prequel story) is placed where it is compared to the rest of the series. But, the arc turns out to be quite important to the Shibuya Incident, helping us understand Gojo and Geto's relationship before their confrontation in Shibuya.
'Death Parade'
In all honesty, Death Parade is one of the most depressing anime ever. The main plot of the series is that humanity goes to Quindecim (Quindecim is purgatory in the world of Death Parade) after their death, but not all humans. Most humans go either to Heaven or Hell during their death, but those that go to Quindecim are challenged to a game of death by Decim, a white-haired bartender. In this game of death, the challengers will have their true nature revealed, and depending on their character as a human, they are either sent to hell or get a second chance at reincarnation.
'Erased'
Erased was one of the best anime of 2016. It's a time-traveling murder mystery and follows a young mangaka named Satoru Fujinuma, who is struggling to make a name for himself following his debut. Fujinuma can also travel back in time to stop horrific events from happening. After the tragic murder of someone close to him, he travels back in time in an effort to save them.
'To Your Eternity'
To Your Eternity is less extravagant than Attack on Titan or Jujutsu Kaisen, skipping the fantastical elements and opting for more precision with its grounded storytelling. The basic premise is that an immortal being is placed on Earth to experience what it means to be human. To Your Eternity focuses on love, hatred, and compassion for humanity so that Fushi can learn about society on multiple levels.
'Vinland Saga'
Vinland Saga focuses on Thorfinn and his hatred towards Askeladd. Throughout season one, Thorfinn's hatred slowly turns to admiration. Still, soon after, Akeladd is killed off, making Thorfinn lose another person he cared about, effectively destroying Thorfinn's will to live by destroying the only goal he had in life.
Thorfinn's story is not the only reason that Vinland Saga is depressing. It is the world surrounding him. It is nothing but war and hatred between everyone; the only haven from this hatred is Thorfinn's father, Thors Snorresson, and his birthplace, Iceland.
Anime That Will Cheer You Up After 'Attack on Titan'
These are the shows that will make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside. They are the comfort food you need after watching the fall of humanity. You'll laugh, cry (tears of joy), and be reminded that happiness exists in this world.
'Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid'
Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid is one of the best feel-good anime and can be watched repeatedly without losing its charm. Miss Kobayashi is about an office worker, Kobayashi, who brings a dragon, Tohru, to her home and lets her live there to work as a maid.
Even if there is no definitive story, Miss Kobayashi does a great job simply being a slice-of-life anime that will make anyone have a good day if they have a heart. The relationships between Kobayashi and Tohru are so cute that many people in the community ship them as they should because they look great with each other.
'Spy x Family'
Spy x Family is reasonably new to the feel-good anime community, with season one released in 2022. The series introduced the world to the best girl, Anya, and the best couple, Loid and Yor. The premise of Spy x Family, according to Viz Media, is an action-packed comedy about a fake family that includes a Spy, an assassin, and a telepath.
What makes this series incredible are all the random movements we get occasionally. For when a terrorist high jacks a school bus full of pre-schoolers, this sounds wrong on so many levels without context, but you just got to trust me. The high jacking is one of the funniest moments in the series.
'Horimiya'
Horimiya takes the premise that opposites attract and make it a nice slice of life. Izumi is a dull, seemingly nerdy, glasses-wearing boy, and Kyoko is a popular student. They both have secrets outside of school that they just coincidentally found out. Kyoko does not hang out with her friends outside of school because she mostly cares for her little brother. With Izumi, he does things impulsively, like getting tattoos or piercings, making him look completely different from his school appearance.
'Tonikawa: Over the Moon for You'
Tonikawa: Over the Moon for You is the only romance anime where the main protagonist does not shy away from the girl, and because of this, the series is already set up for success in my book. So, the basic synopsis of Tonikawa is that a boy (Nasa Yuzaki) almost gets run over by a truck but is saved by a girl (Tsukasa Yuzaki) soon after they start living together just because Nasa had the guts to tell Tsukasa how he feels. Tonikawa is the definition of love at first sight and is the perfect opposite of something like Attack on Titian.
'My Dress Up Darling'
My Dress Up Darling is just pure love of the entire cosplay community; you can tell that both Shinichi f*ckuda, the mangaka of My Dress Up Darling, and Keisuke Shinohara, the director of the anime, took the time to research cosplayers and the overall industry of cosplay. Both f*ckuda and Shinohara felt like huge nerds. For a person who was never into cosplay, the show almost made me want to do cosplay. Suppose that does not say much about purity, love, and how pleasing My Dress Up Darling is. There needs to be a season two.
