The manga has received more and more fans since its 2017 anime series, its films across 2019 and 2020, and the new series that started on July 6th, 2022. Still, it’s just one dark fantasy series, and there are plenty others for fans of the genre to enjoy. Here’s a few more anime that Made in Abyss fans should check out.
6 Berserk ‘97
Berserk would be the most obvious dark fantasy recommendation if this was for manga. It’s a harder proposition in anime, as it hasn’t received many. The 3D series released across 2016-2017 was notoriously bad and will likely keep any future animated efforts off the table for a good while. The Golden Age Trilogy is all pretty in that 2000s digital coloring style, but its seams get visible after a while.
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That leaves the 1997 series. Animated by OLM Inc, the company behind Pokemon (seriously), Berserk ’97 is an adaptation of the manga’s Golden Age arc, which went into the backstory of its lead, the Black Swordsman Guts, and his encounters the enigmatic Griffith and his mercenary band. The story is noticeably truncated compared to its manga counterpart, and the animation takes some shortcuts. Nonetheless, it still has the power to move and horrify with its score, storytelling, and twists. It’s harder to find in North America nowadays, but it’s worth tracking down for its shocking climax.
5 Devilman Crybaby
It’s a heavy story that gets bleaker and bleaker as it goes on, with a friendship at its heart that gets tested to breaking point. Though it’s based on a strip from the 1970s, Crybaby shifts it to modern day, and reframes its themes on love, sex, bigotry, and its notoriously grim ending. Those with a strong stomach will appreciate its drama. The squeamish may prefer the next entry instead.
4 Attack On Titan
Chances are this series needs no introduction. Hajime Isayama’s series has been all over the place since its debut in 2009. It follows Eren Yeager as he tries to avenge the destruction of his hometown and the death of his mother at the hands of the Titans: giant humanoid figures with a taste for flesh. As difficult as they are to fight, taking them on is easy compared to the twists and turns Eren and his colleagues have to face along their journey.
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The manga went on to inspire an anime series, a live-action film, and miniseries. That’s not including the spin-offs like the prequel Attack on Titan: No Regrets, and two comedies in Attack on Titan: Junior High and Spoof on Titan. So, if the main series’ themes of sacrifice, struggle, war, and death get too much, there are options to let off that steam.
3 The Promised Neverland
Like Made in Abyss, Kaiu Shirai and Posuka Demizu’s manga seems like an innocent tale set in an orphanage at the beginning. However, Emma and her friends soon realize they’re not brought up to be adopted. They’re being raised as feeding fodder for demons to keep them from going bestial and attacking the rest of humanity. Their orphanage isn’t the only one doing this either. It’s just one of many within a network dedicated to this practice.
Emma and the rest escape and take their chances with the wild demons, while trying to figure out a way to free the kids from the other orphanages. The original manga remained strong from its 2016 inception to its finale in 2020. The anime started off strong, then fell apart in Season 2 when it told its own, less effective story. Still, that first, more faithful season is still worth watching in its entirety for maintaining the manga’s sense of dread and horror.
2 Dorohedoro
In the post-apocalypse, the world has been split into three realms: the vibrant Sorcerers’ World, the trash-filled human realm of Hole, and the demon-infested Hell. They clash with each other over resources and drugs, and traffic each other for magic (sorcerers) or to be subjected to experimentation (humans). In this world, the reptile-headed amnesiac Caiman fights his way through Hole to rediscover who he is, with just his friend Nikaido as company.
Created by Q Hayashida, Dorohedoro’s original manga ran from 2000 all the way up to 2018. Yet it only received a short but sweet anime series in 2020 where its dark humor and scratchy art style earned it praise from critics. It also received a 6-episode OVA series that was combined into one long episode on Netflix. Here’s hoping there’s a second season to come along the way.
1 Puella Magi Madoka Magica
Wait, what? This magical girl show is somehow a dark fantasy? Well, yes. Just as Made in Abyss looks more like a JRPG tie-in than a grim adventure, Puella Magi Madoka Magica has a dark heart. In it, Madoka and co become magical girls to protect the world from “witches.” While they get the pretty dresses and magic sparkles, it also comes with a heavy cost. They give up their souls in a bid to fuel their magic, and they can turn into witches if their despair overcomes their soul.
The girls’ magic can get out of control, best friends die or become witches, and the powers-that-be can still take advantage of their charges. Originating as an anime directed by Akiyuki Shinbo and Yukihiro Miyamoto back in 2011, Puella Magi Madoka Magica counters Sailor Moon just like Neon Genesis Evangelion countered Mobile Suit Gundam with its dark themes and brutal combat scenes.
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