The latest MAPPA anime, Lazarus, has really found a sweet spot in people’s minds, and it isn’t even shocking because it’s directed by Shinichiro Watanabe, and also the director of John Wick, who directed the action scenes of the anime. It isn’t often that we get to see an original anime series shine in the spotlight, so if you’re bored waiting for the serialization of the entire anime, we’ve got your back covered!
In this article, we will introduce you to 10 other anime that you would definitely love if you’re into Lazarus. As you may have guessed, many of these anime belong to the sci-fi genre.
10Great Pretender
If you’re looking for main characters like Axel, who are comfortable and confident in being a criminal, exude a lot of charisma, then Great Pretender is definitely for you. This anime is a lot less serious in comparison to Lazarus, but both anime feature a crime syndicate being formed by good people to achieve a greater goal.
The anime features a common Japanese swindler named Edamura Makoto getting swindled by a man of way higher caliber than him, after which he gets swept up by the man and his organisation, and eventually forms a part of it due to common interests.
9Akudama Drive
Akudama is a very potent criminal organisation, all of whose members have life sentences that exceed 500 years. They do odd jobs that no one else would do for a hefty pay to get by. The story takes an interesting turn when an ordinary girl who got arrested for a minor charge had to act as a Swindler in front of the Akudama members to save her own life.
The most interesting premise of the anime is the fact that the members of Akudama were forced to take on a mission by an unknown person to free a certain death row inmate named Cuttthroat. They only discovered later that this was a part of a larger and way more sinister mission, and the worst part is, an ordinary girl got roped into it when she acted as a swindler.
8Banana Fish
Unlike many other anime on this list, Banana Fish does not take place in a futuristic world. It is quite similar to Lazarus as the whole anime is rooted in crime and violence, and the issues that develop with it. A very important trope this anime features is one about drugs, its spread, and its misuse, and although this isn’t as prevalent in Lazarus at this point, it is still quite interesting.
Besides being an action-filled thriller anime, Banana Fish is also casually a BL anime on the side, so if you have an inclination for that, then Banana Fish is also a great pick for you. Another common ground this anime has with Lazarus is the fact that they’re both produced by MAPPA and have great animation.
6Terror in Resonance
Just like how Dr Skinner held the entire world hostage with his miracle drug Hapna, Terror in Resonance saw a few teenagers hold a country hostage by stealing an atomic bomb and threatening to detonate it, unless their riddle was solved.
Interestingly, this anime too was one of Shinichiro Watanabe’s works, which is also why it is one of the best thriller anime u might ever come across. Unlike Lazarus, though, Terror in Resonance follows the story of the perpetrators rather than the innocent civilians who are trying to crack the code to save themselves.
6Pluto
Pluto takes place in a way more futuristic world in comparison to Lazarus, where humans live alongside robots. The story revolves around a robot detective, Gesicht, investigating a case of a string of robot and human deaths around the world, where all the victims have objects shoved into or positioned by their heads, imitating horns.
Gesichit has to discover the cause of these deaths, while securing himself to not become a victim of the same case. While this story isn’t quite similar to Lazarus’, Pluto is a great mystery anime that could be considered to be in a class of its own.
5Bungou Stray Dogs
Bungou Stray Dogs may seem quite different from Lazarus in many aspects, but one would be surprised to know they have a lot more in common than what meets the eye. Bungou Stray Dogs has government forces and crime syndicates working in unison for communal welfare, which is also seen in Lazarus.
Bungou Stray Dogs also has quite a lot of eccentric characters that viewers would grow on. Above all, Bungou Stray Dogs is a great crime thriller anime, which is certainly comparable to Lazarus.
4Ghost In The Shell
The Ghost In The Shell is quite similar to Lazarus in many ways, as it takes place in a distant future with a lot of technological advancements. Here, instead of Dr. Skinner, we have The Laughing Man, a cyberterrorist who hacks into governmental and industrial servers and causes major havoc. To counter this, a special force called the Public Security Section 9 was tasked, led by Major Motoko Kusanagi.
Lazarus isn’t fixated on its dystopian world, which is unlike Ghost In The Shell, which is quite fixated on themes of cyborgs, brain hacking, and cyber terror. Despite these differences, it is still a great mystery anime and a quick watch if you’re feeling bored waiting for the next episode of Lazarus.
3Ergo Proxy
Like Lazarus, Ergo Proxy provides a perfect example of how human societies can self-destruct through uncontrolled or unmonitored scientific advancements. Ergo Proxy takes place in a post-apocalyptic world where humans live under the surveillance of beings called Proxies.
Ergo Proxy has a complex world that the anime built over time. The story of the main character, named Re-I, maneuvering through a world containing humanoids and other beings, is quite different from that of Lazarus, but it promises a mind-blowing mystery in an unimaginable world, which could be better than Lazarus.
2Cyberpunk: Edgerunners
Cyberpunk: Edgerunners takes place in a dystopian world filled with very convenient technological advancements. Convenient technological advancements also led to convenient crimes, which is a major theme of the story. Like Lazarus, this anime also has a bunch of criminals coming together for a common goal, which isn’t necessary for the common good.
Lazarus isn’t really fixated on its futuristic aspects, and is really casual about the unbelievable technological advancements featured in the anime. Cyberpunk, however, revolves around its dystopian world and is not as much of a crime thriller in comparison.
1Cowboy Bebop
There is no anime that could come close to competing against Lazarus than Cowboy Bebop, as it is a creation of Shinichiro Watanabe himself. This story also takes place in the distant future, where a few bounty hunters roam through space on different planets to claim their bounties.
Like Axel in Lazarus, Cowboy Bebop also has a charismatic main character named Spike Spiegel, who is just as laid back but as skilled as Axel is. While Lazarus still lacks the cyberpunk and comedy themes that Cowboy Bebop has, Cowboy Bebop is still Shinichiro Watanabe’s greatest work and deserves to be watched.
About Lazarus
Lazarus is an upcoming original anime series that is set to be directed by Shinichiro Watanabe and will be produced by MAPPA. The director of John Wick, Chad Stahelski, is working on the action pieces.
Adult Swin describes the story: The year is 2052 – an era of unprecedented peace and prosperity prevails across the globe. The reason for this: mankind has been freed from sickness and pain. Nobel Prize-winning neuroscientist Dr. Skinner has developed a miracle cure-all drug with no apparent drawbacks called Hapuna. Hapuna soon becomes ubiquitous… and essential. However, soon after Hapuna is officially introduced, Dr. Skinner vanishes.
Three years later, the world has moved on. But Dr. Skinner has returned – this time, as a harbinger of doom. Skinner announces that Hapuna has a short half-life. Everyone who has taken it will die approximately three years later. Death is coming for this sinful world – and coming soon.
As a response to this threat, a special task force of 5 agents is gathered from across the world to save humanity from Skinner’s plan. This group is called “Lazarus.” Can they find Skinner and develop a vaccine before time runs out?
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