Hey, are you streaming the new Adult Swim anime Ninja Kamui? The heart of the show beats around Joe Logan, or Higan, who used to be part of a super-secret ninja clan that basically controlled world events by killing off key figures.
Higan gets tired of all the killing and ditches the clan with his wife. They start over with new identities and even have a kid, but then tragedy strikes and his wife and kid are taken out, sending Higan on a mission for revenge, hunting down the ones who destroyed his new life.
If the series’ gory violence and action captivated you, and you’re looking for similar anime, here are our ten best picks.
Rurouni Kenshin (1996)
Rurouni Kenshin is set in Japan during a time of big change called the Meiji Restoration. The lead character, Himura Kenshin, in his prime, used to be a deadly assassin known as ‘Hitokiri Battosai,’ but now he’s trying to make up for his past by wandering around as a Rurouni or wandering swordsman.
Along the way, he meets Kaoru Kamiya, who runs a kendo dojo and ends up becoming a big part of her life. However, the anime is just about friends and friendship, and we also get to see Himura fighting old enemies who are a lot like him.
Hell’s Paradise: Jigokuraku (2023)
Hell’s Paradise: Jigokuraku throws you into feudal Japan with a ninja named Gabimaru, also known as ‘Gabimaru the Hollow.’ He has a dark past and is facing death row, but just before his head is about to be hacked off, he gets a second chance.
To earn his freedom, he needs to travel to the island called Tōgenkyō, or ‘Hell’s Paradise,’ to find this thing called the elixir of immortality. Gabimaru is not alone, and many other death row inmates accompany him for their own reasons. If you want to know what’s on the island, you’ll have to watch the anime because it’s too good to spoil.
Basilisk (2005)
Like the one before, Basilisk is too set in feudal Japan, where ninjas were commonplace. Two clans, the Iga Tsubagakure, and the Kouga Manjidani, have been at each other’s throats for ages. The shogun, Ieyasu Tokugawa, comes up with a plan to settle the feud once and for all.
As per him, ten from each clan fight it out, and the winner’s leader gets to be the next shogun. Everything builds up to a tearjerker of a finale, where two lovers draw their swords against each other in a final battle that’ll leave you in pieces.
Samurai Champloo (2004)
Samurai Champloo takes you through a funky, alternate version of Japan’s Edo era, where you’ll meet Mugen, a swordsman; Jin, a calm and traditional samurai; and Fuu, a spunky young woman with a mission. So what happens is that Fuu convinces the other two to help her find a samurai who smells like sunflowers.
Then what? They start their journey looking for the samurai while battling the evils of their kind, shady officers, bandits, and whatnot! If you’ve read the manga, you’ll know that this anime has one of the best characters ever written.
Afro Samurai (2007)
If you’re looking for a gritty anime like Ninja Kamui, then Afro Samurai is as gritty as it gets. The series takes place in a futuristic feudal Japan where Afro, a badass swordsman, is on a mission to find and murder the man who killed his father just so he could become the top dog.
For his revenge to be completed, Afro needs to defeat the current Number One. Like Ninja Kamui, the anime doesn’t hold back when it comes to blood, gore, decapitations, and hundreds of other ways by which you can kill a man.
Ghost in the Shell (2020)
Ghost in the Shell will take you to a future where humans and technology are one. The POV character is Major Motoko Kusanagi, a cyborg officer leading a covert ops team called Section 9.
His friends are Batou and Togusa, and together, they try to solve cyber crimes and threats that can break society, which sometimes manifest in the form of hackers, rogue androids, or corrupt and power-hungry politicians. The show asks what it means to be conscious and have an identity when you’re part human, part machine.
Kengan Ashura (2019)
Imagine a world where big companies settle scores with death duel instead of boring meetings. This is exactly what happens in the Kengan Ashura. The series is built around Ouma Tokita, who is a young fighter with decent skills.
He gets roped into these corporate gladiator fights by Yamashita Kazuo from the Nogi Group. We see him climbing the ranks slowly and steadily while fighting and killing other tough staffers who are fighting for their own reasons and promotions.
Chainsaw Man (2022)
The next anime on this list takes place in a world where your fears come to life as actual Devils. The titular character Denji’s life changes when he one day merges with a Devil named Pochita.
As a result of the integration, he gains chainsaw powers and becomes a member of a Public Safety Devil Hunters to take down other bad demons and monsters who want to destroy or influence the world. The show also includes another character named Asa Mitaka, who wants to kill Denzi because of the deal she has made with someone called War Devil.
The God of High School (2020)
The God of High School is an anime where high schooler Jin Mori jumps into a martial arts tournament called The God of High School so he can fulfil his grandpa’s wish and get a sought-after wish-granting thingamajig.
Since the task at hand is dangerous, he teams up with Yu Mira and Han Daewi, who are also in the competition for their own reasons. As the tournament heats up, we see them fighting opponents who don’t know how to be lenient and hold their punches.
Vinland Saga (2019)
Thorfinn is the titular character of Vinland Saga. He is a young kid from Iceland with big dreams of adventure and battle, all thanks to his legendary dad, Thors. Things took a dark turn when mercenaries hired to off Thors attacked them on a journey.
Thors makes the ultimate sacrifice to save his son. This tragic event fills Thorfinn with nothing but vengeance. Thus, he tags along with the same mercenaries who murdered his father, waiting for the perfect moment to settle the score.
So there we have it, our 10 TV show alternatives to watch when you’re finished watching Ninja Kamui.
What do you think of our picks? Do you agree? Are there any notable omissions? Let us know in the comments below!