Evil Lies Dormant In Other Series
RWBY is a wonderful blend of American and Japanese animation. Created by Rooster Teeth’s Monty Oum, RWBY is a fantastical action series that follows the adventures of TEAM RWBY and their endless battles with dark monsters called the Grimm.
This team consists of Weiss Schnee, Blake Belladonna, Yang Xiao Long, and Ruby Rose. Each character has its own incredible background, goals, and dreams. Although entirely done in CGI, its heartfelt scenery and powerful story arcs allowed it to improve its visual quality over time and capture more fans’ attention.
If you’re having trouble finding anime similar to RWBY fear not!
We’ve discovered 10 alternate shows that’ll give you a similar experience as RWBY. For your reading pleasure, we have included the similarities they all share.
So without further ado, we present 10 TV shows that should whet the appetite when you’ve finished streaming RWBY!
Little Witch Academia
Similarities – Characters & Fantasy
From its similar formulaic structure and character cast, there’s a lot to compare between RWBY and Little With Academia. With its attention to magical arts, fantastical beasts, and a vast world, both anime exhibit similar harmonious feelings of adventure.
Little Witch Academia follows Atsuko Kagari, a girl who inspires herself to become a great sorcerer like her role model, Shiny Chariot. To do so, she attends a prestigious magical academy that’ll help her train. Upon arriving at said the academy, Akko’s met with immense challenge and ridicule from her peers. Thus, the story follows Akkko in her quest to become a fantastic witch.
Like RWBY, Little Witch Academia follows the daily lives of the female-dominant cast, each sparking their personality and flair about them. Both series feature great action scenes and creative creature designs to whet the appetite of diehard fantasy fans. The main difference is that you’ll get to spend more time with Akko during her training days, unlike Ruby Rose in RWBY.
Furthermore, Little Witch Academia’s storyline is more concise and will only take a few hours to get through. The plot of Little Witch Academia is less complex. This is because this anime focuses on Akko’s development to become a profound witch. The series also has fewer episodes than RWBY. Yet, fans should expect the same magical and thrilling vibes from both series.
Soul Eater
Similarities – Action & Adrenaline Boosting Music
If you enjoyed seeing Ruby and her friends train to become professional huntresses at Beacon Academy, you can expect the same struggle to befall the characters in Soul Eater. Soul Eater features an engaging art style, distinct character designs, empowering music, and a well-rounded cast of developed characters.
Like RWBY, Soul Eater has a cartoonish style, which makes it an anime that’s often depicted as an American cartoon to new viewers. The characters form tighter bonds with their weapons in this series, though. This is because their weapons can transform into humans with realistic, humane personalities. However, fans can expect the same regarding thrilling action scenes coupled with some emotional bits.
Soul Eater follows a group of students who embark on risky missions to protect their city from evil beings and collect souls. They each equip themselves with weapon-changing allies called Death Scythes, who all have different goals and characteristics. Another goal outside of protecting their homeland is to become excellent demon hunters.
God Eater
Similarities – Humans Vs Mythical Beasts
God Eater takes place in the year 2071 when evil monsters called Aragami are slowly taking over the world. To put a stop to their plans, an organization called Fenrir enlists the help of God Eaters to take them down. Fenrir grants these God Eaters powerful weapons called God Arcs to assist them.
At the helm of the God Eaters is Lenka Utsugi. He receives a New-Type God Arc weapon that forms into a blade and gun. Despite having some experience with the Aragami, Lenka must master his new weapon if he hopes to rid the world of the Aragami. Luckily for him, he won’t be fighting them alone.
God Eater features beautiful animation and engaging fight scenes. Many of the fights echo that of Team RWBY in RWBY since most of them involve Lenka teaming up with fellow God Eaters. Lenka undergoes similar training regimes as Ruby. Viewers will see Lenka struggle and create methods of overcoming those obstacles.
The Aragami also have unique and horrific designs, like the Grimm in RWBY. Both shows also put their characters in near-death situations to increase tension in specific scenes. With that in mind, it’s best not to get too attached to the characters.
Claymore
Similarities –Female Warriors & Themes
Imagine taking RWBY but making it darker, bloodier, and violent. You’ll then end up with an anime like Claymore. Claymore feels like an older sibling to RWBY in ways. It features an incredible cast of strong women fighting off ferocious creatures and hybrids alike. Furthermore, themes surrounding family and tragedy are present in both works.
Claymore is more mature with its handling of those themes, though. Its world also feels less cheery and more gloomy in comparison. Even the main characters from both series have differing personalities and backgrounds. Looking past those differences, one will notice how similar Claymore’s Clare and RWBY’s Ruby are regarding their gifted potential.
Claymore takes place in a village that’s currently being overrun by a shape-shifting demon. Deemed a “youma,” the monster begins terrorizing the people of this village, slaughtering everything in its way. Fortunately, the villagers are saved by a mysterious female warrior named Clare. She’s a half-human-and-youma warrior called a Claymore, whose only desire is to exterminate every youma in her path.
After saving the villagers, she meets a boy named Raki who decides to accompany Clare on her travels. Therefore, the anime follows Clare as she travels from town to town, searching for a particular youma that had murdered her former master.
Puella Magi Madoka Magica
Similarities – Dark & Wholesome Content
Puella Magi Madoka Magica and RWBY both bring fresh ideas to the anime medium. While RWBY is a western CGI animated show that exhibits traits of a modern anime, Madoka Magica aimed to change the way people perceive magical girl shows. With its well-rounded characters, darker storyline, and visually stunning action scenes, Madoka Magica serves as a wake-up call for those who overlooked the magical girl sub-genre.
What made Madoka Magica special was how it manages to deceive audiences from the get-go. Unlike RWBY, viewers will go into Madoka Magica expecting a cutesy, adorable show featuring girls fighting crime. However, once Madoka Magica unveils its darker undertones, fans will find their former expectations shattered.
Outside its deceptive nature, there’s not much else that differentiates it from RWBY. Both anime feature an all-female cast, who bare incredibly designed weapons to fight supernatural entities. Both series feature catchy songs that mesh well with their series’ atmosphere and tone. Likewise, these shows offer incredible animation, despite RWBY’s first few seasons lacking in quality.
Black Rock Shooter
Similarities – CGI Animated & Emotional Themes
Black Rock Shooter follows the junior high school student Mato Kuroi and their attempt to get a shy girl named Yomi Takanashi to notice them. After many attempts, Yomi approaches Mato after seeing a decorate blue bird attachment on her phone. This simple trinket allows them to converse and form a tight friendship.
Meanwhile, in an alternate world, we get to see another version of Mato and Yomi. In this world, Mato’s known as Black Rock Shooter while Yomi undergoes the identity, of Dead Master. We get to see the effects of our prior world impact on the lives of Black Rock Shooter and Dead Master in this one, some for the good and bad.
Black Rock Shooter has an interesting visual style that’s like RWBY’s CGI format. There are a lot of action scenes mixed in with daily slice-of-life moments. These action scenes are fast-paced and give off a unique flair. The weapons Black Rock Shooter uses in the series are identical to the ones Ruby utilizes. These weapons undergo multiple transformations, allowing Black Rock Shooter to wield them differently while in combat.
Both anime take place in a school-like setting. The bond between Mato and Yomi is identical to the tight friendship Ruby forms with her allies in RWBY. At the same time, fans can expect the series to tackle harsher themes like grief and sorrow. These are accompanied by multiple emotional moments that’ll leave fans depressed.
Land of the Lustrous
Similarities – CGI Animation At Its Best
Land of the Lustrous is one of a few anime series that manages to utilize CGI exceptionally well. The character movements are never stiff. Like RWBY’s later seasons, it feels more smooth and more polished. Outside its stunning visuals, Land of the Lustrous offers a stellar cast of memorable characters, each carrying different burdens and goals on their back.
RWBY and Land of the Lustrous both feature compelling storylines. These stories offer enough mystery to fuel fans’ love for speculating and theorizing. Land of the Lustrous handles its tension wonderfully as each pivotal story beat will hook you and possibly break you. It also offers enough action and drama to keep viewers hooked and entertained.
Land of the Lustrous takes place in the future where crystal organisms called Gems inhabit a once peaceful world. The Gems must defend what remains of their homeland against evil beings called Lunarians. The Lunarians wish to harm and utilize the Gems’ body parts as decorations.
Our story centers around Phosphophyllite (Phos), a young Gem that wants to help her friends during their war against the Lunarians. Despite being denied the opportunity, Phos meets a wise gem named Cinnabar, who also was denied the chance to help in the war. Therefore, the anime follows Phos and Cinnabar’s quest to find a suitable role for themselves.
Ajin: Demi-Human
Similarities – Action
Ajin Demi-Human follows a high schooler named Kei Nagai, who dreams of becoming a doctor. During his school lectures, he learns about the mysterious immortal humans known as “Ajin.” Apparently, the Ajin possess incredible powers and are incapable of being destroyed by normal means. Whenever one is found frolicking in society, the government sends the military to that area to arrest and take it into custody.
Unfortunately, Kei doesn’t pay any of his lectures any mind. However, he’ll wish he had paid attention after he survives a terrifying car accident. He wakes up only to find out that he had become an Aji himself. Now worried that the government will come after him, Kei must hide from the rest of the world, never to return to the mundane lifestyle he once had.
Like RWBY, Ajin: Demi-Human features school students fighting off demonic entities. However, the powers used in both shows are vastly different. Kei utilizes his enemies’ powers to subdue the enemy while Ruby and her friends utilize the equipment they obtain from their academy to destroy the Grimm. Also, Ajin: Demi-Human and RWBY are CGI animated, even though the latter’s use of the technology is far superior.
Although Ajin: Demi-Human doesn’t have the best animation, the fight scenes are great enough to warrant a binge. This anime does take the time to flesh out his character and he does develop into a more likable personality near its conclusion. Ajin: Demi-Human also delves into darker topics, unlike RWBY.
Akame Ga Kill
Similarities – Likable Characters
Akame Ga Kill is an anime that’s known for its brutal violence, occasional comedic bits, and colorful cast. Despite having superb fight scenes, the anime does feature many slice-of-life elements with its main cast. Like Ruby Rose, you’ll get to see these characters step away from their cold-hearted positions. These scenes allow viewers to connect with its cast and find something about them that’s relatable.
Unfortunately, these characters aren’t developed well enough. The anime also doesn’t take the time to explain things certain solutions properly. The rushed pacing ends up damaging its hopes for a proper ending. However, the characters evoke enough charismatic charm that it’s possible for some to glance over it’s horrible conclusion.
Akame Ga Kill takes place in a far-off empire run by a child emperor. The emperor is unknowingly taken advantage of by his greedy and lustful prime minister, Honest. Because of this, his people are drowning in poverty and ruin. To overthrow the minister, the Revolutionary Army assembled a group of assassins called Night Raid.
Meanwhile, a boy named Tatsumi has left his hometown in search of wealth. He runs into the Night Raid as they’re taking care of a frivolous task. Admired by their strength and bravery, Tatsumi decides to join this assassin group. Therefore, the anime follows Tatsumi and the Night Raid’s quest to reclaim the Empire by fighting off many powerful foes that’ll challenge their morals and values.
Sailor Moon
Similarities – Double Lives
Sailor Moon is a cult classic that set the stage for future magical girl anime. It also pushed the narrative of allowing females in more action-packed roles. It’s an anime that’s been referenced, remade, and praised because of its many accomplishments.
As far as RWBY’s concerned, Sailor Moon features an ensemble cast of well-developed characters. Each character has a distinct enough personality that stands out from the rest. The female heroines in Sailor Moon also tend to fight as a team. They encounter many cruel foes who have legitimate reasons for committing crimes.
Both shows also feature romance and slice-of-life elements. You’ll get to see Sailor Moon and her friends struggle to balance their school and heroic personas. Sailor Moon is a lot like Ruby in many ways too. Both girls start off as clumsy individuals who gradually become more serious and mature over time. If you’re looking for an anime that’ll excite you, Sailor Moon’s a must-watch!
So there we have it, our 10 anime/TV show alternatives to watch when you’ve caught up with RWBY!
What do you think of our picks? Do you agree? Are there any notable omissions? Let us know in the comments below!