10 More Suspenseful Works That Will Pique Your Interest!
Many time-travel and science enthusiasts adored Steins;Gate for its handling of these concepts. It has an intelligent cast that gets involved in many suspenseful and thought-provoking scenarios that will keep you invested in this tale. It centers around a scientist named Rintarou. He likes making trinkets that can help humanity. One day, he visits a convention and brings one of his devices. When one of his inventions goes haywire, Rintarou catches the attention of a secretive organization leading to some intruiging encounters.
Fear not if you’re having trouble finding anime similar to Steins;Gate! We’ve discovered 10 alternate shows that’ll give you a similar experience as Steins;Gate.
Additionally, for each anime we’ve reviewed, we’ve included a link that allows you to view our full thoughts about the series to see if it’s worth your time.
So without further ado, we present 10 TV shows that should whet your appetite when you’ve finished streaming Steins;Gate!
Erased
Similarities – Time Travel & Suspenseful Tales
Erased is a fun sci-fi anime for those looking for a tale with an easy-to-solve mystery. It’s not as challenging as many would like, but the anime has enough drama to keep you invested in its tale. It involves a man named Satoru using his “revival” powers to uncover the mysteries regarding his mother’s assailant and his former classmate’s disappearance.
Like Steins;Gate, this anime explores the concept of time travel and its consequences, following their respective characters as they change the past to affect the future. Both anime deal with intricate time travel concepts, creating a sense of suspense and mystery throughout the series. As Satoru explores his past, he’ll be forced to revisit the scenarios that troubled him at the time.
He’ll witness people suffering from child neglect to poor living conditions. It’s these instances that will keep viewers engaged and rooting for Satoru to make matters different for all parties involved. If you’re okay with a mystery anime that presents a puzzle that’s not difficult to solve, Erased is worth checking out.
Puella Magi Madoka Magica
Similarities – Psychological, Drama, Suspense
Puella Magi Madoka Magica is a great magical girl series that’ll change one’s perception of magical girl shows. Despite having a smidge of lighthearted content, this show delivers enough dark material to keep you invested in its narrative. It follows two friends named Madoka and Sayaka. They stumble upon a mysterious cat-like creature named Kyubey.
Kyubey offers them a wish and a chance to become magical girls. Madoka and Sayaka accept Kyubey’s offer and down the line, they’ll wish they hadn’t done so. Both anime focus on character development and feature an ensemble cast of characters to receive significant growth over time. In Madoka Magica, the characters follow specific archetypes but develop into beings who match the show’s theming.
Each character’s motivations and struggles are well fleshed out, creating a rich character study. On that note, Madoka Magica isn’t without its glorious plot twists, which will keep viewers hooked until the final episode.
Re: Zero — Starting Life In Another World
Similarities – Themes & Characters
Re: Zero is a dark isekai anime with chilling imagery and suspenseful circumstances. This is another anime from Studio White Fox, the studio responsible for Steins;Gate’s anime adaptation. It centers around Subaru, a boy who wakes up in a fantasy world and meets a small female thief. Subaru befriends this thief but both get murdered by an evildoer.
Instead of awakening in the afterlife, Subaru returns to the same position he was in when he first arrived in this world. With this time-travel-like ability at his disposal, Subaru will undergo severe consequences to secure a life that’s beneficial for himself and his future friends. Like Rintarou, Subaru can manipulate time, leading to multiple possibilities and outcomes that will keep viewers entertained.
Both anime explore the mental and emtoional turmoil of their main characters because of their time-traveling abilities. Subaru finds himself experiencing repeated deaths, causing him mental exhaustion and PTSD. The toll his countless demise has on him makes the tale feel realistic and enhances the impact of his struggles.
Summer Time Rendering
Similarities – Characters, Action, Comedy
Summer Time Rendering is a new supernatural mystery anime with well-rounded characters and fascinating storytelling. It centers around Shinpei, as he returns to his homeland to discover his stepsister’s passing. He examines her corpse and argues against the proposed cause of her death. Before he can look into it further, strange things start happening around him.
To protect his remaining family member from harm, Shinpei vows to unravel the secrets of his home. Like Steins;Gate, Summer Time Rendering handles its time-travel aspects professionally and crafts a narrative that’s fun to follow. Expect Shinpei to witness many murderous scenarios unfold before his eyes as he searches for answers.
This anime has mild fanservice, but nothing too distracting. If you’re looking for a series with characters who undergo severe paranoia concerning the brutal instances that occur around them, check out Summer Time Rendering.
Vivy -Fluorite Eye’s Song-
Similarities – Sci-fi, Suspense, Time-Travel
Vivy -Fluorite Eye’s Song- is a beautifully animated sci-fi series that explores the consequences of time travel. Its main character Vivy aims to alter the future through time travel, leading to a butterfly effect that affects her own existence and those around her. Like Steins;Gate, this anime highlights the dangers of time travel and the ethical and social implications of the phenomenon.
Vivy is the perfect example of how to make an”Ai turned human” type of character. She starts off as socially awkward and struggles to connect with people. However, as the story progresses, she undergoes significant development, leading her on a journey of self-discovery. Viewers will become emotionally invested in her struggles, making for an engaging viewing experience.
This anime offers intricate world-building like Steins;Gate. Settings and characters feel fleshed out and come equipped with rich histories and cultures. With its stunning animation, well-written cast, and intruiging storytelling, Vivy -Fluorite Eye’s Song is worth your time.
The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya
Similarities – Sci-fi & Drama
The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya is an excellent continuation of The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. This anime plays more into Haruhi’s space and time-altering powers, so fans of Steins;Gate will adore this anime’s focus on time travel shenanigans. In it, we follow the male protagonist Kyon as he attends an S.O.S. Brigade meeting led by leader Haruhi Suzumiya.
The next day, Kyon wakes up and finds himself in an alternate world where his friends don’t remember interacting with him. Although Kyon’s always wanted to be free from Haruhi’s grasp, he’ll embark on a quest to return things to normal. Like Steins;Gate, The Dissapearance of Haruhi Suzumiya’s cast are all bound by their shared experiences.
Kyon’s friends will assist him in navigating through this altered setting and helping him find the culprit responsible for transforming everything. That said, both anime explore friendship, trust, and loyalty. Kyon finds himself in similar situations as Rintarou, where he traverses multiple realities to find a way to restore them to the setting he’s familiar with. If you’re looking for another anime with a great rounded cast and intruiging narrative, watch The Dissapearance of Haruhi Suzumiya.
Welcome to the NHK
Similarities – Psychological & Characters
This is another anime that delves into topics surrounding mental illness and the struggles of the mind. In Welcome to the NHK, the characters deal with mental issues regarding social anxiety and depression. At the same time, Steins;Gate explores the traumatic effect of time travel on Rintarou’s mental health and his struggle with PTSD.
Each anime’s handling of these mental concepts is well-done. It allows both works to explore complex themes related to isolation, self-doubt, and the difficulties of seeking help. On that note, most of the characters in both series struggle to find their place in the world. Welcome to the NHK’s cast find themselves dealing with unique problems, such as failed dreams and societal pressures.
At the same time, Steins;Gate’s cast struggle to find meaning in their lives. This gives audiences a chance to form a deep attachment to the cast. On top of having moments where our characters experience paranoia and conjure up conspiracy theories, Welcome To The NHK is a splendid psychological series worth checking out.
Higurashi When They Cry
Similarities – Characters, Time-Travel, Themes
Higurashi When They Cry is an intense horror anime. It has extremely graphic material depicting people old and young getting murdered in the most gruesome ways possible. It’s about our protagonist Keiichi and his family moving to Hinamizawa Village. After Keiichi meets its residents and attends their Wataganashi Festival, strange things start happening.
Both anime tackle time travel in unique ways. Higurashi’s plot involves multiple storylines, each presenting a new mystery for viewers to solve. At the same time, the characters succumb to different forms of death and torture within each tale to make things more horrifying for viewers. The second season delves more into the time-looping phenomenon and gives viewers the answers they seek.
The characters in Higurashi When They Cry are flawed and relatable. They all struggle with various personal demons, ranging from mental illness to family dysfunction. Tragedy and loss are two themes tackled in both anime, making these anime powerful and memorable for years to come.
The Girl Who Leapt Through Time
Similarities – Characters & Time-Travel
For more time-themed shenanigans, The Girl Who Leapt Through Time should suffice. After getting into a collision with a train, a girl named Makoto receives the ability to time-travel. She starts tampering with her powers carelessly, leading to many consequences she didn’t anticipate. Like Rintarou, Makoto will be using her powers to change the past in hopes of creating a brighter future.
The Girl Who Leapt Through Time offers a fluid, dreamlike structure via Makoto’s consistent attempts to fix things in the past. This adds depth to the story and will keep the audience engaged with her successful and failed endeavors. Despite the odds stacked against Makoto, she is as strong-willed and determined as Rintarou to reach her goals.
She’ll attempt to use her powers to fix her and other’s life. Her determination gives her a captivating character development and offers viewers more reasons to support her.
Orange
Similarities – Sci-fi, Drama, Psychological
Orange is an anime that mixes romance and time travel in a unique fashion. It revolves around Naho, a high school sophomore who receives a letter from her future self. Future Naho informs our Naho about a new transfer student named Kakeru. She tells her that he’ll suffer a terrible end. With this information, present Naho plans to rewrite history to prevent multiple outcomes from happening.
This anime is jam-packed with great life lessons. It’ll remind folks of times when they had to sacrifice something precious to them to give friends, family, or strangers a ticket to a brighter life. Naho will undergo severe and stressful situations like Rintarou, leading to situations that can feel chilling and depressing. Not all her decisions will be to your liking, but this is what makes her feel realistic.
Even the choices she makes that align with viewers’ beliefs could lead to drastic consequences. For those looking for a romance anime that uses its time travel components effectively, check out Orange.
So there we have it, our 10 anime/TV show alternatives to watch when you’ve caught up with Steins;Gate!
What do you think of our picks? Do you agree? Are there any notable omissions? Let us know in the comments below!