Houseki no Kuni

Houseki no Kuni is probably what you came to Shinsekai Yori to see, but did not receive. Where the latter fails - characters, story (especially pacing), and art, the former is a preeminent example of the "new and bizarre world, slowly unraveled by the characters, for better or for worse" sub-sub-sub-category of shows. Land of the Lustrous is a masterclass in weaving an intricate and believable world out of the highest quality threads of art, music, and storyboarding. The art is a bold step for the up-and-coming Studio Orange, and the soundtrack by Yoshiaki Fujisawa is a beautiful accompaniment to the gorgeous visuals. Not to be missed! read more 

Both of these anime have a mellow, haunting quality to them that really sticks with you. Good for if you're looking for something calming to watch that might make you feel a bit lonely or melancholy. 

Both series begin with a calm tone and unexpected things happens. Characters also undergo series of events that completely changes them from their originals selfes. If you like cute girls, dark tones, unexpected twists and beautiful animation packed nicely together both series are for you.  

the atmosphere, world building and how it starts with a mysterious world that you learn more and more about as the story unfolds. Houseki, has better character development and tackles some interesting themes such as what it means to be alive and what gives us meaning, what we have to sacrifice to gain something special and so on its real beep if you are willing to look deeper. 

In Houseki no Kuni, the characters are under attack by a mysterious race of giants in the sky called "The Lunarians". The plight of people being randomly terrorized in a seemingly-peaceful community is alike to Attack on Titan. A show focused on the looming threat of brutish giants. The fighting styles are also very similar. 

Aside from the similarity in their narratives, where we see lots of religious symbolism strewn throughout a post-apocalyptic world, Evangelion and Lustrous share a love of evocative and atmospheric visual direction, especially in regards to the backgrounds, and they both regularly highlight emotional character notes throughout the series through this type of direction. Phos also shares a lot of similarities with Shinji, including issues with self-worth, depression, loneliness, and resentment. In regards to other characters, both shows feature a large cast of well-developed and generally broken characters who all get explored on some level. Fans of existential entertainment, character studies, and great visual direction should check out both shows.  read more 

Both anime have a unique worldview. They have their own philosophy. Also, they have big educational value - especially Houseki no Kuni. Both are top-rated (over 8.0) on MAL and have over 100,000 votes. Most recommendations do like "both have similar..." but you want to see something that catches your eye and you fell in love with. 

both feel like peaceful cute animes til u get past a certain part and thats when all hell lets loose. both have protags that are trying to unveil the secrets behind their "world" 

Both have non-human female-looking protagonist that starts the path to the realization of humanity, its purpose in live and understanding what happiness is. Both anime also have very beautiful animation, time skips and plot twists. 

Both are testaments to show that fully CG anime aren't always bad. Both have interesting worlds that make you want to learn more about the setting.  

Both are set in a world that feels very alien to the viewer, lives by strict rules and is under constant attack of alien entities (lunarians in Houseki no Kuni and bacteria in Hataraku Saibou). Both have a large cast of human-like, but not actually human characters, with different episodes focusing on different ones, and protagonists (Phos in Houseki no Kuni and Red Blood Cell in Hataraku Saibou) who are pretty incompetent and strive to become better at their job.  

Both shows feature a cast mostly composed by women fighting "monsters"; on Claymore, women are ranked by power, on Land of the Lustrous by hardness and role; the main character seems to be the weakest one; the male figure is the leader. As the story progress, the main character starts to question the leader, and the purpose and reason behind fighting the monsters. Notice that the animation is different, Land of the Lustrous is CGI, and Claymore is way more violent. But I definitely recommend both. 

-darker than it might seem -creative use of cg -variety of characters -very interesting plot  

Both are stories about a young and naive person facing tragedy and loss and slowly losing more and more of themselves and their loved ones. 

Both Akko and Phos are high-strung, clumsy young female protagonists who desperately want to find a way to fit in despite their handicaps compared to their peers. Both Akko and Phos also have a potential to go against the advice of those who are older/wiser and do what they want to do, which can lead to trouble, but also leads to them growing stronger as characters. 

- the characters are important and estimated - a kind of moon entity wants to take them to the moon 

Both feature an immortal protagonist that loses their memories when they lose a part of themselves, have an immense worldbuilding and... tearjerking, lots of it. 

Legs, swords, elegance, and a focus on interpersonal relationships. Similar character designs, competition between characters, artsy scenes. Both are fairly unique series but share many visual and thematic elements. 

These two are NOT similar. However if you like one then you will probably like the other, they have some parallel points in enjoyment; the atmospheric and half-minimalistic tone, light social commentary, professionally crafted and unanimelike shots and carefully constructed, immersive dialogue. Both look good too. If SSR is Slowdive, HnK is Sigur Ros. 

- Unique fantasy worlds (HnK has several humanoid fantasy races while Mononoke is more so based on mythology/folklore) - Beautiful art styles and detailed animation - Mysterious and intriguing stories - The world is more dark and unnerving than you may think at first glance 

Relationship between human and non-human species (simply said), a mystery sci-fi series with philosophical subtext regarding identity and oneself. 

both have a dark side of their world right?  

a fantasy world that is mysterious at first. but you learn more about the characters as the story unfolds. it deals with a lot of serious and dark themes such as the meaning of life mortality, what gives us meaning, sacrifice, death, trust and so on. its the type of show you can watch multiple times and you can still learn something new, now that you have knowledge of some things you did not before. the story only gets better and better. also the animation <3  

this is a must watch. -amazing animation (best I have ever seen I think, episode 8 and 10 you will know what I mean) -godlike music and voice actors -mysterious and interesting story -interesting characters and their interactions and how they evolve as the story progresses.  

Despite being anime of totally different genres with somewhat different tones, both Parasyte and Land of the Lustrous have one major thing in common; the use of body horror to bolster their horror aspects, world-building, and dramatic sequences. Parasyte is horror through and through, but it comes, in my opinion, not just from both the actual horror of the monsters killing people, but even more so the general body horror plot device. Land of the Lustrous lacks the first by and large, but is plentiful in the latter, so if you find yourself drawn to a struggle in which the participants don't play by the rules of the human body, with a horror aspect to boot, Land of the Lustrous may be exactly the show you're looking for. read more 

buddhism motives similar monsters and antagonists 

A flower wishes to be a big tree or a bird flying free but it can’t. No matter what, the flower will always bloom, always bud and always become a fruit for someone else to pluck. The flower cannot change what it is and yet, it is always undergoing change. Both MCs try hard to change who they are, to save their friends, to improve, to fall in love - without realising that their metamorphosis has already begun. 

Both shows focus on self-development and discovering the true nature of things. The protagonists are passionate and work very hard towards their dreams, often making sacrifices as they go along. Houseki no Kuni takes a more philosophical and mysterious approach to its story. Both shows use relationships to make the protagonists self-reflect and look at their reality from a new perspective, essentially portraying the idea of discovering oneself and what is around them through others. 

Both have characters who are essentially immortal. They handle this concept in different ways. 

both anime have mineralogy and minerals as their main theme 

It is hard to recommend a follow-up for something like AoT that has no real parallel, certainly in regards to story quality. However, Land of the Lustrous is something of a ‘yin’ to the Attack on Titan ‘yang’. While using a totally different colour palette and animation style, Houseki no Kuni similarly has a mysterious invading enemy, a host of meaningful characters and a strong sense of tragedy throughout. It also delivers some of the most dynamic fight scenes (sword based, I might add) that you will find! 

Lots of self exploration and finding oneself. Cute girls doing cute things. Music score is fantastic and feels are there. 

this just reminded me of YuYuYu since ep 1, lunarians' design reminds me of Vertex in yuki yuna and they both have cute girls doing cute things... also they both slowly become more dark 

I'm not spoiling shit, just go read the manga. The anime adaptation is good if you need to be sold on the quality, but only has a single season, so you're not really gonna see the parallels in the anime alone. 

Firstly, I'll bring up the locale. The Country of Jewels, just like Hinamizawa, is an isolated community with very few notable people and a small area that the protagonists will explore. Occasionally, some outsiders will come and go, but the insiders cannot move out for fear of being attacked by some sort of external or internal force. In Houseki no Kuni, the outsiders usually attack the insiders though, whereas Higurashi's protagonist is an outsider himself. Now, speaking of the protagonists, both Keiichi Maebara and Phosphophyllite are people who do not have many natural talents, but have a crucial, information-related task assigned to them by one of their elders. At first, they try to fulfill this task, but abandon it for some particular reason, finding new purpose somewhere else. They both also stand out amongst the crowd, being uniquely suited to the missions given to them in one way or another. Both Keiichi and Phosphophyllite try to help their friends the best they can, but they seem to only end up hurting them as a result. Keiichi's friends end up alienating him though, whereas Phosphophyllite's friends continue to support her despite her incompetence. It's a different story in Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai for Keiichi, but I can't give you any specifics for fear of it being spoilers. In the end, both Keiichi and Phosphophyllite develop directly and indirectly due to their past experiences hurting the people around them, and they must unravel a mystery they noticed while observing their peers. Phosphophyllite becomes suspicious of Kongo-sensei, whereas Keiichi starts to become suspicious of everyone and develops a sort of persecution complex because of it. Houseki no Kuni and Higurashi also deal with some nifty pseudoscience, the former in chemistry and the latter in biology, although mentioning any specifics would lead to spoilers. The final thing I can't forget to mention is that plenty of people die in both series. Both shows even share the ability to kill one of their characters repeatedly and in many ways, the former due to narrative reasons, and the latter due to structural reasons. read more 

Dark plot? Check. Initially innocent protagonist that slowly starts forgetting who they are through loss and suffering? Check. Some of the best animated blue skies? Also check. 

I noticed that people who enjoy DMCB also enjoy Houseki no Kuni so I decided to draw similarities between the two: -uses religious metaphors and irony to illustrate their themes (Houseki w/ Buddhism and Devilman w/ Christianity) - lots of science, history, and astronomy to explain their world - both main characters have Harmartia that they struggle to overcome - themes about loss of innocence, duality of humanity, and makes you question morality;; - avant garde animation styles that integrate both 2D and CG animation  

Both take place in the far future and are about a single "flourishing" society apart from the rest of the world which has presumably fallen to ruin for reasons that aren't made clear early on and the protagonists seek to break the mold and unravel the secrets of their society. 

Both series depict a never-ending war between two different lifeforms with ties to humanity over the course of hundreds if not thousands of years. The protagonists also both undergo severe mental deterioration after a traumatic event causes them to change forever. Both series have a strong focus on themes of existentialism and purpose. If you love Nier you'll also love Land of the Lustrous (and vice versa). 

both beautifully animated, start off innocent and then gradually become more disturbing. the characters have to fight eerie creatures out of obligation, greatly suffering and developing.  

Unique girls in black and white uniforms who fight against mysterious beings, Assault Lily is definitely not as dark though. But if you like one then you might like the other. 

First off, you got amazing taste if you're here, you know that? But anyway, what is the similarities between the largest show in the world a show that (a) is entirely cgi and (b) doesn't have a second season? Well, let me put you on. Both have fantastic main characters. If you are here in AoT, you know of the changes Eren has gone through and without giving anything away, Phos has amazing development too Both have great side characters. Bort is like the Levi of this universe for example so you'll probably like a lot of them. Both have great mysteries. Both have dynamic action that is really impressive for their style (AoT in 2d, HnK in 3d) Both aren't afraid to shake up the status quo And the soundtracks to both are incredible. HnK more so but still read more 

- Both shows are full of strange buddhist/shintoist symbolism - Both have female mc('s) that are chosen ones of some kind. - Both have a unique premise but Arjuna takes itself a bit more serious and is more controversial while Houseki no Kuni panders more to a modern and woke audience. 

The Hemiteos units and the Gems have rather similar roles in their respective post-apocalyptic worlds. They are in a mission to protect something. Additionally, they are immortal and rely on specific ingredients to regenerate. 

both anime have an obnoxious main character and get more powerful throughout the entire series 

Bunch of characters trying to fought out enemies that mysteriously appear through portals. Story mainly has place in an island without escape. Strong character development of main protagonist. Lot of dialogues between side characters. Both animes are great to watch although Cross Ange is more serious 

1. Both shows look tasty (really nice visuals) 2. Action animation is really well done 3. Drama filled 4. Innocent main that turns not innocent 

Both have a team/school of bad@$$ females, cool visual styles, and if you watched the dub, both main characters have the same voice 

Both shows personify object that are working under a master, the art styles are very different but both very beautiful with a verity of characters and personalities. 

Both have the MC join in their family / group's tradition of guarding their local spot from foreign invaders and growing over time to better combat them. Siege warfare with Buddhist influences.  

Both anime are about young and happy people, who goes through mental downfall. 

- the characters are a kind of humans mixed with precious stones - they are very esteemed, but despite this they face several difficulties because they are half jewel 

Knights of Sidonia and Land of the Lustrous are both full 3D CGI adaptations of manga from Kodansha's monthly Afternoon magazine. Both shows are about a small society of people/gems who are under attack from light pink aliens (Gauna, Lunarians), and a select few people have to fight them off to defend society. At least one of the main characters is genderless in both shows, and some of the characters are basically immortal. 

you get a similar FEEL when watching these anime. a distant feeling of melancholy and interset to learn more about the characters. it also makes you question what is right and what is wrong. who are the good guys really? really intriguing if you are looking for an anime that really makes you think and you have to pay attention to get the underlying themes of it this is a must watch.  

it seems bright and lovely at first but do not let the colors fool you the anime takes some really dark themes and you have to pay attention to every detail to understand it and you can watch it multiple times and still learn something new. the animation is one of the best I have ever seen, the sound/music /voice acting are also some of the best I have heard. and the story truly is the best part of this anime. you just want to learn more and more about this world and the characters living in it.  

Kemurikusa reminded me of Houseki no Kuni not only in the similar cg art style but also with a very similar feel or aesthetic. Both shows are sci-fi with action and constant mystery and natual curiosity of what their seemingly apocalyptic world has to offer. These shows don't rely on cliffhangs rather intigue the audiance with its diverse cast of characters and interesting world and character building. If you enjoyed the aesthetic of one show I would highly recommend the other. 

Similar post-apocalyptic setting with racial struggle, both worlds are flooded, and there are space enemies. Though Houseki doesn't have humans. 

- Storytelling thru avant-garde animation style; Casshern Sins has a darker colour palette - You follow the MCS in both shows as they grapple with existence, their mortality, and things outside their control - Both MCs are like children learning, thru each ep and with different new scenarios, their place in the world, and why they want to protect it from something so much bigger than them. 

both are relaxing most of the time but at times have some awesome action and at times makes you "FEEL". Houseki has more actions scenes but they are Biutiful to look at. both have a mysterious world that you learn more and more about as you watch the show. similarly, the characters learn and grow as the story unfolds. truly a must watch.  

- Tackles the concept of humanity. - Female MC with great character development. - Interesting and diverse supporting cast (similarly, some also died). - Fight for survival against non-humane creatures, where the lives of the group are in danger every single day. - Great direction and cinematography. - Amazing OST and animation. When I was watching 86, the concept and how the narrative for the main casts was built really reminded me of Land of the Lustrous.  

The main characters of 3-gatsu no Lion and Houseki no Kuni try to find their place in the world. Rei was thrown into a situation he didn't choose (his dependency on shogi), and Phos starts off useless due to a condition (s)he didn't choose, in a society that requires a function from everyone. They experience how it's lonely at the top, and how much these at the top had to sacrifice in order to get there. As coming of age stories, they lay down the importance of these around you, and that yes, you have value. 

This may seem like a bizarre recommendation, but both of these anime are examples of how CG can be done right. Houseki no Kuni, aka. Land of the Lustrous uses its 3D CG as a way of highlighting the crystalline aspect of the characters. Thus the CG becomes a piece of the character itself. Chikan Shita is a hentai that uses its CG alongside 2D elements to present more fluid sex-dynamics in Doujinshi based adaptation without going so far as losing the entirety of a comic style. This allows the animation to far transcend the wiggling still frames that Queen Bee hentai is known for. 

Both are fantasy anime that fall way out of line with the seasonal isekai and more traditional fantasy like Tolkien. Both could be considered post-apocalyptic even though they do vary greatly in tone. Both feature some very well fleshed out characters and humor played out alongside intense action. Both have very memorable soundtracks, Dorohedoro's being plain weird and wild, while Land of the Lustrous' is down right beautiful. Both utilize CGI to their advantage, I can't imagine LOTL being done with 2D at this point. Both are perfect for fantasy fans who want a break from "waking up in new world" and like the originality seen in other shows like Made in Abyss.  read more 

Both shows deal with protagonists who are unsure/unable of what they want to become, and focus on the journey of them finding out their goals  

- Both shows talk about finding your place in the world and how you can be useful to the ones you care about. 

Phos and Otani are very similar characters: useless is best word to describe both of them. In Houseki no Kuni we can see rapid development of Phos character as she has perfect environment to grow. Alien 9 depicts same type of person in imperfect environment. Along with environment Phos is more perfect and likable because she is useless but also cheerful. Otani is useless and a crybaby so you can find her annoying sometimes. Set of characters differs in quantity but in both shows we've two types of characters (excluding protagonist): Sensei (caring in Houseki vs. exploitative in Alien 9) and friends (leading vs. replacing her in her duties). Both shows are weird but each has different kind of weirdness. In short (lol wtf vs. wtf... WTF) read more 

surreal abstract audio-visual utopias 

Both have a story with mythical nature, and the forms of characters are somewhat similar. 

This is a bit of an odd recommendation for me to make. The reason I'm making it is simple, I have only ever liked two anime for their plot. Steins;gate and Houseki no Kuni. That is the reason I'm making this recommendation, because they're the only two anime for which the plot is strong enough to hold them up (I also want to dethrone Shinsekai Yori from the top recommendations related to Houseki no Kuni) BTW: These are two of the only three anime I'd recommend against dropping at all costs. Even if you're not particularly enjoying these, you can't get the full picture without finishing them. read more 

Similar stories, weird aliens(?) attacking and hidden knowledge and character positions. Strike Witches is the horny version and Houseki no Kuni is the well-written one lol 

Land of the Lustrous and D.Gray-Man are both stories that center around tragic young heroes who have to sacrifice their very beings in order to fight some sort of evil. Both shows have cute elements while staying fairly dark overall. If you like tragedy and never-ending wars, these shows are for you. 

If you're looking for some sci-fi, then Houseki no Kuni and World Trigger will definitely inspire you with some of its imaginatively. Both series includes a theme of invasion from outside forces. And from that invasion, there is battles and wars that are fought. Both series has fantasy elements as well as bits of mystery especially in regards with the invaders.  

Both have: - beautiful graphics - interesting cast - unusual, quirky plot-lines