Narutaru: Mukuro Naru Hoshi Tama Taru Ko

The opening animations and the first few episodes would lead some to think that these two are merely lighthearted shows about kids with cute aliens. Beware the Trojan Horses! 

Cute shoujo at first? Check. Mons? Check. Coming of age story? Check. Half-finished anime? Check. Incredibly, incredibly disturbing? Check. 

Both are really bizarre. They have creepiness and gross parts. It starts out looking like a cute kids show but they're both really dark. Both have creatures or aliens in them. 

Both shows are obscure, and they both have decieving visuals, they are both about teenage girls interacting with alien species, but despite that the main focus of the series are the complex moral and psychological themes they do present. 

Both shows look like harmless kids shows at first but turn into dark, violent and sometimes gloomy horror shows without completely losing the general aura of childhood and fun. 

Violence, death, torture, friends killed in front of the main character these are not kids shows despite how the openings look. Both shows are about young girls and there friends and start off as innocent stories but as the episodes go on the shows become darker. 

Both seem to be an innocent children's show at first, then turn out to be very dark and disturbing and deep. 

Genre deconstruction of their respective genres - for Shadow Star Narutaru, it's 90's 'mons series along like the lines of Pokemon and Digimon, whereas Madoka Magica uses magical girl anime. If you enjoy one or the other for the dark and deconstructive aspects in them, try out the other!  

Shadow Star Narutaru and Bokurano share the same general atmosphere of fateful horror. The same creator is behind both series and it shows. Children caught in a recurring pattern of violence and death form the basic premise of both series. The issue of the value of life is prominent in both, as is the role of responsibility. These series are character-driven and extremely dark; Bokurano focuses on the destiny of the whole planet, while Shadow Star Narutaru deals primarily with the cast itself, but in both cases children are pushed to the limit, making for agonizing situations that are masterfully handled.  

Do you like watching children being depressed and having everything good in their life go down the drain? Then Bokurano and Narutaru are the anime for you!  

Animes that tell the personal stories of kids and that deal with the psychological, with life and death omnipresent. Original story by the same mangaka.  

Narutaru is the only show I've ever seen that's more depressing than School Days (not sad, neither show is sad). Both appear cheerful for a little while before getting worse. 

Both anime start out deceivingly happy, and gradually get darker. They both leave you feeling like shit at the end. School Days at least stuck to one plot, but Narutaru is all over the place.  

Both start out seemingly sweet and innocent then gradually get darker 

The main similarity in these two titles are the skull numbing nearly non-sensicle plots. If you enjoy not knowing what is going on most of the time and yet still managing to be entertained then Narutaru or Boogiepop Phantom will suit you well. 

Both into story based anime, than Narutaru and Boogiepop Phantom bring you weird plot twists and confusion in ways you haven't seen before. 

A few of the same themes are present in both animes such as the idea of death, relationship struggles, and depression. Both have at some point the use of angel like creatures that cause many of the battle scenes. Also the series show the progression and growth of the protagonist through harsh reality and grueling decision of death and survival. Not to mention two characters that appear the shows have basically the same personality  

References. Mohiro Kitoh, author of Narutaru, is a huge fan of NGE. As Kitoh's first great manga, Narutaru carries many similarities with NGE, such as: Children having adult problems, deep psychological approach, giant monstrous creatures with their own symbologies attached, suicide, murder, strangling, love between people of different age groups and skinny teenagers. Phew. 

These are series that deal with the effect of violence and abuse when experienced by children. While Higurashi no Naku Koro ni might be more graphic and more consistently so, Shadow Star Narutaru's later episodes are extremely disturbing. Both series force the viewer into a tour de force in which the duality of innocence and horror is pervasively effective.  

Both Shadow Star Narutaru and When They Cry are anime series that apear to be "cute", a little childish (more so in Narutaru]), but can change on a dime and turn into horrible horror animes! Terrible, disturbing, and gruesome things happen in both of these anime series. Narutaru tends to cut away when the worst things are happening, or shows it in the shadows, or from an interesting/odd point of veiw (good use of camera angles) so you don't acually see everything happen. However it's still very compelling (I'd argue more so then actually seeing it), however it still is very graphic. When They Cry keeps the the camera with whatever horrible thing is happening! Both series accomplish what they want, regarding with showing or not showing the horrible things. Both series are very creepy, but start off a little childish. Both series have GREAT music, and use of music, that really sets the mood. Both series are very disturbing, and will freak you out/scare you. Both series are part of the "killer loli" genre (they have children getting killed and children killers, mostly girls). Both series are great horror animes, and have lots of violence. Sadly Shadow Star Narutaru has bad animation/art (still passable), while When They Cry has great animation and art. If you love one of these, check out the other. Fans of one series, will love the other! read more 

Both have young kids who control monsters using their mind. The shows concentrate on the main character/s interaction with other people who also have strange monsters, and you never know who's the good guy and who's the bad guy.  

People control strange creatures with different powers and fight against one another as well as the military. Both have odd pacing, characters, and animation. 

Girls that look cute and normal but with a horrible demonic twist not for those afraid of blood 

If you're into story based anime, than Narutaru and Boogiepop And Other bring you weird plot twists and confusion in ways you haven't seen before. 

Both have a similar art style and dark twist on the fighting monsters genre. 

Both take a concept that sounds interesting, and butcher it in every way possible. Both are a visual disgrace to animation in general, utilizing some of the worst looking designs for the environments, objects, and characters to date. Both like to act like they are deep, but they really have no depth. This is primarily reflected in various bits of dialogue that have no flow and do nothing significant. Both use rape for 'edginess'. Both like to use Piano pieces to try and seem classy, however, they fail for different reasons. Mars of Destruction uses classic pieces like Moonlight Sonata and Ride of the Valkyries at relatively unfitting moments, while Naru Taru ends up merely giving shallow uninspired piano notes. Both have characters that are flat as a brick with no real depth. And I can't recommend either to anyone. But on the up side, Mars of Destruction is only 20 minutes long. Naru Taru is 12 times that. read more