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If you liked Scrapped Princess add

...then you might like Tales of the Abyss add

Scrapped Princess and Tales of the Abyss have so much in common that fans of one are very likely to enjoy the other. They are both fantasy stories set in a pseudo Medieval setting where lost technology exists in the form of steam driven machines, where spells, sword fighting, prophecies and mystical battles and powerful magical/religious sects dominate. Royal but unfortunate leads and a sense of questing with plenty of travelling thrown in for good measure only make these anime even more alike.

If you liked Princess Princess add

...then you might like Maria†Holic add

Princess Princess and Maria Holic follow the exact same premise, having males crossdressing as females in a school setting. The comedy element in both derives almost exclusively from the unlikely situations that arise from having traps as the main characters. Maria Holic is a parody that targets shows like Marimite with gusto while Princess Princess is not as referential and more interested in mocking yaoi conventions. They may be niche titles, to some extent at least, but these titles are very likely to share at least some of their fanbase.

If you liked xxxHOLiC add

...then you might like Mononoke add

Mononoke and Xxxholic are kindred souls. Thematically both focus on nefarious spirits and their interaction with inherently human flaws and in terms of style the two anime have a very edgy usage of colour that combined with highly original sets help give a truly surreal ambience. In both cases typically Japanese traditions are recreated artistically and the Asian imagery that permeates them is flawlessly is used as medium of communication to tell the story, as much as the dialogue. Mononoke is stranger and genuinely eerie while Xxxholic is perhaps more conventional but both push the envelope in terms of supernatural horror in anime.

If you liked Ginyuu Mokushiroku Meine Liebe add

...then you might like Weiß Kreuz add

It is difficult to pin down exactly what makes Weiss Kreuz and Meine Liebe so similar since one deals with hitmen in the modern world while the other takes place in a academy in a vaguely historical setting but they share a certain atmosphere. The almost all male ensemble that has to interact and cooperate in close quarters as well as the contrasting personalities add an air of drama, the characters' backgrounds that are brought to weight on the narrative and the overall feeling make these titles reminiscent of each other. Those who were able to turn a blind eye to the flaws of one are likely to enjoy the other.

If you liked Samurai Champloo add

...then you might like Seirei no Moribito add

Samurai Champloo and Seirei no Moribito are very unique anime that stand apart from the rest. Taking place in feudal Japan, both have to offer high production values that shine in the highly detailed landscapes and very fluid animation. The fighting scenes are pieces of careful choreography that blend with the soundtrack. While Samurai Champloo is zany and filled with pop culture references that make it deliberately anachronical, Seirei no Moribito reproduces the period rather accurately and is a sober anime about human emotions; both defy a too strict categorization in a particular genre.

If you liked Gravitation add

...then you might like Zetsuai 1989 add

Yaoi, angst, and music: Gravitation and Zetsuai revolve around these themes. In both cases same gender relationships pose a dillemma to the protagonists as does dealing with a constant pressure that fame entails. Gravitation has a great deal of comedy elements that tone down the angsty mood, Zetsuai on the other hand is rather dark and takes angst to a paroxysms of a violent nature.

If you liked Gravitation add

...then you might like Papa to Kiss in the Dark add

Light hearted shounen-ai that relies heavily on exploring the seme/uke dynamics, plenty of comedy and colourful character designs: such is the recipe for these two series. Gravitation is more glamorous and eventually strikes a serious note amidst the wacky comedy, while Papa is rather explicit - made more so by the incest theme that makes up the plot. Reminiscent characters and an overdose of bishounen further confirm the connection between these titles.

If you liked Gakuen Heaven add

...then you might like Junjou Romantica add

Gakuen Heaven and Junjou Romantica are yaoi romances set in a school environment. Plenty of humour and fluff dominate both titles. Gakuen Heaven, for all its innuendo, is considerably tame compared to more adult content in Junjou Romantica and both titles offer enough eye candy and comedy to share a common fanbase.

If you liked FLCL add

...then you might like Puni Puni☆Poemii add

Puni Puni Poemy and FLCL are anime that essentially mock anime. Most gags are aimed at anime fans in particular, including plenty of references to other series. Both are extremely random and hyper; the pace often overtakes the plot and insanity prevails. Aimed at older audiences, these anime drip with sexual content that is overt and highly parodied in PPP, and turned into innuendo in FLCL. While FLCL is visually more spectacular and has a great soundtrack to boot, PPP covers the same ground in terms of randomness and anime culture subversions.

If you liked Fake add

...then you might like Zetsuai 1989 add

Fake and Zetsuai both deal with the problems that arise from a romantic relationship between two men. Fake is light hearted with a thriller related plot while Zetsuai is much visceral and dark, fans of one should be interested in the other, though.

If you liked Saishuu Heiki Kanojo add

...then you might like Soukyuu no Fafner: Dead Aggressor - Right of Left add

Saikano and Fafner-Right of Left share the same mood of deep tragedy that accompanies the involvement of children in a ruthless conflict. In both, technological advancements are made to help with the war effort and these same backfire and cause considerable damage on the child fighters. A very moving romance develops in both titles. Saikano, however, is exceedingly sad while Left of Right is more bittersweet.

If you liked Soukyuu no Fafner: Dead Aggressor - Right of Left add

...then you might like Bokura no add

Bokurano and Fafner-Right of Left are mecha titles in which the robots serve to develop the characters. In both series children are forced to wage an excruciating battle with an aura of bittersweet tragedy that weights upon everyone. Bokurano does an exceptional job in fleshing out a rather vast cast while Right of Left focuses more exclusively on two characters; in both the human element is much more important than the action and these somewhat underrated titles deserve considerably more attention than they receive.

If you liked FLCL add

...then you might like Heppoko Jikken Animation Excel♥Saga add

Excel Saga and FLCL are similar in that they are both extremely random and fast-paced anime with a plot structure that is all over the place more often than not. Zany and wacky to the extreme, these are series that poke fun at virtually everything - with a special focus on pop culture and anime in particular. Both are parodies that mock themselves as well as several genres, FLCL mostly concerned with mecha and ES covering a gamut of genres from horror to romantic comedy. In both there is an endless quantity of references to other anime and manga, and the level of hyper insanity that makes FLCL a stunning visual fest is preserved in ES' energetic craziness.

If you liked Shinseiki Evangelion add

...then you might like Serial Experiments Lain add

Lain and Evangelion are intrinsically complex series. In both there is a strong presence of technology, which underlines the problematic relationship between individual existence and collective psychological archetypes of a symbolic order. These anime address topics such as the self, the body, the role of communication and the possibility of forging bonds. Lain is heavily intellectual from the outset and slow-paced through and through, while Eva only develops its conceptual core in the later episodes and is much more action-driven. Lain and Eva are prodigies of existential thought transmitted through a visual medium; and as such they go hand in hand.

If you liked Shinseiki Evangelion add

...then you might like Soukyuu no Fafner: Dead Aggressor - Right of Left add

Fafner-Right of Left and Neon Genesis Evangelion offer a very character driven approach to the mecha genre. In both cases it is the human conflict of children who must fight that takes the spotlight. With this said, Right of Left is considerably more conventional in its heart wrenching tale while Evangelion eventually becomes a highly complex exercise in deconstruction and emotional dysfunction.

If you liked Soukyuu no Fafner: Dead Aggressor add

...then you might like Evangelion Movie 1: Jo add

Fafner and Evangelion are kindred spirits, both explore the human elements and character interactions that are forged in extreme situations, employing the mecha genre as a means of developing the young pilots and the ordeals they go through. You are (not) Alone, in its skilful retelling of the first six episodes of Evangelion, is closely tied to the initial phases of Fafner.

If you liked Shinseiki Evangelion Movie: Air/Magokoro wo, Kimi ni add

...then you might like Shoujo Kakumei Utena: Adolescence Mokushiroku add

This recommendation is more based on a gut feeling than anything else. The Adolescence of Utena and End of Eva are both retellings of their respective series and in both cases the intense imagery coupled with a complex and heavily symbolical atmosphere create an utterly surreal environment that deconstructs itself at every turn. They share the same epic quality even as they delve deep into the human psyche, despite the fact that the plot may seem to vary considerably. In these movies the role of the individual in the world and the very nature of what these two entities may be is what truly is at stake.

If you liked Elfen Lied add

...then you might like Gantz add

Elfen Lied and Gantz revolve around shock value and how it can be turned into a narrative devise. Both push the envelope in terms of graphic violence and excessive gore with plenty of nudity to boot. EL has peaceful interludes that keep it from becoming utterly without hope while Gantz hardly ever slackens its pace of bloody action. These series manage to horrify and move the viewer, in EL the cute character design makes the massacres all the more poignant while Gantz's mostly realistic design adds an air of verisimilitude to the insanity.

If you liked Elfen Lied add

...then you might like Higurashi no Naku Koro ni add

Cute characters engaged in bloody acts of violence, torture and death: both Elfen Lied and Higurashi deal with children turned vicious killers and victims of sheer brutality. Yet these series, as disturbing as they get, have a message of hope amidst the chaos. Higurashi's plot is a challenge while Elfen Lied is more straight forward; both are inspired by hauntingly pervasive soundtracks and are not for the faint of heart.

If you liked Elfen Lied add

...then you might like Saishuu Heiki Kanojo add

While the tone of these two series is not very similar they both feature extremely violent situations in which apparently fragile female characters are revealed to have a potential for being highly destructive. Little girls as weapons form the main premise of these series, although it is carried out differently; EL opts for a more graphic approach that maximizes the use of colour, while Saikano is more subdued, using a mostly grey palette to convey a feeling of hopelessness. In both cases romance blooms and is put to a ferocious test. These two series may differ in a lot of aspects - the ecchi factor that is predominant in EL is absent in Saikano, and the apocalyptic impact of the latter is non-existent in the former - but they are similar enough to warrant this recommendation.

If you liked Kono Minikuku mo Utsukushii Sekai add

...then you might like Elfen Lied add

Elfen Lied and This Ugly Yet Beautiful World are a perfect pair. In both we have non-human female characters with a dual personality and a potential for being highly destructive that suddenly find themselves surrounded by humans. With no memory of the past, these girls provide the drama with plenty of nudity along the way. This Ugly Yet Beautiful World had many comic moments that eventually give way to deeper reflections while Elfen Lied is known for its violent content and emotional tragedy.

If you liked True Tears add

...then you might like ef: A Tale of Memories. add

Ef and True Tears are a perfect match to the point that they could almost be mistaken for the same franchise. Both are Highschool romance anime that avoid many of clichés of the genre to focus on love triangles, keeping the emotional development of the characters as their primary goal. In visual terms they present very solid animation values with gorgeous background art that shines mostly in the sky scenes. Fanservice free, these are titles that handle their potentially jaded subject matter with maturity and in a serious, thoughtful and highly emotional way. Fans of one are encouraged to check out the other.

If you liked Yami no Matsuei add

...then you might like Night Walker: Mayonaka no Tantei add

Descendants of Darkness and Nightwalker are detective stories in which supernatural heroes must hunt down dangerous demon-like creatures. Both are dark horror tales with a rather fast pacing and action oriented. In terms of character development, these titles focus on immortals that were time human at one point. Descendants of Darkness has a memorable villain that eventually lends an arching plot to the story while Nightwalker remains mostly episodic but both share the same tone and mood.

If you liked Yami no Matsuei add

...then you might like Tokyo Babylon add

Apart from the shounen-ai overtones, Tokyo Babylon and Descendants of Darkness offer solid entertainment as far as supernatural thrillers go. Mixing spells with detective work, these anime share the same vibe.

If you liked Earthian add

...then you might like Angel's Feather add

Earthian and Angel's Feather are remarkably similar in almost all points. Both follow the same general plot of two opposing factions of angels fighting for supremacy. More, these two OVAs involve shounen-ai overtones (perhaps more pronounced in Earthian but very clear in AF as well) that make for some of the more dramatic moments. Earthian has a more dated look while AF is visually much more modern; seen side by side these two anime provide an interesting comparison.

If you liked Haibane Renmei add

...then you might like Dennou Coil add

Haibane Renmei and Denno Coil may seem very different at first glance, HR taking place in an environment deprived of modern technology while DC focuses on the borders between reality and the internet but the spirit of both shows is remarkably similar. Both deal with young female leads who must learn how to adjust to unusual circumstances surrounded by mystery in a world where things are not as they at first may seem. The original take on this theme is enhaced by thoughtful moments and a subdued but very lush artwork. What truly seals the deal in establishing a kinship between the two titles is the relationship between two young girls: a certain emotional healing takes place in HR and DC, providing excellent character development through and through.

If you liked Noein: Mou Hitori no Kimi e add

...then you might like Dennou Coil add

Denno Coil and Noein tell rather unconventional stories in which children must deal with extraordinary circumstances such as a cybernetic world that mingles with reality in the first case and time travel in the second case. In both cases, a different dimension threatens to bring about destruction and the possibilities that arise from the existence of different worlds is handled in an intelligent and highly original way. For a fresh take on sci-fi themes with out of the ordinary character designs and very fluid animation these titles are a must see.

If you liked Kakurenbo add

...then you might like Dennou Coil add

Denno Coil and Kakurenbo focus on a group of children and their efforts to unravel the truth behind urban legends. Both take place in worlds filled with bizarre events with the idea of playing a game being present. Denno Coil has plenty of light hearted moments, though, while Kakurenbo is considerably darker, stranger, and downward tragic.

If you liked Monster add

...then you might like Death Note add

Monster and Death Note are unique in many ways. In both cases the issue of morality in its truest form, that is the frontier between good and evil, is explored via highly tense psychological thrillers. Monster is highly realistic and portrays a very believable world while Death Note has a supernatural element to it; in both the viewer is forced to think and make choices toward deciding who the real villains are and just what it is that makes one individual evil.

If you liked Cossette no Shouzou add

...then you might like Sweat Punch add

Le Portrait de Petit Cossette and Comedy are dark and brooding anime that take the supernatural element to a whole new level of psychological ambivalence. Both are visually challenging and original in their take of emotionally upsetting horror.