December 13, 2022
Top 20 Anime Like Parasyte: The Maxim
Discover similar anime to Parasyte: The Maxim with our top 20 list! Find your next favorite anime to watch after checking out our list!
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For an anime that has an average rating of 8.3/10 on the internet, rated by over a million viewers, then saying “it’s good” is pure injustice! It seems Migi has not only worked his way into only Shinichi’s life but also that of you and me. And it is to this effect that I’ve come up with a list of other anime similar to Parasyte, which you can check out.
But before I get on with the list of the top 20 anime like Parasyte, and in a few words, let’s do a quick recap of the story this anime itself tells.
Summary of Parasyte: The Maxim
Parasyte tells the story of the character, Shinichi Izumi, a nice, thoughtful high schooler who’s not just awkward and a wimp, but is also a pushover, and has a paralytic fear of bugs. He lives quite a normal life with his parents, goes to school, and has no friends, except a girl that’s taken to liking him, Satomi Murano.
On one sudden night, he was woken by the irritating attempt of a parasite trying to slide inside his nose and later bore its way into his hand, which he tried to prevent. Sometime later, he found out his right arm had been devoured and had now become a parasite, which had intended to take over his head.
Future events unravel that there are even other parasites around also, most of whom had already taken over full control of their hosts, and seeing that these parasites are responsible for the “mincemeat murders” that are trending, and also the disappearance of people, Shinichi swears to stop the parasites at all costs.
But doing that isn’t at any small cost to himself, and his relationships, especially seeing as a near-death experience led to him becoming way better than his former self.
With that recap out of the way, let’s move on to the list.
20. Another
|
Similarity |
Writing |
Storyline |
Animation |
Total Score |
|
8/20 |
5/10 |
6/10 |
7/10 |
26/50 |
-
Status: Finished Airing
-
Episodes: 12
-
Type: TV Series
Storyline:
Something dreadful had a place in a classroom used for the third year at a middle school sometime in the past. A well-liked and gifted student by the name of Misaki passed away unexpectedly, and the aftermath of that tragedy has forced every third-year class that has followed since that time to live in terror.
The year is 1998, and Kouichi has recently transferred into the infamous classroom. He is eager to learn more about the intriguing secret that his classmates are keeping from him. He is captivated by one mysterious girl named Mei Misaki, a shy student who uses an eye patch and advises him about becoming acquainted with her. Despite the pleading of his peers, he continues to seek her out. And this is the point at which individuals start to die in violent ways.
Parasyte and Another have a lot in common, including the fact that the protagonists, Kouichi and Shinichi, are initially weaklings but grow into courageous defenders of their loved ones.
Similarities With Parasyte:
-
Gore
-
Rated 17+ (contains violence and profanity)
-
Horror
19. Claymore
|
Similarity |
Writing |
Storyline |
Animation |
Total Score |
|
5/20 |
7/10 |
8/10 |
8/10 |
28/50 |
-
Status: Finished Airing
-
Episodes: 26
-
Type: TV Series
Storyline:
Thousands of years back, when the world hadn’t even had any invention or technological breakthrough of any sort, the earth was plagued with demons, whom they called “Yoma.” These demons often devoured humans, but yet retained the physical appearance of the humans they devoured, granting them the ability to live normally amongst others.
But when nature would respond to rid itself of this plague of demons in human skin, it granted some women the ability to become half-demons and drive these deadly demons out of the earth.
However, in another part of the town, young Raki has been exiled for the sole reason that he lost his family to the yoma. Clare, a Claymore, is attracted to Raki, and the two go out on an adventure together. Can Raki assist Clare in her fight against the yoma that has overrun the land?
Similarities With Parasyte:
-
Produced by MadHouse
-
Based on a Manga
-
Action
-
Gore
18. Ajin: Demi-Human
|
Similarity |
Writing |
Storyline |
Animation |
Total Score |
|
10/20 |
8/10 |
6/10 |
6/10 |
30/50 |
-
Status: Finished Airing
-
Episodes: 26
-
Type: TV Series
Storyline:
Ajin made its debut 17 years ago, and almost immediately became one of the most significant discoveries in human history. Ajin is dreaded by the public even though they have the appearance of being human because they are uncommon and eternal beings. There are only 46 known to subsist in the world, and most of them strive to conceal their presence because being captured would mean being put to gruesome tests that would never cease.
Kei Nagai is a young kid who has big plans to become a doctor so that he might treat his sick sister one day. However, after he passes away in a car accident and then miraculously comes back to life, he discovers the horrifying reality that he, too, is an Ajin.
Now, Kei is forced to flee from both human and Ajin creatures that seek to do him harm, all the while he is attempting to come to terms with his new identity, which he does not want.
Similarities With Parasyte:
-
Seinen
-
Rated 17+ (contains violence and profanity)
-
Action
-
Horror
17. Shiki
|
Similarity |
Writing |
Storyline |
Animation |
Total Score |
|
10/20 |
7/10 |
7/10 |
7/10 |
31/50 |
-
Status: Finished Airing
-
Episodes: 22
-
Type: TV Series
Storyline:
Sotoba is a community that is supposed to be encircled by death because it is enclosed by trees that are used to build grave markers; this fact will soon become the case. During one summer, a tiny rural community begins to suffer from an unusually high number of premature deaths.
Toshio, the local doctor, and Seishin, the temple's deputy head monk, grow suspicious when they see that the deaths for the time of year are greater than usual and that the causes of death for each individual are unclear. As a result, they decide to look into the matter on their own.
As the number of fatalities rises, however, more and more people start to question the cause of this unexpected epidemic. How does this relate to the strange Kirishiki family that just came into the community recently?
Similarities With Parasyte:
-
Based on a Manga
-
Rated 17+ (contains violence and profanity)
-
Gore
-
Horror
16. Jujutsu Kaisen
|
Similarity |
Writing |
Storyline |
Animation |
Total Score |
|
8/20 |
8/10 |
7/10 |
9/10 |
32/50 |
-
Status: Still Airing
-
Episodes: 24
-
Type: TV Series
Storyline:
Amongst the many things you’ll do in this world, Jujutsu Kaisen would teach you that most evil spirits are usually borne out of negative human feelings and emotions, like pain, despair, and anger. And also, that places where the blood of the innocent has been spilled are always imbued with dark energy and spirits.
As a member of his school’s Occult Research Club, Yuji Itadori’s life took a completely wild turn when he unsealed a cursed item, one of the Curse King, Sukuna’s fingers, and wouldn’t be left out of all the events that unfolded afterward.
Now possessed with a Curse, and having to join a school for curse killers, Itadori has a lot to learn about Curses, their creation, exorcism, and even himself.
Similarities With Parasyte:
-
Action
-
Rated 17+ (contains violence and profanity)
15. Made In Abyss
|
Similarity |
Writing |
Storyline |
Animation |
Total Score |
|
11/20 |
7/10 |
7/10 |
7/10 |
32/50 |
-
Status: Finished Airing
-
Episodes: 13
-
Type: TV Series
Storyline:
Riko, a young girl, has spent her whole life daydreaming of venturing into the Abyss, a vast pit and network of tunnels that are home to both wondrous and terrifying sights, and only the most courageous of Cave Raiders have made it out alive to retrieve priceless relics from its depths.
Riko's mother vanished into the Abyss many years ago, leaving her daughter with a strong desire to search for her and uncover the secrets of the Abyss for herself. No one knows how deep the hole is, but Riko's mother was the last person seen entering it.
One day, Riko comes across a child who appears to have come from the Abyss and looks like some kind of robot. Can he provide the young girl with any assistance in her search for her absent mother? Or will the duo be the latest victims of the Abyss?
Similarities With Parasyte:
-
Gore
-
Sci-Fi
-
Rated 17+ (contains violence and profanity)
14. Mushi-Shi
|
Similarity |
Writing |
Storyline |
Animation |
Total Score |
|
12/20 |
7/10 |
7/10 |
7/10 |
33/50 |
-
Status: Finished Airing
-
Episodes: 26
-
Type: TV Series
Storyline:
It is not unheard of for a person to have the notion that the society around them is weird and that it conceals surprising mysteries just outside their line of sight. On the other hand, for the majority of individuals, this is only a fleeting experience that either welcomes them when they get up or puts them to sleep.
It is not a sensation at all for the mushi researcher Ginko; rather, it is a knowing that directs his travels and serves as the impetus for his existence. The many different kinds of life that can be discovered in the gaps between what is plausible and what is not are generally referred to as mushi.
They are all around us and affect us, yet due to the profoundly dissimilar character of each, the majority of people cannot identify them. Ginko puts the lives of people who are most touched by the existence of these life forms and who are in dire need of clarification.
Similarities With Parasyte:
-
Based on a Manga
-
Seinen
13. From The New World
|
Similarity |
Writing |
Storyline |
Animation |
Total Score |
|
13/20 |
8/10 |
6/10 |
6/10 |
33/50 |
-
Status: Finished Airing
-
Episodes: 25
-
Type: TV Series
Storyline:
When Saki Watanabe of Kamisu 66 finally comes to terms with the psychic abilities she's always known she possessed, she's relieved to be reunited with her friends at Sage Academy, a school designed specifically for psychics, including the playful Satoru Asahina, the timid Mamoru Itou, the upbeat Maria Akizuki, and the mysterious boy she admires, Shun Aonuma.
Uncertainty, however, arises as Saki begins to wonder what happens to individuals who don't awaken to their talents and as the kids get entangled in shadowy affairs like the legendary child-abducting Tainted Cats.
In Shinsekai Yori, we follow Saki and her companions as they mature into their respective positions in the purported utopia. The new world and all its horrors may make it difficult to accept these positions.
Similarities With Parasyte:
-
Horror
-
Sci-Fi
-
Rated 17+ (contains violence and profanity)
12. Hellsing Ultimate
|
Similarity |
Writing |
Storyline |
Animation |
Total Score |
|
15/20 |
7/10 |
5/10 |
7/10 |
34/50 |
-
Status: Finished Airing
-
Episodes: 10
-
Type: OVA
Storyline:
Just like Parasyte tells the story of a world plagued by parasites, this anime tells of a world plagued by vampires. And who better keep vampires on track and keep the bad ones in check, if not vampires also? And it is to this end that Hellsing was created, to serve as an organization that’d maintain the balance in the world.
Now the nefarious activities of some vampires are about to put the world in turmoil, and at the head of Hellsing, we find Integra Wingates Hellsing, Alucard, Seras Victoria, and other Hellsing vampires, stepping out of their comfort zones to do their sworn duties. But what chances at success do they have, looking at the odds they face?
Similarities With Parasyte:
-
Rated 17+ (contains violence and profanity)
-
Seinen
-
Action
-
Horror
-
Produced by MadHouse
-
Gore
-
Based on a Manga
11. Dororo
|
Similarity |
Writing |
Storyline |
Animation |
Total Score |
|
15/20 |
5/10 |
7/10 |
8/10 |
35/50 |
-
Status: Finished Airing
-
Episodes: 24
-
Type: TV Series
Storyline:
During the time that Japan was known as the Warring States, Lord Daigo Kagemitsu struck a deal with 12 demons who asked him to give up his unborn son in exchange for the prosperity of his territories. The infant is born with birth defects and is abandoned in a river, yet Kagemitsu's properties continue to flourish as he had been promised.
Some years later, the young robber Dororo meets the enigmatic "Hyakkimaru," a teenager whose arms are swords and whose blind eyes appear to grant him the ability to see monsters. Intrigued by his lack of sight, hearing, and feeling, and also the air of mystery surrounding him, Dororo makes a friend of Hyakkimaru, and navigates a profane world.
Similarities With Parasyte:
-
Action
-
Rated 17+ (contains violence and profanity)
10. Berserk
|
Similarity |
Writing |
Storyline |
Animation |
Total Score |
|
16/20 |
8/10 |
7/10 |
5/10 |
36/50 |
-
Status: Finished Airing
-
Episodes: 25
-
Type: TV Series
Storyline:
If you are interested in beginning the Berserk series, my suggestion would be to watch the anime version that was released in 1997. Berserk is an exceedingly grim series (probably the darkest series on this list). It tells the story of Guts, our protagonist, who is a mercenary who doesn't stick around in a group for very long until he encounters the Band of the Hawk and decides to join them. Guts' life is filled with bad luck. Griffith, the group's commander, engages Guts in a duel and is victorious after only one strike.
In the Seinen category, this is hands down a favorite anime. Berserk has tremendous violence, and some of the brutal moments are reminiscent of those in Parasyte. If you like Parasyte, you should check out Berserk.
Similarities With Parasyte:
-
Based on a Manga
-
Action
-
Horror
-
Gore
-
Seinen
9. Inuyashiki: Last Hero
|
Similarity |
Writing |
Storyline |
Animation |
Total Score |
|
14/20 |
8/10 |
7/10 |
7/10 |
36/50 |
-
Status: Finished Airing
-
Episodes: 11
-
Type: TV Series
Storyline:
Life sometimes deals us some rather unfair and cruel hands, and at such times, one can only turn to one’s loved ones for solace. But what about when loved ones treat one with disdain and hate? It’ll almost seem as though the whole world was against the person.
Such is the story of a 58-year-old man, Inuyashiki, who was unloved by his family, diagnosed with a stomach ulcer, and told he had only 3 months left, but life smiled upon him while he was embracing his dog in a field, crying his heart out.
Being bestowed with new and unbelievable powers turned Inuyashiki’s life around, and helped him explore aspects of humanity he’d been oblivious of.
Similarities With Parasyte:
-
Action
-
Sci-Fi
-
Gore
-
Seinen
-
Rated 17+ (contains violence and profanity)
-
Based on a Manga
8. To Your Eternity
|
Similarity |
Writing |
Storyline |
Animation |
Total Score |
|
14/20 |
7/10 |
8/10 |
8/10 |
37/50 |
-
Status: Finished Airing
-
Episodes: 20
-
Type: TV Series
Storyline:
This anime depicts an eternal creature encountering all kinds of people in different places across time. And it all begins when it, a mysterious orb, is thrown to Earth for observation. It initially becomes a rock, then moss as the temperature rises.
Until one wintry day, a dying wolf barely passes by. It becomes cognizant when it adopts the animal's shape and wanders, meets the wolf's master, a little kid waiting for his family to return from a haven of food in the south. The youngster is lonely but hopeful he would find his loved ones.
The boy leaves home with It to discover paradise using his tribe's footprints. But with dangers that lurk and all odds against him, was the young man successful in the mission he set out for?
Similarities With Parasyte:
-
Rated 17+ (contains violence and profanity).
-
Based on a Manga
7. Death Parade
|
Similarity |
Writing |
Storyline |
Animation |
Total Score |
|
15/20 |
8/10 |
8/10 |
7/10 |
38/50 |
-
Status: Finished Airing
-
Episodes: 12 + 1 OVA
-
Type: TV Series
Storyline:
The thirteen-episode anime explores the world after death or the transition period between death and a soul’s destination. It simply tells the travails of human souls after they die, when they get judged based on the lives they’ve lived, and also on how they respond to dire situations while playing judgment games.
In the middle of all this, is Decim, an arbiter at Quindecim, one of the bars where such judgments take place. And we learn more about Decim’s judgmental processes and even go as far as seeing how his judgment sways when he has to factor in human emotions also.
Similarities With Parasyte:
-
Rated 17+ (contains violence and profanity)
-
Produced by MadHouse
6. Devilman: Crybaby
|
Similarity |
Writing |
Storyline |
Animation |
Total Score |
|
15/20 |
8/10 |
9/10 |
7/10 |
39/50 |
-
Status: Finished Airing
-
Episodes: 10
-
Type: ONA
Storyline:
As the title suggests, “Devilman” is a creature that’s a combination of man and devil/demon. And that’s understandable, seeing as Sabbath, a degenerate party that Akira and his friend, Asuka invited him to, started raining demons, who turned those who they possessed into hideous monsters. And like the rest, Akira was partially possessed by a demon named Amon.
But Akira has always been a crybaby, but now has to explore the world as a demon slayer, given his new powers. More than that, he has to keep Amon in check and tap into the demon’s powers in his sojourn to protect his loved ones and the rest of humanity.
Similarities With Parasyte:
-
Based on a Manga
-
Gore
-
Action
-
Horror
5. Deadman Wonderland
|
Similarity |
Writing |
Storyline |
Animation |
Total Score |
|
16/20 |
7/10 |
8/10 |
9/10 |
40/50 |
-
Status: Finished Airing
-
Episodes: 12
-
Type: TV Series
Storyline:
Ganta, a middle school student had his life turned upside down when a hooded villain appeared in his school and murdered all his classmates in cold blood, leaving only him alive. As though that wasn’t enough tragedy, he also got framed for their murder and got sentenced to Deadman Wonderland, a prison that’s more than it looks like.
Quite understandably, Parasyte has made more waves than Deadman Wonderland, but the two are very much almost alike especially in terms of gore, having multiple characters who have special perks or abilities, and still trying to protect those around them, irrespective of the odds they have to face.
Similarities With Parasyte:
-
Based on a Manga
-
Action
-
Horror
-
Sci-Fi
-
Gore
-
Rated 17+ (contains violence and profanity)
4. Elfen Lied
|
Similarity |
Writing |
Storyline |
Animation |
Total Score |
|
15/20 |
8/10 |
9/10 |
9/10 |
41/50 |
-
Status: Finished Airing
-
Episodes: 13
-
Type: TV Series
Storyline:
Characters with split personalities are often tagged “crazy” most times, but when that character is one who’s born with a pair of horns and telekinetic abilities. But unlike Shinichi in Parasyte, Lucy has always been a lab rat, amidst torture and incarceration.
However, during her escape, she suffers a severe brain injury that gives her two distinct personalities, one of which has the mind of a kid and the verbal abilities of a baby. She is in this mental condition when she is found by Kouta and Yuka, two college students who take her in after she has been hurt, not realizing that she has a history of violence.
Little did Kouta and Yuka know that this would forever change their lives, as they’re thrown into a frenzy and a life on the run. Using themes that include nudity, gore, and cruelty, Elfen Lied tells the story of how this trio uncovers more in the murky realm of government secrets and intrigue.
Similarities With Parasyte:
-
Seinen
-
Action
-
Gore
-
Based on a Manga
-
Horror
3. Death Note
|
Similarity |
Writing |
Storyline |
Animation |
Total Score |
|
15/20 |
10/10 |
10/10 |
7/10 |
42/50 |
-
Status: Finished Airing
-
Episodes: 37
-
Type: TV Series
Storyline:
Of course, Death Note is mildly old, but yet a highly relevant and revered anime. Even someone who’s just starting to see anime would have seen a few memes about it. And one thing you would love about it is the characters (especially Light and L), and also how it carefully analyses human nature, its motives, and responses in different situations.
It tells the story of Light Yagami, the son of a police officer who stumbled across a note with the power to kill people simply by writing their names on it. For a while, he kept using the note to enact judgment on criminals and was hereby able to throw law enforcement agencies into a hullabaloo.
Similarities With Parasyte:
-
Based on a Manga
-
Rated 17+ (contains violence and profanity)
-
Was produced by MadHouse
2. Attack On Titan
|
Similarity |
Writing |
Storyline |
Animation |
Total Score |
|
17/20 |
9/10 |
9/10 |
9/10 |
44/50 |
-
Status: Still Airing
-
Episodes: 87
-
Type: TV Series
Storyline:
Arguably, the position of AOT (Attack on Titan) on this list might seem unfair or over-imposed (to some readers), but it isn’t without reason. AOT does more to explore the loads of possibilities that abound when humanity has to embrace the matrimony between their kind and that which is driving them to extinction.
For those who don’t know, Attack on Titan is (more than simply) a story about the last of humankind, that’s been pushed behind walls, to shield themselves from the waiting-to-devour mouths of titans (gigantic humanoid creatures) that suddenly sprouted out of nowhere.
Just like Parasyte’s main character has to embrace and use the parasite in him to protect the lives of those around him, Eren Jaegar also had to learn to use his titan to protect what’s left of humanity. But you can be sure that’s more to his story, as even the anime would have its final part released in January 2023.
Similarities With Parasyte:
-
Based on a Manga
-
Rated 17+ (contains violence and profanity)
-
Gore
-
Action
1. Tokyo Ghoul
|
Similarity |
Writing |
Storyline |
Animation |
Total Score |
|
19/20 |
8/10 |
8/10 |
10/10 |
45/50 |
-
Status: Finished Airing
-
Episodes: 24
-
Type: TV Series
Storyline:
It is only expected that Tokyo Ghoul would top the list of anime that are very similar to Parasyte. And amidst the list of mild differences between both anime, they still talk more about human nature, and compare it to that of “insects”.
While Shinichi and other affected humans had parasites take over their entire being, or parts of their body, therein having to adapt to and live with a parasitic part of the body, Tokyo Ghoul revolves around the story of Kaneki Kun, who had the quirk of Ghoul implanted in him during surgery to save his life, after an accident.
Of course, Shinichi and Kaneki’s advent into cohabiting with another organism in themselves aren’t entirely normal, they both had to learn to live with, and even use the presence of their new “partners” to fight crime and defend their lives.
Similarities With Parasyte:
-
Rated 17+ (contains violence and profanity)
-
Seinen
-
Gore
-
Psychological
-
Action
-
Horror
-
Based on a Manga
Final Thoughts
On Well, there it is! A most comprehensive and ranked list of the top 20 anime similar to Parasyte, and even with the criteria for which the ranking is based. While the ranking just might not sit well with everyone, you can be sure that constructive criticisms, suggestions, opinions, and comments are all welcome, and should go into the comment box below👇.
Till the next article like this one gets published here, Sayonara Minna-san!
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is Parasyte: The Maxim about?
+What is Another, the anime, about?
+What is Shiki about?
+What is Made In Abyss about?
+What is Mushi-Shi about?
+What is From The New World about?
+What is Hellsing Ultimate about?
+Read More Blogs
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