10 Best Anime Like NieR:Automata Ver1.1a

NieR:Automata was released back in 2017 as a long-awaited sequel to the cult classic PS3 game NieR, thus expanding on the original universe in the best possible way. And while the original game by Yoko Taro received mixed reviews – the story and the characters, as well as the music, received absolute acclaim, while the graphics and the gameplay were criticized – NieR:Automata became an absolute hit, surpassing all expectations with over 6 million copies sold worldwide.

On the fifth anniversary of the game, it was announced that NieR: Automata would be getting an anime adaptation, titled NieR:Automata Ver1.1a, thus becoming the first installment of Taro’s games to receive such recognition. In honor of that, we have decided to compose a list of the best anime series you will enjoy if you like NieR:Automata and NieR:Automata Ver1.1a.

1. serial experiments lain

Release: July 6, 1998 – September 28, 1998
Number of Episodes: 13

What it’s about: After the suicide of the young Chisa Yomoda, some girls receive e-mails from the girl. The suspicion is that this is a bad joke, but one of them, Lain Iwakura is particularly intrigued. After asking her father for a new NAVI (Navigator, the evolution of the PC), she starts surfing the Wired (a computer network similar to the Internet) in search of answers.

From here on, a series of inexplicable events disrupt her life. She learns that another Lain, quite similar to her physically but temperamentally opposite, has made her an appearance of her both in the Wired and in the real world and that the Knights (knights – a group of hackers) are particularly interested in her.

Why you should watch it: Well, we decided to start this off with the serial experiments lain because it’s a cult classic anime and one of the best anime series in history. It is deep, it is complex, and while it features no fighting, the philosophical depth of the show and the tragedy of the characters’ existences is a major element that lain shares with NieR, and that is why you definitely need to check it out.

2. Akame ga Kill!

Original Run: July 7, 2014 – December 15, 2014
Number of Episodes: 24

What it’s about: The young swordsman Tatsumi travels to the imperial city together with two comrades. They want to earn money in the imperial city to help their village. But arbitrariness and violence have reigned in the city ever since Minister Honest manipulated the young emperor in his interests. The powerful exploit, torture, and kill the poor for their amusement.

So Tatsumi and his comrades are first separated in a robbery, then Tatsumi is outwitted and loses his money and, like his comrades before, gets caught by one of the rich families. But he escapes with the help of Night Raid, a group of assassins.

Why you should watch it: Akame ga Kill! shares a lot of similarities with the fighting aspect of NieR: Automata. Sure, the setting is more similar to the original NieR game and there are more demons than machines in Akame ga Kill!, but we still think that this series is quite a good pick for you and that it will bring you enough elements to satisfy your needs for something like NieR. Just keep an open mind.

3. From the New World

Original Run: October 3, 2012 – March 27, 2013
Number of Episodes: 25

What it’s about: Set in a thousand-year-old Japan, Shinsekai Yori tells the story of Saki, a girl from the 66th district of Kamisu. In this age, all humans possess powerful telekinesis abilities and idyllically live in agrarian villages. Despite her parents’ fear that she could not awaken the power within her, Saki gains her powers at the age of twelve and joins her friends Satoru, Maria, Mamoru, Shun, and Reiko at the academy to develop her powers. But the kids are unaware that the city council monitors and influences the kids through teaching.

According to some evaluation criteria, some students are removed from society, such as those who cannot master the powers, such as Reiko, or those who violate the rules. The removed students are soon forgotten by all the other children; Saki and her friends have no recollection of Reiko.

Later, during a camp unsupervised by the professors, Saki and her friends come across a False White Nudibook, a legendary creature that turns out to be an ancient device containing a library. The False Nudibianco reveals to the boys the heinous crimes of their ancestors and what lies behind their powers.

Why you should watch it: This anime is also more similar to the original NieR game, but there is something that makes this one of the most fitting titles on the list. Namely, Shinsekai Yori tells the tragic story of a dystopian future with a grim secret about the foundations of the society the main characters are living in. Sounds familiar? There are no major fighting robots, but the sense of existential dread is absolutely the same and that is why this anime is a definitive pick for you.

4. Ghost in the Shell

Original Release: 1995 – Ongoing
Number of Episodes: Multiple series and films

What it’s about: Ghost in the Shell is a futuristic, cyberpunk-style anime set around the 2030s. The main character is a female cyborg1, Major Motoko Kusanagi. Kusanagi is part of an elite anti-criminal police section, Section 9. The main storyline of the manga, as well as the film adapted from the manga, chronicles the hunt for a cybercriminal known as the “Puppet Master”.

This cyber criminal takes control of a human’s “ghost” through the Global Digital Network, the evolution of the Internet in this universe. As the investigation progresses, Section 9 ends up discovering that the criminal is not a natural person, but an intangible artificial intelligence, having acquired consciousness for the first time in the world.

Why you should watch it: Ghost in the Shell is more of a crime series, but it shares a lot of narrative elements with NieR, especially in terms of the series’ philosophical depth, and a futuristic society where the idea of humanity is questioned. It also features enough action to satisfy all NieR fans. Plus, Ghost in the Shell is a sci-fi classic and you definitely need to check it out.

5. Neon Genesis Evangelion

Original Release: October 4, 1995 – March 27, 1996
Number of Episodes: 26 (plus numerous films)

What it’s about: Neon Genesis Evangelion is set in 2000, a gigantic explosion occurred in Antarctica. This cataclysm, officially caused by the fall of an asteroid, causes the waters to rise several tens of meters and devastates a large part of the planet, causing the death of two billion people as well as a new world war. Fifteen years later, mankind has overcome this dramatic event referred to as the “Second Impact” but mysterious giant creatures, the Angels, appear and attempt to destroy Tokyo-3, the new capital fortress of Japan.

To combat them, the secret organization NERV has developed the “Evangelion” (or “EVA”), humanoid giants of mechanical appearance. Shinji Ikari, a 14-year-old boy, goes to Tokyo-3 at the invitation of his father, the director of NERV, whom he has not seen for ten years. Little did he know that he was called to pilot an EVA and take part in the fight against the “Third Angel”.

Why you should watch it: Well, aside from the fact that Evangelion was cited as a major influence for Automata, the series features a lot of similar elements, including mecha fights and deep, complex philosophical issues. The difference is that Evangelion is more hardcore sci-fi, whereas NieR retains a lot of fantasy elements, but that makes no difference as the series is something you definitely need to check out.

6. Kino’s Journey —the Beautiful World—

Original Run: April 8, 2003 – July 8, 2003 / October 6, 2017 – December 22, 2017
Episodes: 13 + 1 OVA / 12

What it’s about: With the help of Hermes, a talking Brough Superior motorcycle, Kino journeys across a mysterious world’s various woodlands and rural areas, each with its own distinct culture and population. In every city, Kino only stays for three days and two nights. According to her, that is the appropriate amount of time to thoroughly learn a location while still having time to explore additional regions.

However, Kino asserts that this explanation is probably untrue in the first episode (titled The country where we comprehend the agony of others), which elicits a second answer: “if I stay longer, I’m afraid I want to stay.” The saying that the world is not beautiful, and therefore is, appears frequently in both the anime and the written works.

Why you should watch it: This one is for fans of the sidequests from NieR and NieR: Automata. Kino’s Journey doesn’t directly speak to the adventure aspect of the games, but it features a lot of complex philosophical issues, as well as quirky and strange stories, all of which would – in a way – fit perfectly into the sidequest index of Kino’s Journey.

7. Puella Magi Madoka Magica

Original Run: January 7, 2011 – April 21, 2011
Number of Episodes: 12

What it’s about: High school girl Madoka Kaname and her friend Sayaka Miki discover a weird magical being known as the Kybey in the fictional Japanese city of Mitakihara. In exchange for superhuman abilities that they will utilize to become puellas magi (magical girls) and battle the evil entities known as witches, they might make a deal with him through which they could have their greatest wish—whatever it was—fulfilled.

These witches, who have emerged from curses and are invisible to the naked eye, are extremely dangerous and are to blame for a large number of the tragedies, suicides, and crimes of contemporary civilization. Homura Akemi, a strange exchange student, and fellow puella mage, makes every effort to keep Madoka from upholding the agreement.

Why you should watch it: This might not be your first choice, but hear us out. Puella Magi Madoka Magica has the same sense of tragedy and weirdness as NieR, it also features a lot of philosophical topics and a futuristic setting. It is a very different approach on the surface, but if you give it a chance, Puella Magi Madoka Magica will definitely satisfy you in every aspect.

8. Kaiba

Original Release: April 10, 2008 – July 24, 2008
Number of Episodes: 12

What it’s about: In this universe, memories can be stored as information via a memory chip; when individuals die, their spirit lives on. This digitalization of mental information allows the transfer of one’s mind to someone else’s body, the theft and manipulation of other people’s memories has become the norm. Society is broadly divided into two classes.

In the sky, there are electrical storms, which one cannot cross without losing one’s memory. Above them is the realm of the rich and powerful, who trade the bodies and memories of others for their own pleasure and longevity. Beneath the clouds lies a troubled and dangerous world where good bodies are hard to come by and real money is scarce.

Why you should watch it: Kaiba is equally bizarre as NieR in the most positive way. It gives the viewers a lot to think about and it challenges their perceptions of their own realities and the ways that things function. Kaiba is a really beautiful and uniquely animated show that will definitely attract your attention.

9. Psycho-Pass

Original Run: October 12, 2012 – December 12, 2019
Number of Episodes: 41

What it’s about: In 2112, in Japan, Sibyl, a computer system, transformed society into a “perfect world”, thanks to the ubiquitous cameras, drones, and scanners, Sibyl is able to analyze and quantify the criminal intentions of a person (named “Psycho-Pass “) and determines who is likely to commit a crime. When a citizen exceeds the norm, the inspectors of the Bureau of Public Security accompanied by their executors (person having an abnormally high “Psycho-Pass”), pursue and apprehend these people to make them undergo therapy, lock them up or shoot them down. square.

This is the world that embarks Akane Tsunemori, a new inspector who has just joined Division 1 of the Public Security Bureau. She wishes to uphold justice truly and loyally, however she learns that Sibyl’s judgments are not as perfect as her colleagues think.

Why you should watch it: The reason why Psycho-Pass is on this list is that the anime gives off an equally palpable sense of futuristic despair and involves a lot of lies and intrigues that the “government” tells to the people. It’s not completely the same as in NieR, but the sense of being deceived is basically identical and despite a lack of fighting robots, the dystopian future remains.

10. Cowboy Bebop

Original Run: April 3, 1998 – June 26, 1998
Number of Episodes: 26

What it’s about: In the year 2071, the crew of the spaceship Bebop travels the solar system in search of bounties. In the slang of the time, these bounty hunters were called “cowboys.” Most episodes revolve around a bounty; however, the focus of the story is on each character’s past and more general ancient events, which connect as the series progresses.

The first story is that of Spike Spiegel, a former member of a criminal organization, the Red Dragons, who is haunted by a love triangle he experienced with his former teammate in the Red Dragons, Vicious, and a mysterious woman named Julia.

Why you should watch it: Finally, we end our list with Cowboy Bebop, which shouldn’t really come as a surprise. Again, as we have said, it is very difficult to find something exactly like Nier, because Taro’s a truly unique storyteller, but Cowboy Bebop, like Psycho-Pass, shares a similar dystopian future for a setting, it involves deep and heartbreaking stories, and several background conspiracies, which are all elements that make up the NieR storyline. Oh, there are also more fighting robots than you’d expect, but no magic of the NieR series.