Kara Dennison
June 28, 2021 
It’s almost here! The long-awaited anime adaptation of Chainsaw Man is coming from MAPPA. Based on the high-octane manga, the new series is a heartfelt tale of Boy Meets Chainsaw Dog as the pair slice up demons and yakuza.
If you’re full of hype with nowhere to put it, may we suggest these somewhat similar anime? Of course, there’s nothing exactly like this show… but we somehow think these three titles come somewhat close.
No Guns Life
Chainsaw Man has a guy with a chainsaw head. No Guns Life has a guy with a gun head. We’ve absolutely nailed this one.
In all seriousness — Tasuku Karasuma’s weird cyberpunk series about a guy with a literal gun for a head is a good match. There are mysteries for amnesiac detective Juzo Inui (and the audience) to solve. There are lots of crazy modified fighters. And there are unexpectedly cute moments. Ever seen a gun blush? You will.
Dorohedoro
Hailing from MAPPA just like Chainsaw Man, Dorohedoro is yet another tale of transformed fighters and magical beings. This time our hero is Caiman, who has a lizard head for reasons unknown to him. But he’s determined to find out. Fortunately, he has a method: biting down on the heads of the world’s magic users, known as Sorcerers, and letting the thing that lives in his mouth ask them.
Also like Chainsaw Man, the magical dealings of Dorohedoro‘s world have a criminal undertone. The world of Sorcerers even has its own crime boss: En, who has the power to turn people and things into mushrooms. He also really likes eating mushrooms; and no, that does not go uncommented-upon.
Demon Lord Dante
This 2002 series is based on a reboot of a 1971 manga by Go Nagai. Like Chainsaw Man, absolutely wild-looking Demons are in play. In this case, a high school boy named Ryo becomes the vessel for an ancient Demon, who is then absorbed into Ryo. There are secret cults, more demons coming back to life, and legends of an ancient battle between God and Earth. And if you think this is starting to sound familiar, you’re not wrong.
Demon Lore Dante was the original source material for what would become Devilman. Inspired by Dante’s Divine Comedy and even wilder than its little brother, Dante lay dormant for more than 30 years before being revived. The anime adaptation is a major dose of demonic intrigue and over-the-top weirdness.
Look forward to more news about Chainsaw Man soon — and hopefully in the meantime you can keep your hunger sated with these shows. What other titles would you suggest for excited fans?
