Shows Like Monster
After experiencing Monster, should consider this hand-picked list which questions the purpose and weight of our choices all while offering targets the intellect with complex, multi-layered ideas. Carefully balances character depth with narrative flow makes this a compelling continuation of these themes.
Standard feature-length experiences.
Best for fans of who appreciate concise storytelling.
★ Top Picks
The Promised Neverland
Emma, Norman and Ray are the brightest kids at the Grace Field House orphanage. And under the care of the woman they refer to as “Mom,” all the kids have enjoyed a comfortable life. Good food, clean clothes and the perfect environment to learn—what more could an orphan ask for? One day, though, Emma and Norman uncover the dark truth of the outside world they are forbidden from seeing.
The Perfect Insider
Souhei Saikawa is a college professor who is obsessed with genius Shiki Magata’s work. He, Moe Nishinosono, and a group of his other students plan a retreat to the remote island where Magata currently resides, which may put them in danger’s way...
Kindaichi Case Files
Kindaichi Hajime may look dumb, but he is one of the smartest you will ever see. He encounters mysteries after mysteries with his good friend, Miyuki, and he swears to solve them in the name of his grandfather, which was a great detective.
Ameku M.D.: Doctor Detective
Ten’ikai General Hospital’s Supervisory Department of Diagnostic Pathology handles cases other physicians deem too difficult to treat. It’s also where bizarre mysteries surface, from unexplained illnesses to strange murders even the police can’t solve. At the center of it all is Takao Ameku, a brilliant doctor determined to reveal the shocking truth behind these anomalies.
Case Closed: The Culprit Hanzawa
A silhouetted suspect moves to the crime-infested town of Beika with murder in mind.
ERASED
Satoru Fujinuma is a struggling manga artist who has the ability to turn back time and prevent deaths. When his mother is killed he turns back time to solve the mystery, but ends up back in elementary school, just before the disappearance of his classmate Kayo.
Beautiful Bones: Sakurako's Investigation
Shōtarō Tatewaki is a normal high school student with a serious demeanor hangs around with Sakurako Kujō. Sakurako is an extraordinarily beautiful woman in her mid-20s from a rich family who loves "beautiful bones." The two live in the city of Asahikawa in Hokkaido, and they get involved in various incidents regarding bones.
Ron Kamonohashi's Forbidden Deductions
Ron Kamonohashi was once regarded as a genius at the top detective training academy. But after a fatal mistake, he was expelled and forbidden to become a detective. Years later, police officer Totomaru Isshiki knocks on Ron’s door seeking help on a serial murder case. He finds Ron, now a messy-haired recluse, who agrees. Together, this mismatched detective team begins solving their first mystery!
More Shows Like Monster
Ikebukuro West Gate Park
The story revolves around 20-year-old Makoto, who frequently gets involved in highly dangerous situations, usually against his own judgment. Along for the ride are his best buddies Shun, Masa, and Takashi, the enigmatic leader of a local gang in Ikebukuro.
Paranoia Agent
Musashino, Tokyo. An elementary schooler repeatedly attacks people in the streets. Known only to the public as "Lil Slugger", none of the victims can recall the young boy's face and only three distinct details are left in their memories: golden inline skates, a baseball cap, and the weapon: a bent golden baseball bat. Detectives Ikari and Maniwa set out to track down the perpetrator and put an end to his crimes.
Hell Girl
A supernatural system allows people to take revenge by having other people sent to Hell via the services of a mysterious entity and her assistants who implement this system. Revenge, injustice, hatred, and the nature of human emotions are common themes throughout the series.
Dark Gathering
The story centers on Keitarou Gentouga, who has the ability to be a spirit medium. In junior high school, he got someone else wrapped up in a spirit possession incident, and he has been a shut-in for more than two years. As he reintroduces himself to society as a private tutor, he meets a genius girl named Yayoi Houzuki. Yayoi is instantly able to tell that Keitarou has skill as a spirit medium, and she invites him to go with her to a haunted location. The two then start their journey capturing evil spirits.
Psycho-Pass
In the year 2113, people are given brain scans to determine how likely they are to commit a crime. Those who fail are apprehended, or even killed.
Bungo Stray Dogs
Stalked by a beastly white tiger, Atsushi Nakajima has no idea that the menace lives inside him—a power that catches the attention of the Armed Detective Agency. Using inhuman abilities to combat crime, this team takes Atsushi under the wing of their most eccentric member, Dazai. Together, they tear through mafia-muddled mysteries while enemies keep an eye on the tiger’s lofty bounty.
Akudama Drive
Many years ago, a Great Civil War ravaged Japan, leaving the country fragmented between two regions: Kansai and Kanto. In Kansai, a group of six Akudama carry out missions given to them by a mysterious black cat, while evading the police. But a dangerous journey is about to unfold when a civilian girl becomes twisted into the Akudama's way of life and witnesses their criminal drives.
Kemono Jihen
When a series of animal bodies that rot away after a single night begin appearing in a remote mountain village, Inugami, a detective from Tokyo who specializes in the occult, is called to investigate. While working the case, he befriends a strange boy who works in the field every day instead of going to school. Shunned by his peers and nicknamed “Dorotabo” after a yokai that lives in the mud, he helps Inugami uncover the truth behind the killings — but supernatural forces are at work, and while Dorotabo is just a nickname, it might not be the only thing about the boy that isn’t human.
Aoi Bungaku Series
An animated adaptation of six classical Japanese literature pieces, including No Longer Human (Ningen Shikkaku) and Run, Melos (Hashire, Melos) by Osamu Dazai, Kokoro by Natsume Souseki, Hell Screen (Jigoku Hen) and The Spider's Thread (Kumo no Ito) by Ryunosuke Akutagawa and In the Forest, Under Cherries in Full Bloom (Sakura no Mori no Mankai no Shita) by Ango Sakaguchi.
Kakegurui
Run by a corrupt and sadistic school council, the “system” at Hyakkaou is based on gambling, with losers who cannot cover their debts being demeaned by their peers and forced to serve their debtholders. And if that’s not terrifying enough, some games can result in losing an eye, one’s fingernails, or even their life! But the system is shocked when transfer student Yumeko Jabami arrives. Dark, mysterious and attractive, she’s a wildcard who plays for the thrill of it…
Ghost Hunt
Telling ghost stories is a favorite past time of Mai Taniyama and her friends—that is, until she meets 17-year-old Kazuya Shibuya, the man sent by Shibuya Psychic Research Center to investigate paranormal activity at a supposedly haunted school. When Mai gets caught in a dangerous situation, she is rescued by Kazuya's assistant. Saving her lands the assistant incapacitated, and Kazuya demands that Mai become his assistant, instead...
B: The Beginning
Genius investigator Keith Flick rejoins the royal police force just as serial killer "B" emerges. Mysterious youth Koku may be an ally, or a target.
Why These Shows Are Similar
These recommendations share core qualities with Monster (2004): Animation and Drama themes, similar pacing, and comparable production quality. NoBadPicks uses TMDB collaborative filtering, genre matching, and AI analysis to surface series most likely to resonate with fans of Monster.
See full details for Monster (2004)
