Directed by Yusuke Fukada and Veerapatra Jinanavin, ‘Tokyo Override’ is a Netflix animated series centered on a cyberpunk Tokyo overrun by AI and advanced technologies. The show follows Kai Koguma, a teenager with extraordinary hacking ability who becomes wrongfully embroiled in a massive criminal conspiracy while helping her friend, Ayumi. Subsequently, the young girl falls in with a group of motorcycle riders who work as delivery people in the seedy underworld.
The show explores complex themes of control, segregated societies, punk culture, and identity. It also dives into some high-octane action sequences to keep the narrative engaging at every turn. Naturally, its deeply drawn worldbuilding and thematic ideas are certain to peak interest among viewers and fans. Thus, to offer more of the same, we have compiled a list of animes similar to ‘Tokyo Override’ that combine a variety of futuristic concepts through an interesting premise.
8. Burst Angel (2004)
Directed by Koichi Ohata, ‘Burst Angel,’ also known as ‘Bakuretsu Tenshi,’ tells the story of Kyohei Tachibana, an aspiring chef who runs into a spot of trouble in a futuristic Tokyo that has been overridden with crime. After escaping the situation, Kyohei finds himself working as a cook for a group of four women – Jo, Meg, Sei, and Amy – who are mercenaries working for a secret organization. Like ‘Tokyo Override,’ the show delves into a variety of mysteries and missions while also simultaneously exploring much larger conspiracies. The similarities between the two series ramp up even further through the combination of slick action and character-driven stories that often hinge on the context of a high-tech world that is slightly off-kilter.
7. Blassreiter (2008)
Originally titled ‘Burasureitā,’ the action anime ‘Blassreiter’ follows a man named Joseph Jobson, who is able to transform into a biomechanical creature known as Demoniac. The show is set in a future Germany amidst an outbreak that has led people to turn into Demoniacs out of volition. People like Joseph serve as the bridge between the two worlds because of their ability to control their transformation. Directed by Ichirō Itano, the show echoes a variety of themes present in ‘Tokyo Override,’ particularly in the overwhelming nature of a future world where everything has gone off balance. Although the series blends fantasy elements with cyberpunk themes like morality, technology, and human avarice, there is a thread of similarity maintained with the Netflix show throughout.
6. RideBack (2009-)
In ‘RideBack,’ viewers are introduced to a future world where everything has been taken over by a single entity known as the GGP. Directed by Atsushi Takahashi, the show follows a formerly talented ballet dancer, Rin Ogata, who had to give up on her dreams following a terrible injury. Subsequently, Rin accepts the everyday life of a college student, where she comes across a unique motorcycle with the ability to transform into a mech suit. Combining her innate skills with the machine’s capabilities, the protagonist embarks on a journey to free society from the grips of the GGP and mount a resistance effort against the totalitarian regime.
Viewers of ‘Tokyo Override’ are sure to be intrigued by the similarities between the antagonistic regimes in both series, who employ a multitude of advanced technologies to monitor the citizens. It leads to a blatant invasion of privacy into people’s lives and a dominance over every aspect of societal infrastructure. Additionally, the protagonists of both shows join the resistance effort as fresh kids out of the block with no experience, making them relatable to the audience. The show is based on Tetsurō Kasahara’s eponymous manga series and dives into all manner of futuristic ideas, mostly revolving around the idea of authoritarian governments, which parallels significant aspects of the Netflix show.
5. Cyber City Oedo 808 (1990-1991)
Set in the year 2808, ‘Cyber City Oedo 808’ tells the story of three grizzled criminals, Sengoku, Gogul, and Benten, who are given an offer to reduce their sentences by working on life-threatening missions. They take on the moniker of the Cyber Police and start working on a variety of complex technological threats while wearing a suicide collar outfitted with explosives, which are meant to go off if they miss their deadline.
Created by Jûzô Mutsuki, the show features a small number of episodes but dives into a similar territory as explored in ‘Tokyo Override.’ The high-tech atmosphere of the city takes on an even grittier and darker edge in the Mutsuki series, offering a proper look into how the grimy and seedy elements of the criminal world can often get tied into the work of so-called good people. The moral dilemmas and ethically questionable decisions raised in the story are reminiscent of the problems Kai faces, augmented by some classic action scenes just as intense as their storyline.
4. Gantz (2004)
Adapted from the pages of Hiroya Oku’s eponymous manga series, ‘Gantz’ tells the story of two high schoolers, Kei Kurono and Masaru Kato, who pass away in a subway tragedy only to be revived by a black sphere known as Gantz. Subsequently, they are tasked with hunting down aliens hiding on Earth using powerful weapons, which help them garner more points. Although the worlds and situations of the two stories may seem disparate, both ‘Tokyo Override’ and ‘Gantz’ align themselves through the presence of young, vibrant protagonists who are caught in a life-or-death situation. As such, the show, directed by Ichiro Itano, doubles down on the same energetic vibe and tone of the Netflix series, coupling it with some intriguing forays into character-driven themes like identity and the implications of technology.
3. Bubblegum Crisis Tokyo 2040 (1998-1999)
The cyberpunk anime ‘Bubblegum Crisis Tokyo 2040,’ also known as ‘Baburugamu Kuraishisu TOKYO 2040,’ takes place in a futuristic Tokyo overrun by megacorporations. At the center of the story lies the Knight Sabers group, a female vigilante organization devoted to fighting rogue agents like humanoid robots and corporate malfeasance in a high-tech environment.
Directed by Hiroki Hayashi, the series is a reboot of the 1987 animated series ‘Bubblegum Crisis,’ and explores themes of unsupervised technologies, corporate corruption, and action-packed fight scenes that echo the tech-driven and high-octane nature of ‘Tokyo Override.’ Fans will particularly enjoy the manner in which both series tackles the idea of conspiracies brewing in the higher echelons of society.
2. Psycho-Pass (2012-2019)
Although ‘Psycho-Pass’ is more detective fiction than ‘Tokyo Override,’ the show centers on the same ideas that make the latter such an exciting and compelling watch. Originally titled ‘Saiko Pasu,’ the story follows a newly instated Inspector named Akane Tsunemori, who is thrown into the deep end soon after the start of her job as she confronts some alarming cases that border on the unethical. It delves into themes of morally questionable technologies, AI oversight, human and digital interactions, and a world that has been inundated by virtual reality, which parallels the ideas in ‘Tokyo Override.’ Helmed by Naoyoshi Shiotani and Katsuyuki Motohiro, the series has inspired a number of tie-in mangas and novels for its originality and its deep examination of the consequences of a tech-infested world.
1. Cyberpunk: Edgerunners (2022)
Fans of ‘Tokyo Override’ are sure to enjoy the stylish blend of action and heavy cyberpunk themes explored in the Netflix series, ‘Cyberpunk: Edgerunners.‘ The show tells a story of love, loss, and intrigue in a futuristic city known as Night City through the eyes of a down-in-the-dumps protagonist, David. After losing his mom and being ostracized by the social elite, the young boy decides to make his mark by joining a group of rogue punks, which is not unlike Kai’s journey. As he forges his legacy as a reputed cyberpunk, he also grows romantically closer to a mysterious female group member named Lucy.
Created by Rafał Jaki, the show is an adaptation of the hugely popular video game ‘Cyberpunk 2077,’ which in itself is based on Mike Pondsmith’s ‘Cyberpunk’ tabletop game series. While the show serves as a tie-in for the video game, it carves a space of its own with an unmissable story that has all the emotions, intrigue, and flamboyance present in ‘Tokyo Override’ but on another level. If you were gripped by the themes and setup of the latter, then ‘Cyberpunk: Edgerunners’ is a perfect companion piece that mirrors several aspects of the Netflix series and provides an entirely new context for familiar subject matters.
Read More:Tokyo Override Ending, Explained: Who is the Traitor?
