Animes You need to watch if you like Made In Abyss
Do not let the cute art style fool you, this 2017 anime has enough nightmare fuel to last you for a lifetime. Made in Abyss is set in a town that surrounds a mysterious, giant hole in the ground called the Abyss. Here’s a list of anime you need to watch if you love Made in Abyss
The Ancient Magus Bride
This series is a bit light on action, but it is smartly written, and fans of Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood will like its emphasis on folklore, mystery, early 20th-century style settings, and its lofty themes and plots.
True, The Ancient Magus Bride has a modern setting, but the characters spend time in more remote and rustic parts of the world, and you feel like you've truly gone back in time, in all the right ways. Adventure and mystery await!
Violet Evergarden
Rest assured the Violet’s “automail” arms aren’t the only similarity between Violet Evergarden and Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood. Violet Evergarden is a 2018 anime by Kyoto Animation that follows the titular character’s journey of rejoining society after having spent most of her life fighting in the war. We join Violet – now an Auto Memory Doll, writing letters for other people – in her search to give her life a new purpose and understand her major’s final words “I love you”.
One of the themes Fullmetal Alchemist deals with is war and its aftermath. Mustang and Hawkeye are haunted by what they’ve done in the name of their country and because this is so well portrayed we feel their pain. Similarly, in Violet Evergarden, we empathize with Violet’s suffering as we witness her struggles to move on after everything she’s been through during the war. If this is a topic that you find interesting, then do give Violet Evergarden a chance. It does not have the action of Brotherhood, but it does a terrific job of bringing the feels.
Steins;Gate
Upon first glance a sci-fi anime about a self-proclaimed mad scientist accidentally discovering time travel and thus setting off a chain of events that no one could have predicted doesn’t sound much like something a Brotherhood fan might enjoy. However, once you know that by altering the timeline the mad scientist Okabe inadvertently saved the life of the girl he would later fall in love with but at the same time essentially signed his childhood friend’s death sentence, you will see that these two anime have more in common.
Much like Ed and Al are fighting to find a way to get their original bodies back without causing other people pain and suffering, Okabe is on a mission to find a way to save his best friend without sacrificing anyone. Tensions run high in the second half of the show as Okabe grows ever-more desperate when faced with an outcome that appears to be inevitable. If you’re looking for a story that will move you to tears, check out Steins;Gate.
My Hero Academia
If what you’re looking for is a short protagonist with lofty aspirations who gets by mostly by punching stuff with his fist, look no further than My Hero Academia. All jokes aside though, if you’re looking for a current shounen anime that has more to offer than your standard fight of the week, My Hero Academia is an excellent choice.
While it doesn’t have the depressing and mind-numbing sorrow of Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, it does have well-written characters with interesting story arcs, a narrative that is consistently entertaining, battles that have stakes and are actually fun to watch, and stunning animation by studio Bones which also did Brotherhood. My Hero Academia is about a quirk-less boy Deku who dreams of becoming a hero like his idol All-Might. Serendipitously, Deku ends up inheriting All-Might’s quirk and enrolls in the prestigious UA High to train to become a hero. Along the way, he meets some old and new friends, fights villains, and grows both as a person and as a hero. The wide supporting cast of characters is equally interesting with tons of fun quirks and personalities. If you miss that Elric brothers optimism even in the face of impossible adversity, you might wanna give Deku a chance.
Baccano!
Baccano! is quite simply one of the most unique, bonkers, and fun anime you’ll ever watch. Set in the early decades of the 20th century, the story is told in a non-linear fashion, focusing on multiple seemingly unrelated characters. The various storylines run parallel to each other, collide, and intertwine highlighting the intrinsic mayhem of the narrative and its quirky characters. The wide cast of characters is nothing short of fascinating, as every single person adds something of value to the story and gets to be the protagonist.
Alchemy, immortality, homunculi, and the philosopher’s stone are all present in this incredibly well-written and directed anime series that is guaranteed to grab your attention from the very first second and hold it till the conclusion. But alchemy isn’t the only aspect of Baccano! that fans of Brotherhood will find enjoyable. There’s also the exciting soundtrack, an opening that is impressive on every level, fascinating characters, a well-thought-out story, and tons of humor. If you do give this show a chance and like it, check out Durarara!! as well, since it comes from the same author and it's very similar to Baccano!.
Death Note
The critically acclaimed and widely popular manga/anime by written by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata, Death Note, is an absolute must-watch for any anime fan. The protagonist Light is a self-assured high school student who decides to use his intellect and the Death Note to cleanse the world of evil under the name Kira, while the world’s best detective L does everything in his power to uncover Kira’s true identity and put a stop his crusade.
This gripping and suspenseful thriller will keep you glued to your seat and make you ponder some important questions about morality. If you enjoyed the philosophical debates about humans and humanity in Brotherhood, you will find Death Note’s debates about moral relativity, good and evil, and justice just as compelling. Plus, the characters are incredibly well-written, layered, and fascinating to watch. The soundtrack, the art and animation, and most importantly the story, are simply fantastic.
Silver Spoon
If you think the art style looks familiar that’s because Silver Spoon comes from the same author who wrote and illustrated Fullmetal Alchemist, Hiromu Arakawa. Following the completion of Fullmetal Alchemist, Arakawa started publishing Silver Spoon, a story about Yuugo Hachiken, a boy who gets tired of trying to live up to everyone’s expectations and decides to enroll in an agricultural high school in the Hokkaido countryside to escape the stress brought upon by his parents.
With Hachiken way out of his comfort zone, tons of hilarious situations and developments ensue. So, if you liked the funny stuff in Fullmetal Alchemist, you’re in luck because Silver Spoon is at its core a comedy. Hiromu Arakawa’s specific brand of comedy to be exact. On top of that, much like its spiritual predecessor, Silver Spoon has a fantastic cast of well-written and interesting characters and a story that’s heartwarming, educational, and constantly entertaining.
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