Anime is a medium that tries to push boundaries and help animation tell the types of stories that can’t be told anywhere else. So many different anime resonate with audiences that it’s not at all unusual for sequels to populate the industry.
In addition to sequels, there are anime that function as spin-offs of successful series that may be set within the same universe, but otherwise are not heavily integrated together. Some spin-offs proudly advertise their connection to another series, but for other anime it’s much harder to distinguish.
10 Angel Links Explores Another Side Of Outlaw Star’s Universe
Outlaw Star is a strong science fiction series that's highly emblematic of the '90s, but many are not aware that its universe is expanded in a fun spin-off, despite its popularity. Angel Links centers around the corporations involved with the rescue and preservation of transportation companies in space and to protect them from the acts of pirates.
It's a bit of a reverse angle from Outlaw Star, but it's the right approach for a spin-off that's not dependent upon the previous series. Some of Angel Links' characters originate in Outlaw Star, but it's still very much its own entity.
9 Puni Puni Poemy Is Born From The Absurdist Chaos Of Excel Saga
Excel Saga is still one of the most surreal gag anime of all time and it’s an excellent satire of many different anime genres. Puni Puni Poemy is a two-episode spin-off that feels like an elaborate extension of a joke from out of Excel Saga.
Puni Puni Poemy skewers the magical girl genre with an exaggerated plot that throws together every cliche possible to create a strange, yet amazing, magical girl mecha anime hybrid. In two episodes, Puni Puni Poemy still manages to cram in about a season’s worth of jokes.
8 Mr. Tonegawa: Middle Management Blues Explores The Humor In Bureaucracy
Sometimes the absolute best approach for a spin-off series is to go in the opposite direction with something that might even seem like a borderline bad idea. Frasier seemed like an insane idea from Cheers, but it lasted 11 seasons.
The same is true with Mr. Tonegawa: Middle Management Blues, which takes the tense gambling drama of Kaiji: The Ultimate Survivor and trades it in for slice of life comedy. Middle Management Blues uses some of Kaiji’s characters, but in a completely new light where the obligations and pressures of corporate salarymen are treated with life or death urgency.
7 Attack On Titan: Junior High Trades Action And Horror For Humor
Attack on Titan is not only a stunning display of action between unbelievable monsters, it also has a lot to say about humanity. A recent trend in the industry is for serious anime to get cute gag spin-offs that skew towards the opposite extreme of the spectrum.
This approach doesn’t always work, but Attack on Titan: Junior High is especially enjoyable just because it’s so outrageous and shouldn’t work. It’s the perfect pressure release to watch after the events of Attack on Titan: The Final Season.
6 Pokémon: Twilight Wings Tells More Emotional Stories In The Universe
The Pokémon franchise has become so unbelievably popular that its success has seen it spread into many other streams of entertainment. Several Pokémon spin-offs to the main anime series have happened that focus on specific chapters from the earliest games, sometimes with or without Ash.
However, the most recent spin-off Pokémon: Twilight Wings, strives for a level of artistry that’s absent in the other series. Twilight Wings tells touching standalone stories that help expand on the series’ rich world and highlight the emotional connection that exists between Pokémon and humans.
5 The Disappearance Of Nagato Yuki-Chan Gives A Character A Second Chance
The development of the humble Haruhi Suzumiya franchise has been a real surprise. The series has found creative ways to extend itself and broaden its supporting characters in a way that has major effects on the rest of the story. The Disappearance of Nagato Yuki-Chan is an extension of the Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya film.
Both are set in an alternate universe to the proper Haruhi Suzumiya anime and Disappearance of Nagato Yuki-Chan tells a considerably more wholesome story. In this universe Nagato is a regular girl, and the story examines the simple, regular pleasures in her life.
4 Isekai Quartet Is A Gag Crossover Of Several Major Series
Gag anime have become more popular in the past decade, but the isekai genre has seen an ever great explosion in popularity. The fantasy sub-genre have become so prevalent that Isekai Quartet takes the most popular characters from four isekai series – Overlord, KonoSuba, Re:Zero, and Saga of Tanya the Evil – and puts them in a hilarious school scenario.
Isekai Quartet is such a bizarre creation that it's hard to believe it exists. It's immensely satisfying to see all of these disparate characters interact and the anime is still funny even if someone has no pre-existing knowledge of these shows.
3 Saint Seiya Omega Looks To The Next Generation Of Heroes
Saint Seiya is an entertaining spin on the shonen and fantasy genres where teenagers are selected to become a legendary group of warriors that must protect heavenly Saints. Saint Seiya Omega was produced for the 25th anniversary of the original series and it creates a new, alternative canon as opposed to continuing the adventures of established characters.
Saint Seiya Omega looks at the next generation of Saints and warriors, which is a smart way to reinterpret the material, but the approach still isn't original enough for others. Nevertheless, it accumulated nearly 100 episodes.
2 Rock Lee & His Ninja Pals Puts A Naruto Supporting Player In The Spotlight
Naruto and its follow-up Naruto Shippuden are two of the most iconic shonen anime of all time. There is now Boruto: Naruto Next Generations that functions as both a sequel and pseudo spin-off of sorts, but Naruto has a more conventional spin-off that's a lot more fun.
Rock Lee & His Ninja Pals takes a Naruto figure that's often sidelined, Rock Lee, and turns him into the hero. The spin-off is full of action, but its chibi animation style also pushes a heightened sense of humor that fits so well.
1 Burn The Witch Explores A Different Corner Of Bleach’s Magical World
Bleach is one of the biggest shonen series of its time and its creator, Tite Kubo, has returned to the same world with Burn the Witch. The new series is set within Soul Society’s Reverse London and the central characters exhibit comparable powers to Bleach.
Burn the Witch hasn't been turned into a full-on anime series yet, but the success of its OVA effort should be a strong indication that more of it is on the way. The fact that Bleach itself is set to get a modern revival means that more connections between these worlds might even be possible.