22+ Best Anime Like Monogatari Series: Off & Monster Season

If you loved Monogatari Series: Off & Monster Season, chances are you'll really enjoy Tsukimonogatari, Kizumonogatari Part 3: Reiketsu and the others too. They share that same energy—whether it's the intense Drama, Mystery, Supernatural, or just the vibe that keeps you hooked. While you wait for the next episode to drop, it’s the perfect time to explore something new that still feels familiar. These picks aren't just similar—they're fan favorites for a reason, and they might just become your next obsession.

1. Tsukimonogatari

Synonyms: Possession Tale

Third season of the Monogatari Series, part 1/5. Contains the arc Yotsugi Doll from the Tsukimonogatari light novel. One day in February, Koyomi Araragi was taking a bath with his younger sister Tsukihi amidst finishing his studies for the college entrance exam. This was also following the incident involving Nadeko Sengoku, which was successfully amended behind the scenes by Deishu Kaiki. Koyomi noticed a change on his body “that could not be overlooked” and sought advice from Shinobu Oshino leading him to contact Yozuru Kagenui and Yotsugi Ononoki. Was this change signifying retribution for everything that Koyomi has done?! (Source: Aniplex)

2. Kizumonogatari Part 3: Reiketsu

Synonyms: Wound Tale 3: Cold Blood

First season of the Monogatari Series, part 4/6. Contains the arc Koyomi Vamp from the Kizumonogatari light novel. With help from Meme Oshino, the apparition specialist, Koyomi defeats the three powerful vampire hunters: Dramaturgy, Episode and Guillotinecutter. Koyomi takes back all the limbs of Kiss-Shot Acerola-Orion Heart-Under-Blade in order to become a human again. But, when he returns to Kiss-Shot, she reveals to him the cold truth of what it means to be a vampire—a creature of the night. Unable to take back what he has done, Koyomi feels nothing but regret and can only deny his dreadful fate. While Koyomi is struggling to face reality, his “friend” Tsubasa Hanekawa comes to him with a certain plan… (Source: Aniplex)

3. Bakemonogatari

Synonyms: Monster Tale, 化物语, ปกรณัมของเหล่าภูต, Monogatari

First season of the Monogatari Series, part 1/6. Contains the arcs Hitagi Crab, Mayoi Snail, Suruga Monkey, Nadeko Snake, and Tsubasa Cat from the Bakemonogatari light novels. Thanks to Meme Oshino, Koyomi Araragi, a high school student, is able to remain a human after coming across a female vampire... However, since the incident, Koyomi seems to meet girls who have an apparition-related issue. Hitagi Senjougahara doesn’t weigh anything, Suruga Kanbaru’s right arm becomes like that of a monkey’s, and a young girl, Mayoi, cannot find her way home no matter how many times she tries. Koyomi, a Mr. Nice Guy, ends up helping each and every girl solve her problem with the help of Meme Oshino. (Source: Aniplex)

4. Katanagatari

Synonyms: Sword Story

Yasuri Shichika, seventh successor of the Kyotouryuu (bladeless) sword art, lives on an isolated island with his older sister, Nanami. One day Shichika is visited by a woman named Togame, who requests his aid in her quest to find and collect the final twelve swords forged by the legendary master swordsmith, Shikizaki Kiki. Shichika and Togame begin their odyssey by leaving the island he called home for over 20 years. They will face twelve individuals who possess and protect Shikizaki's legendary swords. Join Shichika and Togame on an exciting, epic adventure that defies reality as they discover the true potential of the Kyoutoryuu sword style! (Source: NIS America)

5. Puella Magi Madoka Magica

Synonyms: Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magika, Magical Girl Madoka Magica, PMMM, MSMM

One night, 14-year-old Madoka Kaname has a terrible nightmare - against the backdrop of a devastated city, she witnesses a girl fight a losing battle against a dreadful being lingering above, while a cat-like magical creature tells Madoka the only way to change such tragic outcome is for her to make a contract with him and become a magical girl. The next day, the teen's dream seemingly becomes reality as the girl she saw in her dream - Homura - arrives at Mitakihara Middle School as a transfer student, mysteriously warning Madoka to stay just the way she is; but when later on she and her best friend Sayaka encounter the same cat-like magical creature from her dream - who introduces himself as Kyubey - the pair discovers that magical girls are real, and what's more, they can choose to become one. All they must do is sign a contract with Kyubey and agree to take on the duty to fight abstract beings called 'witches' that spread despair to the human world, and in return, each one of them will be granted any single wish they desire. However, as Homura's omen suggests, there might be far more to becoming a magical girl than Madoka and Sayaka realize... Notes: - Due to the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, the broadcasts of episodes 11 and 12 were delayed and were later aired as a double feature on April 21, 2011.

6. Penguindrum

Synonyms: None

Once you make a decision, does the universe conspire to make it happen? Is destiny a matter of chance, a matter of choice or the complex outcome of thousands of warring strands of fate? All twins Kanba and Shoma know is that when their terminally ill sister Himari collapses at the aquarium, her death is somehow temporarily reversed by the penguin hat that she had asked for. It's a provisional resurrection, however, and it comes at a price: to keep Himari alive they need to find the mysterious Penguin Drum. In order to do that, they must first find the links to a complex interlocking chain of riddles that has wrapped around their entire existence, and unravel the knots that tie them to mystifying diary and a baffling string of strangers and semi-acquaintances who all have their own secrets, agendas and "survival strategies." And in order for Himari to live, someone else's chosen destiny will have to change. It's a story of love, fate, life, death... and Penguins! (Source: Sentai Filmworks)

7. Monogatari Series Second Season

Synonyms: Nekomonogatari White, Kabukimonogatari, Otorimonogatari, Onimonogatari

Second season of the Monogatari Series, part 1/2. Contains the arcs Tsubasa Tiger, Mayoi Jiangshi, Nadeko Medusa, Shinobu Time, and Hitagi End, from the Nekomonogatari White, Kabukimonogatari, Otorimonogatari, Onimonogatari and Koimonogatari light novels, respectively. These stories take place after the end of the summer vacation when the apparition of the bee had left and the apparition of the phoenix avoided any consequences… Now that Koyomi Araragi and the girls were entering their new school terms, they were once again about to encounter supernatural beings…but this time, they may not be so easy to deal with. Tsubasa Hanekawa, Mayoi Hachikuji, Nadeko Sengoku, Shinobu Oshino, and finally Hitagi Senjougahara. The girls’ loneliness, their confessions, and their departures… 5 new “stories” begin now. (Source: Aniplex) Notes: Includes 3 recap episodes from the TV version (Ep. 6, 11, 16). The recap episodes were not included in the Blu-Ray version of the anime.

8. KIZUMONOGATARI -Koyomi Vamp-

Synonyms: Wound Tale: Koyomi Vamp

Compilation film of the three Kizumonogatari movies. Spring break, an interval of time between the second and third year of high school. It was one fateful evening when Koyomi Araragi encounters her. Kiss-shot Acerola-orion Heart-under-blade. Legendary Vampire. Killer of Apparitions. King of Apparitions. Her legs and arms were cruelly torn apart, her extravagant dress soaked in red; she's a monster who finds herself in a tragic state, laying in a pool of her own blood. However, Koyomi finds her to be beautiful this way. On the brink of death after losing her four limbs, she asks Koyomi to save her. After experiencing fear, chaos, and finally conflict, Koyomi gives his own blood in order to save her. But when he awakens, he finds himself re-born as her vampire kin. Koyomi wishes to revert to being a human from a vampire. However, he must take back all of Kiss-shot's limbs to do so. Working as a negotiator, Meme Oshino stands in middle ground as Koyomi attempts to recapture her four limbs by challenging three powerful vampire hunters. This hellish spring break, the final one of his high school life, is only just beginning. (Source: KIZUMONOGATARI -Koyomi Vamp- Official USA Website, edited)

9. Owarimonogatari

Synonyms: End Tale

Third and “Final Season” of the Monogatari Series, part 3/5. Contains the arcs Ougi Formula, Sodachi Riddle, Sodachi Lost and Shinobu Mail from the Owarimonogatari light novels. During the month of October of his third year in high school, Koyomi Araragi is introduced to a transfer student named Ougi Oshino by his underclassman Suruga Kanbaru. Ougi tells Koyomi that she has something she wishes to consult with him. When she draws the map of Naoetsu High School, she finds something peculiar on there. This discovery reveals a tale that wasn’t meant to be told, and this makes Koyomi’s high school life totally different. This is the story that brings to light “what” makes Koyomi Araragi. This is the story that reveals the “beginning” of everything. (Source: Aniplex) Note: The first episode aired with a runtime of ~48 minutes as opposed to the standard 24 minute long episode.

10. Sayonara, Zetsubou-Sensei

Synonyms: Sayonara Zetsubo Sensei, Goodbye Teacher Despair, SZS

Itoshiki Nozomu is always in despair! Even simple things like paying for the toll on the subway can send him to a despair so deep only attempted suicide is the answer. How Strange is it then, that he should be the teacher of a High School Class filled with students with even more emotional problems than his. This great Comedy will leave you in anything but 'Despair' as you meet each of his students and watch their wacky adventures.

11. Kizumonogatari Part 1: Tekketsu

Synonyms: Wound Tale 1: Iron Blood

First season of the Monogatari Series, part 2/6. Contains the arc Koyomi Vamp from the Kizumonogatari light novel. March 25th—just another day during spring break. Koyomi Araragi, a second year high school student at Naoetsu High School, befriends Tsubasa Hanekawa, the top honors student at his school. Hanekawa mentions a rumor about a "blonde vampire" that has been sighted around their town recently. Araragi, who is usually anti-social, takes a liking to her down-to-earth personality. That night, Araragi encounters the rumored vampire: she is Kiss-Shot Acerola-Orion Heart-Under-Blade, also known as the "iron-blooded, hot-blooded, cold-blooded King of Apparitions." The stunningly beautiful vampire cries out for Koyomi to save her as she lies in a pool of her own blood, all four of her limbs cut off. Kiss-shot asks Araragi to give her his blood, and when he does, the next moment he awakes, Araragi finds himself reborn as her vampire kin. As Araragi struggles to accept his existence, Kiss-Shot whispers, "Welcome to the world of darkness..." (Source: Aniplex)

12. Call of the Night

Synonyms: Song of the Night Walkers, Night Owl Song, เพลงรักมนุษย์ค้างคาว, نداء الليل

Wracked by insomnia and wanderlust, Kou Yamori is driven onto the moonlit streets every night in an aimless search for something he can’t seem to name. His nightly ritual is marked by purposeless introspection — until he meets Nazuna, who might just be a vampire! Kou’s new companion could offer him dark gifts and a vampire’s immortality. But there are conditions that must be met before Kou can sink his teeth into vampirism, and he’ll have to discover just how far he’s willing to go to satisfy his desires before he can heed the Call of the Night! (Source: Sentai Filmworks)

13. The Tatami Galaxy

Synonyms: Yojo-Han Shinwa Taikei, Yojou-Han Shinwa Taikei, Yojohan Shinwa Taikei, 四叠半神话大系

When a college dropout stops for a late night bite at a mysterious ramen stand, he crosses paths with a self-proclaimed deity of matrimony. This bizarre meeting sends the young man hurtling through a horrifying flashback to his not-so-glorious college days when the influence of a cruel new friend turned him from a hopeless romantic into a mischievous “black cupid.” (Source: Funimation)

14. Hanamonogatari

Synonyms: Monogatari Series Second Season +α, ปกรณัมแห่งบุปผา

Second season of the Monogatari Series, part 2/2. Contains the arc Suruga Devil from the Hanamonogatari light novel. Now that Koyomi Araragi and Hitagi Senjougahara have graduated, few familiar faces remain at Naoetsu Private High School. One of them is Suruga Kanbaru, holder of the Monkey's Paw. When she begins to hear talk of a mysterious being known as the "Devil," who will magically solve any problem, she immediately thinks these rumors are about her and decides to investigate. Kanbaru discovers the Devil is actually Rouka Numachi, a former rival who provides free advice to those who seek her out now that she can no longer play basketball due to a leg injury. As a collector of misfortune, Numachi enjoys relieving her clients' stress by giving them false hope. Though Kanbaru sees no real harm being done, she reprimands Rouka for lying and heads home, relieved she is not the cause of the rumors. But the next morning, when she finds that her left hand has reverted back to its original form, she may have a reason to worry after all.

15. Pretty Boy Detective Club

Synonyms: Bishounen Series, PBDC, 美少年侦探团, ขบวนการนักสืบหนุ่มรูปงาม

Mayumi Doujima is a young girl who has been searching for a star that she saw only once ten years ago. She visits the headquarters of the Pretty Boy Detective Club where she meets five boys who are each unique in their own way. Her encounter marks the beginning of an extraordinary search for a lost star. A beautiful and dazzling mystery-adventure story starts now! (Source: Funimation)

16. Kizumonogatari Part 2: Nekketsu

Synonyms: Wound Tale 2: Hot Blood

First season of the Monogatari Series, part 3/6. Contains the arc Koyomi Vamp from the Kizumonogatari light novel. In the spring of his second year of high school, Koyomi Araragi met the beautiful vampire Kiss-Shot Acerola-Orion Heart-Under-Blade. Koyomi saved Kiss-shot, who was on the verge of death with all four of her limbs cut off, but only at the expense of becoming her minion and a vampire. “In order to go back to being a human again, you must take back all of Kiss-shot’s limbs.” After receiving advice from Meme Oshino, an expert in the supernatural, Koyomi prepares to go into battle. Awaiting him are three powerful vampire hunters—Dramaturgy, a giant vampire hunter who is a vampire himself. Episode, a half-vampire who wields an enormous cross, and Guillotinecutter, a quiet man who specializes in killing vampires. Will Koyomi be able to take back Kiss-Shot’s limbs from the vampire hunters? Amidst the soft spring rain, the curtain rises on this fateful blood bath… (Source: Aniplex)

17. Corpse Princess: Aka

Synonyms: Corpse Princess: Shikabane Hime

After being brutally murdered along with her family, Makina Hoshimura turns into a Shikabane Hime, a living corpse contracted to the Kougon Cult, in order to exert revenge on the mysterious undead organization responsible for her death. She is assisted in this task by Keisei Tagami, her contracted priest and former friend. This series follows the story of Keisei's younger brother Ouri, a boy with an unusual attraction to death, who slowly discovers his brother's secret and gets dragged into the world of the Shikabanes. (Source: Wikipedia, edited)

18. Blood+

Synonyms: ブラッドプラス, Blood Plus

Saya Otonashi, a seemingly normal high school student, suffers from amnesia and she can't remember the past year of her life. One day, after a man appears and gives her a katana sword, her destiny begins to be revealed. Soon she finds herself fighting the latest threat to humanity - Chiropteran monsters, ravenous immortal creatures that can change their form, disguising themselves as human beings. They feed off blood and hide themselves within the human world. An organization known as the Red Shield has been waging a private war to wipe them out and now the struggle has grown. Saya's journey for the truth has begun. (Source: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment)

19. Owarimonogatari Second Season

Synonyms: Owarimonogatari 2, End Tale

Third and “Final Season” of the Monogatari Series, part 4/5. Contains the arcs Mayoi Hell, Hitagi Rendezvous, and Ougi Dark from the Owarimonogatari light novels. Koyomi wakes up to see Mayoi Hachikuji before him, the girl who supposedly had gone to the afterlife. She tells Koyomi that they are currently in Avichi, the lowest levels of hell. Koyomi is dubious of how Mayoi knew about the exact timing of his death and which hell he would drop into, when Mayoi tells him that she was there to pick him up by the request of a certain individual. (Source: Aniplex)

20. And Yet The Town Moves

Synonyms: SoreMachi, それ町

Hotori Arashiyama loves mysteries, but there's one she just can't solve: why does the solution to one problem inevitably seem to lead to another? Like how when Hotori has to start working at the Seaside Maid Cafe after school to pay off a debt and her friend Toshiko fortunately knows exactly how a Maid Cafe should be run. Which is fortunate since Hotori has no clue. Except that, unfortunately, Toshiko has no interest in working at the cafe - until she discovers that Hotori's childhood friend Hiroyuki is a regular. Which SEEMS fortunate. Except that Hotori doesn't know that, while Toshiko likes Hiroyuki, Hiroyuki secretly likes Hotori, while Hotori secretly has a crush on... No, no more spoilers! But if that's not enough drama, there's work, angst with a certain math teacher, table tennis between her classmates, her younger brother versus the school's bad girl... And yet, even though everything seems like it's going to crash at any moment, somehow Hotori's life keeps going hilariously forward. (Source: Sentai Filmworks)

21. Nekomonogatari Black

Synonyms: None

First season of the Monogatari Series, part 6/6. Contains the arc Tsubasa Family from the Nekomonogatari Black light novel. On his way to the bookstore, Koyomi Araragi encounters Tsubasa Hanekawa whose face is covered with a bandage. The incident allows Koyomi to learn what has been happening in the Hanekawa household, but Tsubasa begs him not to tell anyone about it, saying she’ll do anything to keep him quiet. Without revealing her family’s circumstances, Koyomi tells of the day’s incident - he and Tsubasa buried a “cat” that had been hit by a car- to Meme Oshino. Meme tells Koyomi that he must immediately go to confirm Hanekawa’s safety. He heads to her house, only to find... So begins the nightmarish nine days of Golden Week. (Source: Aniplex)

22. Sankarea: Undying Love

Synonyms: None

Furuya's not interested in the living, he's got zombies on the brain! When Furuya's cat dies, he decides he's going to try and bring it back to life. In the process, he stumbles across a girl who is involved in an accident and turns into a real zombie! What's Furuya going to do now that the thing he loves the most is right in front of his eyes? (Source: FUNimation)

23. SHOSHIMIN: How to Become Ordinary

Synonyms: 小市民系列

Kobato decides to become an honest, humble citizen after enduring a bitter experience known as “wisdom work.” He forms a pact with Osanai, his classmate with the same goal, and they plan to enter high school leading quiet lives. But for some reason, inexplicable events and disasters keep happening around them. Will Kobato and Osanai ever manage to live ordinary, peaceful lives? (Source: Crunchyroll)

If you're anything like me, once you finish something amazing like Monogatari Series: Off & Monster Season, you're left wondering—what now? Luckily, there’s a whole world of stories out there that give off the same energy, whether it’s the intense fights, emotional backstories, or just that feeling of being completely hooked. The titles like Tsukimonogatari, Kizumonogatari Part 3: Reiketsu... I’ve shared aren’t just similar—they feel right. They hit that same nerve that made Monogatari Series: Off & Monster Season special in the first place. Of course, everyone’s taste is different, but I really think you’ll find something here that pulls you in. And hey—if you’ve got a favorite that didn’t make the list, I’d love to hear about it. I’m always looking for my next obsession.