Looking for an anime about mind games? Well, we are already five steps ahead of you.
Death Note became an iconic title for many reasons: from the somber realm of Shinigami to L’s irresistible idiosyncrasies. However the main feature of the series is, of course, the epic mind games. Here’s a shortlist for those who have already watched the Death Note three times, but still crave those multilayered battles of wits.
Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion
By 2010, Japan is conquered by the Holy Britannian Empire. With mechs. Former prince Lelouch Lamperouge leads the rebellion with the help of Geass: the ability to dictate any command directly into people’s minds.
Two capital Ls in the name are not the only resemblance the hero bears to the Death Note’s mastermind duo. Lelouch is highly intelligent, pragmatic and fairly arrogant due to his aristocratic upbringing. Commanding mecha battles, he utilizes his knowledge of human psychology as well as cold logic and complex calculations.
No Game No Life
When it comes to mind games, this series puts a huge emphasis on games. The plot follows Shiro and her stepbrother Sora, two hikikomori and prodigy gamers. Having beaten the god of games himself in a game of chess, they find themselves in another world. In Disboard, any violence is forbidden, and every conflict is resolved through all kinds of games: from tag to… materialization shiritori.
Heroes will need all their gaming experience and wits to learn and bend the rules, cheat and outsmart their opponents.
Kaiji
If the pacifist universe of No Games No Life is too bland for you, welcome to Kaiji: there are lots of games and violence.
The protagonist, Kaiji, finds himself in a huge debt. In an attempt to fix the situation, he participates in a series of gambling games. Kaiji’s life will be on the line multiple times — that’s given. Apart from that, the plot is absolutely unpredictable.
Talentless Nana
In a world where nightmarish monsters threaten humanity and teenagers with superpowers have vowed to fight them, Nanao Nakajima is bullied by his classmates: he doesn’t have any special talents. When mysterious, self-proclaimed mind reader Nana Hiiragi joins the school on a deserted island, people start disappearing. The chilling truth about Nana will also reveal the true intentions of the government and who they consider the true “Enemies of Humanity”.
One Outs
One of the many anime tributes to baseball, One Outs is the apotheosis of the psychological aspect of this game. Think of Telence T. D'Arby’s fight in JoJo Stardust Crusaders. Now make it a series. That’s One Outs.
Toua Tokuchi is a baseball genius who wins by “reading” and outsmarting his opponents. Despite his talent, he treats baseball more like a side hustle than an actual profession. The dedicated player of the Saikyou Saitama Lycaons is determined to change that. This will lead to a multi-million bet with Tokuchi and numerous intense pitches.