10 Movies & Shows Like Angel Cop (1989)

Description: A hard-boiled action anime featuring a cold, professional assassin navigating a world of crime and corruption with graphic violence and mature themes.

Fact: This was the first anime film to receive an X-rating in Japan due to its extreme violence and sexual content. The Golgo 13 manga series holds the Guinness World Record for longest-running manga by a single author.

Description: A gothic horror-action anime blending vampire mythology with futuristic elements, featuring a lone hunter in a post-apocalyptic world.

Fact: The film was one of the first anime to be released directly to video in North America. Character designer Yoshitaka Amano would later gain fame for his work on the Final Fantasy series.

Description: A cyberpunk anime with intense action, dystopian themes, and a gritty visual style that explores societal collapse and human evolution.

Fact: The film's budget was approximately $

Description: A supernatural action anime with a dark, apocalyptic atmosphere, featuring martial arts battles against demonic forces in a ruined city.

Fact: The film was based on a novel by Hideyuki Kikuchi, who also wrote the Vampire Hunter D series. It features one of the earliest examples of a 'cyberpunk martial arts' hybrid style.

Description: A dark fantasy anime featuring brutal violence, supernatural elements, and a noir-inspired aesthetic set in a world where humans and demons coexist.

Fact: The film was originally intended to be part of an anthology series but was expanded into a feature-length production. It's known for its controversial erotic and violent content.

Description: A violent, action-packed anime featuring supernatural ninja battles, dark fantasy elements, and a morally ambiguous protagonist in feudal Japan.

Fact: The film was originally intended as a direct-to-video release but received a theatrical run due to its high quality. It became one of the most influential anime in the West during the 1990s.

Description: A cyberpunk masterpiece blending high-tech action with philosophical questions about identity and humanity in a futuristic setting.

Fact: The film's iconic opening sequence features a fully CGI-generated cityscape, a groundbreaking technique at the time. It heavily influenced The Matrix and other sci-fi films.

Description: A medical thriller anime featuring graphic surgical procedures, moral dilemmas, and a rogue doctor operating outside the system.

Fact: The character of Black Jack first appeared in 1973 and has been featured in numerous adaptations. The 1993 OVA was notable for its more mature and violent take on the material.

Description: A cyberpunk anime exploring themes of reality and illusion in a futuristic city, combining mecha action with conspiracy thriller elements.

Fact: Originally planned as a TV series, it was re-edited into an OVA after production issues. The project was so secretive that even most staff didn't know the full plot during production.

Description: A cyberpunk action anime featuring convicted criminals working as law enforcement in a dystopian future, with high-energy violence and futuristic technology.

Fact: The English dub version famously replaced the original soundtrack with heavy metal music. The series was directed by Yoshiaki Kawajiri, who also worked on Ninja Scroll and Wicked City.