Are you a fan of mafia themed anime? Do you enjoy watching anime which has gangsters and mob bosses? Then this article might interest you. In this article we talk about 8 such gangster anime which have storylines which make them timeless.
These anime are full of gangster characters who define head-strong personalities who are involved in organized crime. Anime of gangster genre entails antiheroes or villains who lead the story. Gangster anime puts emphasis on gangsters’ life of crime and intense action scenes involving killings and fights.
There are several gangster themed anime from Japan which are loved by millions across the globe. Japan is known to produce thousands anime of different genres including ‘Yakuza’ or mafia anime.
In this article we have listed only 8 of the best gangster anime which are most loved by anime fans. Learn which gangster anime we have listed in the top 8 gangster anime genre of all time.
What is Anime?
Anime is the Japanese term for “animated,” which are animated movies or films which originated from Japan. Today, anime has spread across the globe and dubbed in several languages due to its popularity in foreign countries where Japanese is not the official language.
Anime has broken the barriers of language and geographical walls by creating animated films which have captivated the audiences. With amazing storylines, character build ups and plot twists, anime has created a fan following in millions.
Best part about anime is that
Different Types Of Anime
These are five main types of anime based of the target audiences.
Kodomomuke
Kodomomuke anime are made for kids under the age of 12 years old. Kodomomuke genre anime entails action, comedy and adventure categories. You might have watched at least oner of Kodomomuke type anime. These anime are created keeping in mind the education of young audiences so the anime is full of moral and valuable lessons in life to make them good citizens.
Shonen or Shounen
Shonen anime has a target audience being teen boys and is among the popular anime categories. Shonen means boy and these type of anime stories have a boy protagonist. These anime again come in different genres: action, sci-fic, adventure, drama and so on.
Shojo or Shoujo
Shojo translates to young girls and young girls between the ages 12 to 18 are the target audiences of these type of anime. Shojo anime has female protagonist and explores feminine genres like romance and drama. Fruits Basket is among the most popular anime in this genre.
Seinen
Seinen means “youth” and this kind of anime targets the 18-year-olds and adult men. Seinen anime has no definite theme restriction and more mature themes are included. These types of anime are loved by young adults both men and women.
Mature themes include gore, violence, action, erotic, psychological, gangster or ‘Yakuza’ anime and so on.
Josei
Josei term refers to female or women and this kind of anime targets females who are 18 years and older. Josei is improved version of Shoujo that show females challenges, relationships, LGBTQ+ relations and realistic lives of women. Josei are extremely popular among young females.
Gangster Anime Or ‘Yakuza’
Gangster anime genres are anime that has ‘Yakuza’ or gangsters as protagonists. ‘Yakuza’ is a Japanese term for gangsters who are involved in organized crimes. ‘Yakuza’ or gangsters need to have tattoos to prove their legions to their gang. In Japan, gangsters were feared and was a nuisance of the peaceful society.
Yakuza broke laws and used violence to create fear among people and control them. Yakuza followed a strict code of secrecy, Omerta, which led them to follow according to the orders of mafia heads and work in the shadows.
Several gangster movies like Goodfellas, Scarface, Godfather, Little Caesar are all based on the gangster genre which are extremely popular. Similarly, gangster anime also became extremely popular among young adults both male and female.
So, in this article we have listed the top 8 gangster anime which are among the best and have a huge fan following.
Top 8 Gangster Anime Of All Time In 2024
Here is the top 8 gangster anime of all time in 2024 that you must give a watch if you haven’t watched them yet. If you are a new anime fan, then definitely watch these anime you won’t be disappointed.
JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure
JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure is a gangster anime that was released in 2012 and has run for 5 seasons. JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure revolves around Joestar family who fight menacing villains in battles in different parts of the world for several years.
JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure specifically focuses on Giorno Giovanna who wants to become a gangster boss overthrowing Passione. He teams up with Bucciarati’s team to clean the corrupt from the organization’s root. This gangster genre anime has complex villains, memorable theme songs on characters and well-written characters. This makes the anime standout among the rest of gangster anime.
91 Days Stars Angelo Lagusa
91 Days Stars Angelo Lagusa aired in 2016 from July to October. This Japanese anime revolves around Angelo Lagusa, an orphaned boy who saw his parents get killed by the Vanetti family, a mafia family. Angelo’s younger brother too gets killed by the mafia family.
Angelo Lagusa changes his identity and joins the mafia family later. He earns their trust to get revenge for his family’s death. This anime is one of the best Yakuza anime which will make the audience sympathize with the charismatic antihero, Angelo.
Angelo becomes what he hated the most. This gangster anime is full of high-stake intense battle scenes and betrayals which will make you hooked on to this anime.
Bungo Stray Dogs
Bungo Stray Dogs is one of the best gangster anime of all time. This series aired in 2016 and run for 5 seasons. This anime falls under the seinen anime type and follows the character Atsushi Nakajima, an orphan with supernatural ability. Bungo Stray Dogs is filled with action-packed scenes throughout the series with lovable characters.
The anime revolves around recruits with special powers in the Armed Detective Agency who fight enemies with supernatural powers in other organizations. The main rival is Port Mafia. Watch this anime to know what happens to Atsushi when he joins the Armed Detective Agency.
Gungrave
Gungrave is a 2003 hit gangster anime based on the video game named ‘Gungrave.’ This anime follows Brandon Heat and Harry MacDowell, to friends who waste their life doing pretty crimes, flirting and participating in local fights.
Until one day they join the mafia syndicate, Mellennion that changes their life forever. These two friends fight their way in the gang to rise through the ranks. Harry’s ambition increases as he rise through the ranks. Learn what happens to Harry and Brandon in the series.
Baccano!
Baccano! is a gangster anime series that released in 2007. This mafia anime is inspired from the 1930s American era, when organized crime was in rise with outlaws and gangsters, were controlling large regions and growing powerful.
Baccano! is a fantasy anime based on this period with alchemists , gangsters, outlaws, immortals and an elixir of immortality in play. This anime is full of mafia families who are at war and bloodshed-violence are the theme of this anime.
Gangsta
If you want to watch gangster anime genre, you must watch this masterpiece called Gangsta a 2015 Japanese anime. Gangsta shows the city of Ergastulum which is full of criminals and criminal activities. The city is controlled by mafia families who control different parts of the city.
Mercenaries, Nicolas Brown and Worick Arcangelo are hired by the city cops, citizens and mafia members to rid the city vermins and do dirty works. This anime shows super-humans too who are protected under the Cristiano family.
Watch Gangsta to know what happens in the city of Ergastulum as chaos increases day by day. Will Worick and Nicolas be able to protect innocent civilians from the city’s outlaws?
Black Lagoon
Black Lagoon is a 2006 gangster crime anime adapted from the manga of the same name. This two-season anime revolves around Rokurou Okajima, an ordinary salary who finds himself in the hands of pirate mercenaries’ group called The Lagoon Company.
Rokurou business dealing goes wrong and he gets captured by the mercenaries as his managers do not wish to pay for his ransom. Soon Rokurou befriends the pirates and discovers The Lagoon Company’s reach when he meets mafia people from China and Russia.
La Storia Della Arcana Famiglia
La Storia Della Arcana Famiglia is based on Otome Game where a group of people called Arcana Famiglia protects innocents from harm. This group uses supernatural tarot cards to make contracts to fight evil. La Storia Della Arcana Famiglia was a released on 2012 on 1st July and is more of an action-comedy gangster genre anime.
Conclusion
Did you watch any of this gangster anime from our top 8 gangster anime list above? If you did, which anime was it? Now that you know some of the best gangster anime of all time, which anime would you like to watch first? Let us know.
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