If You Love John Wick, You Owe It to Yourself to Watch These 8 Anime

Few action movies have had a bigger presence in pop culture over the past decade than the John Wick franchise. The stylish gun-based action, combined with Keanu Reeves’ stellar work as the eponymous lead, has made it a household name in record time, and few people haven’t at least heard of the films and the cinematic action that’s made them so famous.

John Wick’s success cannot be understated, and its appeal is hardly limited to fans of live-action films. Anime, for example, is a medium that often lends itself to intense, kinetic action, much of which involves some manner of gunplay, and because of that, there are many anime with the kind of great animation, story beats, and gun-based action that capture everything that’s made John Wick so appealing as a franchise. A few anime like that especially stand out, and any fan of John Wick would be remiss to pass them up.

8

Sakamoto Days

Anime Series By TMS Entertainment; Based On The Manga By Yuto Suzuki

TMS Entertainment’s Sakamoto Days stars Taro Sakamoto, a man who was once the world’s greatest assassin until he abruptly retired, started a family, and put on a lot of weight. Sakamoto would prefer to spend his days with his family running his convenience store, but circumstances beyond his control force him back into action, most notably those involved in his mysterious and tragic past.

The Sakamoto Days manga became a hit thanks to its great comedy and intense action scenes reminiscent of John Wick, and with the anime finally out, it’s clear that the Sakamoto Days anime is doing a great job of translating the writing and action of the manga into animation. There isn’t much to see of the anime so far, but if the manga is anything to go on, it’s going to be a great watch, even for people who aren’t fans of John Wick.

7

91 Days

Anime Series By Shuka; Written By Taku Kishimoto

Shuka’s 91 Days stars Angelo Lagusa, a man forced into hiding after his family was killed by the Vanetti crime family. Seven years later, a mysterious letter prompts Angelo to return home and exact revenge on the Vanettis, his plan starting with him befriending the heir to the family, Nero Vanetti, all of which is told throughout a dramatic, 91-day story.

Between the incredible gun-based action and dramatic storytelling, 91 Days does a great job of playing into John Wick’s appeal on both a visual and narrative level, with the added hook of it being a period piece set around Prohibition adding an extra level of engagement, as well. It’s not as well-known as some other action anime, but overall, it’s one of the best at bringing classic crime drama into the medium, by far.

6

Noir

Anime Series By Bee Train: Directed By Koichi Mashimo

Bee Train’s Noir stars Mireille Bouquet, a Corsican assassin whose quest to solve the mystery of her parents’ murder leads her to Kirika Yuumura, an amnesiac Japanese assassin who seems to be connected to Mireille’s past. The two are forced to work together to uncover the truth of their connection, a mystery that goes far deeper than anyone could have expected and is centered heavily around their shared pseudonym of “Noir”.

Noir is the first of Bee Train’s “girls-with-guns” anime trilogy, and sure enough, Noir does an amazing job of selling itself as a series with great gun-based action and storytelling that rewards the viewer for paying attention, all of which is perfectly complemented by the stellar direction and score of Koichi Mashimo and Yuki Kajiura, respectively. Few anime lean into gun-based action as well as Noir does, and that hasn’t changed, even after almost 25 years.

5

Madlax

Anime Series By Bee Train; Directed By Koichi Mashimo

Madlax is the second of Bee Train’s “girls-with-guns” trilogy and is centered around Margaret Burton and the eponymous Madlax. As an aristocrat and an assassin, Margaret and Madlax have nothing in common and have never even met, but when Margaret’s family died in a plane crash, she returned home only mysteriously muttering Madlax’s name, and 12 years later, their paths inevitably cross amid a civil war as they deal with the crime syndicate Enfant.

Madlax is more of a spiritual successor to Noir than a straightforward sequel, but even so, Madlax is another anime from Bee Train with gorgeous animation for its gun-based action anime and an incredibly engaging mystery plot, with Koichi Mashimo and Yuki Kajiura’s work once again making everything hold up incredibly well decades later. The writing isn’t always as competent as Noir, but anyone who liked Noir will find a lot to love about Madlax.

4

El Cazador De La Bruja

Anime Series By Bee Train; Directed By Koichi Mashimo

El Cazador de la Bruja, Spanish for The Hunter of the Witch, is the final installment in Bee Train’s “girls-with-guns” anime trilogy. Taking place in Latin America, the series stars Nadie, a bounty hunter hired to guide Ellis, a girl with supernatural powers who remembers nothing but a vague memory of possibly killing her foster parent, to a mysterious location called Wiñay Marka in the hopes that they can learn the truth about her past.

As the grand finale to Bee Train’s “girls-with-guns” trilogy, El Cazador de la Bruja does a great job of bringing the strong action and character writing of Noir and Madlax to its peak, all of which, again, is perfectly complemented by the direction of Koichi Mashimo and the score of Yuki Kajiura. It’s an incredible finale to a legendary anime trilogy, and that stands even if someone hasn’t watched the anime that came before it.

3

Lycoris Recoil

Anime Series By A-1 Pictures; Directed By Shingo Adachi

A-1 Pictures’ Lycoris Recoil revolves around the Lycoris organization, a secret anti-terrorism task force where young girls are trained as elite fighters to protect Japan. After injuring her teammates during a mission, Takina Inoue is fired from the main force and sent to work with Chisato Nishikigi, an elite but eccentric agent who teaches Takina how to have a life, all while a new threat to the country slowly emerges.

Lycoris Recoil didn’t receive a lot of attention before its release, but after it premiered, Lycoris Recoil became a major hit with fans and critics alike thanks to its stellar action and animation combined with great character writing. Few anime do as great a job of combining intense action and drama with heartfelt character writing as Lycoris Recoil, and the fact that Hideo Kojima recommended Lycoris Recoil says a lot about how great an anime it is.

2

Black Lagoon

Anime Series By Madhouse; Based On The Manga By Rei Horie

Madhouse’s Black Lagoon stars Rokuro “Rock” Okajima, a mild-mannered salaryman who’s taken hostage by the pirate mercenary group the Lagoon Company. When Rock is left for dead by his boss, Rock, fed up with his old life, decides to join the Lagoon Company and takes up residence in the fictional city of Roanapur, despite the ever-escalating danger he ends up facing in his new life.

With the creativity and general high quality of the action scenes, Black Lagoon always does a great job of delivering kinetic and over-the-top gun-based action, and the way the English dub leans into the crass nature of its world does wonders to sell that even further. Black Lagoon is one of the best anime at capturing the atmosphere of an American action film, and with every episode like that, it’s an incredible experience from start to finish.

1

Cowboy Bebop

Anime Series By Sunrise; Directed By Shinichiro Watanabe

The world of Sunrise’s Cowboy Bebop is one where humanity has begun spreading itself across the galaxy, and with that has come a new era of crime that necessitates bounty hunters called Cowboys. Series protagonist Spike Spiegel is one of these Cowboys, and the anime chronicles his and the rest of the crew of the Bebop’s adventures around the galaxy as they hunt down bounties and occasionally confront their sordid pasts.

There are few anime more iconic than Cowboy Bebop, and sure enough, the consistently incredible quality of Cowboy Bebop’s action, both gun-based and hand-to-hand, and its dramatic storytelling more than warrant its stellar reputation. Cowboy Bebop has long since earned its reputation as one of the best anime of all time, and with its focus on gun-based action clearly inspired by Western cinema, it’s also the best anime for a John Wick fan to watch.