Shows Like Monster

Seinen psychological thriller about a serial child-killer with the protagonist racing to save victims, mirroring Monster's tense moral mystery.

Same-year Satoshi Kon psychological mystery anime with police investigators chasing an elusive figure tied to deep mental trauma, very Monster-adjacent in tone.

Cerebral seinen crime thriller centered on detectives, ethical dilemmas and a charismatic philosophical antagonist reminiscent of Johan Liebert.

Adult Naoki Urasawa-era seinen with high-stakes psychological tension, manipulative villains and morally trapped protagonist.

Dark suspense thriller around an orphanage and a manipulative caretaker; shares Monster's slow-burn dread and child-in-peril stakes (S1 only).

The canonical psychological cat-and-mouse seinen anime: a brilliant detective hunts a charismatic moral-monster antagonist, the closest spiritual sibling to Monster.

Naoki Urasawa adaptation directly from Monster's author, sharing his somber pacing, detective protagonist and meditation on humanity vs. monstrousness.

Atmospheric Watanabe thriller with a Europe-set, melancholic tone, traumatized antagonists and a relentless pursuer, very Monster-coded.

Dark seinen exploring what makes a 'monster' through a tortured protagonist, though far more action-driven than Monster's restrained realism.

Psychological horror seinen with deeply unsettling antagonists; shares Monster's dread but trades realism for surreal horror.

Mid-2000s dark seinen-leaning mystery about human cruelty and revenge with somber, episodic case structure (also shares VA Mamiko Noto).

Live-action drama about a brilliant misanthropic doctor solving puzzles; same-year medical-genius hook will appeal to Tenma fans even without the thriller edge.

Psychological seinen-flavored suspense with manipulative antagonists, but stylized and gambling-focused rather than grounded crime drama.

Stylish crime thriller anime with morally grey criminals and suspense, but tonally flashier and more action-driven than Monster.

Quieter seinen mystery with adult investigator dynamic and dark cases, lacking Monster's overarching villain but matching its restrained tone.

Episodic mystery anime with dark cases and a sharp lead investigator; supernatural angle distances it from Monster's realism.

European-set anime mystery with a brilliant investigator solving dark cases; lighter, more romantic tone but shares Monster's continental atmosphere.

Classic anime murder-mystery procedural; appeals to Monster's mystery-loving viewers though far more case-of-the-week.

Grounded medical drama with surgeons facing life-or-death ethical decisions, echoing Tenma's hospital-world grounding sans the thriller plot.