The 10 Best Anime Like Gun Gale Online (2024)

Many anime fans know about Sword Art Online and its protagonist Kirito's adventures through various VRMMORPGS, including the namesake Sword Art Online. Fewer fans may have given its spin off by a different author a chance, but Sword Art Online Alternative: Gun Gale Online is definitely worth the watch. Called Gun Gale Online for short, the anime features a university student named Karen Kohiruimaki as she explores the world of gaming.

There's just one problem: she's incredibly tall and wants to find a game where she can be short and cute. It takes a while, but she eventually finds the game she's looking for in an unlikely post-apocalyptic shooter called Gun Gale Online. There, Karen becomes the tiny gunner Llenn, clad in pink, using her speed and talent to take down bigger, stronger opponents. If this appeals to anime fans, or they've already seen the anime, here are ten other anime such fans might enjoy.

10 Amnesiac Tsukasa Is Stuck Inside an MMORPG Called The World in .hack//SIGN

Tsukasa Can't Remember How He Got Here or How to Get Out

.hack//SIGN might be considered the original Sword Art Online, as the anime released in 2002, around the time Sword Art Online's original novels were being published. In this anime, the MMO game called The World is extremely popular, and Tsukasa is just one player in the game. However, Tsukasa is different. He doesn't remember how it happened or how he got here, but he is now mind-trapped inside the game with no way to log out. Tsukasa isn't even sure if he wants to log out.

Fans of Gun Gale Online are likely also fans of Sword Art Online, thus meaning there's a good chance they will appreciate the video game isekai genre. Although Gun Gale Online isn't a video game isekai, which is a plot point surrounding its character Pitohui, it still has plenty of video game elements. The shooter genre may be different than .hack//SIGN's more fantasy RPG style, but video game and anime fans are sure to delight in both.

.hack//Sign

TV-14

Action

Adventure

Fantasy

A strange boy named Tsukasa appears in the online video game "The World". He claims to be alive, and without a computer.

Release Date

April 3, 2002

Cast

Megumi Toyoguchi

Main Genre

Anime

Seasons

1

Creator

Kazunori Itô

Production Company

Bandai Visual Company, Bee Train, Cyber Connect 2, Yomiko Advertising

Number of Episodes

26

Main Cast

Kazuhiro Nakata, Kaori Nazuka

9 Gamers Are Sucked Into an MMORPG in Log Horizon

Elder Tale's Most Recent Update Really Is Life-like

Log Horizon is another MMORPG isekai, and one of the best the genre has. In this anime, the widely popular MMORPG game Elder Tale just push through an incredibly life-like update. This update is so realistic that players have been sucked in to the game world they love. They soon discover they can't escape by logging out or dying. They're stuck in Elder Tale until they find the way out.

Elder Tale has in depth RPG mechanics with a complete class and subclass system, which proves incredibly interesting as Log Horizon's characters put them to practical use. Likewise, Gun Gale Online fans likely enjoyed seeing Karen put her gun and knife skills to combat use in creative ways. The cast is varied and a little on the eccentric side in both anime, causing anime fans to laugh and cringe at their actions, but grow close to the cast all the same.

See Also

SAO: Gun Gale Online Season 2 Episode 1 Recap & SpoilersSword Art Online Alternative: Gun Gale Online II - New Season, Same ExcitementSword Art Online Alternative: Gun Gale Online II ‒ SEASON PREMIERESword Art Online Alternative: Gun Gale Online II - A Prelude to Massacre

Log Horizon

TV-PG

Action

Adventure

Elder Tale is an online fantasy RPG that has become popular worldwide. But when its twelfth expansion package, "Novasphere Pioneers" is installed, thirty thousand players in Japan are trapped inside.

Release Date

October 5, 2013

Cast

Jad Saxton , Jōji Nakata , Andrew Love , Luci Christian , Maggie Flecknoe

Main Genre

Animation

Seasons

3

Characters By

Jad Saxton, Mike Yager, Jôji Nakata

Creator

Toshizo Nemoto

Production Company

NHK Enterprises, NHK, Satelight

Number of Episodes

62 Episodes

Main Cast

Mike Yager

8 Sword Art Online Shows Another Side of Karen's World

Kirito's Journey Is the Original Gun Gale Online

Sword Art Online is the original anime and manga that inspired Gun Gale Online's gun-slinging adventures. In this anime, the protagonist Kirito is a beta player who experienced Sword Art Online, only to become trapped in it on day one. The only way out is to beat the game, but that'll take time and effort if he's to succeed. He might even need a little teamwork. Afterward, Kirito ventures on to other games, though his life doesn't become any easier.

Gun Gale Online fans have probably already heard of Sword Art Online. They might have already given it a chance and particularly enjoyed its own Gun Gale Online arc. However, for those that haven't given Sword Art Online a chance, it gives a completely different experience than Gun Gale Online. While Karen is completely new to video games and is still learning the ropes, Kirito is an expert, putting his skills to good use to find unique abilities no one else has. Both anime are fantastic looks into the same world.​​​​

Sword Art Online

TV-14

Animation

Action

Adventure

In the year 2022, thousands of people get trapped in a new virtual MMORPG and the lone wolf player, Kirito, works to escape.

Release Date

July 8, 2012

Creator(s)

Reki Kawahara

Cast

Yoshitsugu Matsuoka , Haruka Tomatsu , Ayana Taketatsu , Miyuki Sawashiro , Ai Kayano

Main Genre

Animation

Seasons

4

Production Company

Number of Episodes

7 Haruyuki Fights Fierce Battles in Cyberspace in Accel World

Haruyuki Gains Confidence in the Program Brain Burst

Accel World is an anime and manga written by Sword Art Online's creator, Reki Kawahara. However, the setting is more futuristic than Sword Art Online. In this anime, Haruyuki Arita is bullied by his classmates in real life, so he uses cyberspace as a means to escape and play video games alone. His skills soon bring him to the attention of Kuroyukihime, the popular vice-president of the student council. She soon introduces him to Brain Burst, an augmented-reality massively-multiplayer online game - or ARMMO for short. Kuroyukihime needs Haruyuki's help to reach level 10 in this game, giving them a chance to discover who made this game and why.

Gun Gale Online fans are sure to be fond of games about video games, especially augmented reality or virtual reality-style games. Since this anime is written by Reki Kawahara, fans can be sure the cast has a wide and wacky list of characters to look forward to, from the shy and insecure Haruyuki to the cool and talented Kuroyuki, and all the side characters in between.

Accel World

Adventure

Science Fiction

Fantasy

Haruyuki is an overweight kid and at bottom of food chain at his middle school. Within sci-fi setting of real world he often seeks refuge in a virtual one.

Release Date

April 6, 2012

Cast

Stephanie Sheh , Erik Scott Kimerer , Kira Buckland , Amanda Céline Miller , Lucien Dodge

Main Genre

Anime

Seasons

1

Studio

Sunrise

Creator

Reki Kawahara

Number of Episodes

24 +OVA

Streaming Service(s)

Crunchyroll , Amazon Freevee , Funimation , Hulu , Tubi

6 Yuna Takes On Another World in a Bear Costume in Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear

Looking Silly Is Her Superpower

Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear is a fantasy comedy anime that's also an isekai with a few gaming elements. The protagonist, Yuna, is a 15-year-old girl who lives by herself on the money she makes from the stock market. She's bored with life and tired of being mooched off of by her parents, but she finds joy in playing the online game World Fantasy Online. Little does she know, a god made this game, basing it off of her own personal world. Yuna is transported into this world with a catch: she has to wear a bear costume in this world to gain superpowers. The results are sure to be hilarious.

Gun Gale Online's Karen Kohiruimaki is a pure-hearted girl with a lot of spunk. Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear's Yuna is much the same, with a lot more sass to boot. Although the anime doesn't take place in a game, there are plenty of fantastical elements, which makes sense since the god designed World Fantasy Online based on her world. Along the way, Yuna does what she can to save those in need and live comfortably on the way. Maybe this bear suit isn't so unbearable after all.

Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear

Yuna's not your typical 15-year-old. Her life is pretty much perfect—until she wakes up one day inside the game she loves and back at level one.

Created by

Kumanano

Latest TV Show

Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear

First Episode Air Date

October 7, 2020

Cast

Marissa Lenti , Xanthe Huynh , Amanda Lee , Jalitza Delgado , Satomi Amano , Megan Shipman

5 Hotaru Fights to Win the Top Combat Game in Aoharu x Machinegun

This Girl Won't Let Evil-Doers Get Away With Their Schemes

In Aoharu x Machine Gun, Hotaru Tachibana is the president of the student council who wears the male uniform. She has a strong sense of justice and even picks fights for what she believes to be right. This leads her to pick a fight with her neighbor, Masamune Matsuoka, for her friend's sake. After the BB gun battle, Masamune insists she needs to pay his host club for damages, but he'll lower the charges if she joins him and his friend in his team for a survival game. Hotaru has no choice but to accept.

For those who were drawn to Gun Gale Online due to the premise of a cute girl taking down opponents with a gun, Aoharu x Machinegun may be the anime for them. Though this anime takes place in the real world instead of a video game, teams still have to work together and perfect their shooting skills to get ahead in this game. The quirky cast of characters definitely helps add to that Gun Gale Online appeal too.

4 A Combat Game Comes to Life in Btooom!

This Game Is a Battle of Life or Death

Btooom! is a more serious anime than Gun Gale Online, but may still appeal to fans with its plot. In this anime, gamers who enjoyed an online combat game meet on a tropical island for actual combat, whether they were the one who consented to this real life survival game or not. Ryota Sakamoto's mother consented on his behalf, sending her son into the midst of danger. Luckily, he finds his in-game wife, Himiko. With her help, they may just have a chance to survive this deadly game and find out what exactly is going on and why.

Without the safety of the VRRMO, Btooom! is as deadly as Pitohui's schemes. If Ryota or Himiko make a mistake, they really could get killed. Still, Gun Gale Online fans may enjoy this darker take on a survival combat game, especially if they were interested in Pitohui as a character or the danger that came with the original Sword Art Online. Though this anime takes a more realistic take on the genre, this tension-filled anime is still worth a watch.

Btooom!

TV-MA

Action

Drama

You're stuck on survival island until you gather 7 gems, and the only way to get gems is by killing other people.

Release Date

October 4, 2012

Main Genre

Animation

Seasons

1 Season

Characters By

Tyler Galindo, Brittney Karbowski, Kanata Hongô

Creator

Junya Inoue

Production Company

Flying Dog, Madhouse, Shinchosha Company

3 Kaede Dives Into the World of VRMMORPGs in Bofuri

Sometimes Defense and a Little Creativity Is the Best Offense

Bofuri: I Don't Want to Get Hurt, so I'll Max Out My Defense is an anime following Kaede Honjo's first venture into the world of VRMMORPGs in the game NewWorld Online. She puts almost all her skill points into defense, leaving her with little speed or attack. However, Kaede is smart and creative enough to use her defense to her advantage, becoming one of the best players in the game in the strangest ways possible.

This anime is for fans who appreciated that Gun Gale Online's Karen wasn't an expert at video games from the beginning and had to learn many things from scratch. Likewise, Kaede - or Maple, as she's known in-game - doesn't know how many people play video games and instead just plays how she wants to, leading to unique ideas many other more seasoned players never would have considered. Bofuri is more lighthearted than Gun Gale Online, but both are full of laughs and action.

BOFURI: I Don't Want to Get Hurt, So I'll Max Out My Defense

TV-14

Comedy

Action

Anime

Fantasy

Honjou Kaede is invited by her friend Shiramine Risa to play a virtual reality MMO game with her. While Kaede doesn't dislike games, what she really, truly dislikes is being in pain.

Release Date

January 8, 2020

Cast

Kaede Hondo , Miyuri Shimabukuro , Nanaka Suwa , Kensho Ono , Takumi Yamazaki , Ayana Taketatsu , Rina Sato , Kappei Yamaguchi , Akira Ishida , Satomi Sato , Noriaki Sugiyama , Satomi Arai , Ai Kakuma , Nobutoshi Canna , Saori Hayami , Yuko Minaguchi , Sakura Tange , Ruriko Noguchi , Ayumi Ayano , Seiko Ueda , Mayu Minami , Akiha Matsui , Reiji Kawashima , Takahiro Shibano , Kohei Yoshiwara

Main Genre

Animation

Seasons

2 Seasons

Creator

Fumihiko Shimo

Producer

Kentarou Inoue, Satoru Shimosato, Kenichi Tokumura

Production Company

Silver Link

Number of Episodes

24 Episodes

2 Princess Charlotte Becomes a Spy to Become Queen in Princess Principal

Five Spies Work Together Under the Cover of Queen's Mayfair Academy

In Princess Principal, the nation of Albion was split into two, separated by a wall. To the west is the Commonwealth of Albion, and to the east is the old Kingdom. The Commonwealth recently launched the secret "Operation Changeling", which sought to replace the Kingdom's Princess Charlotte with one of their own spies. This all changed when the princess offered to work with the Commonwealth if they could help her become queen. Now all five girls are enrolled at Queen Mayfair's Academy in a world of espionage and intrigue. Be warned though: the episodes don't take place in order.

Princess Principal doesn't take place in a video game or have anything to do with video games, but fans of Gun Gale Online may still find this tale of espionage enjoyable. After all, there are still adorable girls using skill and weaponry in a steampunk world to get ahead. It's hard to know who can be trusted in a world like this, and these girls in either anime will need to make smart moves if they want to survive, either in the world of Albion or in the VRMMORPG of Gun Gale Online.

Princess Principal

TV-MA

Action-Adventure

The stage is set during the 19th century London, in its capital where a wall divides the east and west of the Kingdom of Albion. Five high school girls, who enrolled in the prestigious Queens May Fair School, are involved in spy activities that involve disguise, infiltration, car chase, and more. These girls take advantage of their special abilities and fly around the shadow world.

Release Date

July 9, 2017

Main Genre

Anime

Seasons

1

Studio

Studio 3Hz, Actas

Characters By

Ichirō Ōkouchi

1 School Girls Drive Tanks for Sport in Girls und Panzer

Who Knew Tank Warfare Could Be a Sport?

Girls und Panzer is something entirely unique from most anime. This comedic military tale takes place in a world where large carrier ships, called Academy Ships, support mobile sea communities. There, World War II-era tanks are used for sports-style competitions. In this anime, Miho Nishizumi was traumatized by an event involving those tanks, so she transferred to Oarai Girls High School to get away from them, assuming they didn't do the sport there. That's the case, until they bring the sport back.

A series of events causes Miho to reluctantly agree to give the sport another shot. Things get serious when she learns their school will be closed if they don't win. Now Miho will have to try her best if she wants to continue enjoying her school life. Girls und Panzer may take place in the real world, instead of any sort of game world, but it has Gun Gale Online's comedic moments mixed with cute girls operating heavy machinery and weapons. The juxtaposition keeps viewers interested in seeing what happens next, as they should be. With Girls und Panzer, anything is possible.

Girls und Panzer

TV-14

Anime

Action

Comedy

Miho Nishizumi comes from a family famous for their skills in Senshado, the art of tank warfare. However, she dishonored her family name, so she attends the no-name high school called Oorai, which doesn't have a Senshado club, wanting to stay away from it. But, the student council president has other plans, wanting to save their school from termination by winning the Senshado tournament.

Release Date

October 9, 2012

Cast

Mai Fuchigami , Ai Kayano , Mami Ozaki , Ikumi Nakagami

Main Genre

Anime

Seasons

1