Top 16 Alternative Past Anime to watch

An anime that takes place in an alternative past is an anime that clearly does not belong to the future or the present, and isn't tied particularly closely to our history, or has ties to our history but only as a premise: there are too many things that don't make sense for the time-period. In some cases there is futuristic technology present, but the overall setting still feels that of the past. However the setting must still take place on Earth, since we can not know if the history of a fantasy world is an alternate one or not.

1. Attack on Titan

Centuries ago, mankind was slaughtered to near extinction by monstrous humanoid creatures called titans, forcing humans to hide in fear behind enormous concentric walls. What makes these giants truly terrifying is that their taste for human flesh is not born out of hunger but what appears to be out of pleasure. To ensure their survival, the remnants of humanity began living within defensive barriers, resulting in one hundred years without a single titan encounter. However, that fragile calm is soon shattered when a colossal titan manages to breach the supposedly impregnable outer wall, reigniting the fight for survival against the man-eating abominations.

After witnessing a horrific personal loss at the hands of the invading creatures, Eren Yeager dedicates his life to their eradication by enlisting into the Survey Corps, an elite military unit that combats the merciless humanoids outside the protection of the walls. Based on Hajime Isayama's award-winning manga, Shingeki no Kyojin follows Eren, along with his adopted sister Mikasa Ackerman and his childhood friend Armin Arlert, as they join the brutal war against the titans and race to discover a way of defeating them before the last walls are breached.

Attack on Titan is finished and has 25 Episodes. It is also Known as: Shingeki no Kyojin, 進撃の巨人, AoT

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2. Gintama

The Amanto, aliens from outer space, have invaded Earth and taken over feudal Japan. As a result, a prohibition on swords has been established, and the samurai of Japan are treated with disregard as a consequence.

However one man, Gintoki Sakata, still possesses the heart of the samurai, although from his love of sweets and work as a yorozuya, one might not expect it. Accompanying him in his jack-of-all-trades line of work are Shinpachi Shimura, a boy with glasses and a strong heart, Kagura with her umbrella and seemingly bottomless stomach, as well as Sadaharu, their oversized pet dog. Of course, these odd jobs are not always simple, as they frequently have run-ins with the police, ragtag rebels, and assassins, oftentimes leading to humorous but unfortunate consequences.

Who said life as an errand boy was easy?

Gintama is finished and has 201 Episodes. It is also Known as: 銀魂, Gin Tama, Silver Soul, Yorinuki Gintama-san

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3. Gintama'

After a one-year hiatus, Shinpachi Shimura returns to Edo, only to stumble upon a shocking surprise: Gintoki and Kagura, his fellow Yorozuya members, have become completely different characters! Fleeing from the Yorozuya headquarters in confusion, Shinpachi finds that all the denizens of Edo have undergone impossibly extreme changes, in both appearance and personality. Most unbelievably, his sister Otae has married the Shinsengumi chief and shameless stalker Isao Kondou and is pregnant with their first child.

Bewildered, Shinpachi agrees to join the Shinsengumi at Otae and Kondou's request and finds even more startling transformations afoot both in and out of the ranks of the the organization. However, discovering that Vice Chief Toushirou Hijikata has remained unchanged, Shinpachi and his unlikely Shinsengumi ally set out to return the city of Edo to how they remember it.

With even more dirty jokes, tongue-in-cheek parodies, and shameless references, Gintama' follows the Yorozuya team through more of their misadventures in the vibrant, alien-filled world of Edo.

Gintama' is finished and has 51 Episodes. It is also Known as: 銀魂', Gintama (2011)

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4. Naze Boku no Sekai wo Daremo Oboeteinai no ka?

"Why does no one remembers the true world...!"

The era when the great race of the five tribes competing for hegemony on the ground ended with the victory of mankind led by hero Sid. However, that world was suddenly "overwritten" in front of a boy Kai. In the rewritten world, Kai saw the scene where humans lost to the five tribal wars because of the absence of hero Sid—here dragons and demons dominate the ground, and Kai is a forgotten existence from all human beings. However, after encountering the mysterious girl Rinne, Kai decides to break this rewritten destiny. In a world without heroes, he inherits the hero's sword and martial art and challenges the mighty enemy races who reign.

Why Does Nobody Remember Me in This World? is finished and has 12 Episodes. It is also Known as: なぜ僕の世界を誰も覚えていないのか?, Naze Boku no Sekai wo Daremo Oboeteinai no ka?

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5. InuYasha

Based on the Shogakukan award-winning manga of the same name, InuYasha follows Kagome Higurashi, a fifteen-year-old girl whose normal life ends when a demon drags her into a cursed well on the grounds of her family's Shinto shrine. Instead of hitting the bottom of the well, Kagome ends up 500 years in the past during Japan's violent Sengoku period with the demon's true target, a wish-granting jewel called the Shikon Jewel, reborn inside of her.

After a battle with a revived demon accidentally causes the sacred jewel to shatter, Kagome enlists the help of a young hybrid dog-demon/human named Inuyasha to help her collect the shards and prevent them from falling into the wrong hands. Joining Kagome and Inuyasha on their quest are the orphan fox-demon Shippo, the intelligent monk Miroku, and the lethal demon slayer Sango. Together, they must set aside their differences and work together to find the power granting shards spread across feudal Japan and deal with the threats that arise.

InuYasha is finished and has 167 Episodes. It is also Known as: 犬夜叉, Inu Yasha

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6. Saga of Tanya the Evil Movie

In 1926, Tanya and her battalion return home from defeating remnants of the Republic's army. However, when they arrive they receive word of a massive mobilization near the border with the Russy Federation, so the Empire's army must prepare. At the same time, a multinational army under the leadership of the Allied Kingdom moves into the Russy Federation. The enemy of an enemy is a friend, but among the Allied Kingdom army is Mary Sioux, a girl who has sworn to exact justice against the Empire for the death of her father.

Saga of Tanya the Evil Movie is a Movie. It is also Known as: Gekijouban Youjo Senki, 劇場版 幼女戦記, Saga of Tanya the Evil Movie

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7. Koutetsujou no Kabaneri

The world is in the midst of the industrial revolution when horrific creatures emerge from a mysterious virus, ripping through the flesh of humans to sate their never-ending appetite. The only way to kill these beings, known as "Kabane," is by destroying their steel-coated hearts. However, if bitten by one of these monsters, the victim is doomed to a fate worse than death, as the fallen rise once more to join the ranks of their fellow undead.

Only the most fortified of civilizations have survived this turmoil, as is the case with the island of Hinomoto, where mankind has created a massive wall to protect themselves from the endless hordes of Kabane. The only way into these giant fortresses is via heavily-armored trains, which are serviced and built by young men such as Ikoma. Having created a deadly weapon that he believes will easily pierce through the hearts of Kabane, Ikoma eagerly awaits the day when he will be able to fight using his new invention. Little does he know, however, that his chance will come much sooner than he expected...

Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress is finished and has 12 Episodes. It is also Known as: 甲鉄城のカバネリ, Koutetsujou no Kabaneri

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8. Youjo Senki

On the front lines of the war, there is a little girl. Blond hair, blue eyes, and porcelain white skin, she commands her squad with lisping voice. Her name is Tanya Degurechaff. But in reality, she is one of Japan's most elite salarymen, reborn as a little girl after angering a mysterious being who calls himself God. This little girl, who prioritizes efficiency and her own career over anything else, will become the most dangerous being amongst the sorcerers of the imperial army.

Saga of Tanya the Evil is finished and has 12 Episodes. It is also Known as: 幼女戦記, The Military Chronicles of a Little Girl

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9. Kenpuu Denki Berserk

Born from the corpse of his mother, a young mercenary known only as Guts, embraces the battlefield as his only means of survival. Day in and day out, putting his life on the line just to make enough to get by, he moves from one bloodshed to the next.

After a run-in with the Band of the Hawk, a formidable troop of mercenaries, Guts is recruited by their charismatic leader Griffith, nicknamed the "White Hawk." As he quickly climbed the ranks in order to become the head of the offensive faction, Guts proves to be a mighty addition to Griffith's force, taking Midland by storm. However, while the band's quest for recognition continues, Guts slowly realizes that the world is not as black-and-white as he once assumed.

Set in the medieval era, Berserk is a dark, gritty tale that follows one man's struggle to find his own path, while supporting another's lust for power, and the unimaginable tragedy that begins to turn the wheels of fate.

Berserk is finished and has 25 Episodes. It is also Known as: 剣風伝奇ベルセルク, Kenpuu Denki Berserk, Kenfu Denki Berserk, Sword-Wind Chronicle Berserk, Berserk: The Chronicles of Wind Blades, Berserk: Sword-Wind Tales, Berserk: SWORD-WIND ROMANCE

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10. Gosick

Kazuya Kujou is a foreign student at Saint Marguerite Academy, a luxurious boarding school in the Southern European country of Sauville. Originally from Japan, his jet-black hair and dark brown eyes cause his peers to shun him and give him the nickname "Black Reaper," based on a popular urban legend about the traveler who brings death in the spring.

On a day like any other, Kujou visits the school's extravagant library in search of ghost stories. However, his focus soon changes as he becomes curious about a golden strand of hair on the stairs. The steps lead him to a large garden and a beautiful doll-like girl known as Victorique de Blois, whose complex and imaginative foresight allows her to predict their futures, now intertwined.

With more mysteries quickly developing—including the appearance of a ghost ship and an alchemist with the power of transmutation—Victorique and Kujou, bound by fate and their unique skills, have no choice but to rely on each other.

Gosick is finished and has 24 Episodes. It is also Known as: GOSICK -ゴシック-, Gosick

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11. Mushishi

"Mushi": the most basic forms of life in the world. They exist without any goals or purposes aside from simply "being." They are beyond the shackles of the words "good" and "evil." Mushi can exist in countless forms and are capable of mimicking things from the natural world such as plants, diseases, and even phenomena like rainbows.

This is, however, just a vague definition of these entities that inhabit the vibrant world of Mushishi, as to even call them a form of life would be an oversimplification. Detailed information on Mushi is scarce because the majority of humans are unaware of their existence.

So what are Mushi and why do they exist? This is the question that a "Mushi-shi," Ginko, ponders constantly. Mushi-shi are those who research Mushi in hopes of understanding their place in the world's hierarchy of life.

Ginko chases rumors of occurrences that could be tied to Mushi, all for the sake of finding an answer.

It could, after all, lead to the meaning of life itself.

Mushi-Shi is finished and has 26 Episodes. It is also Known as: 蟲師, Mushishi

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12. D.Gray-man

Losing a loved one is so painful that one may sometimes wish to be able to resurrect them—a weakness that the enigmatic Millennium Earl exploits. To make his mechanical weapons known as "Akuma," he uses the souls of the dead that are called back. Once a soul is placed in an Akuma, it is trapped forever, and the only way to save them is to exorcise them from their vessel using the Anti-Akuma weapon, "Innocence."

After spending three years as the disciple of General Cross, Allen Walker is sent to the Black Order—an organization comprised of those willing to fight Akuma and the Millennium Earl—to become an official Exorcist. With an arm as his Innocence and a cursed eye that can see the suffering souls within an Akuma, it's up to Allen and his fellow Exorcists to stop the Millennium Earl's ultimate plot: one that can lead to the destruction of the world.

D.Gray-man is finished and has 103 Episodes. It is also Known as: ディー・グレイマン, D. Gray-man, D. Grey-man

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13. Katanagatari

In an Edo-era Japan lush with a variety of sword-fighting styles, Shichika Yasuri practices the most unique one: Kyotouryuu, a technique in which the user's own body is wielded as a blade. The enigmatic seventh head of the Kyotouryuu school, Shichika lives quietly in exile with his sister Nanami until one day—the wildly ambitious strategist Togame barges into their lives.

Togame brazenly requests that Shichika help in her mission to collect twelve unique swords, known as the "Deviant Blades," for the shogunate. Shichika accepts, interested in the girl herself rather than petty politics, and thus sets out on a journey. Standing in their way are the fierce wielders of these legendary weapons as well as other power-hungry entities who seek to thwart Togame's objective. In order to prevail against their enemies, the duo must become an unbreakable team as they forge ahead on a path of uncertainty and peril.

Katanagatari is finished and has 12 Episodes. It is also Known as: 刀語, Sword Story

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14. Violet Evergarden Gaiden: Eien to Jidou Shuki Ningyou

The Drossel royal family pulls strings to have Violet tutor Isabella York, a student at a prestigious girls' school, for her upcoming debut. Isabella may have a well-connected father but as Violet befriends her she discovers the debutante has an unhappy past of poverty and separation. With Benedict's help and with the emotional power of letters Violet sets out to reconnect Isabella with her past.

Violet Evergarden Side Story: Eternity and the Auto Memories Doll is a Movie. It is also Known as: ヴァイオレット・エヴァーガーデン 外伝~永遠と自動手記人形~, Violet Evergarden Gaiden: Eien to Jidou Shuki Ningyou

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15. Strike Witches

Strike Witches is set in an alternate version of 1944, where the events of World War II are very different than what we know to be true. Alien invaders known as the Neuroi came to Earth in 1939. This is not the first appearance of the Neuroi as they have appeared at seemingly random intervals throughout human history. While the Neuroi primarily attack humanity using aircrafts, their mothership is able to produce a deadly miasma, a chemical that is fatally poisonous to humans, forcing the populations of affected areas to flee their homes. The Neuroi then use the poisoned areas to plunder Earth's natural resources to use against humanity. Luckily the miasma cannot spread across water, making the ocean humanity's main line of defense against the Neuroi.

With normal humans unable to fight in the miasma, witches have become the forefront of military defense against the Neuroi. Each witch is able to deploy a defensive field around themselves that not only blocks the miasma but protects them from physical attacks as well. Utilizing leg mounted machines called Striker Units to fly into combat, the witches use their magical abilities to wield devastating weapons too large and ungainly for a normal person. The series follows the battles fought by the 501st Joint Fighter Wing, who battle on the front lines to defend the British Isles from the Neuroi. Will humanity be able to take back Earth and bring peace to their home? Find out in Strike Witches!

Strike Witches is finished and has 12 Episodes. It is also Known as: ストライクウィッチーズ, Strike Witches TV

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16. Fena: Pirate Princess

Fena Houtman is a young orphan girl that has been raised on an Island where there is no hope of becoming anything more than a chattel, to be used and discarded by soldiers of the British Empire. But Fena is more than just another powerless orphan. When her mysterious past comes knocking, Fena will break the chains of her oppressors. Her goal: forge a new identity, free of bondage, and search for a place where she can truly belong and find out the true mysteries behind a keyword, "Eden." It is the story of a lifetime adventure she and her crew of misfits and unlikely allies will have, in pursuit of her goals!

Fena: Pirate Princess is finished and has 12 Episodes. It is also Known as: Kaizoku Oujo, 海賊王女, Fena: Pirate Princess

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