The Best Anime to Watch if You Like The Eminence in Shadow (2024)

The Eminence in Shadow is a unique anime that creates a compelling experience by making its main character a cringe-inducing anti-hero. Cid, also known as Shadow, John Smith, and Mundane Mann, is a bombastic and often theatrical character that takes up multiple personas during

While no other anime precisely replicates The Eminence in Shadow's winning formula, there are numerous titles that either incorporate or overlap with many of its themes. These anime offer a satisfying option that may quench fans' yearning for dark humor and cringe-worthy comedy. Other titles share a similar penchant for subversive humor, intricate storylines, or unconventional characters, providing a diverse array of options for fans of The Eminence in Shadow.

The Eminence in Shadow (2022)

TV-14

Action

Animation

Comedy

Cid Kagenou creates an elaborate plot to fight the Cult of Diabolos and builds his organization, the Shadow Garden.

Creator

Daisuke Aizawa

Main Characters

Cid Kagerou, Claire Kagenou, Alexia Midgar, Iris Midgar, Rose Oriana, Alpha

10 One-Punch Man Subverts Traditional Anime Expectations

One-Punch Man's titular hero, Saitama, was once an ordinary man who gained profound power after two years of "intense" physical training. He can now defeat most opponents with a single punch, and in a world filled with eccentric heroes and monstrous villains, the overpowered main character struggles to satiate his unquenchable desire to find an opponent his equal.

Fans of The Eminence in Shadow will enjoy One Punch Man's exploration of subversive and, occasionally, dark humor. While the two anime are not that similar to one another, their satirical takes on overpowered character tropes overlap with one another. When Shadow uses I Am Atomic or Saitama annihilates an opponent with a single punch, it's hilarious to watch the reactions of both their opponents and anyone around them.

Overlord's main character, Satoru Suzuki, is an average man who enjoys playing a VRMMO called YGGDRASIL. On one fateful day, Satoru finds himself unable to log out, realizing this virtual world has become his new reality. Inside YGGDRASIL, Ainz Ooal Goal (Satoru Suzuki's in-game name) embraces his new role as an all-powerful leader who acts as an authority over his kingdom.

While Ainz tries to maintain the impression that he's a strong and astute leader, a lot of the Overlord's humor stems from his inner dialogue, revealing more and more of his self-conscious personality as he tries to hide. Both Overlord and The Eminence in Shadow feature excellent worldbuilding, character development, and an absurdist dark sense of humor. Fans of one anime are likely to find a lot of likable qualities in the other, even if the two anime feel markedly different at times.

8 The Misfit of Demon Academy Also Features An Over-Powered Protagonist

Anos Voldigoad is a profoundly powerful demon lord who has become tired of the constant warfare in his former life. He decides to reincarnate in the future, entering a 2000-year slumber until the day he reawakens. In the future, the confident and self-assured Anos enters the Demon King Academy, where he's quickly branded a misfit.

A lot of The Misfit of Demon Academy's humor occurs when his fellow students look down on him and assume he's weak, only for Anos to effortlessly prove them wrong with a quick display of his overwhelming power. While the two anime share a lot of similarities, such as their dark humor, compelling stories, and overpowered protagonists, Anos' actions are driven by a desire to improve the world, unlike the gluttonous Cid Cagenou.

KonoSuba: God's Blessing on this Wonderful World!'s Kazuma is a lazy student who lounges about his apartment, skipping school, and playing video games. One day, a truck runs him over (at least, that's what he believes). Kazuma reincarnates in another world. Kazuma teams up with the goofy goddess Aqua, the masoch*stic knight Darkness, and the explosion-obsessed Megumin. Together, they embark on bizarre missions where they may encounter giant slime or bondage-obsessed characters.

While Konosuba is brighter colored and lighter themed than The Eminence in Shadow, humor arises from their flawed personalities and the dysfunctional dynamics of their friendship. Occasionally, some of Konosuba's themes lean towards more adult or darker ones that will appeal to fans of The Eminence in Shadow.

6 Saga Of Tanya The Evil's Main Character Is Driven By The Same Motivations As Cid

The titular protagonist of Saga of Tanya the Evil, Tanya Degurechaff, is a young, innocent-looking girl who possesses extraordinary magical power. Appearances can be deceiving, though, as Tanya is not an ordinary young girl; behind her frail frame is the soul of a ruthless businessman who has been reincarnated in this body. This former personality leads to Tanya creating intense and strategic battles on the ruthless frontlines of war.

While the Saga of Tanya the Evil isn't a comedy like most entries on this list, it does share some core themes with The Eminence in Shadow. Tanya, much like The Eminence in Shadow's Cid, is a ruthless, power-hungry character who uses her cunning and magical prowess to outmaneuver her enemies. Fans of The Eminence in Shadows' spectacular action and intricate plotlines will find similar enjoyment in the Saga of Tanya the Evil.

5 Uncle From Another World Also Pokes Fun At Its Protagonist

After a truck hit Uncle From Another World's Yosuke Shibazaki 17 years ago, he awoke in a world of magic and powerful monsters. Little did he know, at the same time, that his body lay in a coma in his previous world. Seventeen years later, Yosuke reawakens in his former world. Life has changed. SEGA is no longer a high-end console producer, causing Yosuke to feel distraught. Hilariously, Yosuke, also known as Wolfgunblood, seems unfazed that he's no longer in a world filled with magic.

The only thing that bothers him is that Sega hasn't released a new console since the Dreamcast. He moves in with his nephew Takafumi, and together, hilarity ensues as Yosuke reveals some of the numerous mishaps he created in this other world. Both Uncle From Another World and The Eminence in Shadow are comedy isekai, where the story pokes fun at the expense of the main characters. Fans of The Eminence in Shadow will enjoy the constant barrage of humorous situations that Yosuke finds himself in while navigating a world that has drastically changed from the one he remembers.

4 Arifuta's Main Character Bears Similarities To Cid

Arifureta: From Commonplace To World's Strongest's main character, Hajime Nagumo, and his classmates have been transported to another world. Unfortunately, while his classmates now possess powerful magical abilities, the same cannot be said for him. During a battle where his classmates work together to take out enemies, one of his classmates betrays Hajime, pushing him off the side of a seemingly bottomless abyss.

He wakes up later and has no hope of returning to the surface. Hajime is forced to survive in these deadly depths and quickly becomes bitter towards his classmates. Much like The Eminence in Shadow, the main characters exude arrogance and make pompous, theatrical statements. The personalities of the main characters in each anime make them both hilarious and add layers of complexity to their respective stories.

3 Classroom of the Elite's Narrative Bears Similarities To The Eminence In Shadow

Kiyotaka Ayanokoji is a student at an elite school where gifted students compete with one another to try and earn the top position in their class. To achieve this goal, students can use underhanded methods to achieve their goals, as long as they are uncaught. Much like The Eminence in Shadow, Classroom of the Elite features unique and intricate storylines that lead to spectacular conclusions.

Ayanokoji is a more serious lead than Cid, but he similarly wants to live a simple life while pulling the strings behind the scenes to achieve his goals. While The Eminence in Shadow excels at being a comedy, the nuanced nature of its storylines and darker tones are some of the biggest reasons why it appeals to fans. These themes overlap with Classroom of the Elite.

2 Trapped in a Dating Sim: The World of Otome Games Provides A Fresh Isekai Experience

On the surface, it would be easy to dismiss Trapped in a Dating Sim: The World of Otome Games as another cliche isekai that uses meta video game elements to shape its narrative. However, this isn't the case. Much like The Eminence in Shadow, Trapped in a Dating Sim subverts expectations and has fun with its story.

Otome games are typically characterized by a roster of handsome male characters, each with their own unique personalities and interests, such as sports and reading. Trapped in a Dating Sim's lead character, Leon Fou Bartfort, defies the usual Otome game conventions by being neither an Ikemen nor a Bishounen lead. Amusingly, Leon, an uncharacteristic Otome character, perverts the experience by continually coming out on top in all the typical Otome game quests.

1 KamiKatsu: Working For God In A Godless World Is A Great Addition To The Isekai Genre

In KamiKatsu: Working for God in a Godless World, Yukito Urabe is an average guy with an eccentric father who founded his own cult. One day, his father decides to make him participate in a ritual that leads to his untimely death. Thankfully, Yukito is reborn in a world without religion; at least, that's what he believes until a god revealed itself to him.

After dying due to the cult's deity-obsessed beliefs, Yukito is forced to work alongside a god to overturn evil in his new world. KamiKatsu is a dark isekai comedy where the clever Yukito orchestrates a plan to take down the warped and sad*stic leaders of a corrupt society. The series' twisted sense of humor will appeal to fans of The Eminence in Shadow, which similarly uses dark humor throughout its story.