In Tokyo's downtown district of Ikebukuro, amidst many strange rumors and warnings of anonymous gangs and dangerous occupants, one urban legend stands out above the rest—the existence of a headless "Black Rider" who is said to be seen driving a jet-black motorcycle through the city streets. Ryuugamine Mikado has always longed for the excitement of the city life, and an invitation from a childhood friend convinces him to move to Tokyo. Witnessing the Black Rider on his first day in the city, his wishes already seem to have been granted. But as supernatural events begin to occur, ordinary citizens like himself, along with Ikebukuro's most colorful inhabitants, are mixed up in the commotion breaking out in their city.
Episodes
24
Aired
Winter 2010
Score
7.9
Popularity
#148
Urban FantasyGangsUrbanEnsemble CastDullahanDelinquentsAchronological OrderCrime
If you like this, try
Baccano! 85%13 eps · 2007
From the same writer, it shuffles a sprawling ensemble across scrambled timelines with that same puzzle-box thrill of watching lives collide.
Bungo Stray Dogs 81%12 eps · 2016
Detectives with strange powers untangle mafia-tinged mysteries in a city that feels just as alive with secret rumors.
K 80%13 eps · 2012
Gangs, hidden powers, and a stylish urban mystery give you that same sense of a city hiding something bigger beneath its streets.
Tokyo Revengers 79%24 eps · 2021
Delinquent gangs and a fated web of connections drive this one, though it trades detached cool for raw, desperate emotion.