Scum’s Wish is a distinctive anime that can be considered a more mature and explicit take on conventional romance anime.
It delves into intense and weighty psychological themes, incorporating semi-explicit scenes, all while maintaining a safe-for-work presentation.
So if you have watched and appreciated these aspects, it’s likely that you are seeking out other anime with similar qualities.
That’s why we have compiled a list of the best anime like Scum’s Wish.
Table of Contents
10. School Days
School Days is a 12-episode anime that premiered in the summer of 2007. Similar to Scum’s Wish, it explores the highs and lows of high school life and teenage love, with unexpected and intense twists.
The story follows Makoto, a boy who falls in love with Kotonoha, a seemingly sweet girl he encounters daily on the subway.
Sekai, Kotonoha’s best friend, offers to help Makoto win her over but secretly harbors feelings for him as well.
But some strange and dark twists are about to kick in.
Both School Days and Scum’s Wish, though in different ways, offer a good school-set romance plot with intense and mature twists, making them two perfect anime to watch one after the other.
9. Netsuzou Trap
This short anime from 2017 bears a striking resemblance to Scum’s Wish as it delves into teenage love with mature and sometimes disturbing twists.
The story revolves around Yuma, who is about to go on her first date with Takeda, the boy she is infatuated with.
However, feeling anxious about the upcoming encounter, she turns to her best friend Hotarou for practice in kissing and other intimate activities.
But what happens when Yuma realizes she develops strange feelings during these practice sessions, causing her to lose interest in Takeda?
While the narrative differs from Scum’s Wish, both anime explore a distorted perception of love, delving into mature and semi-explicit themes. Trust us and don’t miss it if you’re a fan of Scum ‘s Wish
8. Happy Sugar Life
Happy Sugar Life is a short anime that premiered in the summer of 2018 that shares thematic similarities with Scum’s Wish, particularly in its exploration of secretive teenage, transgression and taboo.
The protagonist, Matsuzaka Sato, is known for her promiscuous lifestyle. However, her life takes a drastic turn when she encounters Shio, a young girl, and falls deeply in love with her.
Happy Sugar Life, as evident from the plot, delves into a heavy and unsettling narrative centered around twisted and questionable forms of love, and it doesn’t shy away from exploring these themes.
For fans of Scum’s Wish seeking a thought-provoking and emotionally intense experience, Happy Sugar Life comes highly recommended.
7. Maidens in Your Savage Season
This is a 12-episode anime from 2019 that, like Scum’s Wish, presents a school-based story that fearlessly explores mature themes.
The anime revolves around five girls who are members of the high school literature club.
During a discussion about a book featuring a protagonist with a tragic fate, one of the girls poses a thought-provoking question to the group: What would you do if you were faced with imminent death?
And it’s the answer of one girl that triggers chaos and sets the entire plot of the anime in motion: have sex. This unexpected twist prompts the girls to approach life with a fresh perspective and pursue new experiences.
Maidens in Your Savage Season lacks the heavy and psychological aspect of Scum’s Wish, being instead an anime based on comedy.
If you’re seeking a comedic version of Scum’s Wish, Maidens in Your Savage Season is a great choice.
6. Love and Lies
Love and Lies is a 12-episode anime from 2017, based on a manga by Musawo that was published online in 2014 that closely aligns with Scum’s Wish in terms of thematic elements.
The story takes place in the near future, when 16-year-old boys are assigned lifelong partners to marry.
Yukari Nejima, the protagonist, is on the brink of turning 16 and anticipates being assigned his partner. However, everything changes when he falls in love with another girl just before this momentous event.
Love and Lies explores the central themes of love and deceit through the lens of teenage characters who find it difficult to adhere to governmental regulations regarding their emotions.
While the story presents a less intense and heavy approach compared to Scum’s Wish, it shares common themes, such as the complexities and psychological aspects of young love.
5. White Album 2: The Other Side of Happiness
White Album 2 is a 2013 anime adaptation of a visual novel series for PC and PS3. Like Scum’s Wish, it delves into high school drama but with a musical twist.
The story revolves around Haruki Kitahara, the only member of his school’s music club that is on the verge of disbandment. But just as he is about to give up on his dream of performing at the school festival, he hears a captivating voice singing the song he had envisioned for the concert’s opening.
This encounter sets off a series of intricate events and relationships.
Similar to Scum’s Wish, White Album 2 follows high schoolers navigating their lives while facing various challenges along the way.
However, it differs from Scum’s Wish by lacking semi-explicit scenes, which should be considered when making comparisons.
But if you’re seeking an anime with strong psychological elements, White Album 2 will not disappoint you.
4. Citrus
Citrus is a 12-episode anime that premiered in 2018, based on the 2012 manga by Saburouta. It explores themes of misplaced teenage love and the difficulties of expressing affection, which are also present in Scum’s Wish.
The story follows Yuzu Aihara, who enrolls in an all-girls school after her mother remarries. There, she encounters Mei, the cold-hearted student council president.
Complicating matters further, Yuzu soon discovers that Mei is her new half-sister, as they share the same father through their mother’s new marriage. And adding to the complexity, Mei unexpectedly kisses Yuzu.
Similar to Scum’s Wish, Citrus delves into the themes of distorted and misunderstood love, and it doesn’t shy away from depicting heavy or explicit scenes, making it a suitable recommendation for fans of Scum’s Wish.
If you are intrigued by stories that explore complex relationships and unconventional forms of love like Scum’s Wish, Citrus might be a worthwhile anime for you to explore.
3. Nana
Nana is an anime that aired between 2006 and 2007, produced by the renowned studio Madhouse, and it shares more similarities with Scum’s Wish than one might initially think.
The series revolves around two girls who happen to share the same name, Nana, but possess almost opposite personalities.
They find themselves becoming roommates, with one of them being a rock/punk star leading a troubled life, while the other is a shy girl trapped in a toxic relationship that is slowly destroying her.
Their destinies become intertwined from that point on, and Nana portrays their journey with intensity, delving into heavy and profound moments, particularly within the realm of romance.
Nana doesn’t shy away from addressing topics such as drugs, psychology, abuse, and even death. It is a compelling anime that offers more than just love stories, as it also delves into the music industry and its influence on the characters’ lives.
2. Domestic Girlfriend
Domestic Girlfriend is a romance anime from 2019 that delves into themes such as love, rejection, and subsequent second thoughts in a psychological and semi-explicit manner, bearing striking similarities to Scum’s Wish.
The story follows Natsuo, a boy who has his first sexual encounter with Rui, a girl he has just met, only to be subsequently dumped by her, as Rui admits to being solely interested in the physical aspect of their relationship.
Natsuo is consumed by regret for what transpired and feels as though he has betrayed his feelings for his teacher, Hina.
However, things take an unexpected turn when Natsuo discovers that both Rui and Hina have become his stepsisters due to their parents’ marriage, forcing them to live together under the same roof.
Much like Scum’s Wish, this anime explores the complexities and discomfort of young love, unafraid to depict heavy and intense scenes. If you are a fan of Scum’s Wish, be sure not to miss it.
1. Flowers of Evil
Flowers of Evil is an incredibly underrated anime that excels in portraying dark and distorted romance, earning it a top spot on our list.
Follow high school student Takao Kasuga‘s descent into an obsession with fellow student Nanako Saeki.
But things take a dark turn when he’s blackmailed into participating in the disturbing fantasies of one of his classmate, Sawa Nakamura.
Flowers of Evil offers a unique perspective on love and the consequences of obsession. This series delves into heavy and uncomfortable themes, exploring the sick psychology of its characters and their underlying issues through the romance genre, much like Scum’s Wish.
We highly recommend Flowers of Evil to any fan of Scum’s Wish and its themes.
We also suggest checking out the fantastic manga created by the masterful Oshimi, as it serves as the source material for this amazing series.
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