What is this genre all about? "Bakumatsu" (幕末, "Late Tokugawa Shogunate") occurred between 1853 and 1867 during which Japan ended its isolationist foreign policy and modernized from a feudal shogunate to the Meiji government. Bakumatsu represents the final years of the Edo period (when the Tokugawa shogunate ended) and preceded the Meiji era. The primary historical significance of Bakumatsu was the conflict between the pro-imperialist "Ishin Shishi" ("nationalist patriots"), and the shogunate forces, including the elite Shinsengumi ("New Selected Corps").
The Meiji Era (including Meiji Restoration) denotes the 45-year reign of Emperor Meiji, running from 23 October 1868 to 30 July 1912. During this time, Japan started its modernization and rose to world power status.
Be aware that this category should only be assigned to anime that take place in Japan during the years mentioned above, and not to every anime that has samurai in it.
We present you the list of Bakumatsu Meiji Period anime you should watch right now.
Try our anime quiz: Anime Characters Guessing Quiz/Game
Top 19 Bakumatsu Meiji Period anime you should watch right now. [2024 List]
- 19. Gintama
- 18. Rurouni Kenshin: Meiji Kenkaku Romantan
- 17. Rurouni Kenshin: Meiji Kenkaku Romantan (2023)
- 16. Kyougoku Natsuhiko: Kousetsu Hyaku Monogatari
- 15. Rurouni Kenshin: Meiji Kenkaku Romantan - Tsuioku-hen
- 14. Otome Youkai Zakuro
- 13. Hakuouki Hekketsuroku
- 12. Hakuouki
- 11. Peace Maker Kurogane
- 10. Rurouni Kenshin: Meiji Kenkaku Romantan - Shin Kyoto-hen
- 9. Hakuouki Reimeiroku
- 8. Donten ni Warau
- 7. Rurouni Kenshin: Meiji Kenkaku Romantan - Seisou-hen
- 6. Teito Monogatari
- 5. Bakumatsu Gijinden Roman
- 4. Rurouni Kenshin: Meiji Kenkaku Romantan - Ishinshishi e no Chinkonka
- 3. Chiruran: Nibun no Ichi
- 2. Bakumatsu Kikansetsu Irohanihoheto
- 1. Tactics
19. 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 has finished airing and it has 201 Episodes. It is also Known as: 銀魂, Gin Tama, Silver Soul, Yorinuki Gintama-san
18. Rurouni Kenshin: Meiji Kenkaku Romantan
In the final years of the Bakumatsu era lived a legendary assassin known as Hitokiri Battousai. Feared as a merciless killer, he was unmatched throughout the country, but mysteriously disappeared at the peak of the Japanese Revolution. It has been ten peaceful years since then, but the very mention of Battousai still strikes terror into the hearts of war veterans.Unbeknownst to them, Battousai has abandoned his bloodstained lifestyle in an effort to repent for his sins, now living as Kenshin Himura, a wandering swordsman with a cheerful attitude and a strong will. Vowing never to kill again, Kenshin dedicates himself to protecting the weak. One day, he stumbles across Kaoru Kamiya at her kendo dojo, which is being threatened by an impostor claiming to be Battousai. After receiving help from Kenshin, Kaoru allows him to stay at the dojo, and so the former assassin temporarily ceases his travels.Rurouni Kenshin: Meiji Kenkaku Romantan tells the story of Kenshin as he strives to save those in need of saving. However, as enemies from both past and present begin to emerge, will the reformed killer be able to uphold his new ideals?
Rurouni Kenshin has finished airing and it has 94 Episodes. It is also Known as: るろうに剣心 -明治剣客浪漫譚-, Samurai X
17. Rurouni Kenshin: Meiji Kenkaku Romantan (2023)
During the upheaval of the Bakumatsu Era, there was an Imperialist warrior feared as the "Hitokiri Battosai." However, upon the arrival of the new era the Battosai disappeared from the public eye, leaving behind just his legend of the strongest Revolutionary warrior.
Years later in downtown Tokyo, on the 11th year of Meiji.
Kenshin Himura, a traveling swordsman who vowed to never kill again on the sakabato (reverse blade sword) he carries on his hip, meets Kaoru Kamiya, the head instructor of the Kamiya Kasshin-ryu sword style.
Kenshin solves the case of a crossroad killer who was tarnishing the name of the Kasshin-ryu while claiming to be the "Hitokiri Battosai," which then leads to Kaoru offering to have the wanderer stay at her dojo.
Follow Kenshin's journey as he makes treasured friendships with Yahiko Myojin, a descendent of a samurai-class family in Tokyo, and Sanosuke Sagara, a fighter for hire, and faces off against various foes who have unfinished business from Kenshin's past.
The curtains have opened on the inspiring tale of a swordsman, and the resolute people surrounding him, living in the new Meiji Era.
Rurouni Kenshin (2023) has finished airing and it has 24 Episodes. It is also Known as: るろうに剣心 －明治剣客浪漫譚－(2023), Rurouni Kenshin: Meiji Kenkaku Romantan (2023)
16. Kyougoku Natsuhiko: Kousetsu Hyaku Monogatari
Tired of writing riddles for children, Yamaoka Momosuke plans on gathering spooky and gruesome stories and publishing them in an anthology called Hyakumonogatari ("One Hundred Tales"). While researching these old myths and legends he comes across a mysterious trio who call themselves the Ongyou. They are detectives who are investigating the legends to reveal their truths...and bring those in the wrong to justice. Each time Momosuke meets the Ongyou he must face horrible truths and battle with his morals, but he's seeing things he shouldn't be seeing...
Requiem from the Darkness has finished airing and it has 13 Episodes. It is also Known as: 京極夏彦 巷説百物語, Hundred Stories, 100 Stories, Natsuhiko Kyougoku's Worldly Horror Stories
15. Rurouni Kenshin: Meiji Kenkaku Romantan - Tsuioku-hen
When mankind's savagery surpasses his fear of death, there is little hope for those who wish to live honest lives. Beneath a full moon, a young boy witnesses the murder of the bandits who had enslaved him, and is then christened with a new name by the man who rescued him. This boy is Shinta, now known as Kenshin Himura, and he is destined to become a swordsman. The softness of his heart does not befit the occupation, but his desire to protect the innocent is absolute.Rurouni Kenshin: Meiji Kenkaku Romantan - Tsuioku-hen details the origins of the man who would bear the name of Hitokiri Battousai long before he swore his oath not to kill and before he earned his reputation as an assassin. The young man’s heart is divided between justice and corruption, while the fate of a nation rests on his actions.
Samurai X: Trust and Betrayal has finished airing and it has 4 Episodes. It is also Known as: るろうに剣心―明治剣客浪漫譚―追憶編, Rurouni Kenshin: Tsuiokuhen, Rurouni Kenshin: Reminiscence
14. Otome Youkai Zakuro
Otome Youkai Zakuro takes place in an alternate version of Japan's Meiji Era. In this version of history, humans and spirits coexist side by side in the same world. However Japan is becoming more and more influenced by the West, and more people are accepting Western religions as their chosen faith rather than the more traditional Eastern faiths which have dominated the country for many centuries, leading to conflicts between humans and youkai.
To help ease tensions, an organization is established called the Ministry of Spirits made up of a group of male soldiers and a group of female youkai. Unfortunately things don't go as swimmingly as one would hope, as one of the soldiers, Kei Agemaki, is terribly afraid of youkai and one of the spirits, Zakuro, has an extreme dislike for humans who accept practices and traditions from the west. Life for these two is about to become a lot more interesting as they have to learn how to cooperate with their worst enemies!
Zakuro has finished airing and it has 13 Episodes. It is also Known as: おとめ妖怪 ざくろ, Otome Yokai Zakuro, Girl Demon Zakuro
13. Hakuouki Hekketsuroku
The continuation of Hakuoki.
The Edo Era has ended after 260 years of history and the Meiji Era begins. However, bitter strife still continues between the soldiers of the new government and former Tokugawa retainers. This is the stage in which the surviving members of the Shinsengumi find themselves upon their return to Edo following their defeat at Tobafushimi.
(Sources: ANN, AniDB)
Hakuoki ~Demon of the Fleeting Blossom~ Record of the Jade Blood has finished airing and it has 10 Episodes. It is also Known as: 薄桜鬼 碧血録, Hakuouki 2, Hakuoki 2, Hakuouki Shinsengumi Kitan Hekketsuroku
12. Hakuouki
In 1860's Edo, Japan, 16-year-old Chizuru Yukimura lives a simple life as the daughter of a doctor. When her father's work takes him away from home and into the capital of Kyoto, Chizuru is left alone with only the letters from her father as a means to stay in contact with him. After the letters stop coming though, Chizuru becomes gravely concerned. Disguising herself as a man for safety, she travels to Kyoto to find him, only to find herself being attacked by a group of samurai and a strange, almost inhuman man. Chizuru is saved by a mysterious member of a group known as the Shinsengumi, but because of what she witnessed, she's taken back to their base of operations to be interrogated and possibly silenced…forever.Hakuouki features the striking young men of the Shinsengumi and their secret clan of warriors, who decide to spare Chizuru upon finding out who her father is, revealing that they too are looking for him, but for different reasons. Now Chizuru must not only continue the search for her father among her new friends, but discover secrets bigger than she ever imagined, all the while forming bonds with the handsome young men that will forever change the course of their lives.
Hakuoki ~Demon of the Fleeting Blossom~ has finished airing and it has 12 Episodes. It is also Known as: 薄桜鬼, Hakuoki,Hakuouki: Shinsengumi Kitan, Hakuoki, Hakuouki: Shinsengumi Kitan
11. Peace Maker Kurogane
Although traumatized by witnessing the murder of his parents by one of the Choushuu, Ichimura Tetsunosuke's thirst for revenge lead him to desire strength. At the age of 15, Tetsunosuke approached the Shinsengumi, wanting to become one of its members. However, Tetsunosuke lacked the skill, mind and will to emotionlessly cut down whoever threatened peace and the Shinsengumi. Even with the support of his brother Tatsunosuke and his newfound friends of the Shinsengumi, little did Tetsunosuke know the blood and pain he would have to face being part of this historical group.
Peace Maker Kurogane has finished airing and it has 24 Episodes. It is also Known as: PEACE MAKER 鐵, Peacemaker Kurogane, PMK
10. Rurouni Kenshin: Meiji Kenkaku Romantan - Shin Kyoto-hen
A large scale remake of the time after Kenshin leaves Tokyo up until before the inferno of Kyoto.
Rurouni Kenshin: New Kyoto Arc has finished airing and it has 2 Episodes. It is also Known as: るろうに剣心-明治剣客浪漫譚- 新京都編, Rurouni Kenshin: Shin Kyoto Hen
9. Hakuouki Reimeiroku
The year is 1863 and as Japan's long festering wounds of political discord erupt into violent waves of street clashes and murder, the Tokugawa Shogunate sends a new force of masterless samurai called the Roshigumi to the aid of the Aizu forces in Kyoto. However the new "police" are anything but a cohesive force and assassination has already split them into two opposing factions. The stronger is led by the brutal Serizawa Kamo and the lesser by the more honorable but less assertive Isami Kondo. It is into this pack of wolves that Ryunosuke Ibuki is dragged by the rabid Serizawa. Forced to be a virtual slave by blood debt, he hates the samurai and everything they stand for. But as he sees how the other half of the samurai live, he begins to believe that there may still be a chance, for both himself and Japan, if only Kondo will step up and take down the mad dog Serizawa!
Hakuoki ~Demon of the Fleeting Blossom~ Dawn of the Shinsengumi has finished airing and it has 12 Episodes. It is also Known as: 薄桜鬼 黎明録, Hakuouki 3, Hakuoki 3, Hakuouki Shinsengumi Kitan Reimeiroku
8. Donten ni Warau
When swords were outlawed in the eleventh year of the Meiji Era, the mighty samurai population began to dwindle. Those who rejected the ban on blades rebelled, causing violent unrest to erupt throughout the countryside. To combat the rise in criminal activity, an inescapable lake prison was constructed. Three young men, born of the Kumoh line, were given the duty of delivering criminals to their place of confinement—but could there be more to their mission than meets the eye?
Laughing Under the Clouds has finished airing and it has 12 Episodes. It is also Known as: 曇天に笑う, Cloudy Laugh
7. Rurouni Kenshin: Meiji Kenkaku Romantan - Seisou-hen
Kaoru goes to the harbor every day to see if Kenshin has returned. After a while, she starts looking back at her life with Kenshin and all the things that have happened.
Samurai X: Reflection has finished airing and it has 2 Episodes. It is also Known as: るろうに剣心 -明治剣客浪漫譚- 星霜編, Rurouni Kenshin: Seisouhen, Rurouni Kenshin OVA 2
6. Teito Monogatari
When an evil sorcerer bent on crushing the "greatest city on earth" uses dark powers to awaken the destructive spirit of Tokyo's historic "guardian", Taira no Masakado, occultists, children and scientists become embroiled in a ruinous struggle spanning two decades.
Doomed Megalopolis has finished airing and it has 4 Episodes. It is also Known as: 帝都物語, Capital Story
5. Bakumatsu Gijinden Roman
The stage is the close of the Edo period, an age when, not unlike our own time, both natural and man-made disasters left chaos in their wake. Manjiro makes a living helping the people of the troubled capital city, but behind the scenes, he also works in secret to take back precious belongings stolen from the people by unjust political powers and conspiratorial menaces. The people call him "Get-backer Roman."
Bakumatsu Gijinden Roman has finished airing and it has 12 Episodes. It is also Known as: 幕末義人伝 浪漫, Bakumatsu Gijin-den Roman
4. Rurouni Kenshin: Meiji Kenkaku Romantan - Ishinshishi e no Chinkonka
The war against the Tokugawa Shogunate ended years ago. But there are some who are not happy with the outcome. Shigure Takimi watched his friends and family get slashed down in the name of freedom and prosperity. Now he and a band of desperate rebels have sworn to settle one final score. Only one man stands in their way: Kenshin Himura. But when Shigure discovers Kenshin's true identity as the Hitokiri Battousai, his fight becomes a personal vendetta.
Samurai X: The Motion Picture has finished airing and it has 1 Episodes. It is also Known as: るろうに剣心 -明治剣客浪漫譚- 維新志士への鎮魂歌, Rurouni Kenshin: Ishinshishi e no Requiem , Kenshin - Samurai X , Rurouni Kenshin Movie , Rurouni Kenshin - Requiem for the Restoration Royalists , Rurouni Kenshin: Meiji Kenkaku Romantan - Ishinshishi e no Requiem
3. Chiruran: Nibun no Ichi
Strong, intense, and cute! The most laid-back Shinsengumi in history arrives!! An official spinoff series by Hashimoto Eiji (manga) and Umemura Shinya (story) of Chiruran Shinsengumi Requiem. Here's the laid-back everyday life of the Shinsengumi warriors.
Chiruran 1/2 has finished airing and it has 12 Episodes. It is also Known as: ちるらん にぶんの壱, Chiruran: Nibun no Ichi
2. Bakumatsu Kikansetsu Irohanihoheto
In the final years of the Bakumatsu, wandering mercenary Yojiro Akizuki travels the length and breadth of Japan. And while he employs his sword in the usual fashion, he also uses it to help him locate supernatural items which he pursues with single-minded determination, often with bloody results. In the course of his quest, he crosses paths with a traveling theater group whose members have their own dark agenda. Is it a chance meeting or the result of some, as yet, undiscovered conspiracy?
Intrigue in the Bakumatsu: Irohanihoheto has finished airing and it has 26 Episodes. It is also Known as: 幕末機関説 いろはにほへと, Bakumatsu Kikansetsu Irohanihoheto
1. Tactics
Ichinomiya Kantarou grew up with the ability to see demons, but was isolated and bullied by others who did not share the same gift. Instead, he became being friends with the demons, gaining a great attachment to their existence. One day, Kantarou was told about the strongest demon, the one known as the ogre-eating Tengu. Amazed by the news of his strength, Kantarou vowed to find this demon who was far stronger than any other, deciding to call him Haruka when he did so. Since this time, Kantarou searched far and wide for the ogre-eating Tengu with no luck, making his living by becoming a folklore writer and demon-buster. On a particular job, Kantarou had finally found news of a nearby shrine supposedly the place where the ogre-eating Tengu was sealed.
Tactics has finished airing and it has 25 Episodes. It is also Known as: タクティクス, Tactics
