While many are familiar with anime as an adaptation of a pre-existing story that was spawned from manga or light novels, anime can be an adaptation of stories found in many forms. In fact, the anime industry is really no longer attempting to hide the fact that anime adaptations are a valid marketing device for source material even if the anime as a product itself wasn’t profitable.
When you have a visual medium that is capable of boosting sales of other products, you will find that the industry starts to explore adapting things other than written media.
While we have previously covered anime that are full adaptations of light novel stories, anime that are full adaptations of manga stories, and anime that were fully original stories from the anime studio, there is one more realm to touch on – anime that is made out of everything else that are less simple to quantify as a “full adaptation”.
On this list of anime that was based on other media, we will cover anime made from, primarily, the following:
- Visual novels
- Video games
- Mobile games
- Mixed media
- Stage plays
For anime adapted from all these other media, it means you can find a product to enjoy after the anime, but it won’t be as simple as maybe just heading to one manga or light novel series. Furthermore, while there may be “more of the story” that you got in the anime to find in these other media, it is just as likely that the “other media” will just be telling the same story you saw in the anime.
What is Anime Based on Mixed Media?
The other items on the above bulleted list are all mostly self-explanatory, but mixed media seems like it might require some more explanation.
Mixed media-based series is not something unique to Japan, but they are just more upfront with giving it a label. The term “mixed media” is actually just what it sounds like – a setting, story, or characters that are used in a variety of media.
For anime based on mixed media, you will find the story or characters in a lot of different forms. It may have a video game, mobile game, music videos/songs, visual novel, manga, and/or light novel series all set in that world. The anime could be adapting the story of one of those, or it could simply be set in that world telling its own story. It is usually extremely difficult to “continue the anime story” in series based off mixed media, but not always impossible.
In mixed media-based anime, you also sometimes run into situations where the anime was the start of the mixed media project. Maybe it was an original story so popular they wanted to do more with it, but usually the anime is a planned start of a larger project that some company already has years of planned releases for.
What Does ‘Eroge’ Mean?
Alongside labeling what genre of video game that video game-based anime were adapting, you may also see some visual novel series with the ‘eroge’ label.
Eroge is the term used to label an erotic video game or visual novel in Japan. So what that means is that the visual novel will have sex scenes and/or provocative nudity. This label is somewhat important as many visual novel anime adaptations are very wholesome, never alluding to the romance leading to physical relations, and some fans may wish to know what they are getting into with their potential visual novel purchase.
It also should be said that not all visual novels are eroge, despite the frequency of the label on this list. So if you do not see the label on this list, there is no graphic nudity in the visual novel to my knowledge (i.e. I didn’t find an official eroge label for it).
Anime With Games, Visual Novels, or Other Media As a Source Material
I tried to add notes based on what information I could find or just already knew. There is definitely some gaps in my knowledge here, and if you think you have a pertinent note, leave a comment below.
| Series Title | Type | Additional Notes |
| .hack// | Video Game, RPG | //roots is a prequel to the //G.U. Games. //Sign is a prequel to Infection/Mutation/Outbreak/Quarantine games. Twilight is unrelated. |
| 100 Sleeping Princes and the Kingdom of Dreams (Yume Ōkoku to Nemureru 100-Nin no Ōji-sama) | Mobile Game | |
| 11eyes | Visual Novel, Eroge | Adapts the Sin, damnation and the atonement girl game story |
| 18if | Mixed Media | |
| 22/7 | Mixed Media | |
| A Bridge to Starry Skies (Hoshizora e Kakaru Hashi) | Visual Novel, Eroge | Adapts the Madoka main route with other characters routes thrown in. |
| A Good Librarian Like a Good Shepherd (Daitoshokan no Hitsujikai) | Visual Novel, Eroge | Adapts the main route with Sheep and shows the True End. |
| A3! | Mobile Game | |
| Ace Attorney | Visual Novel-style Adventure Video Game | Season 1 covers the first game and Justice for All, Season 2 covers Trials and Tribulations |
| Afterlost | Mobile Game | |
| Air | Visual Novel, Eroge | Crammed all routes into 12 episodes and made for a rushed, confusing anime. |
| Akaneiro ni Somaru Saka (AkaSaka) | Visual Novel, Eroge | |
| Akiba’s Trip | Video Game, Multiple Genres | Based on the story of the first game. |
| Alice Gear Aegis Expansion | Mobile Game | |
| Amagami SS | Visual Novel | Omnibus romance means they can and did do all routes, but did not adapt the true end of the VN. |
| Amnesia | Visual Novel | Think of the anime as a trailer for each boy’s route, and one that spoils the overall plot. |
| Angels of Death | Video Game, Adventure-Horror | Tells the same story as the game, but in a prettier package |
| Ao Oni | Video Game, Puzzle Survival | |
| Aokana – Four Rhythms Across the Blue (Ao no Kanata no Fō Rizumu) | Visual Novel, Eroge | Adds a bit of every romance route, but focuses more on the sport in the anime while the VN focuses more on romance. Masaya is the main character in the VN, not Asuka. |
| Ape Escape | Video Game, Platformer | Very loosely adapts the story of Million Monkeys, Ape Escape 3, and SaruSaru Big Mission |
| Arc the Lad | Video Game, Tactical RPG | Loosely adapts the story of Arc the Lad II |
| Arknights | Mobile Game | |
| Atelier Escha & Logy: Alchemists of the Dusk Sky | Video Game, RPG | Adapts the game of the same name story |
| Atelier Ryza: Ever Darkness & the Secret Hideout | Video Game, RPG | Adapts the game of the same name story |
| Atri – My Dear Moments | Visual Novel | Adapts the main story, including most of the true end |
| Ayakashi | Stage Plays | Anime has three stories. Two are stage plays, one is an original story. |
| Azur Lane | Mobile Game | |
| B-Project | Mixed Media | |
| Bakumatsu | Mobile Game | |
| BanG Dream | Mixed Media | |
| Battle Girl High School | Mobile Game | |
| Between the Sky and Sea (Sora to Umi no Aida) | Mobile Game | |
| Blade and Soul | Video Game, MMORPG | Pretty much a side story in the world of the MMO. |
| BlazBlue Alter Memory | Video Game, Fighting | Adapts the story of the Calamity Trigger and Continuum Shift games. |
| Blue Archive | Mobile Game | |
| Blue Dragon | Video Game, RPG | Adapts the story of the game of the same name loosely at first before fully diverging. |
| Blue Reflection Ray | Mobile Game | |
| Bonjour Sweet Love Patisserie (Bonjour Koiaji Pâtisserie) | Mobile Game | |
| Brighter Than the Dawning Blue (AKA Crescent Love) (Yoake Mae yori Ruriiro na) | Visual Novel | |
| Bungo and Alchemist: Gears of Judgment | Mobile Game | |
| Caligula | Video Game, RPG | Adapting the first The Caligula Effect game story. |
| Canaan | Visual Novel | Technically, its a sequel to the 428: Shibuya Scramble visual novel. |
| Canvas 2 | Visual Novel, Eroge | |
| Castlevania | Video Game, Horror Action-Adventure | Follows the story of Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse game. Adds in elements from Castlevania: Curse of Darkness in Season 2, uses Alucard’s backstory from Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. Nocturne more plays with Rondo of Blood characters than adapts the story. |
| Cerberus | Mobile Game | |
| Chain Chronicle | Video Game, Tower Defense RPG | Based on the Book 1 game story. |
| Chaos;Child / Chaos;Head | Visual Novel | Both anime are considered a very poor adaptation of the visual novels. |
| Cinderella Nine | Mobile Game | |
| Circlet Princess | Browser-based RPG | |
| Clannad | Visual Novel | Touches on all routes, but only explores romance with Nagisa. VN has far more story to explore. |
| Code: Realize | Visual Novel | Essentially summarizes the overall game story and the Lupin route. |
| Comic Party | Visual Novel, Eroge | Anime focuses on the doujinshi creating process and not so much on the romance that the VN focuses on. |
| Conception | Video Game, RPG | Adapts the first game’ story. |
| Corpse Party | Video Game, Adventure Horror | Quick summary of the first game’s story with a new ending. |
| Cue | Mobile Game | |
| Cyberpunk Edgerunners | Video Game, RPG | Tells a prequel story in the same world as the Cyberpunk 2077 game, but largely unrelated to the game story except for the aspects that the game patched in after the anime came out. |
| Cybuster | Video Game, Tactical RPG | Based on the Super Robot Wars games. |
| D_Cide Traumerei | Mixed Media | |
| D4DJ | Mobile Game | |
| Danganronpa | Visual Novel Game | Adapts the story of the first game, skips the second game, then tells an original sequel story that expects you to know things from the second game. |
| DC Da Capo | Visual Novel, Eroge | |
| Deep Insanity | Mixed Media | |
| Delico’s Nursery | Stage Play | The stage play and related TRUMP manga are unrelated to the anime in plot. It simply shares a world and characters. |
| Demonbane | Visual Novel, Eroge | Both the VN and its sequel have anime adaptations. The PS2 port of the first game is not an Eroge. |
| Devil May Cry | Video Game, Action | Original story set in between Devil My Cry and Devil May Cry 2 |
| Devil Survivor 2 | Video Game, Tactical RPG | Adapts the Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor 2 story |
| Diabolik Lovers | Visual Novel | Trying really hard to sell you a dating sim by giving brief samples of the routes. The game also gives the heroine a personality. |
| Diamond Daydreams (Kita e) | Visual Novel | Adapts the Diamond Dustdrops game, not the White Illumination game. |
| Dies Irae | Visual Novel | Adapts the Maria route. |
| Digimon | Mixed Media | |
| Disgaea | Video Game, Tactical RPG | Adapts Hour of Darkness story. |
| Divine Gate | Mobile Game | |
| Dolls’ Frontline (AKA Girls’ Frontline) | Mobile Game | |
| Dragon Quest | Video Game, RPG | Dragon Quest: Legend of the Hero Abel is loosely DQ3, Dragon Quest: The Adventure of Dai 1991/2020 was an original DQ-inspired manga, that got an anime, that got a reboot anime, that also got a game. |
| Dragon’s Dogma | Video Game, RPG | Not really adapting the story of the first DD game, but using elements from it. |
| Dramatical Murder | Visual Novel, Boy’s Love Eroge | The anime left out a lot of the gay 🙁 Sums up everyone’s route, but without any romance. Bad ends are featured in the OVA, though. |
| Dynamic Chord | Visual Novel | Seems to assume you know these characters already for as much as it tells you about them. |
| Ef: A Tale of Memories / Ef: A Tale of Melodies | Visual Novel, Eroge | Each couple gets their own story rather than the stories taking place concurrently like they do in the anime. |
| Engage Kiss | Mixed Media | |
| Ensemble Stars | Mobile Game | |
| Fate/Extra Last Encore | Video Game, RPG | Based on the Fate/Extra RPG |
| Fate/Grand Order | Mobile Game | |
| Fate/Stay Night | Visual Novel, Eroge | Fate Stay/Night 2006 anime is the Saber’s route, Unlimited Bladeworks is Rin’s route, Heavensfeel movies are Sakura’s route. |
| Final Approach | Visual Novel | |
| Fortune Arterial | Visual Novel, Eroge | |
| Gaist Crusher | Mixed Media | |
| Gakuen Heaven | Visual Novel | Covers the Kazuki route, but the anime is pretty tame on the boy’s love. |
| Ganbare Goemon | Video Game, Action-Adventure | |
| Gate Keepers | Video Game, Tactical RPG | |
| Kenka Bancho Otome: Girl Beats Boys | Visual Novel | Is non-committal to any romance option and the anime jumps all over the overall plot of the VN. |
| Girl Friend Beta | Mobile Game | |
| Girls Beyond the Wasteland (Shōjo-tachi wa Kōya o Mezasu) | Visual Novel | |
| God Eater | Video Game, Action RPG | Creates a MC for the anime, but otherwise tells a very condensed version of the first game. |
| Gift: Eternal Rainbow | Visual Novel, Eroge | |
| Granblue Fantasy | Video Game, RPG | Deviates from the game story at significant points in both seasons. |
| Green Green | Visual Novel, Eroge | |
| Grimms Notes | Mobile Game | |
| Gungrave | Video Game, Action | Loosely based on the first game’s story. |
| Gunparade March | Video Game, Tactical RPG | |
| Gunslinger Stratos | Video Game, Third-Person Shooter | |
| H2O Foot Prints in the Sand | Visual Novel, Eroge | The anime story gets very different from the visual novel. |
| Hakuoki | Visual Novel | |
| Happiness | Visual Novel, Eroge | |
| Haruka: Beyond the Stream of Time (Haruka Naru Toki no Naka de) | Visual Novel | |
| Hero Bank | Video Game, RPG | |
| High Card | Mixed Media | |
| Higurashi: When They Cry (Higurashi no Naku Koro ni) | Visual Novel | Adapts the story well enough overall. Higurashi Gou and Sotsu is and original anime stories that expand the lore. |
| Hiiro no Kakera | Visual Novel | Adapts the story of the first game while not committing to any romance route. |
| Himitsu no AiPri | Rhythm Arcade Game | |
| Hortensia Saga | Mobile Game | |
| Hyperdimension Neptunia | Video Game, RPG | The manga, light novels, anime, and games are all pretty disconnected. |
| I-Chu | Mobile Game | |
| Idol Time PriPara | Rhythm Arcade Game | |
| Idolish7 | Mobile Game | |
| In Search of the Lost Future (Ushinawareta Mirai o Motomete) | Visual Novel, Eroge | |
| Inazuma Eleven | Mixed Media | |
| Ingress | Mobile Game | |
| Island | Visual Novel | Condensed every route to rush through them. |
| Ixion Saga DT | Video Game, Multiplayer Action | Adapts the Ixion Saga game story |
| Izumo: Flash of a Brave Sword | Visual Novel, Eroge | Adapting the story of Izumo 2. |
| Kaginado | Based on Other Visual Novels | Kaginado is a crossover series for characters from Rewrite, Clannad, Kanon, Air, ect. Think Isekai Quartet, but Key VN properties. |
| Kakyuusei | Visual Novel | |
| Kamigami no Asobi | Visual Novel | The Kamigami no Asobi game, manga, and anime all end the core story differently. |
| KanColle (Kantai Collection) | Mobile Game | |
| Kanon | Visual Novel | 2006 anime > 2002 anime, but the 2006 anime does chop up many routes to create a more linear story rather than just adapting one. |
| Kemono Friends | Mixed Media | |
| KimiKiss Pure Rouge | Visual Novel | The anime split the main character into two characters to try to better cover all the girls’ routes. |
| Kiratto Pri Chan | Rhythm Arcade Game | |
| Koihime Muso | Visual Novel, Eroge | The anime story is quite different from the visual novel. |
| La Corda d’Oro | Visual Novel | Anime adapts the more linear and decisive manga story. |
| La Storia della Arcana Famiglia | Visual Novel | Anime ignored romance due to the multiple incest/large age-gap options, but otherwise summed up their character plots. |
| Lamune | Visual Novel, Eroge | Adapts the Nanami route. |
| Lapis Re:Lights | Mixed Media | |
| Last Period | Mobile Game | |
| Layton Mystery Detective Agency | Video Game, Puzzle | Adapting the Layton’s Mystery Journey: Katrielle and the Millionaires’ Conspiracy game story. |
| LBX Girls | Video Game, RPG Sim | Adapting the Soukou Musume game story. |
| Legend of Heroes: Trials of Cold Steel | Video Game, RPG | Set in between the Second and Third game in the Cold Steel line. |
| Legend of Himiko | Video Game, RPG | |
| Legend of Mana: The Tear Drop Crystal | Video Game, RPG | |
| Leviathan: The Last Defense | Mobile Game | |
| Lilpri | Arcade Game | |
| Little Busters | Visual Novel | Oddly paced anime tries to cram in many of the large number of routes, and fails pretty badly. |
| Lord of Vermilion | Arcade Game | |
| Love Get Chu | Visual Novel | |
| Love Live | Mixed Media | |
| Love, Election and Chocolate (Koi to Senkyo to Chokorēto) | Visual Novel, Eroge | |
| Lunar Legend Tsukihime | Visual Novel | Adapts the Arcueid route |
| Magatsu Wahrheit | Mobile Game | |
| Magia Record | Mobile Game | Magia Record spawned from Puella Magi Madoka Magica, which is an original story. |
| Magical Canan | Visual Novel, Eroge | |
| Mahjong Soul | Video Game, Mahjong | The game doesn’t have much story, so the anime made one. |
| Majikoi – Oh! Samurai Girls | Visual Novel, Eroge | Adapts pieces from some routes, but mostly anime-original. |
| Maple Colors | Visual Novel, Eroge | |
| Maplestory | Video Game, MMO | Freestyles its story since, at the time, the game didn’t have much of one. |
| Marginal Prince | Mobile Game | |
| Mashiroiro Symphony | Visual Novel, Eroge | Primarily the Miu route, but contents bits from other routes as well. |
| Medabots | Video Game, RPG | |
| Megaman | Video Game, Side Scroller Action | Covers the first three games of Battle Network, and mixes in parts of other games. |
| Meiji Tokyo Renka | Visual Novel | Adapts the overall story and strongly favors Ogai route. |
| Meine Liebe | Visual Novel | |
| Mekakucity Actors | Mixed Media | |
| Merc Storia: The Apathetic Boy and the Girl in a Bottle | Mobile Game | |
| Million Arthur | Mobile Game | |
| Moekan | Visual Novel, Eroge | |
| Momotaro Densetsu | Video Game, RPG | |
| Monster Hunter Stories: Ride On | Video Game, RPG | |
| Monster Rancher | Video Game, RPG Sim | Original story not following any specific game. |
| Monster Strike | Mobile Game | |
| Mr. Love: Queen’s Choice | Mobile Game | |
| Muv-Luv Alternative | Visual Novel | Adapts the Muv-Luv Alternative game story. Read the Muv-Luv Extra and Muv-Luv Unlimited VNs first if you want this anime story to make more sense. |
| Myself; Yourself | Visual Novel | Both Sana and Shuusuke are male protagonists in the VN. The game has two MC roles. Sana gets the Nanaka route, Shuusuke gets the Shuri route. |
| Mysteria Friends | Mobile Game | Mysteria Friends is a anime and manga spin-off of the Rage of Bahamut mobile game, which also has an entry on this list. |
| Nanatsuiro Drops | Visual Novel, Eroge | |
| Hourglass of Summer (Natsuiro no Sunadokei) | Visual Novel | |
| Nekopara | Visual Novel, Eroge | |
| Neo Angelique Abyss | Visual Novel | Adapts the Neo Angelique game story, but adds in a fair bit of anime-original characters and story. |
| Nier Automata | Video Game, Action RPG | Leaves parts out, changes events, but otherwise adapts the three playthroughs of the story. |
| Night Walker: The Midnight Detective | 16-bit Adventure Video Game, Eroge | |
| Night Wizard | Tabletop RPG | |
| The Scales of Nil Admirari (Nil Admirari no Tenbin) | Visual Novel | Mostly follows Akira’s route while speeding through the gist of the others. |
| Ninjala | Video Game, Multiplayer Action | |
| Nora, Princess, and Stray Cat (Nora to Ōjo to Noraneko Hāto) | Visual Novel, Eroge | |
| Norn9 | Visual Novel | |
| Ookami Kakushi | Visual Novel | Trying to compress all the routes into one anime storyline was unwise. It’s why the anime is super confusing. |
| Onigiri | Video Game, MMORPG | |
| Onimusha | Video Game, Action | Not related to any specific game story, just uses the concepts. |
| Otoboku: Maidens are Falling For Me (Otome wa Boku ni Koishiteru) | Visual Novel, Eroge | Follows both the Mariya and Takako routes with a vague Takako-esque ending. |
| PaRappa the Rapper | Video Game, Rhythm | When I say “boom, boom, boom”, you say “bam, bam, bam”! (The anime story is a prequel to the game story) |
| Pastel Memories | Mobile Game | |
| Persona 3, Persona 4, Persona 5 | Video Game, Tactical RPG | Compresses/omits the social link stories, but otherwise cover the overall stories of the games in summary. |
| Phantasy Star Online 2 | Video Game, MMORPG | Episode Oracle is the only anime that adapts the game story. The other series is anime-original. |
| Phantom: Requiem for the Phantom | Visual Novel | Based on the Phantom of Inferno visual novel. Changes several things, a injects a chunk of anime-original content, and freestyles the Cerulean Blue Sky ending |
| Photo Kano | Visual Novel | Six episodes to introduce people, then each girls’ route is an episode. |
| Planetarian | Visual Novel | The OVA adapts the VN story, the Planetarian movie with the more conclusive ending adapts a summary of the VN (and OVA) as well as the sequel light novel story as the ending. |
| Pokemon | Mixed Media | |
| Popotan | Visual Novel, Eroge | The anime plot is fully unrelated to the game. It just uses the characters. |
| Power Stone | Video Game, Fighting | Adapts the first game story, but changes quite a bit. |
| PrePara | Rhythm Arcade Game | |
| Pretty Rhythm | Rhythm Arcade Game | |
| Prince of Stride: Alternative | Mixed Media | |
| Princess Connect Re:Dive | Mobile Game | |
| Princess Lover | Visual Novel, Eroge | Adapts the main story without committing to romance. OVA is the Silvia route, though. |
| Prism Ark | Visual Novel, Eroge | Adapts the main story with a dash of Priecea route and an anime-original ending. |
| Puraore! Pride of Orange | Mixed Media | |
| Puzzle & Dragons | Mobile Game | |
| Qualidea Code | Mixed Media | |
| Queen’s Blade | Mixed Media | Started as a series of art books. |
| Rage of Bahamut | Mobile Game | |
| Ragnastrike Angels | Mobile Game | |
| Rail Romanesque | Visual Novel, Eroge | Adapts the Hachiroku route |
| Revue Starlight | Mixed Media | |
| Rewrite | Visual Novel | Season 1 tried to combine all the routes and was terrible. Season 2 adapted the Moon/Terra true route of the game and turned out much better, though too rushed. |
| Rio: Rainbow Gate | Pachinko Game | |
| Robotics;Notes | Visual Novel | |
| Rumbling Hearts (Kimi ga Nozomu Eien) | Visual Novel | Mixes in events from multiple routes, adapting no route faithfully or fully. |
| Sakuna – Of Rice and Ruin | Video Game, RPG | |
| Sakura Wars | Video Game, Tactical RPG | Adapts the Shin Sakura Wars game story. |
| Samurai Warriors | Video Game, Hack and Slash | Adapts the Samurai Warriors 4-II story. |
| Sands of Destruction | Video Game, RPG | |
| Scarlet Nexus | Video Game, Action RPG | Adapts the game story, but mostly summarizes the character stories. |
| School Days | Visual Novel, Eroge | The anime adapts all the bad ends all at once for the anime ending, which is fun. However, the visual novel is… so much more insane. |
| Sengoku Basara | Video Game, Hack and Slash | The anime doesn’t follow the story of any game. It just uses the characters. |
| Sengoku Collection | Mobile Game | |
| Sengoku Night Blood | Visual Novel | Basically just advertising all the cute boys whose routes you could do in the game, and never adapts on particular story. Sengoku Night Blood’s overall story outside of the boys is not robust in the game, and not robust as an anime plot either. |
| Sengoku Paradise Kiwami | Mobile Game | |
| Senran Kagura | Video Game Franchise, Genre-spanning | Season 1 is an adaptation of the Senran Kagura: Burst story, Season 2 is not a continuation, but is a sequel to the Senran Kagura: Peach Beach Splash game story. |
| Sentimental Journey | Visual Novel | Sentimental Journey is a dating sim. The anime explores the story of each girl in brief summary. |
| Seven Knights Revolution: Hero Successor | Mobile Game | |
| Shachibato President, It’s Time For Battle (Shachō, Batoru no Jikan Desu!) | Mobile Game | |
| Shadowverse | Mixed Media | |
| Shenmue | Video Game, Action-Adventure | Adapts the story of Shenmue 1 and Shenmue 2 |
| Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Children | Video Game, Tactical RPG | Adaptation of DemiKids: Light Version and Dark Version games, and changes many things. |
| Shining Hearts | Video Game, RPG | The anime is actually a sequel to the game. |
| Shining Tears X Wind | Video Game, RPG | Adapts the story of Shining Wind game, not the Shining Tears game. |
| Shinkyoku Sokai Polyphonica | Visual Novel | The 2009 anime is adapting the light novel story, not the game. The 2006 anime adapts the VN story, badly. |
| Shironeko Project: Zero Chronicle | Mobile Game | |
| Show By Rock | Mobile Game | |
| Shuffle | Visual Novel | Anime is a harem setup to nip pieces from all the routes of the various girls for the plot it mashed together. |
| Shukufuku no Campanella | Visual Novel | Does both Minette’s and Agnes’ routes at the same time. |
| Synduality Noir | Mixed Media | Created to promote Synduality: Echo of Ada, a game that is not yet out. |
| Smile of the Arsnotoria | Mobile Game | |
| Sonic X | Video Game, Platformer | First season was mostly original, but then following seasons adapted plot points from Sonic Adventure, Sonic Adventure 2 and Sonic Battle |
| Soul Link | Visual Novel | |
| Stand My Heroes | Mobile Game | |
| Star Ocean EX | Video Game, RPG | Adapting the story of the Star Ocean: The Second Story game |
| Starry Sky | Visual Novel | Pretty much just advertising boys to you by showing a super condensed version of every route. |
| Steins;Gate | Visual Novel | A good adaptation, but part of a larger VN franchise. |
| Street Fighter | Video Game, Fighting | Loosely adapts the Super Street Fighter II Turbo story. |
| Sukisho | Visual Novel | Visual novel is much darker than the anime would suggest. |
| Takt Op Destiny | Mixed Media | |
| Tales of Abyss | Video Game, RPG | Watered down version of the game story, but a full adaptation. |
| Tales of Eternia | Video Game, RPG | Not actually adapting the game story. Just using the characters. |
| Tales of Symphonia | Video Game, RPG | Super condensed story of the game. |
| Tales of Zestiria the X | Video Game, RPG | Expands on the story and changes it a bit, but it was fixing some problems with the game story. Also fully spoils Tales of Berseria with a single episode summary of it. |
| Tayutama: Kiss on my Deity | Visual Novel, Eroge | |
| Tears to Tiara | Visual Novel, Eroge | Adapts the Tears to Tiara: Garland of the Earth story |
| Tekken | Video Game, Fighting | Bloodlines loosely adapts the story of Tekken 3. The 1998 movie combines Tekken and Tekken 2. |
| The Fruit of Grisaia (Gurizaia no Kajitsu) | Visual Novel | Season 1 attempts to do all routes, rushing through many of them. Eden and Labyrinth adapt the second and third visual novels of the same name. |
| The Idolmaster | Video Game, Simulation | |
| The Promise I Made Over This Blue Sky (Kono Aozora ni Yakusoku o) | Visual Novel | |
| The Thousand Noble Musketeers | Mobile Game | |
| The Tower of Druaga | Video Game, Action RPG Puzzle | Both seasons adapt the story of the 1984 Tower of Druaga Namco arcade game. |
| The World Ends With You | Video Game, Action RPG | While overall a good adaptation, leaves out things that you will need to know to play the sequel game, NEO. |
| They are My Noble Masters (Kimi ga Aruji de Shitsuji ga Ore de) | Visual Novel | |
| To Heart | Visual Novel, Eroge | |
| Togainu no Chi | Visual Novel, Boy’s Love Eroge | The anime left out all the gay, and a lot of the gore. 🙁 Patches in pieces of multiple routes into an attempt at a linear story. |
| Tokimeki Memorial: Only Love | Visual Novel | |
| Tokyo Majin Gakuen Kenpucho | Visual Novel Game | A very loose adaptation of the first game, Tokyo Majin Gakuen Kenpucho. |
| Touken Ranbu | Mobile Game | |
| True Tears | Visual Novel | The only thing the anime has in common with the visual novel is the title. Different stories, different characters, same emotions. |
| Uma Musume | Mobile Game | |
| Umineko: When They Cry (Umineko no Naku Koro ni) | Visual Novel | Anime adapts half the visual novel, and does even that badly. |
| Uta no Prince-sama | Visual Novel | |
| Utawarerumono | Visual Novel | 2006 Anime adapts the Prelude to the Fallen game fairly well. False Faces anime adapts the Mask of Deception game, but changes the tone quite a bit. The games are more slice of life than war, but both anime series may lead you to believe otherwise. |
| Valkyria Chronicles | Video Game, Tactical RPG | Makes a number of changes to the story of the game in the anime adaptation. |
| Vampire Holmes | Mobile Game | |
| Venus Project: Climax | Visual Novel | |
| Viewtiful Joe | Video Game, Beat ’em Up | Loosely and quickly adapts the stories of both Viewtiful Joe and Viewtiful Joe 2. |
| Virtua Fighter | Video Game, Fighting | Loosely based on the Virtua Fighter 2 story. |
| Virus Buster Serge | Video Game, Adventure | Based on the Sega Saturn game, Virus. |
| W Wish | Visual Novel | |
| Wagamama High Spec | Visual Novel, Eroge | |
| Walkure Romanze | Visual Novel, Eroge | |
| We Without Wings (Oretachi ni Tsubasa wa Nai) | Visual Novel, Eroge | |
| White Album / White Album 2 | Visual Novel, Eroge | WA and WA2 follow different characters and stories set in the same universe. WA2 covers the introductory chapter story of the VN, but not the closing chapter. Intro and Closing are two separate games. (I can’t find anything on the original WA) |
| Wild Arms: Twilight Venom | Video Game, RPG | |
| Wind: A Breath of Heart | Visual Novel | |
| Xenosaga | Video Game, RPG | Adapts the story of the first Xenosaga game. |
| Xuan Yuan Sword Luminary | Video Game, RPG | Based on the Taiwanese game, Xuan-Yuan Sword – The Millennial Destiny |
| Yamibou | Visual Novel, Eroge | Anime story and game story are different, but the characters and relationships are the same. |
| Yokai Watch | Mixed Media | |
| Yosuga no Sora | Visual Novel, Eroge | Omnibus romance storytelling does all the routes. |
| YU-NO: A Girl Who Chants Love at the Bound of This World | Visual Novel | The anime is almost completely original content after Episode 5. |
Blue Dragon´s a loose adaptation at best, the stories FULLY diverge early on, with the anime explicitly being made for children. That´s why the protagonist was de-aged and the plot is heavily focused on an original female character who becomes the deuteragonist in an anime-only S2.
Only Persona 4´s main plot (original release specifically) gets coherently adapted into its anime (and manga). P3&5´s anime are comparable to the AV video summaries of anime on YT. Persona 5´s manga is a coherent adaptation though and ends up adapting Royal on top.