Anime
Anime refers to movies and television shows in the Japanese animation style, which has achieved worldwide popularity. While anime encompasses a broad range of genres, many of the best-known examples are "shonen," shows aimed at young men focusing on action, battles, and games, and "shojo," targeting young women with themes of romance, relationships, and slice-of-life stories. Anime-inspired tabletop roleplaying games often have vibrant tones, heightened, even melodramatic emotions, and a thematic focus on teamwork, friendship, and growth. The works of Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli, action shows like Naruto and Dragonball Z, and magical girl adventures like Sailor Moon are frequently cited as inspirations for anime RPGs. Mecha anime featuring giant robots, like Gundam and Neon Genesis Evangelion, have even inspired entire subgenres of TTRPG! The relatively recent genre of isekai anime, in which the protagonist is transported to a fantasy world, is actually inspired by RPGs!
Popular Anime RPGs
Avatar Legends: The RPG
Avatar Legends: The Roleplaying Game brings you and your friends into the beloved setting of Avatar Legends—as new heroes of your own stories! Weave tales of self-discovery and action with your team of friends, and go penguin-sledding while you're at it! In this RPG, you might face off with the Triple Threat Triad in Republic City, travel through a spirit portal to rescue a missing child, negotiate peace between Earth Kingdom outlaws, pursue enemies through the Four Nations, and even learn a thing or two from beloved Avatar Legends characters.
Fabula Ultima
Fabula Ultima is a Tabletop Roleplaying Game inspired by Japanese-style console RPGs, or JRPGs. In Fabula Ultima, you and your friends will tell epic stories of would-be heroes and fearsome villains, set in fantasy worlds brimming with magic, wondrous locations, and uniquely bizarre monsters! This is a game about larger-than-life heroes and tragic antagonists. There is no predetermined plot, scenario, or "adventure", and the heroes' actions, motivations, and objectives will drive the story forward while the Game Master reacts to their choices and places obstacles on their path, often in the form of powerful villains with their own devious agendas, which will change time and time again as the protagonists manage (or fail) to thwart their plans.
Frequently asked questions about Anime
Blog links about Anime
Anime Reviews and Actual Plays
Dicebreaker Plays Animon Story
An actual play inspired by Pokémon and Digimon played with its designer.
The Lost Colony: Lancer Actual Play
Spellbook Gaming plays Lancer, a mecha-inspired tabletop roleplaying game.
Glitter Hearts at Indie Showcase 2020
Roll20's Indie Showcase highlights Glitter Hearts, a TTRPG inspired by magical girl anime like Sailor Moon.