Rintaro Okabe is a self-proclaimed “mad-scientist” who, after a series of mysterious events, somehow discovers time travel. Although it seems like a dream come true for Okabe and his friends at first, things suddenly get out of hand as Okabe goes back in time to help fulfill his friend’s desires. With Okabe being the only one that remembers everything after each trip, he soon realizes that he’s the only one that can return things back to the way they were…

Steins;Gate and Chaos;Head will already share a similar feeling as both were originally visual novels made by the same studio. However, even though Steins;Gate is more about time travel as opposed to illusions, the overall plot is very similar. Both of the stories start out with the main character doing their own thing until they chance upon the scene of a murder, at which point things they never thought were possible turn out to be true as multiple girls they’ve never met before somehow become involved. By the time their respective stories end, both Takumi and Okabe have come a long way from where they’ve started. If you’re a fan of Chaos;Head’s overarching plot structure from beginning to end, Steins;Gate is certainly an anime with a similar feel despite different content.

Lain Iwakura is one of many girls to receive a disturbing email from her classmate Chisa Yomoda, who had recently committed suicide. Despite struggling with basic technology, Lean is somehow sent straight into the Wired, or internet, after opening the email. As Lain begins to encounter mysteries and witness men in black appearing wherever she goes, her life begins to become stranger and stranger, resulting in Lain struggling to separate what is real and what is not…

Despite how old this anime may be, it certainly holds up as a psychological thriller. Even though there are differences with Chaos;Head in terms of character archetypes, the biggest similarity revolves around the idea of an illusionary world and questioning reality. If you appreciated the setting up of an illusion that leaves you questioning what’s going on, Serial Experiment Lain has both the plot and the suspenseful moments to keep you engaged.

Yukiteru Amano spends a lot of time writing in his diary and conversing with who he perceives to be his imaginary friends. Naturally, these friends turn out to be the God of Time and Space and his servant, and Yukiteru is soon forced into a battle royale with 11 other contestants, each of them possessing a unique and dangerous diary that can be used to kill the other contestants. With the winner becoming the new God of Time and Space, Yukiteru must figure out a way to eliminate the other 11 contestants before one of them eliminates him…

The Future Diary excels in both suspense and keeping you on your toes in terms of expecting what’s going to happen next, something Chaos;Head also does. Both also have a similar feel in terms of the main character being introverted, questioning the new reality that’s been presented before them, and dealing with the art of murder. Both also feature the main female protagonists having pink hair. If you liked the mystery murder aspect of ChaosHead and would like to see it amplified, then The Future Diary has plenty in store.