Yuuna Yuuki lives heroically every day of her life as the president of the school’s Hero Club, which dedicates it’s time to helping others. Yet when the Hero Club is dragged into another world to fight off powerful beings called Vertexes, their level of heroism is about to go to a whole new level! Yuuna, her best friend Mimori Tougou, and Fuu and Itsuki Inubouzaki must become magical girls to defend their home. They must still go about their everyday lives of studying and club activities, but they now have to work together to fight off the Vertexes as well. Being a hero is not as easy as it seems, especially with their newfound powers. Will Yuuna and her friends be able to save themselves, even as they fight for humanity?

Yuuki Yuuna wa Yuusha de Aru has the same feel to it as Granbelm, especially in the desperation the characters feel as they fight to achieve their dreams. Yuuna also has many similarities to Mangetsu, as they are both protagonists who have a bright personality and try their best to support their friends, even as the world continues to get darker. While Yuuki Yuuna wa Yuusha de Aru doesn’t have the mecha element or the competition aspect, the girls in both shows go through difficult times, allowing audiences to relate to the characters from both series in a realistic manner.

The Magical Girl Raising Project is a popular social RPG for people to live as magical girls. For a few players, this dream is more real than for others, as some, like Koyuki Himekawa, are given a chance to compete as a magical girl in real life! However, this chance isn’t as pure-hearted as it seems, as the competition for the girls to keep their powers continues to get more dangerous. Koyuki and her fellow magical girls begin to see that their fight has become one where their very lives are at stake…

Just as Koyuki is fighting against the other magical girls, so too is Mangetsu; both girls are pushed into a desperate fight to keep their powers. Like Granbelm, Mahou Shoujo Ikusei Keikaku focuses on a battle royale fight between magical girls, all competing to be the sole owner of magic power. Despite the competitive nature of their relationship, all the girls involved in the battle share a sort of bond with their mutual desperation to win the fight.

Aya Asagiri is bullied every day at school and abused at home by her older brother, making her wish she could kill herself. One night, a strange website called Magical Girl Site appears on her computer and promises her magical power. Aya doesn’t think much of it, until she finds a magical gun in her locker at school! When her bullies attack her again, she uses the gun, which transports the bullies in front of a train to be run over. Aya struggles with what she has done, and must figure out the world of dark magic she has happened upon!

Mahou Shoujo Site encompasses the same kind of dark desperation as Granbelm, though the fight between the girls with powers from Magical Girl Site is more deadly. Aya and her fellow magical girls face off against one another, fighting one another and the very system that upholds the magic in their world. In comparison, Granbelm’s magical girls are still fighting for their dreams, though most of them are not quite as life-or-death as Aya and her comrades. Yet if you enjoy the competitive side of Granbelm’s battle royale nature, you will also enjoy watching magical girls face off against one another in Mahou Shoujo Site!

Legend states that when the Demon God arose, six heroes were called to fight by the Goddess of Fate, gifted with her power. As the revival of the Demon God is nigh, new heroes are called forth once more, chosen by the mark of the Braves of the Six Flowers, who were the heroes of old. Adlet Mayer is one of those chosen to be a part of the legendary heroes, along with Princess Nashetania Loei Piena Augustra. The two heroes set out to meet up with the others, but when they arrive, the group discovers that seven have gathered instead of six—and Adlet is suspected by the others of being the fraud!

Rokka no Yuusha is a well-paced story, with interesting characters whose motives become clearer over the course of the series as more mysteries become answered. This is quite similar to Granbelm, which allows time for each character’s story to be told and time for the unanswered questions to build in viewer’s minds. Mangetsu is a completely unknown figure for both viewers and the other magical girls, with her presence and power not certain. In much the same way, Adlet is unknown to the other heroes.

Strike Witches is set in an alternate version of World War II, where aliens known as Neuroi have come to attack humanity and poison the land. Though normal humans aren’t able to fight in the poisoned areas of miasma, witches are able to fight for humanity instead, using their own protective shields to attack and defend. With their powerful weapons ready to fight off the invaders, the 501st Joint Fighter Wing is set to defend the British Isles!

Strike Witches shares the idea of having magic-wielding women with Granbelm, as many of the other anime on our list do. Though Strike Witches has a more realistic feel to it, as it is set during WWII, the fantasy aspect comes in with the characters themselves and their unique abilities. Granbelm shares this element with Strike Witches, though it does a better job of showcasing the different abilities each character wields than Strike Witches does. That being said, if you want more of a loli-ecchi side of Granbelm, Strike Witches is a great alternative!

Tsubasa Kazanari and Kanade Amou are the duo known as Zwei Wing, using their songs to create powerful weapons or “symphogear” to fight off the alien invaders. During one of their concerts, an attack from these “Noise” invaders causes Kanade to sacrifice herself for a young girl named Hibiki Tachibana. Two years later, Hibiki is involved in another Noise attack when the power of Kanade’s symphogear awakens within her. Now, Tsubasa and Hibiki must learn to work together to fight off the threat to humanity!

Senki Zesshou Symphogear has the same feel to it as Granbelm, with two main girls in both series. Mangetsu and Hibiki are both the inexperienced newcomers blessed with incredible power, while Tsubasa and Shingetsu Ernesta Fukami are the powerful veterans taking these two under their wing. Both series also incorporate the blending of magic and mecha. Fans of Granbelm’s more unique combination of genres may also enjoy the way that Senki Zesshou Symphogear puts the idea to use.