Within a hidden secret facility, horrible experimentation has been undergoing on a young girl named Lucy. Known as a Diclonius, Lucy was born with small horns protruding on her head and has strange psychic powers that the government wishes to harness for their own goals. However, Lucy has become slowly darkened by these experiments and one day lashes out by killing many in the facility and making an escape to the outside world. Though on the way out, Lucy is hurt badly and loses her memories before she ends up running into two students that decide to take her in. Kouta and Yuka wish to guard this seemingly child-like girl, unaware of the power she contains within herself.

Here at Honey’s Anime, we always begin our lists on a strong note. That’s why for the first show we wish to recommend to you readers for our 6 Anime Like Happy Sugar Life, we look at Elfen Lied. Known as a brutal series filled with people exploding and twisted—be prepared to hear this word a lot as it fits many of the series we will mention—themes, Elfen Lied is an older series with still a great animation style and story even 14 years after its conception. Those who love the seemingly happy family setting in Happy Sugar Life will love Elfen Lied as it does the same and then throws in dark murder/killings for good measure. Elfen Lied is violent, surreal and amazing and will be perfect for those who are dire need of dark anime like Happy Sugar Life.

Keiichi Maebara and his family have moved from the hustle and bustle of the city to a quaint town village far removed from society called Hinamizawa. Keiichi finds himself right at home in this small village as he quickly makes friends with other school mates like Rena, Satoko, Rika and Mion and even joins their strange club filled with silly punishments for those who lose games they play. However, unbeknownst to Keiichi, Hinamizawa isn’t as beautiful as it looks on the outside and deep in its history lies dark days that few wish to discuss. When Keiichi begins to stumble into this past, he learns that death surrounds Hinamizawa and now his so-called friends look less like friends and more like possible killers. Is Keiichi losing his mind and just imagining those close to him as threats or are they secretly killers longing to murder him the moment they get the chance? What is really going on in the town of Hinamizawa where once you enter…you rarely leave…

Horrific, filled with mystery and dark themes are just some of the ways we’d describe Higurashi no Naku Koro ni to a person who has never heard of it. Similar to Happy Sugar Life, Higurashi no Naku Koro ni is all about taking what looks like cute characters and making them into dark caricatures that kill one another in gruesome ways. We know that if you watch even one episode of Higurashi no Naku Koro ni and are already a fan of Happy Sugar Life you’ll be hooked and won’t be able to pull yourself away from the mysteries surrounding Keiichi and Hinamizawa. We fully recommend Higurashi no Naku Koro ni as we consider it one of our personal favorite series here at Honey’s Anime.

Loner Yukiteru Amano has found his life full of melancholy and strife thanks to his home life and lack of friends. Amano has only ever found solace in a so-called fictional being he created in his mind called Deus Ex Machina. However, one morning things change when Amano learns that Deus Ex Machina isn’t just something he created but an actual God who has found his days running out. In search of a replacement, Deus Ex Machina has selected Amano along with several others to participate in a deadly game where there can only be one winner. Each player is given a special power linked to their phones and must use these skills to eliminate one another to be granted a power unlike any other. The winner of this game will gain the right to be the world’s next God…

Happy Sugar Life and Mirai Nikki might be quite different in their stories, but ironically, these two anime are quite alike in numerous ways. Both Mirai Nikki and Happy Sugar Life contain characters that wish for nothing more to protect someone—in Mirai Nikki that would be Yuno Gasai who is famous on the internet—at any cost. These two shows also have some brutal elements thanks to their psychological natures and dark romance themes embedded within. Mirai Nikki is an excellent series and is filled with action, mature themes and yanderes alike. If you’re in need for a good series to watch while waiting for episodes of Happy Sugar Life to air then you won’t regret watching Mirai Nikki.

It all started innocently enough. High school student Makoto Itou fell in love with a girl he kept seeing on the train named Kotonoha Katsura. Unfortunately, Itou is too timid to approach this beautiful girl and decides to rely on a charm. The charm claims that if you take a picture of someone you love/like and set it as your wallpaper without it being found out, you’ll be guaranteed a successful romance. Though it doesn’t take long for Itou’s picture to be found out by a fellow classmate called Sekai Saionji and she decides to help Itou get closer to Katsura. Will Itou be able to finally fall in love in the prime of his school days?

Love is something that we quantify as beautiful, mysterious and sudden. It can make a person do amazing things for the one they desire but equally it can also lead to dark moments when love is unrequited or not taken in the way you expected it. Happy Sugar Life is the perfect example of this and so is the 2007 infamous anime series called School Days. Most viewers of School Days either love this dark romance for its normal beginnings to corrupt love story or they hate it for the same reason. We personally dig School Days as it’s just one of those series that hits you with constant surprises and keeps you guessing what will happen next. Give School Days a try if you’re loving Happy Sugar Life and need another romance that isn’t what you would consider normal.

Middle school should be a time of happy days and fun adventures, especially for young girls. However, two girls—Madoka Kaname and Sayaka Miki—find their lives set on a strange and dark course when they encounter a cat named Kyuubey and a transfer student named Homura Akemi joins the class. Kyuubey reveals himself to the girls as a magical being that is able to grant wishes if these two girls become what is considered magical girls. Homura warns Madoka and Miki to avoid this path in life, but their desire to have their wishes granted makes the two pay no heed to Homura. The beautiful days Madoka and Miki have known will now come to an end as they become magical girls and learn that path isn’t filled with rainbows and sunshine but death and horror…

Infamously known as one of the darkest series out there, Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica is considered the best altercation to the typical magical girl set up. Rather than focus on cute loli girls fighting evil villains, Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica is all about killing twisted amalgamations that only nightmares could conjure. Then add to it the brutality of young girls being forced into a death game and you have yourself a dark anime unlike any other. Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica is an excellent anime though and for those who enjoy Happy Sugar Life we know this magical girl series will be right along your alley. Just be warned that Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica isn’t for the faint of heart…though if you can stomach Happy Sugar Life you should be fine.

Since the early 70s, Yomiyama North Middle School has been plagued by a strange curse. Those who are enrolled in class 3-3 find themselves facing possible death after the roster of students becomes one more than it should be with no sign of the so-called extra student. It has been over 20 years since this strange curse and once more it begins when transfer student Kouichi Sakakibara joins class 3-3. Can Kouichi and a strange girl who is seen as the extra face this deadly event or will the class face death just like it has before in the past?

As we wrap up our 6 Anime Like Happy Sugar Life list, we wanted to end on an anime that has the same dark element in terms of ordinary characters dying in strange ways. Then it hit us out of nowhere! The series that mirrors Happy Sugar Life in that regard is Another which was based on a light novel that released a few years prior. Another is all about gruesome deaths, twisted revelations and mature themes making it a great series to check out for fans of Happy Sugar Life. Thus, if you haven’t already make sure to check out Another for a rather good horror anime that hits you with psychological themes and on-screen visuals.