Guilty Crown takes place in an alternate-reality version of our world in the near future. In the year 2029, on Christmas Eve in Japan, there is an outbreak of a biological pathogen referred to as the “Apocalypse Virus,” which plunged the nation into chaos. After requesting help from the UN and receiving assistance from a group known as the GHQ, the virus was contained and stability was established, at the cost of Japan’s sovereignty and independence.

Ten years later, a resistance organization known as the Funeral Parlor wage a covert war against the GHQ in order to liberate Japan. The story revolves around high school student Shu Ouma, who lives a relatively normal life until he encounters Inori Yuzuriha, a popular vocalist, and member of the Funeral Parlor. The encounter leads to his entanglement with the efforts of the resistance, and Shu’s exposure to a powerful genetic weapon synthesized from the virus known as the Void Genome. It grants him the ability to summon weapons that are physical manifestations of a person’s psyche, known as Voids. This power ensures Shu’s importance to the resistance, as he furthers their efforts and comes to understand the mysterious circumstances of the events surrounding the initial outbreak of the virus.

This show is a great fit for fans of Scared Riders XechS because it takes place in a futuristic world, and features a largely teenage cast fighting against tyranny. While there is plenty of dramatic action throughout, the story focuses largely on the romance that develops between Shu and Inori, and the chemistry between its main cast of characters.

Star Driver tells the story of a young man named Takuto, who washes ashore on the mysterious Southern Cross Isle after swimming into the sea from the mainland with no possessions. After discovering the island is inhabited, he enrolls in the Southern Cross High School and goes through the expected trials and tribulations of a freshman in a new school.

However, the island holds a mysterious secret. Underneath the school grounds are a group of otherworldly giants called Cybodies, which can be controlled by human thought in an alternate dimension known as Zero Time. It isn’t long after this discovery that Takuto finds himself at odds with a shadowy group with a sinister plan to break the seals placed on the island and use the Cybodies on the rest of the world. It’s up to this pretty boy, and the other attractive members of the Midnight Flight drama club to get to the bottom of everything.

This show also has plenty in common with Scared Rider XechS, and should be easy to get into for any fan. The sci-fi plot is propelled by its cast, comprised of incredibly attractive teens who must balance their school life, as well as their budding relationships, with the very real threat facing them. Rounding it out is a nice dose of action, making it appealing for a variety of audiences.

Bakumatsu Rock is set in Japan’s “Bakumatsu Era,” which signified the end of the Shogunate’s control and hearkened in the Meiji Restoration. However, the Tokugawa Shogunate isn’t willing to go down without a fight, so to speak, and uses the handsome members of the Shinsengumi to subjugate and control the populace through their good looks and iconic songs, turning them into pop stars of the era. Their songs called “Heaven’s Songs,” are the only music that the citizens are allowed to enjoy, and performance of any other type of music is a capital offense punishable by death.

This status quo is challenged by Ryouma Sakamoto, who has a passion for music and dreams of casting off the chains of oppression and becoming a famous rock and roll star. Along with Shinsaku Takasugi and Kogoro Katsura, he creates a traveling band, and their journey to find a venue for their passionate art form might just be a bit more than they bargained for.

Another anime based off of a game, this show has a lot in common with Scared Rider XechS. While it is a blend of genres, featuring elements of history, action, comedy, and romance, the over-the-top handsome rockers of both Sakamoto’s band and the Shinsengumi are the heart of the show and their journey to find acceptance as rockers are tons of fun.

Seiso Academy is a school that caters to the musically inclined as well as general students looking to excel in their studies. One such student, Kahoko Hino, is a lover of music who never picked up an instrument, and couldn’t carry a tune in a bucket. That changes after a fateful run-in with Lili, a fairy who gifts Kahoko with a magical violin that allows her to play any songs she truly loves, and she agrees to enter the school’s highly competitive musical tournament, the Concours. Many of the school’s most talented musicians bare their souls during the performance, which leads Kahoko to question the legitimacy of her entry into the contest, and her resolve to win.

Based off an Otome game of the same name, La Corda D’Oro is another musically focused, somewhat fantastical show that fans of Scared Rider XechS are sure to enjoy. The students of the school are classically Otome attractive, and during their time in the competition, they develop varying relationships with Kahoko, as she learns what’s actually important to her, and the true value of music.

Based off of a popular Otome game series, Uta no Prince-Sama tells the story of Haruka Nanami, a girl with a passion for music who is also a head-over-heels idol fan girl. Haruka is a girl with dreams of composing music, especially for the idol she reveres, Hayato Ichinose.

In hopes of achieving her dreams, she enrolls in Saotome Academy, a prestigious performing arts school. If she is successful at school, she’ll get a head start on rocketing forward in her career. Much to her dismay, she finds out that the students are more than they seem; extremely competitive and eccentric, the staff and student body are comprised of aspiring composers, would-be (and actually are!) idols, famous singers, and more. Although romance is strictly prohibited, the beautiful young men that attend Saotome can’t help but enchant Haruka, as she works hard to achieve her dreams.

Like other entries on the list, the series blends elements of comedy, romance, and music to make an appealing viewing experience for fans of Scared Rider XechS. While the show doesn’t contain any of the action elements fans might be used to, the colorful cast of characters and the comedic romance centered around Haruka’s endeavors should be more than enough to draw you in.

In search of her missing father, Chizuru Yukimura takes a trip to Kyoto to search for news of his whereabouts. On the way, she is attacked by men who are mercilessly dispatched by seemingly mindless killing machines, Rasetsu, who are defeated by Hajime Saito, a skilled member of a band of brave swordsmen, the Shinsengumi.

After Chizuru is taken back to the Shinsengumi headquarters, she learns the mysterious truth surrounding her father. A famous practitioner of western medicine, he was commissioned by the Bakufu to create the “Water of Life,” an elixir that bestows those who drink it with superhuman physical attributes, usually at the cost of their sanity. She agrees to assist the Shinsengumi in their efforts to contain the Rasetsu, as their path leads them into increasing danger.

Another fantastical history mash-up based off of an Otome game, Hakuoki (and its bevy of sequels) has much to offer fans of Scared Rider XechS. From the action-based plot that revolves around a central female character, and a supporting cast of bishonen men with whom she develops relationships, the show is an excellent balance for fans of the genre.