Kamisama no Memochou follows high school student Narumi Fujishima, who has never been a very typical young man. And when he meets Alice, a young NEET woman who lives above a ramen shop, his life becomes even more ridiculous. Being a NEET doesn’t mean you're doing nothing all day; quite the contrary. Alice is a hacker and a private detective, and she hired Narumi as part of her “elite force” to do her investigating. And they don’t just take on low profile assignments. Narumi finds himself facing down drug lords, murderers, and ruthless gangs working for Alice!

Kamisama no Memochou brings the lead characters across the paths of many gangs in their investigations. And with an interesting cast of characters, it’s fun to watch. Alice may seem like just a cute girl with an army of stuffed animals, but Kamisama no Memochou is actually full of excitement and violence. It’s a different side of the usual NEET anime, with a lot of real action. The gangs in the anime help bring excitement and mystery to the story and keep the anime gripping for audiences to enjoy. Gangs may not be at the centre of Kamisama no Memochou (unless you count Alice’s “gang” of investigators!) but they definitely keep the story exciting.

Jormungand is the story of Jonah Mar, a former child soldier who hates weapons. But when he is hired by an arms dealer named Koko Hekmatyar as a bodyguard, he is forced to be a soldier once more. Koko has a dream of creating world peace through her illegal arms dealing and travels the globe pursuing her dream. But the CIA is always following her, along with countless enemies that want to stop her weapon trading and mission. Jonah has his work cut out for him serving as a guard to her against enemies around the world.

Jormungand isn’t your typical gang anime; rather than a mafia group or street gang, it follows an illegal weapons dealing group. They still operate outside of and under the law, playing by their own rules and trying to change the world in the way they want to shape it. And they’re always in the run from government authorities, assassins, competitors, and more. Thus this group of people has become very close to one another as they fight to pursue their goals that outsiders may not understand. Jormungand is a different take on the idea of a gang anime and something refreshing to watch if you want a bit of change!

Dogs: Bullets and Carnage is set in a dystopian city in Europe that has extended underground into a sprawling subterranean metropolis. Crime, genetic manipulation, and more have become commonplace in the world. But there are secrets in the lowest levels, secrets to the past and a world that has been otherwise forgotten. Four people brought together by coincidence, or perhaps fate, all travel downwards to try to find answers about their own past. The road will be anything but easy though in a city as brutal and unforgiving as this.

Dogs: Bullets and Carnage is set in a lawless, crime-ridden future full of gang violence and scientific experimentation. In a world run by criminals, gangs have a lot of power. And they’re important to set up the atmosphere and tone that make Dogs: Bullets and Carnage interesting. It’s not a long anime with only four 15 minute episodes, but they’re packed full of violence and action (if you couldn’t already guess from the title). For anyone who is looking for a gang anime but doesn’t necessarily want the commitment of a long show, Dogs: Bullets and Carnage can definitely make for an exciting evening.

Baccano! is a story about a lot of different events happening simultaneously across 1930s America. At first, these events seem unrelated to one another, but as the bigger story comes together they are all connected. The main characters are would-be thieves Isaac and Miria, who are the connecting points between these stories of alchemy, mafia wars, and a quest for immortality. Everyone’s relationships will be forged and tested, and lives will be put on the line before everything is said and done.

Baccano! creates the perfect setting for gangs and gang warfare. There are many different mafia groups at war with one another fighting for money and influence, and that war sets the backdrop for the anime. Baccano! is full of non-stop action and violence, and is overwhelming and in-your-face from episode one. It’s a wild ride for fans of violent mafia in anime, and a fun story about how so many seemingly unconnected events are all part of the same big story. Baccano! can keep the attention of anyone with its fast pace and constantly changing the story.

Rokurou Okajima begins Black Lagoon as a businessman who is tired of the monotony of his job. He quickly snatches up the chance to take a business trip to Thailand when the opportunity comes up and travels to the lawless and corrupt city of Roanapur. His entire life gets turned upside down when he’s kidnapped by a local gang called Black Lagoon, who tries to hold him as a hostage for negotiations. When the negotiations fail, Rokurou is abandoned by his company. And without anywhere else to go, he joins Black Lagoon! Going from a businessman to a criminal isn’t exactly easy, though.

Black Lagoon is a gang anime on a large scale; Roanapur is controlled by crime and gangs, after all, and while the anime travels across the world Roanapur is the main setting. It’s an interesting look into the morality shift that Rokurou faces as he descends into Black Lagoon and changes from a businessman to a gang member. Black Lagoon poses a lot of moral questions and spends quite a bit of time in the morally grey area, exploring what it means to be a criminal in a city run by crime. It’s full of action and excitement, car chases, and plenty of gunfights and brawls. Black Lagoon will definitely get your blood pumping!

Gangsta. is set in the fictional city of Ergastulum, which is a haven for criminals and mobs. It’s also been a safe place for people called Twilights, who are born with supernatural powers due to a special drug. Nicolas and Worick are known in the city simply as the Handymen; they clean up what needs cleaning up, and are available for hire by whoever will pay them. That includes both the police and the local gangs. Things start to get more complicated when a prostitute named Alex joins their ranks as they fight to protect her. And then when a new group comes to try to wipe out the Twilights, the city is thrown into an all-out war.

Ergastulum is the perfect setting for a gang anime; it’s a criminal’s paradise, and decrepit, dirty, and corrupt. There are plenty of gangs around fighting for power and using Twilights as muscle, and the main characters regularly do jobs either for the gangs - or in direct opposition to them. That means there is plenty of storyline revolving around these gangs. Gangsta. has surprisingly deep and complex characters and relationships despite not being very long, and still has plenty of time for great action and witty humour. It will test all of your emotions with its twists and turns on a ride through this dark underworld of a city.

Hinamatsuri begins with Nitta, a member of the yakuza. His life is turned upside down when he’s suddenly hit on the head by a strange box. When he opens it, he finds a mysterious girl inside! This girl, named Hina, has amazing supernatural powers. The downside is that if she doesn’t use them regularly, she will go crazy and destroy everything. Nitta knows he has to find an outlet for her abilities so she doesn’t use them on him, and has a great idea. Why not use her powers to help him with what he has to do for the yakuza? What could possibly go wrong?

Hinamatsuri is a gang anime about the yakuza. It’s more light-hearted than most of the other anime on our list of the best gang anime; it’s actually quite funny, and more of a slice of life than a violent action anime. The story is really good, with well-developed characters and an intriguing plot. Using a strange girl’s telekinetic powers to help the yakuza is a unique idea! And Hinamatsuri delivers it well. If you’re interested in watching a gang anime but don’t want a lot of gratuitous violence, Hinamatsuri is a good balance between humour, action, and feelings - and a touch of sci-fi, too!

Angelo Lagusa was just a child when he witnessed his entire family murdered in front of him by the Vanetti mafia family in 91 Days. He leaves his hometown of Lawless and even his name behind, becoming Avilio Bruno. After he grows up, he returns to Lawless to finally get the vengeance he seeks. Slowly, Avilio hunts down all the people responsible for his family’s death and kills them himself. Using all of his skills, he secretly befriends the Vanetti don’s son Nero as well to get closer and closer to the total revenge that he seeks.

91 Days is set in the Prohibition era, creating the perfect background for gangsters and mafia. After all, everyone is trying to profit off of selling illegal alcohol, and that profit is worth killing over. Add into that mix Avilio’s lust for revenge and well. You’ve got yourself a great gang anime! Since 91 Days is about the mafia, it’s not messing around with small-time street gangs. It goes right to the top with a long-running mafia family and all of the excitement and luggage that goes along with that sort of story. 91 Days is full of shootouts and violence with a great story to boot.

K is about a world where people with supernatural powers called “Kings” control clans of people beneath them. And these different clans do not always get along. When a Red Clansman is brutally murdered, high schooler Yashiro Isana is blamed for the death. On the run, he tries to prove his innocence. But at the same time, gaps begin to appear in his memories and his friends question if he is even real or not. Is it all part of some greater conspiracy? And how will it affect all of the Kings?

K is a gang anime that is more about fantasy and the supernatural than anything real - and that’s what makes it fun! These aren’t your typical street gangs, mafia, or yakuza this time. Rather, the gangs in K are the clans that are controlled by the Kings. They are even colour coordinated! And these clans don’t get along well, leading to war between the opposing Kings. If fantasy is more your style but you still want to watch a gang anime, K is the perfect fit. It’s extremely popular for a reason.

Durarara!! is set in the Tokyo neighbourhood Ikebukuro, and while for the most part, it’s an accurate representation of the area, it does have a few...adjustments. For one, there is the supposedly headless motorbike rider that is spotted regularly around Ikebukuro, but no one knows the truth about. There’s also a mysterious group of people called the Dollars that are causing quite a stir between the two established gangs in the area. Mikado Ryuugamine is thrown right into the thick of things when he moves to Ikebukuro, making friends and enemies, and discovering all the strange quirks the city has. And maybe he’s more connected to what’s going on that he originally appears to be...

Durarara!! is an anime mostly about gangs. Sure, there are supernatural elements and side stories about the headless rider and more, but they all go back to the gangs in the end. The Yellow Scarves and Blue Squares are more traditional gangs, with the members connected to certain colours and well known around the neighbourhood. They are always fighting for their turf. What keeps things interesting is when the Dollars show up. They’re a more clandestine gang that no one knows the leader of, unconnected to any colour and mysterious in membership. Durarara!! presents a gang anime is a new way and with so many stories and characters that in the end are all tied in together with the gang war that you’re kept on the edge of your seat.