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Classroom of the Elite poster

Shows that feel likeClassroom of the Elite (2017–)

Kiyotaka Ayanokouji enrolls at the prestigious Tokyo Koudo Ikusei Academy, but is assigned to Class 1-D, where students with behavioral problems are housed. The school awards points equivalent to 100,000 yen per month and allows unusual freedom in classes, masking a more complex system.

If you loved Classroom of the Elite, the closest series we have are Kakegurui (2017), The Apothecary Diaries (2023) and BEASTARS (2019). All three share Classroom of the Elite's contemplative and twisty feel, which is what we rank on before quality.

Seen the big three already? The under-the-radar pick below is The Chestnut Man (2021).

12 of 12 streaming nowNetflix · Amazon Prime Video · Hulu
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If Classroom of the Elite hit the spot, these will too

Kakegurui poster
Kakegurui
2017–2019 · 2 seasons · MBS
★ 7.1animation · mystery · crimeNetflix

Two things both keep coming back to: school and based on manga

The difference: Sits closer to crime than Classroom of the Elite does

Run by a corrupt and sadistic school council, the “system” at Hyakkaou is based on gambling, with losers who cannot cover their debts being demeaned by their peers and forced to serve their debtholders. And if that’s not terrifying enough, some games can result in losing an eye, one’s fingernails, or even their life! But the system is shocked when transfer student Yumeko Jabami arrives. Dark, mysterious and attractive, she’s a wildcard who plays for the thrill of it…

The Apothecary Diaries poster
The Apothecary Diaries
2023– · 1 season · Nippon TV
★ 8.6animation · drama · mysteryNetflixHulu

One thread runs through both: anime

Maomao lived a peaceful life with her apothecary father. Until one day, she's sold as a lowly servant to the emperor's palace. But she wasn't meant for a compliant life among royalty. So when imperial heirs fall ill, she decides to step in and find a cure! This catches the eye of Jinshi, a handsome palace official who promotes her. Now, she's making a name for herself solving medical mysteries!

BEASTARS poster
BEASTARS
2019–2026 · 3 seasons · Fuji TV
★ 7.6animation · drama · mysteryNetflix

The same preoccupation in both: survival

In a world where beasts of all kinds coexist, a gentle wolf awakens to his own predatory urges as his school deals with a murder within its midst.

Toilet-Bound Hanako-kun poster
Toilet-Bound Hanako-kun
2020–2025 · 2 seasons · TBS
★ 7.5animation · mystery · sci-fi & fantasyHulu

Both keep coming back to the same thing: school

The difference: Easier on the stillness than Classroom of the Elite

To be united with her crush, a hopeless romantic summons the ghost in the girls' bathroom at her school. But she's shocked when the ghost is a boy!

One of Us Is Lying poster
One of Us Is Lying
2021–2022 · 2 seasons · Peacock
★ 6.9drama · mysteryPeacock

Contemplative and twisty in the same breath

The story of what happens when five high schoolers walk into detention and only four make it out alive. Everyone is a suspect, and everyone has something to hide.

The Chestnut Man poster
The Chestnut Man
2021–2026 · 2 seasons · Netflix
★ 7.6drama · crime · mysteryNetflix

Common ground: psychological

At a grisly murder scene sits a figurine made of chestnuts. From this creepy clue, two detectives hunt a killer linked to a politician's missing child.

The Boarding School: Las Cumbres poster
The Boarding School: Las Cumbres
2021–2023 · 3 seasons · Prime Video
★ 6.5drama · mysteryPrime Video

Drama built on stillness, twice over

In an inaccessible place between the mountains and isolated from the world, a school is located next to an old monastery. The students are rebellious and problematic young people who live under the strict and severe discipline imposed by the center to reintegrate them into society. The surrounding forest is home to ancient legends, threats that are still valid and that will immerse them in terrifying adventures.

The Watcher poster
The Watcher
2022– · 1 season · Netflix
★ 6.5drama · mysteryNetflix

Twisty mystery, and it commits to that

Ominous letters. Strange neighbors. Sinister threats. A family moves into their suburban dream home, only to discover they've inherited a nightmare.

Girl from Nowhere poster
Girl from Nowhere
2018–2021 · 2 seasons · Netflix
★ 7.6drama · mystery · crimeNetflix

Both are built on the same subject: bullying

A mysterious, clever girl named Nanno transfers to different schools, exposing the lies and misdeeds of the students and faculty at every turn.

Outer Banks poster
Outer Banks
2020–2026 · 5 seasons · Netflix
★ 7.5action & adventure · mysteryNetflix

Animation with a pulse of twists, in both cases

The difference: Takes it somewhere less contemplative than Classroom of the Elite does

On a North Carolina island of haves and have-nots, John B and his tight-knit crew of friends find mystery and adventure while hunting for lost treasure.

ERASED poster
ERASED
2016 · 1 season · Fuji TV
★ 8.4animation · drama · mysteryHulu

Both are built on the same subject: based on manga

Satoru Fujinuma is a struggling manga artist who has the ability to turn back time and prevent deaths. When his mother is killed he turns back time to solve the mystery, but ends up back in elementary school, just before the disappearance of his classmate Kayo.

Monster poster
Monster
2004–2005 · 1 season · Nippon TV
★ 8.8animation · drama · mysteryNetflix

The same preoccupation in both: anime

Kenzou Tenma, a Japanese brain surgeon in Germany, finds his life in utter turmoil after getting involved with a psychopath that was once a former patient.

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The best-reviewed series that share Classroom of the Elite’s defining feeling.