Lookism leaves no stone unturned in bringing forth the dark aspect of school life in the form of bullying and illogical ways of gaining popularity. The main character Park Hyung who was the subject of bully due to his ugly look becomes popular with his overnight transformation. The superficial idea of beauty and judging the silent people are well exposed in the story. However, the theme is used several times and in several ways. Here are the TOP 20+ BEST Anime & Manga Like Lookism recommendation lists for all Lookism fans.
All the works added to the list question or deal with different aspects of bullying and discrimination in school life. The stories in the manga and anime have also touched upon the psychological impact of a heinous practice of school life that ruins several individuals. Lookism was a fairly milder take on the topic the list has some dark and troubling tales too.
Anime Recommendations Like Lookism
Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation
This is an anime just like Lookism. The anime is about a 34-year-old recluse who had been bullied all his life. He tries to become the heroic main character we all love but ends up dying in a tragic accident. But his destiny gives him a second chance when he wakes up in another world as Rudeus. Carrying the impressions of memories from his past life he quickly adapts to the environment and displays his talents. Because he is having the mind of an adult he knows his way out and wants to become something he had wished to be in his traumatic past life.
Kiss Him, Not Me!
Another anime like Lookism with the transformation trope. Devoted Otaku Kae Serinuma triggers her journey toward beauty. This BL-obsessed girl witnesses the death of her favorite character in the show and stops taking her meals for weeks. With the loss of appetite and the sadness of not being able to see her favorite character on screen again, she becomes strikingly beautiful as she loses weight. And ends up catching the eye of everyone. Just like Lookism, looks of Kae bring her to the center of the attention of guys in her school. Now she has to unwillingly hide her BL-obsessed self and deal with the attention.
Masamune Kun’s Revenge
An anime that looks straight up like Lookism in another world is Masamune-kun’s Revenge. Masamune Makabe is the loser hero who is chubby and nicknamed piggy for the same reason. After being brutally rejected by somebody loved he begins the journey of transformation to take his vengeance. Masamune exacts his revenge by making that girl fall in love with him after becoming handsome and plans to break her heart when she falls for him. The story of the main character going from fat to fab makes this anime like Lookism.
Welcome to the N.H.K.
Welcome to the N.H.K. Recounts the story of a 22-year-old college dropout Tatsuhiro who has been hikikomori for some years of his life. The isolation has led him to believe that his present condition is part of a conspiracy. To change his life he meets the mysterious girl Misaki who is his hope to turn the course of his reclusive life. The anime is filled with the psychology of hikikomori and provides a great psychoanalysis of how the minds of recluse people work.
Bottom Tier Character Tomozaki Kun
Tomozaki has the resemblance of MC from Lookism due to his loser image. Tomozaki as the title of the anime suggests is unpopular Ant lacks communication skills. But the lesson is that he is an approved video gamer. Hinami is the girl who knows life better than Tomozaki does. The influence of this girl helps some understand his way into the life of others. The story transforms a loser character into a lovable hero. Just like Lookism, the main character gets his deserved love from the crowd.
Romantic Killer
Romantic Killer is the reverse harem anime like Lookism. The anime tells the story of high schooler Anzu who loves to play video games and binge on snacks. Her perfect life is turned upside down when she is transported to an alternate reality and surrounded by boys. The introverted main character decides to make friends in the new world and escape to her old world from this mess of sociable people.
Kokoro Connect
Kokoro Connect is the story of students who make their own space in the form of a school club when they cannot find a match in the existing ones. These individuals mysteriously switch bodies with one another and get to know a lot about each other. The supernatural phenomena trigger overnight change in the bonds and positions of the students in each other’s life just like it happens in the life of Hyung Suk of Lookism.
Accel World
The next recommendation on the list brings the focus of the viewers onto the issue of bullying. Accel World works on the thematic scheme of seclusion by bullying as seen in Lookism. Haryuki who is marked for being fat and ugly like Park Hyung of Lookism finds peace in the world of video games. He joins the MMORPG virtual world of Accel and defeats people to emerge stronger even if it happens in the game world.
Flowers of Evil
Takao is a high school student who is fascinated by the poetry of poet Charles Baudelaire. The story of his troubled school life begins when he is blackmailed by one of his classmates who is a social outcast. The main character faces traumatic experiences as he is constantly blackmailed as the bully drives him into the dark fantasy of spiraling negativity.
Classroom of Elite
Classroom of Elite begins with presenting the facade of utopia in the form of Koudo Ikusei High School. But the unparalleled word of freedom is tainted by the discrimination of students. Class D students are considered to be the dump of the school. One of the talented students Suzune is placed among these students and desires to get her way back to Class A. In the course of her journey, she wants to climb up the ranking system in the cutthroat competition that prevails despite all odds. She desires to become popular contrary to her unsociable self just like it happens in Lookism.
Charlotte
Charlotte is the anime that only takes in the concept of being popular. Like Lookism in Charlotte, teenagers can manifest superhuman abilities after reaching puberty. High school boy Yuu games the ability to possess people for some seconds. It’s up to the boy to use these powers in the correct way alongside enjoying the privilege of having an edge over other people.
Manga Recommendations Like Lookism
I Got a Cheat Skill in Another World and Became Unrivaled in The Real World, Too
isn’t that a fairly long title for a manga? Well, the list of scars and wounds that Yuuya Tenjou receives while getting bullied is even longer. This usual high school boy is the subject of harsh bullying and lives in his grandfather’s place. One day while cleaning around the house he finds some strange objects gathered by his grandfather and gets transported into a strange world. On the other side of the door was something that would change his life forever. To find out what that thing was, read the manga.
A Silent Voice
Popular manga A Silent Voice is the twisted story of mischievous elementary school student Shouya Ishida who travels with the deaf transfer student Shouko. Troubled by the constant bullying the girl transfers to another school and the class puts the blame for the mischief solely upon Shouya and he becomes the next target for bullying. Regretting his past actions and being in the shoes of Shouya when he meets her after five years he tries to amend his mistakes.
Holyland
This is an underrated gem manga that delineates the idea of bullying in society. Holyland is the story of Yuu Kamishiro finding a difficult to fit into society. He is bullied by his peers at the school up to the level that he stops going to school and rooms around the streets. The main character learns the art of fighting while roaming around on the streets and defending himself against the street thugs. Miraculously becomes popular as he wins the title of the Thug Hunter.
Gekiryuuchi
Kei from Gekiryuuchi is the target of daily in his high school life. He has no want to back him up including his classmates, teachers, and his parents too. Pushed to the limit of taking his own life to end this nightmare Kei stumbles upon a website that takes him to the world of street fighting. He finds his beloved friend Akira he jumps into this world to change his own helpless life with one on one battles.
One Room of Happiness
This work of manga like Lookism is intense and dark in its thematic concerns that will stop a 14-year girl who goes missing after kidnapping and leaves behind her desperate parents wishing for her safe return. She decides to live with her kidnapper to escape the physical and mental torture of being the target of the bully at school. A dark and psychologically twisted idea like Stockholm syndrome is utilized in this manga to talk about the intensity of the effect bullying has on an individual.
Venus puts fur on me
Bullying as a concept is an let’s discuss issue of high school life. Hana Shirasaki is constantly subjected to verbal and physical abuse by her classmate publicly humiliates her for his entertainment. The troubled main character instilled with fear, witnesses her other classmates also becoming the target of Nakajima’s bully. Despite his unforgettable deeds, there is a back story that leads to the depravity of emotion in the bully who hides a secret that no one can ever think of. If you like Lookism but want a more serious plot and outlook into a bully life here is one manga with a twist.
I Had That Same Dream Again
Nanoka is a student who uses her weirdness to turn down things that she dislikes. She is ostracized from society due to her restrictive behavior. The unhappy life of this girl haunted by bullying and self-harm is up for a change when she pig games finding out the true meaning of happiness. This one-shot manga with pure and natural themes has a very beautiful bond between a teacher and a student. Unlike other manga and anime on the list, this one is similar to Lookism only based on bullying but the work is the total slice of life.
Our Dreams at Dusk: Shimanami Tasogare
Our Dreams at Dusk: Shimanami Tasogare is the story of a troubled transfer student. Tasuku the main character fears that he might be bullied even more when his classmates find out that he is gay. The story explores the main character’s transformation and bullying with a very different lens which adds a lot of realistic insights into the struggles of transgender people who have trouble coming to terms with their self and identity.
Is It My Fault That I Got Bullied?
This manga title depicts the question that everyone who has been a target of bully asks themselves daily. Yuuichi Aizawa was troubled by bullying which culminated in him leaving behind his education and dropping out of middle school. His body is a testament to the sadistic pleasure of his classmates who’s scared him with several things. Several years later Aizawa becomes the homeroom teacher of the daughter of Shinji who was the proclaimed leader of the bully. Will the leader realize the fear that the main character lived through as his daughter can be the easy target of reciprocation by the victim Aizawa?
Stop bullying me!
Stop bullying me! Is the life story of Tomo who adores his elder brother. Poor Tomo is bullied by the student council vice president and his brother’s good friend Izumi. Troubled by the bullying and teasing Tomo has to find a way out of this mess as his feelings start to get involved and hampered by all of this. Similar to Lookism the theme of bullying drives the progress and character development in this manga.
