Shows To Watch If You Like Netflix's Arcane

His bright purple eyes make him look like a Shimmer user, but the only thing Lelouch vi Britannia is addicted to is revenge. This exiled prince is the lead character in "Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion," an anime adventure set in an alternate timeline. In this world, Henry VIII had a male heir, and it changed everything. Years later, the fictional Queen Elizabeth III was ousted by Napoleon and forced to flee to the British colonies in America. When we enter the story, the whole of the Americas is known as the Holy Britannian Empire, one of three world powers (the other two being the Chinese Federation and Europa United, an African-European superstate).

Lelouch left his homeland for Japan when his father failed to stop his mother's murder, and he has never forgiven him. When Britannia invades Japan and renames it Area 11, he vows to stand up for his adopted home and bring down his dad's oppressive, technologically advanced Empire. After gaining the power of Geass — which lets him command anyone to do whatever he wishes once, and once only — he dons a mask and becomes known as the vigilante, Zero. The stark difference between Britannia and the rundown Area 11 will strike a chord with "Arcane" fans (in place of "The Lanes," there's the "Shinjuku Ghetto"), and so will the character designs, done in the CLAMP style and more closely resembling video game characters than regular anime ones.

Part of the appeal of "Arcane" is the imaginative designs of Piltover, the sleek and stylish "City of Progress," and The Lanes, the neon-lit undercity that formed in the canyons below it. The main setting of the Netflix anime series "Dorohedoro" is something of a mixture of the two, one that "Arcane" fans will feel right at home in. It's known as the Hole, a favela-like labyrinth that's heavily polluted thanks to the work of the Sorcerers. These magic users cross over from their realm looking for humans to experiment on, which is how the show's hot-tempered protagonist, Caiman, came to have a lizard's head.

"Dorohedoro" follows Caiman's attempts to locate the Sorcerer that cursed him, and he isn't afraid to use all those teeth to get the answers he needs (his exploits lead to him being dubbed the Magician Killer). At his side is Nikaido, a skilled fighter and the owner of the Hungry Bug, a gyoza restaurant in the Hole. Caiman goes crazy for Nikaido's gyozas, but what he doesn't know is that his new companion is a secret magic user. She was born a Sorcerer, but after one of her spells went terribly wrong as a young girl, she ran away to the Hole and learned how to fight with her fists, instead. If anyone here could go toe-to-toe with "Arcane" resident slugger Vi (Hailee Steinfeld), it's Nikaido.

Before "Arcane" arrived to take the crown, "The Dragon Prince" was arguably the most popular animated show on Netflix, with the first three seasons all boasting a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. A perfect Tomatometer score isn't the only thing that "The Dragon Prince" has in common with "Arcane," however. The "League of Legends" series was lauded for its unique animation style ("The backgrounds are digitally hand-painted and the texture on the characters is crafted to get that graphical look that fits with the environment," Barthelemy Maunoury, the show's director of animation, told Mashable), setting the bar high for CG shows. It might not be quite as eye-catching, but "The Dragon Prince" is visually similar, with vivid landscapes and character designs that aren't quite proportionate but look human enough to connect with.

It's the story of a thousand-year conflict between the mythical creatures of Xadia (who draw magic from six sources: the Earth, the Ocean, the Sun, the Moon, the Stars, and the Sky) and the kingdoms of humankind. As humans cannot access primal magic they turn to dark magic instead, using their otherworldly neighbors as a living magic source. Like "Arcane," there's been wrongdoing on both sides over the years, and it makes for a fascinating political fantasy. It's also worth noting that The Key of Aaravos (a dice-like cube with runes representing the six Primal Sources) is strikingly similar to the Hextech that features prominently in "Arcane."

The idea of a dark and dingy city existing beneath a glitzy metropolis is given the real-world treatment in "Neverwhere," a classic BBC series from the mind of Neil Gaiman. This urban fantasy series unfolds in a realm called London Below, a place that co-exists with the famous city we're familiar with. Up-and-coming businessman Richard Mayhew (Gary Bakewell) accidentally enters this hidden realm after helping a mysterious woman named Door, and he soon discovers that he cannot return to London Above. Door, it transpires, is the daughter of a noble family who has inherited the ability to open portals. She's hunted by hitmen as Richard tries desperately to keep her safe.

While the special effects haven't aged particularly well ("Neverwhere" debuted back in 1996, and it shows), the world that Gaiman created doesn't get old. The fantasy writer's set-up — an invisible society comprised of homeless people, runaways, and magical beings based on London landmarks existing in the sewers below the city — remains a fascinating one. The show has a few memorable cameos: "Doctor Who" star Peter Capaldi appears as The Angel Islington, an actual angel who got assigned to London Below after failing to prevent the destruction of Atlantis, while Trevor Peacock plays Old Bailey, named after the city's well-known criminal court. Like "Arcane," life is far more dangerous in the undercity, though (again, like "Arcane"), it's also a lot more interesting.

If Piltover reminded you of Paris, France, that's no accident. Fortiche Production, the animation house behind Netflix's "Arcane," is based in the famous French capital, and the city had a huge influence on the show. Piltover, the so-called "City of Progress," takes inspiration from Paris in numerous ways, some more subtle than others. There's a scene in which Vi and Caitlyn parkour past a funicular like the one seen in the trendy Montmartre neighborhood, and it's being held up by an iron structure akin to the Eiffel Tower.

Those familiar with the Paris cityscape will find the world of "Arcane" familiar, but Fortiche went further than mimicking monuments: there's an art deco theme used throughout Piltover, while The Lanes have more of an art nouveau vibe, the style associated with Paris' underground metro stations. If this aspect of "Arcane" was particularly pleasing to you, then it's worth trying "The Case Study of Vanitas," an anime set in 19th century Paris that mixes supernatural and steampunk elements.

It's the story of a man who uses a tome called The Book of Vanitas to cure vampires of "malnomen," the disease that makes them act like predators when their bloodlust takes hold. With the vampire Noé Archiviste as his companion, he sets out to heal as many vampires as possible and prove that cohabitation is possible. It ticks a lot of boxes for "Arcane" fans, both on a visual level and in terms of storytelling.

"Texhnolyze" is one for the deep thinking "Arcane" viewers out there, a slow-burning anime that isn't afraid to leave you sitting in silence while the animation does the talking. A show that's been described as both experimental and surrealist, it takes place in the underground location of Lux, a rundown city that is seen as near-sentient by its inhabitants. Like Piltover and The Lanes, the location is almost a character in itself, playing a huge part in the lives of the people who live there. It's far closer to The Lanes (or Zaun, to give the cavernous area below the big city its independent name) than it is to Piltover, however, both in terms of appearance and power structure.

There are a number of factions in Lux, one of which (the Organo) has connections with the criminal gangs that control Texhnolyze, the prosthetic limbs that the show is named after. We follow a prizefighter named Ichise, who loses a leg and an arm after crossing the wrong promotor. He's left for dead, but a scientist discovers him before he passes away and fits him with Texhnolyze during an experimental procedure. Ichise begins working with the Organo and, with the help of psychic seer Ran (whose creepy mask looks like something from the Firelights' wardrobe) and Yoshii (a well-meaning visitor from the surface world), they attempt to save the beloved but broken city from civil war.