Summary
Most of the time, the evolution of an anime show leads to live-action spinoffs, OVAs, or movies, but sometimes popular shows branch off into more unique genres. Tabletop gaming might seem old-fashioned, and it’s been around for decades, but it’s consistently popular with games likeDungeons & Dragonsleading the trend.
The settings and characters of the anime world have a reputation forbeing memorable and endearing, generating plenty of fanfiction, spinoffs, and “shipping” among fans. These are some of the details that help make an anime series a likely candidate for a TTRPG version, and here are a few that have done it successfully.
7Tenchi Muyo!
The Same Characters And Comedy
The anime’s full name wasTenchi Muyo! Ryo-Ohki, and it was released in 1992, eight years before the tabletop game was announced. The game was releasedas part of the publicityfor an OVA of the series, also released in the year 2000. There’s an episode of the OVA entitled “Table Top Island” which parodies the whole TTRPG genre, and the game uses the same setting and characters for their adventures.
Tenchi Muyo!uses a generic system called Tri-Stat dX that divides the character’s stats into three categories - Mind, Body, and Soul - and was developed by the publishing company, Guardians of Order. The main motivation behind this unique system was the “dX,” which means a variety of different dice can be used if polyhedral ones are difficult to find.
6Bubblegum Crisis
A Classic Version Of Cyberpunk
For those who want a break from fantasy,Bubblegum Crisisis one of the earliest examples of the Cyberpunk genre, and the TTRPG based on the original series uses the same tone and setting. The entire module contains three adventure books; “Mega-Tokyo 2033” which is the basic rulebook and is set in the OVA series, “Before and After,” which includes content from the spin-off seriesAD Police Filesand the sequelBubblegum Crash!, and “Bubblegum Crisis EX” which is derived from cutting room floor reels and new content.
Players control a character called a Knight Saber in the game, who is sworn enemies of the Genom Corporation and its deadly Boomers. The game uses the Fuzion system, which was developed by publisher R. Talsorian Games in 1988, and is still widely used in anime-based games.
5Project A-ko
For Many, Their First Anime
Instead of a series, this TTRPG is based on a movie calledProject A-ko.Released in 1986, it introduced many to the anime genre with a unique combination of science fiction, comedy, and action-adventure. Like the plot of the movie, the game also follows the antics of two schoolgirls fighting their rivals while an alien invasion looms in the background.
In keeping with the comedy theme, it alsoparodies and pays tributeto other anime tropes, like mecha and magical girl. It was the first game developed by this publisher to use the Silhouette-A system for stats and rolls.
4Sailor Moon
Fighting Evil With Tri-Stat
TheSailor Moonfranchise is big enough to include every type of media and merch there is, and so it surprises nobody that a TTRPG is featuring the Moon Princess. Its complete title is “The Sailor Moon Role-Playing Game and Resource Book,” and it includes instructions on how to use the Tri-Stat system with this module, along with an episode guide for seasons one and two.
It may seem like a subject and setting that would only interestSailor Moonfans, but the game was well-received by critics and gamers. A must for those who love the series and an interesting bit of anime history from the Magical Girl genre.
3Demon City Shinjuku
A TTRPG For Adults
As it is with the anime circle of life,Demon City Shinjukustarted as a novel and was adapted into an anime series before it became a TTRPG. Like the literature on which it is based, the game is supernatural horror and uses the same setting, an apocalyptic version of Tokyo held in the grip of an evil sorcerer, Levih Rah.
Other than an introduction to the rules, which includes a summary of the Tri-Stat system and tips for the GM, the gamealso includes two adventures. In “Gangland Rescue,” the characters are part of a motorcycle gang tasked with rescuing their friend, and in “The Infernal Child,” they play the opposing side as demons guarding the possible successor to Levi Rah.
2KonoSuba
Join The Adventurer’s Guild
Its full name isKonoSuba: God’s Blessing on This Wonderful World!, and it has a fan following and a massive franchise comparable to that ofSailor Moon.There’s also a TTRPG in the mix of video games, movies, and light novels, but this one might be more accessible to those more interested in fantasy than magical girl.
The game uses the same mix of comedy and fantasy that made the original manga so popular, and includes the same settings and mechanics. Players can adopt the same classes and characters featured in the anime, like a Priest of Axis or a Crimson Magic Clan Wizard.
1Sword World
Inspired By Anime Inspired By TTRPGs
Sword Worldisn’t exactlybased on a single anime, but derived from several that were inspired by TTRPGs likeDungeons & Dragons, making it a reverse-engineer in this particular niche genre. It’s a Japanese game that hasn’t been fully translated or localized, and despite its popularity overseas, it doesn’t see the same fan following internationally.
It’s tough to find polyhedral dice in Japan, which is why a 2D6 system was developed forSword Worldwhen it was first released. The setting includes familiar locations like the kingdom of Forcelia, which is from theRecord of Lodoss War, and Alecrast, the large continent where most of the action takes place, is the setting ofRune Soldier.
