Television series

Jormungand

Name: Jormungand
Genre: Drama, Action, Anime, Crime
Released: 2012
Cast: Go Shinomiya, Hitoshi Yanai, Mutsumi Tamura, Sayaka Ohara, Shizuka Itou

Jormungand is a slick, globe-trotting anime about Koko Hekmatyar, a charismatic black-market arms dealer, and her ragtag crew of ex-soldiers. It pairs propulsive action sequences with genuinely uncomfortable moral questions: how do you sympathize with someone selling weapons? Wickedly funny and surprisingly thoughtful, it's for viewers who want their action with an ethical edge and don't mind moral ambiguity.

If you liked this

Code Geass: Hangyaku no Lelouch2006

A brilliant protagonist with a dangerous power navigates a morally grey world where the right choice is never clear. Like Jormungand, it marries stylish action with genuine philosophical teeth about ends justifying means.

But The second season falters under its own complexity, and some plot threads feel hastily resolved. Also very anime—if the aesthetics put you off, this won't convert you.

Psycho-Pass2012

Anime that takes its premise seriously and doesn't blink at the implications. A dystopian system with no good options, morally compromised protagonists, and the same dark-comic energy when things go sideways.

But The first arc is stronger than what follows. Requires patience with exposition-heavy early episodes before it finds its rhythm.

Black Lagoon2006

Criminal underworld, mercenary crews, constant globe-trotting danger, and the same dark humour about people who do terrible things for money. This feels like spiritual kin—equally cynical, equally well-animated action.

But Dub-only for many viewers, and the plotting can feel episodic. Also bleaker in tone; less of Jormungand's wry charm.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Jormungand

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Killing Eve2018

Both centre a charming, intelligent protagonist whose job involves killing, and both ask whether understanding someone and condoning them are the same thing. Koko's crew loves her; the show asks if they should.

A psychopathic assassin and the MI6 agent hunting her develop a twisted intimacy built on mutual respect. It has Jormungand's dark charm and the same fascination with charismatic people doing monstrous things, but in live-action and grounded in psychological realism rather than anime bombast.

But Relies heavily on actress chemistry; if that doesn't click for you, the show collapses. Also increasingly uneven as it continues—the first season is much sharper than what follows.

Darker Than Black2007

Assassins and spies with a cost—literally, every power extraction has a price. Morally compromised characters doing morally compromised work, episodic and satisfying, with a similar cool aesthetic.

But Plot becomes convoluted and deliberately obscure. The second season loses focus. Requires you to sit with ambiguity even when it frustrates.

Mobile Suit Gundam: Tekketsu no Orphans2015

War profiteering, child soldiers, mercenary crews, and the gradual moral collapse of people trying to survive. Devastating where Jormungand is wry, but shares the DNA of compromised characters with principles they can't afford.

But Slow-building political drama with very little levity. If you want Jormungand's dark comedy, this is grim. Also demands patience; payoff is in season two.

Mobile Suit Gundam: Tekketsu no Orphans poster

Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex2002

Anime about people operating in moral grey zones for the greater good. Philosophical, action-packed, visually stunning, and genuinely thoughtful about power, identity, and who gets to decide what's right.

But Heavy on dialogue and thematic exploration; action is secondary. Also feels its age in some sequences, and the pacing meanders by modern standards.

Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex poster

Michiko e Hatchin2008

A woman and a child on the run together, constantly moving, bonding through crisis. Far less cynical than Jormungand but with the same rhythm of found family and the world constantly chasing them down.

But Tonal shifts can be jarring—it swings from comedy to genuine darkness. Also less action-focused; character and emotion drive it instead.

Carole & Tuesday2019

Two kids making their way in a morally compromised system, learning how the world actually works. Sunnier than Jormungand but with the same theme: idealism meeting pragmatism.

But The space-opera setting might seem incongruous with the character focus. Slow to start, and some subplots feel padding compared to the core story.

91 Days2016

Prohibition-era crime drama with the same amoral protagonist energy and moral complexity. Shorter run means tighter plotting, and the period setting gives it a different texture while keeping the ethical ambiguity.

But Very dark, very bloody, and the ending is deliberately bleak. No humour or levity; it's all consequences.

The Counselor2013

Both are about intelligent people selling things they shouldn't and the real cost of operating in worlds with no rules. Where Jormungand plays it cool, The Counselor shows the actual wreckage.

A smart man makes one deal in a world he doesn't understand and watches everything collapse. Gorgeous, terrifying, and unapologetically pessimistic about how systems work and what happens when outsiders try to game them.

But Deliberately baroque and frustrating; plot takes a backseat to atmosphere and moral dread. Also a difficult watch—no catharsis, no heroes, just intelligent people choosing wrong.

Spy×Family2022

Both understand that people who do terrible things for a living are still people. Jormungand asks if that matters; Spy x Family says it does. They're inverse takes on the same found family structure.

A covert operative, an assassin, and a psychic child form a found family. Genuinely joyful where Jormungand is cynical, but shares the same premise: morally compromised people bonding through shared purpose and real affection.

But Wholesome family comedy isn't the same energy as Jormungand's darker current. If you're watching for cynicism and moral complexity, you'll find sentimentality instead.