That feeling you get when you finish an amazing anime series and don't know what to do next? That's post-anime depression (PAD). Those who’ve recently watched Cowboy Bebop for the first time are likely well acquainted with PAD. Honestly, you can't do much about it, except letting the feeling run its course. It's like a breakup, in that the only thing that'll make it better is time... or something new. 

You can, of course, go watch Bebop again — but nothing is quite like the first time. If you need some help getting over the fact that it's over, however, and you've already watched the live-action version, there's hope for you. Luckily, there are many other captivating stories in the anime realm for you to take in next. We've handpicked some shows that you can jump into after your journey with Spike, Jet, Faye, Ed, and Ein comes to an end. 

Hunter X Hunter

Why you’ll love it: Slick action scenes and out-there characters

Hunter X Hunter and Cowboy Bebop may be totally different in tone — there’s no data dog or memorable ships like the Swordfish, but stay with us. It’s the kind of story that manages to live rent-free in your mind, even after you finish the first episode. It follows a young man named Gon Freecss, who works to become a world-renowned Hunter, aka licensed professional who scours the globe to find rare or unidentified animal species. Oh, and he gets into a bit of treasure and bounty hunting along the way, too. 

Gon is eventually joined by a crew of friends and other Hunter hopefuls, including the angry, self-destructive Kurta, clan member Kurapika, and cheeky but analytical (and sweets-obsessed) assassin clan member Killua Zoldyck. There’s also the bizarre magician and serial killer Hisoka Morow, who loves to fight a little too much. (Let’s just say if he could marry fighting, he would.) 

If you really dig the, uh, colorful bounties of Cowboy Bebop and its occasional strangeness, Hunter X Hunter will pique your interest big time. And you get plenty of show to watch, with a hefty 148 episode-run to get caught up with, too. It’s a commitment, but worth it. 

Yasuke

Why you’ll love it: Yasuke's cool and badass demeanor

No matter what happens in Cowboy Bebop, space cowboy Spike Spiegel is cool as a cucumber. He's aloof and full of swagger in all the ways we wish we could be after a heated argument or a high-stakes showdown. Yasuke's lead of the same name, voiced by Lakeith Stanfield, has a similar vibe. Yasuke is a man of few words, but he gets the job done. 

When we meet Yasuke, he’s no longer the legendary rōnin (a samurai warrior without a master) known as the Black Samurai — he’s living his life as a modest boatman named Yassan. He’s been trying to leave behind his violent past, and, instead, spends his time enjoying some well-deserved peace and quiet away from society. But when the sleepy little village he now calls home is threatened by supernatural invaders, he's forced to unsheathe his sword once more to protect a woman named Ichika and her daughter Saki. But Yasuke doesn’t complain. He just moves in his signature swag-tastic samurai way, kicking ass and taking names. 

If you love Spike’s attitude and the way he solves problems, you’ll probably feel the same about Yasuke, especially since there are few (if any) who can mess with him and live to tell the tale. 

Dorohedoro

Why you’ll love it: Mature, gritty storytelling 

What happens when a regular, everyday Joe runs into a sorcerer and finds that his head’s been replaced with a reptile's? Well, you get Dorohedoro, an extremely strange (in a good way) series. It follows the newly alligator-like Caiman, who works with his talented restaurant owner friend Nikaido to figure out exactly what happened to his formerly human-looking noggin. 

Set in a bleak, absolutely bonkers post-apocalyptic future in the realm of Hole, Caiman and Nikaido come across some seriously crazy individuals on their search, including the powerful sorcerer En and his "family," "cleaners" Shin and Noi, who want to kill Caiman, and the Cross-Eyes gang, who supply magic users with the black powder they need to cast spells. 

There's a special brand of zaniness here, but that's not the only reason why Bebop fans will dig it. It's also extremely gritty with a nice helping of sardonic humor. And what’s more, bonds between Caiman and Nikaido, as well as Shin and Noi, run deep, just like the Bebop crew. And you never quite know what’s going to happen next. How could you in a show like this? 

Kill la Kill

Why you'll love it: Excellent animation and on-point humor

Bebop's stars are stylish without even trying: Spike with his tailored suit, Faye with her sunny yellow ensemble, Ed with his, uh, shirt and bike shorts. What if those outfits were sentient? What if... they were trying to take over the world and enslave humanity?

Kill la Kill centers on student Ryuko Matoi as she searches for her father's killer, then clashes with Satsuki Kiryuin, the star student of Honnouji Academy. Ryuko — who carries half of a pair of scissors as a weapon — works to topple Kiryuin's rule over the academy and Kiryuin’s mother's weird, cult-like sect of fashion groupies. So who killed Ryuko's dad? It's a madcap race to uncover the answer, because in this world, clothes come to life and imbue wearers with special abilities. and a group called Nudist Beach works to save humanity from sentient clothes. 

Okay, so the plot might be a little hard to follow at first. But like Bebop, the inventive story is illustrated by beautiful animation and tongue-in-cheek humor. 

Gurren Lagann

Why you'll love it: An interplanetary saga set in the distant future

Sometime in the future, humanity has been enslaved and driven underground by the maniacal Spiral King. He employs weird mechanical beings called Gunmen to keep humanity from escaping their underground complexes. All humans can do below the surface is dig, and keep digging, then dig some more, as the Spiral King directs. 

One young digger named Simon finds something amazing while on a dig, and, along with his "bro" Kamina, the pair uncover a way to escape their underground prison. Along the way, they come face-to-face with an even bigger enemy than the Spiral King. Don’t worry, it's not all oppression and frustration — there's tons of humor sprinkled in, too. Where you'll find the Bebop parallels is in how the show imagines the future, and what people can do when the cards we're dealt with are, well, kinda crappy. 

Spike and the gang may be fighting against different sorts of demons throughout Bebop, but in both shows, the characters have a sense of longing for a past that they can never get back. And explosions. Lots of those.