Anime like Soredemo Machi wa Mawatteiru

Joshikousei no Mudazukai

Also known as Wasteful Days of High School Girls.

Studio: Passione , Sentai Filmworks
Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Slice of Life

Tanaka Nozomu isn’t exactly brilliant. But, given that her only goal for high school was to get a boyfriend, who else would fail to realize that attending an all-girls school was a bad idea? Well, there’s always the fallback plan of getting other girls to introduce her to boys they know.

Too bad that Tanaka’s “bright” idea of giving her classmates nicknames based on less attractive character traits has caused her un-flattered friends “Robo” (for her apparent lack of emotions) and “Wota” (a reference to a creepy otaku types), as well as not-friends like “Loli” (who’s hypersensitive about her petite size,) to “reward” Tanaka with the special nickname of “Baka” (“idiot”), which is quickly adopted by the entire student body. Well, maybe the second week of school will be better.



Tags: Female Protagonist , Primarily Teen Cast , School , Surreal Comedy , Primarily Female Cast , Slapstick , Ensemble Cast , Cute Girls Doing Cute Things , Shounen , Chuunibyou , Kuudere , Otaku Culture , Twins , LGBTQ+ Themes , Video Games , Love Triangle

Arakawa Under the Bridge

Also known as Arakawa Under the Bridge.

Studio: Shaft , Square Enix , Starchild Records , Rakuonsha , NIS America Inc.
Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Romance

Ko Ichinomiya's family motto is "Never be indebted to anyone," but after losing his pants and falling into the Arakawa River, he quickly finds himself in debt to his savior, the cutely insane Nino (who happens to live under the bridge). To repay her, he vows to help her with her desire to "experience love." Along the way he'll meet the river's other residents, including a hot-blooded kappa, a Sister in drag, and a literal rock star. Sorry, Ko—when you fell into that river, I guess you really got in over your head!



Tags: Surreal Comedy , Seinen , Ensemble Cast , Philosophy , Male Protagonist , Outdoor Activities , Nun , Homeless , Episodic , Kuudere , Heterosexual , Love Triangle , Samurai

Nichijou

Also known as Nichijou - My Ordinary Life.

Studio: Kyoto Animation , Lantis , Kadokawa Shoten , Movic , Rakuonsha , Bandai Entertainment , Kadokawa Pictures Japan , KLOCKWORX , Animation Do
Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Slice of Life

Nichijou primarily focuses on the daily antics of a trio of childhood friends—high school girls Mio Naganohara, Yuuko Aioi and Mai Minakami—whose stories soon intertwine with the young genius Hakase Shinonome, her robot caretaker Nano, and their talking cat Sakamoto. With every passing day, the lives of these six, as well as of the many people around them, experience both the calms of normal life and the insanity of the absurd. Walking to school, being bitten by a talking crow, spending time with friends, and watching the principal suplex a deer: they are all in a day's work in the extraordinary everyday lives of those in Nichijou.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Tags: Surreal Comedy , Episodic , Slapstick , School , Female Protagonist , Ensemble Cast , Primarily Female Cast , Primarily Teen Cast , Achronological Order , Parody , Cute Girls Doing Cute Things , Robots , Shounen , Drawing , Tsundere , Guns , Football , Love Triangle , Body Horror , Camping

Tamako Market

Also known as Tamako Market.

Studio: Kyoto Animation , Animax , Pony Canyon , Sentai Filmworks , Animation Do
Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Slice of Life

Tamako knows just about everything there is to know about mochi, the traditional Japanese dessert treats. When she's not attending her first year of high school, she even invents new flavors and varieties for Tama-ya, her family's mochi shop. School and growing up, on the other hand, are some things that she's still trying to find the right recipe for. But with the help of her best friends Kanna and Midori, two girls whose parents run businesses in the same shopping district, Tamako's determined to make the best of things. It's complicated though, especially when it comes to emotions and her relationship with her best boy friend Mochizou, whose family runs a rival mochi shop. And lately, Midori's been feeling a little odd about her feelings towards Tamako as well. And what's with up with that strange bird fluttering around, the one that speaks fluent Japanese? It's all very mysterious and overwhelming, but at least Tamako always has one thing she can count on: No matter if your day's been good or bad, there's certain to be something sugary and delicious waiting at the end of every adventure whenever you take a walk through Tamako Market!



Tags: Cute Girls Doing Cute Things , Female Protagonist , Food , Episodic , Family Life , Ensemble Cast , Primarily Female Cast , Animals , Primarily Teen Cast , LGBTQ+ Themes , Anthropomorphism , Heterosexual , Urban , School , Tanned Skin , Love Triangle , School Club , Kuudere

Akiba Meido Sensou

Also known as Akiba Maid War.

Studio: P.A.WORKS , Cygames , Tencent , Happinet Media Marketing , Movic , TOKYO MX , Shouchiku , Fields
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Comedy , Drama

Akihabara is the center of the universe for the coolest hobbies and quirkiest amusements. In the spring of 1999, bright-eyed Nagomi Wahira moves there with dreams of joining a maid café. She quickly dons an apron at café Ton Tokoton, AKA the Pig Hut. But adjusting to life in bustling Akihabara isn’t as easy as serving tea and delighting customers. Paired with the dour Ranko who never seems to smile, Nagomi must do her best to elevate the Pig Hut over all other maid cafés vying for top ranking. Along the way she’ll slice out a place for herself amid the frills and thrills of life at the Pig Hut. Just when Nagomi’s dreams are within her grasp, she discovers not everything is as it seems amid the maid cafés of Akihabara.



Tags: Yakuza , Maids , Primarily Female Cast , Crime , Gangs , Female Protagonist , Work , Parody , Primarily Adult Cast , Urban , Surreal Comedy , Guns , Restaurant , Tragedy , Otaku Culture , Gore , Found Family , Revenge , Kemonomimi , Anti-Hero , Anachronism , Slapstick , War , Gyaru , Ensemble Cast , Orphan , Coming of Age , Kuudere , Homeless , Conspiracy , Time Skip , Cute Girls Doing Cute Things , Gambling , Tanned Skin , Disability , Boxing , Food , Ninja , Nudity , Baseball , Poker , Fishing

Azumanga Daiou THE ANIMATION

Also known as Azumanga Daioh.

Studio: J.C.STAFF , Genco , Lantis , Imagica , TV Tokyo Music , Cosmic Ray , Sentai Filmworks , J.C.STAFF
Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Slice of Life

Ten year old child prodigy, Chiyo Mihama, is finding it tough fitting in at high school with the girls five years her elder: Osaka (dimwitted with a weird take on the world), Tomo (a powder keg that goes off at a moment’s notice), Kagura (the competitive athlete of the bunch), Yomi (the hothead), and Sakaki (timid and obsessed with a love of animals that isn’t reciprocated). Together with their teacher, they navigate the rough waters and fun times of high school.



Tags: Episodic , School , Primarily Female Cast , Slapstick , Surreal Comedy , Cute Girls Doing Cute Things , Ensemble Cast , Female Protagonist , Coming of Age , Primarily Teen Cast , Teacher , Tomboy , Shounen , Kuudere , LGBTQ+ Themes

Natsu no Arashi!

Also known as Natsu no Arashi!.

Studio: Shaft , TV Tokyo Music , GANSIS
Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Fantasy , Romance

Thirteen-year-old Yasaka is a boy staying at his grandfather's house during his summer vacation. One day he entered a store and met Arashi, a beautiful sixteen-year old girl working there. After trying to protect her from a man who claims to have been hired by her family to take her back by force, Yasaka ran away with her and now she stays at his grandpa's place with him. It didn't take much time for Yasaka to figure out that his new friend is far from an ordinary girl, as she possesses mysterious powers. The plot thickens when he finds a sixty-year-old picture of Arashi and another girl named Kaja, and to the surprise of all Kaja suddenly appears, and just like Arashi, her appearance hasn't changed at all since then.



Tags: Time Manipulation , Age Gap , Crossdressing , Ghost , War , Historical , Isekai , Body Swapping , Primarily Female Cast , Henshin

Chio-chan no Tsuugakuro

Also known as Chio's School Road.

Studio: diomedéa
Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Slice of Life

Miyamo Chio, a first-year at the completely ordinary high school Samejima Academy. Chio just wants to get through her school life without standing out too much, but for some reason, all kinds of obstacles await her along the path she takes to school. Her long-time friend Nonomura Manana, who's trying to quit being an otaku; the flawless Hosokawa Yuki, who occupies the top caste in the school; and lots of nameless people about town find themselves in Chio's path as she employs the (useless) techniques she's acquired from her Western video games in her daily efforts to get to school.



Tags: Surreal Comedy , Slapstick , Episodic , Female Protagonist , Urban , Otaku Culture , Video Games , Seinen , Chuunibyou , School , Cute Girls Doing Cute Things , Konbini

Kaguya-sama wa Kokurasetai: Ultra Romantic

Also known as Kaguya-sama: Love is War -Ultra Romantic-.

Studio: Aniplex , Shueisha , A-1 Pictures , JR Higashi Nihon Kikaku , Mainichi Broadcasting System
Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Psychological , Romance , Slice of Life

The elite members of Shuchiin Academy's student council continue their competitive day-to-day antics. Council president Miyuki Shirogane clashes daily against vice-president Kaguya Shinomiya, each fighting tooth and nail to trick the other into confessing their romantic love. Kaguya struggles within the strict confines of her wealthy, uptight family, rebelling against her cold default demeanor as she warms to Shirogane and the rest of her friends.

Meanwhile, council treasurer Yuu Ishigami suffers under the weight of his hopeless crush on Tsubame Koyasu, a popular upperclassman who helps to instill a new confidence in him. Miko Iino, the newest student council member, grows closer to the rule-breaking Ishigami while striving to overcome her own authoritarian moral code.

As love further blooms at Shuchiin Academy, the student council officers drag their outsider friends into increasingly comedic conflicts.



Note: The first episode had an advanced screening on April 2, in both New York & Los Angeles.


Tags: School , Heterosexual , School Club , Primarily Teen Cast , Ensemble Cast , Slapstick , Coming of Age , Tsundere , Female Protagonist , Male Protagonist , Meta , Ojou-sama , Kuudere , Parody , Episodic , Seinen , Love Triangle , Satire , Detective , Unrequited Love , Cosplay , Crossdressing , CGI

Hyouka

Also known as Hyouka.

Studio: Kyoto Animation , Lantis , Kadokawa Shoten , KLOCKWORX , chara-ani.com , Animation Do
Status: Finished
Genres: Mystery , Romance , Slice of Life

Energy-conservative high school student Houtarou Oreki ends up with more than he bargained for when he signs up for the Classic Literature Club at his sister's behest—especially when he realizes how deep-rooted the club's history really is. Begrudgingly, Oreki is dragged into an investigation concerning the 45-year-old mystery that surrounds the club room.

Accompanied by his fellow club members, the knowledgeable Satoshi Fukube, the stern but benign Mayaka Ibara, and the ever-curious Eru Chitanda, Oreki must combat deadlines and lack of information with resourcefulness and hidden talent, in order to not only find the truth buried beneath the dust of works created years before them, but of other side cases as well.

Based on the award-winning Koten-bu light novel series, and directed by Yasuhiro Takemoto of Suzumiya Haruhi no Shoushitsu, Hyouka shows that normal life can be full of small mysteries, be it family history, a student film, or even the withered flowers that make up a ghost story.



Tags: School Club , Detective , School , Male Protagonist , Primarily Teen Cast , Coming of Age , Classic Literature , Episodic , Heterosexual , Rural , Filmmaking , Tsundere , Otaku Culture , Politics , Cosplay , Shrine Maiden , Bullying