Anime like Chihayafuru

3-gatsu no Lion

Also known as March comes in like a lion.

Studio: Shaft , Aniplex
Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Slice of Life

Rei Kiriyama is a 17 year old boy who recently started living alone, financed by his salary as a professional Shogi player. Despite his independence, however, he's yet to mature emotionally, and his problems continue to haunt him in his daily life. His relationship with his adoptive family is strained, and he has difficulties interacting with his fellow high school students.

Meanwhile, his professional career in Shogi has entered a slump. Burdened with the heavy expectations placed upon him, his wins and losses are fluctuating as his record and progression into the ranks begin to stagnate.

Acquainted with Rei are the three Kawamoto sisters: Akari, Hinata, and Momo. Unlike Rei, they live happily in their modest home, which they warmly welcome Rei into as if he were one of their own. He frequently visits the family, interacting with them and receiving the kind of care and affection he never quite had while under his foster home.
This is the story of Rei's triumphs and failures, relationships new and old, and his growth as a person.



Tags: Coming of Age , Rehabilitation , Shogi , Seinen , Family Life , Found Family , Estranged Family , Male Protagonist , Board Game , Philosophy , Tragedy , Bullying , Primarily Adult Cast , Food , Trains

Kono Oto Tomare!

Also known as Kono Oto Tomare!: Sounds of Life.

Studio: Platinum Vision
Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Music , Romance , Slice of Life

In the story, Takezou is the last remaining member of the koto club, a club dedicated to the traditional Japanese string instrument. If he doesn't find new members, the koto club will be terminated. One day, Takezou is alone in the club room when a student barges in and demands to join. The student is delinquent Chika Kudou, a guy who even scares delinquent upperclassmen at other schools.



Tags: School Club , Coming of Age , Ensemble Cast , Tsundere , Male Protagonist , Heterosexual , Primarily Teen Cast , Delinquents , Band , Bullying , Shounen , Primarily Male Cast , Kuudere

Fruits Basket: 1st Season

Also known as Fruits Basket (2019).

Studio: TMS Entertainment , Funimation , TV Tokyo
Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Drama , Romance , Slice of Life , Supernatural

Tohru Honda thought her life was headed for misfortune when a family tragedy left her living in a tent. When her small home is discovered by the mysterious Soma clan, she suddenly finds herself living with Yuki, Kyo, and Shigure Soma. But she quickly learns their family has a bizarre secret of their own: when hugged by the opposite sex, they turn into the animals of the Zodiac!



Tags: Found Family , Female Protagonist , Family Life , Shoujo , Fairy Tale , Mythology , Coming of Age , Urban Fantasy , Ensemble Cast , Primarily Teen Cast , Orphan , Shapeshifting , Rehabilitation , Animals , Primarily Male Cast , School , Episodic , Slapstick , Bullying , Heterosexual , Male Harem , Unrequited Love , Denpa , Kuudere , Memory Manipulation , Tsundere , Love Triangle , Homeless , Yandere , School Club , Nekomimi , Kemonomimi , Femboy , LGBTQ+ Themes , Crossdressing , Agriculture , Body Horror , Gangs , Gender Bending , Delinquents , Amnesia , Suicide , Nudity , Chibi , Curses , Card Battle

Haikyuu!!

Also known as HAIKYU!!.

Studio: Production I.G , Sentai Filmworks
Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Drama , Sports

Inspired after watching a volleyball ace nicknamed "Little Giant" in action, small-statured Shouyou Hinata revives the volleyball club at his middle school. The newly-formed team even makes it to a tournament; however, their first match turns out to be their last when they are brutally squashed by the "King of the Court," Tobio Kageyama. Hinata vows to surpass Kageyama, and so after graduating from middle school, he joins Karasuno High School's volleyball team—only to find that his sworn rival, Kageyama, is now his teammate.

Thanks to his short height, Hinata struggles to find his role on the team, even with his superior jumping power. Surprisingly, Kageyama has his own problems that only Hinata can help with, and learning to work together appears to be the only way for the team to be successful. Based on Haruichi Furudate's popular shounen manga of the same name, Haikyuu!! is an exhilarating and emotional sports comedy following two determined athletes as they attempt to patch a heated rivalry in order to make their high school volleyball team the best in Japan.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Tags: Volleyball , School Club , Male Protagonist , Primarily Male Cast , Shounen , Ensemble Cast , Primarily Teen Cast , Fitness , School , Coming of Age , Cute Boys Doing Cute Things , Kuudere

Mashiro no Oto

Also known as Those Snow White Notes.

Studio: Shin-Ei Animation , DMM music
Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Music

Sawamura Matsugorou is a shamisen player of legendary talent. Upon his death, his grandson, Sawamura Setsu, lost his ability to play. Having lost his beloved sound, Setsu finds himself in Tokyo in search of a new sound to love. Tachiki Yuna, who works at a club, hooks him up with a gig to play there as a warm up act. Setsu imbues the sound of his shamisen with his many thoughts and feelings he has of others, still searching for his own sound and his own feelings.



Tags: Musical Theater , Coming of Age , Male Protagonist , School Club , Shounen , Urban , School , Tragedy

Kono Oto Tomare! 2

Also known as Kono Oto Tomare!: Sounds of Life Season 2.

Studio: Platinum Vision
Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Music , Romance , Slice of Life

The second season of Kono Oto Tomare!

Despite their best efforts during the Kanto Region Music Festival, the Koto Club is hit with the harsh reality of their poor performance. In the face of disappointment, they still decide to hone their skills and set sight on their next target.

Tags: School Club , Heterosexual , Ensemble Cast , Coming of Age , Primarily Teen Cast , School , Band , Male Protagonist , Shounen , Delinquents , Bullying , Primarily Male Cast , Female Protagonist

Aoashi

Also known as Aoashi.

Studio: Production I.G , Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions , NHK Enterprises , BANDAI SPIRITS , Marvelous , Production I.G
Status: Finished
Genres: Sports

Ashito Aoi is a young, aspiring soccer player from a backwater town in Japan. His hopes of getting into a high school with a good soccer club are dashed when he causes an incident during a critical match for his team, which results in their loss and elimination from the tournament. Nevertheless, he catches the eye of someone important who happened to be visiting from Tokyo. How will things turn out for Ashito?



Tags: Football , Male Protagonist , Primarily Teen Cast , Primarily Male Cast , Seinen , Ensemble Cast , Heterosexual , Coming of Age , School , Bullying , Time Skip

Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu

Also known as Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinju.

Studio: Studio DEEN
Status: Finished
Genres: Drama

The story revolves around a mature prisoner who was released on good behavior during Japan's Shouwa Genroku era (1960s to early 1970s). He is called Yotarou by others, a term that means an "anti-hero" or a "dim-witted man." When he returns to society, he starts a new life in rakugo (comic storytelling). Touched by Yakumo's role as the "grim reaper," he asks the master to take him in as an apprentice. Most of the season delves into Yakumo's own past during World War II and the years afterward.



Note: The first episode aired with a runtime of 48 minutes as opposed to the standard 24 minute long episode.

Tags: Rakugo , Acting , Tragedy , Historical , Primarily Adult Cast , Josei , Male Protagonist , Love Triangle , Time Skip , Disability , Meta , War , Suicide , Elderly Protagonist , Primarily Male Cast

Kaze ga Tsuyoku Fuiteiru

Also known as Run with the Wind.

Studio: Production I.G , Nippon Television Network
Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Sports

Former ace runner of Sendai Josei High School, Kakeru Kurahara is chased away from a convenience store for shoplifting. Shaking off his pursuer, he runs into Haiji Kiyose, another student from his university. Haiji is impressed by Kakeru's agility and persuades him to live in Chikusei-sou, the run-down apartment where Haiji resides along with eight other students. Having lost his entire apartment deposit at a mahjong parlor, Kakeru accepts the offer reluctantly. However, Haiji reveals a secret during Kakeru's welcoming party: the apartment is actually the dormitory of the Kansei University Track Club. He unveils his ultimate goal of participating in the Hakone Ekiden—one of the most prominent university marathon relay races in Japan. Unfortunately, all the residents apart from Haiji and Kakeru are complete running novices. Worse still, none of the inhabitants are even remotely interested in being involved with Haiji's ridiculous plan! With only months before the deadline, will the fourth-year student be able to convince them otherwise and realize his elusive dream of running in the Hakone Ekiden?

Tags: Athletics , Primarily Male Cast , Male Protagonist , Ensemble Cast , School Club , Primarily Adult Cast , Fitness , Rehabilitation , College , Outdoor , CGI , Twins , Cute Boys Doing Cute Things , Heterosexual , Tanned Skin , Food , Trains

Hikaru no Go

Also known as Hikaru no Go.

Studio: Studio Pierrot , TV Tokyo , Dentsu , Viz Media , Dream Force
Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Sports , Supernatural

With a two-tone hairstyle and a streak of immaturity, Hikaru Shindou finds an old Go board with a hidden surprise - trapped within the Go Board is Fujiwara-no-Sai, the ghost of an ancient Go master! In the blink of an eye, Sai becomes part of Hikaru's consciousness and soon begins to learn the true essence behind this ancient game of skill and strategy.



Tags: Go , Coming of Age , Primarily Male Cast , Shounen , Ghost , Board Game , Male Protagonist , School Club , Foreign