Anime like Full Moon wo Sagashite

Kodomo no Omocha

Also known as Kodocha.

Studio: TV Tokyo , Studio Gallop , NAS , Pony Canyon , Discotek
Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Drama , Romance

Sana Kurata has a charmed life. Not only is her mother is a famous, award-winning writer, but she's the star of the hit TV comedy "Child's Toy" while still in the fifth grade. But Sana's biggest concern is Akito Hayama, a pint-sized hellion who's organized the boys in their grade-school class into a mass of unending noise and violence. With the help of Rei, her manager, chauffeur and "pimp," Sana is determined to win back control of the classroom from her new arch-enemy. But as her crusade continues, Sana moves further into Akito's life, and finds that he might not be entirely bad...or entirely safe.



Tags: Work , Primarily Child Cast , Shoujo , Female Protagonist , Slapstick , Foreign , Adoption , Meta , Love Triangle , Coming of Age , Surreal Comedy , School , Acting , Rehabilitation , Bullying , Urban , Heterosexual , Age Gap , Tragedy

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

Skip Beat!

Also known as Skip Beat!.

Studio: Hal Film Maker , TV Tokyo Music
Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Drama , Romance

Kyouko followed her true love and childhood friend Shou to Tokyo so she could help him reach his dream of becoming an idol. She cleans, cooks, works three jobs and does nothing for herself because she loves him so much, but gets nothing in return. Still, she remains by his side. But then one day she goes unannounced to his agency with a delivery, and overhears him talking about her; he reveals to his manager that he only took her with him as a maid, and that he doesn't care for her at all. Upon hearing this, Kyouko doesn't just sit around and cry. She cuts and dyes her hair, changes her clothes and attitude and thus begins her journey to join showbiz and have her revenge against Shou.



Tags: Acting , Revenge , Female Protagonist , Urban , Work , Shoujo , Coming of Age , Idol , Heterosexual , Fashion , Love Triangle

Kamikaze Kaitou Jeanne

Studio: Toei Animation , TV Asahi , Toei Agency
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Adventure , Comedy , Drama , Fantasy , Mahou Shoujo , Mystery , Romance , Supernatural

A normal looking high school girl on the outside, Kusakabe Maron is actually the reincarnation of Jeanne d' Arc. With the help of the angel, Fin Fish, Maron works as the thief Jeanne at night to seal the demons that reside in pieces of artwork, preying upon the weak hearts of the owners. She is branded as a thief due to the fact that the artworks disappear after she seals the demons. One day, a new neighbor and classmate appears, as well as a rival in her night job, the thief Sinbad. With her own best friend being the detective's daughter, out to capture her and the appearance of her new rival, Maron's work is anything but easy.

Tags: Demons , Magic , Henshin , Reincarnation , Angels , Detective , Episodic , Shoujo , Police , Urban Fantasy , Philosophy , Female Protagonist , Coming of Age , Love Triangle , Heterosexual , Rehabilitation , Denpa , Gods , Estranged Family , Urban , Time Manipulation , School , Historical , Primarily Teen Cast , Athletics , Body Horror , Acrobatics , Hikikomori , Photography , Crossdressing

Mermaid Melody: Pichi Pichi Pitch

Studio: SynergySP , Actas
Status: Finished
Genres: Adventure , Comedy , Fantasy , Mahou Shoujo , Music , Romance

As the mermaid princess of the North Pacific (one of the seven mermaid kingdoms), Lucia entrusts a magical pearl to a boy who falls overboard a ship one night. Lucia must travel to the human world to reclaim her pearl and protect the mermaid kingdoms. Using the power of music Lucia is able to protect herself and the mermaid kingdoms from a growing evil force.

Tags: Musical Theater , Shoujo , Mermaid , Female Protagonist , Urban Fantasy , Tragedy , Twins , Magic , Primarily Female Cast , Idol , Primarily Teen Cast , Suicide , Animals , Age Gap , Unrequited Love , Surfing , Swimming , Coastal , Kuudere , Primarily Child Cast , Revenge , Fairy Tale

Fruits Basket

Also known as Fruits Basket.

Studio: Studio DEEN , Funimation
Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Drama , Romance , Slice of Life , Supernatural

Tohru Honda is 16 year old orphaned girl who gets invited to live in the house of her classmate, the handsome boy Sohma Yuki, and his cousins, 16 year old Kyo and 27 year old Shigure. However, these young men and parts of the rest of their family (both close and distant) hold a curse; if they are hugged by the opposite gender, they transform into animals of the Chinese Zodiac. Everyday is an adventure for sweet Tohru, as she gets to know everyone in the large family better (especially Yuki and Kyo), in both common and bizarre situations. But, the Sohma Family curse is certainly no laughing matter... it also holds horrible cruelty and heartbreak.

Tags: Family Life , Mythology , Shoujo , Female Protagonist , Male Harem , Animals , Love Triangle , Heterosexual , School , Found Family , Tragedy , Badminton , Primarily Teen Cast , Reincarnation , Urban Fantasy , Philosophy , Kuudere , Curses , Cohabitation

Mahou no Stage Fancy Lala

Also known as Fancy Lala.

Studio: Studio Pierrot , Kyoto Animation , Bandai Visual , NBCUniversal Entertainment Japan , TV Osaka , Bandai Entertainment , Yomiuri Advertising , TV Tokyo Music
Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Drama , Mahou Shoujo , Music , Romance

What would you do if you could be anything you wanted? Miho Shinohara gets her chance when some little friends drop off a magical crayon that changes her life forever! 10-year-old Miho is about to see what life is like as 15-year-old Lala - pop star, model, and actress extraordinaire! With the ability to transform to Lala, Miho's life suddenly transforms into a magical fairytale… but life as a normal girl and a pop star can be pretty crazy!



Tags: Coming of Age , Female Protagonist , Idol , Henshin , Fashion , Family Life , Shapeshifting , Magic , Dinosaurs , Time Manipulation , Work , School , Acting , Episodic , Drawing , Tragedy , Baseball

Kaleido Star

Also known as Kaleido Star.

Studio: GONZO , Production I.G , TV Tokyo , Hal Film Maker , ADV Films , Funimation , G&G Entertainment , Horipro , MediaNet
Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Drama , Sports , Supernatural

Sora, a young girl from Japan, comes to America in search of her dream. She wants, with all her heart, to be a member of the Kaleido Stage, a world famous circus, with a combination of musicals, acrobatics and magical effects. With the help of her friends, she struggles to make this dream come true.

Tags: Circus , Female Protagonist , Foreign , Acting , Coming of Age , Acrobatics , Work , Ghost , Fairy Tale , Bullying , Animals , Dancing , Primarily Teen Cast , Musical Theater , Police , Idol , Cosplay

[Oshi no Ko]

Also known as Oshi No Ko.

Studio: Doga Kobo , KADOKAWA , Shueisha , Doga Kobo , CyberAgent
Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Mystery , Psychological , Supernatural

When a pregnant young starlet appears in Gorou Amemiya’s countryside medical clinic, the doctor takes it upon himself to safely (and secretly) deliver Ai Hoshino’s child so she can make a scandal-free return to the stage. But no good deed goes unpunished, and on the eve of her delivery, he finds himself slain at the hands of Ai’s deluded stalker — and subsequently reborn as Ai’s child, Aquamarine Hoshino! The glitz and glamor of showbiz hide the dark underbelly of the entertainment industry, threatening to dull the shine of his favorite star. Can he help his new mother rise to the top of the charts? And what will he do when unthinkable disaster strikes?



Note: Episode 1【推しの子】Mother and Children was pre-screened in advance in Japanese theaters on March 17, 2023. The regular TV broadcast began on April 12, 2023. The first episode has an extended runtime of ~82 minutes.

Tags: Acting , Tragedy , Idol , Revenge , Twins , Male Protagonist , Urban , Reincarnation , Heterosexual , Detective , Ensemble Cast , Coming of Age , Female Protagonist , Anti-Hero , Orphan , Pregnancy , Time Skip , Age Regression , Tsundere , Filmmaking , Seinen , Fake Relationship , Love Triangle , Bullying , Primarily Female Cast , Family Life , Urban Fantasy , Suicide , Fashion , School , Otaku Culture , Female Harem

Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso

Also known as Your lie in April.

Studio: A-1 Pictures , Aniplex , Dentsu , Fuji TV , Kodansha , Aniplex of America , Kansai TV , KYORAKU
Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Music , Romance , Slice of Life

Piano prodigy Arima Kousei dominated the competition and all child musicians knew his name. But after his mother, who was also his instructor, passed away, he had a mental breakdown while performing at a recital. This resulted in him no longer being able to hear the sound of his piano playing. Two years later, Kousei hasn’t touched the piano and views the world without any flair or color. He was content at living out his life with his good friends Tsubaki and Watari until, one day, a girl changed everything. Miyazono Kaori is a pretty, free spirited violinist whose playing style reflects her personality. Kaori helps Kousei return to the music world and show that it should be free and mold breaking unlike the structured and rigid style Kousei was used to.

Tags: Tragedy , Classical Music , Primarily Teen Cast , Coming of Age , Disability , Rehabilitation , Male Protagonist , Female Protagonist , Love Triangle , Shounen , Heterosexual , Tsundere , Philosophy , School , Unrequited Love , Slapstick , Tomboy , Ancient China , CGI